During the weekend of 29–30 November 2025, Saito Morihiro Nidaime (Yasuhiro) Sensei led an intensive international seminar of Traditional Aikido of the Iwama Style – Dento Iwama Ryu Aikido – in Korntal (Stuttgart), at the invitation of Volker Hochwald Shihan (6th dan, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shurenkai), head of the Aiki Shuren Dojo Korntal.
The seminar took place in the spacious and elegant Teichwiesen Turnhalle, a modern and functional multi-sport hall in Korntal, and was preceded by a special welcome keiko reserved for some of Sensei’s and Volker Hochwald Shihan’s closest students. Twenty-six yudansha (practitioners holding at least a black belt rank) filled the smaller Aiki Shuren Dojo in Apfelallee to attend a masterful lesson on Kaeshi-waza. This repertoire of “counter-techniques” is considered a reserved heritage of the Iwama school (Saito Morihiro Shihan, Yasuhiro Sensei’s grandfather, was a true master of it) and is not to be disseminated or demonstrated in public settings or to practitioners who are not recognized students of the School.
Each kaeshi-waza is applicable when basic techniques are executed imprecisely or incorrectly: Yasuhiro Sensei presented counter-techniques arising from errors in tai no henko, ikkyo, nikyo, shihonage, and iriminage.
The keiko of the two main seminar days were attended by about 150 practitioners from various countries: numerous groups came from Germany, France, and Italy, joined by smaller delegations from Spain, Portugal, Austria, Slovakia, Denmark, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and even Egypt.
Yasuhiro Sensei was accompanied from Japan by Miki Nakajima Sensei and was assisted during the seminar by a Japanese practitioner residing in Germany, who supported the more complex translations.
Many shihan (holders of black belt ranks from 6th dan upward) were present on the tatami: Stefan Kurilla (7th dan – Slovakia), host Volker Hochwald (6th dan), Stefano Di Carlo (6th dan – Italy), Olivier Eberhardt (6th dan – France), Thomas Podzelny (6th dan – Germany), and Julien Dubergey (6th dan – France), along with many other European instructors and senior ranks.
Sensei’s program covered the fundamentals of Aikiken (suburi, 5 no awase) and the 3rd kumitachi; the fundamentals of Aikijo (suburi) and kumijo from the first to the fifth; the fundamentals of Taijutsu (katatedori tai no henko, morotedori kokyu-ho, and suwari-waza ryotedori kokyu-ho), followed by iriminage and ushiro-waza.
One of the taijutsu keiko (empty-hand practice) was conducted jointly with the large children’s class of the Korntal dojo and focused on techniques from katadori.
As always, Yasuhiro Sensei demonstrated — in addition to his well-known ability, knowledge, speed, and precision in executing and demonstrating techniques — remarkable and much-appreciated teaching skills that enabled all attendees, regardless of rank, to fully benefit from the lessons. Naturally, the most important teachings centered on the basics and fundamentals that allow one’s Aikido to grow and are indispensable for practitioners of any rank, though there were also moments of particular interest for more advanced students. At the close of the seminar, Sensei even presented a technique rarely seen or practiced, one clearly demonstrated in the Founder Morihei Ueshiba’s well-known 1935 Osaka demonstration, still visible today in the Asahi News film footage.
During the seminar, Sensei repeatedly referenced the Founder’s book Budo (1938), reading numerous kuden (oral teachings) directly from an original copy of the renowned manual. This approach had often been used by both Saito Morihiro Shihan and Saito Hitohira Jukucho, as proof and demonstration that Iwama Aikido of the Saito Family is the Aikido transmitted as Kaiso Jikiden (by direct transmission from the Founder, O Sensei).
Alongside the purely technical aspect, there were also pleasant moments of social sharing — for example, during the Saturday evening party — in which practitioners were able to bond with one another and, within the limits of etiquette and roles, interact more closely with Sensei.
The seminar left all participants and organizers extremely satisfied and once again confirmed the priceless value of the technical heritage preserved in Iwama by the Saito Family through direct transmission from the Founder.
The next European international event with Saito Morihiro Nidaime (Yasuhiro) Sensei is already scheduled for 14–15 February 2026 in Turin, at the invitation of Stefano Di Carlo Shihan, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the first international seminar led by Yasuhiro Sensei in Turin in February 2016.
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