Kanshu Sunadomari

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Kanshū Sunadomari (砂泊カン秀) was born in 1923 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. In his teens, he became an uchideshi of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido. His live-in apprenticeship under the founder took place during World War II, and he also spent a brief period at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo after the war. In 1961, at the age of 38, Sunadomari received the rank of 9th [dan]. Sunadomari dedicated himself to the teaching of aikido in his native Kyūshū and opened up the Manseikan dojo (万生館) on the premises of the Tetori Shrine (手取神社）in the heart of Kumamoto City.

Sunadomari comes from a family of devout believers in Omoto, the religion on which Ueshiba based the spiritual underpinnings of aikido, and the Sunadomari family maintained a close relationship with the founder until his death. Kanemoto Sunadomari (elder brother of Kanshu) studied under the founder in the early 1930's and published the first biography of the Founder in 1969 entitled Aikido Kaiso Morihei Ueshiba. A newer version of this book was later published under the title Bu no Shinjin. Fukiko (Mitsue) Sunadomari (elder sister of Kanshu) was a close personal confidante of the founder until his death and was also a high ranking practioner of aikido.

After Ueshiba's death in 1969, Sunadomari founded his own independent style in Kumamoto City and began his further study of the spirit of aikido. In 1999, he renamed his style Aiki Manseidō (合氣万生道) symbolizing his conviction to help spread world peace by transmitting the spirit of the founder across the world through physical technique. Practitioners of his style recite the Spirit of Aikido (合気道の精神) before beginning each practice. Sunadomari is known for his emphasis on kokyu ryoku (breath power; 呼吸力) and his extremely soft and powerful technique. He has written several books, most of which have never been translated from their original Japanese. In 2004, his book Enlightenment through Aikido (Aikido de satoru, 合気道で悟る) became the first to be released in English translation.