Morito Suganuma

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Morito Suganuma (b. 1942) is a Japanese aikido teacher holding an 8th dan in the Aikikai .

Born in Fukushima, Japan, his first contact with aikido was in 1963 at the Asia University in Tokyo where he followed a class taught by Nobuyoshi Tamura. The next year, Tamura introduced him to the Aikikai Hombu Dojo where he started training assiduously under Morihei Ueshiba, Kisshomaru Ueshiba and other prominent Hombu instructors. He officially became an uchideshi in 1967 after graduating from the university ^[1] ^[2].

Shortly after the death of Morihei Ueshiba, he was sent to Fukuoka (1970) by Kisshomaru Ueshiba as the Aikikai's representative for the Kyūshū district. He founded the Aikido Shoheijuku Dojo ^[3] which today encompasses about 70 dojo and 4000 students. Although primarily based in Fukuoka, he is regularly invited to give aikido seminars in North America (notably in Vancouver, Canada) and in Europe (especially in Norway and in the Nederlands.

He received his 8th dan Aikikai in 2001^[4].

He is also a well-known shodo master and regularly practice zen meditation and yoga.