Tristão da Cunha (aikidoka)

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Tristão da Cunha is Portuguese aikido teacher, descended from Tristão da Cunha the Navigator.

He started training aikido in 1981 under Barry Knight in Melbourne, Australia. In 1986 he went for the first time to Japan and was uchideshi for six months under Morihiro Saito. He returned to Portugal with the duty to create Portugal Aikishuren Dojo, as instructed by Saito. In 1989 he founded Portugal Aikishuren Kai, which introduced traditional aikido in Portugal. This organization has many dojos headed by students who are themselves uchideshi of either Morihiro Saito or his son Hitohiro Saito.

Since 1986 he has travelled many times to Japan and stayed as uchideshi with both Saito father and son. Da Cunha was uchideshi for the last year Saito senior was active. He received the 5th Dan Iwama Ryu taijutsu and bukiwaza from Morihiro Saito in Iwama, and the 6th Dan Shin Shin Aiki from Hitohiro Saito.

After Morihiro Saito died, he continued, as a personal option and because his late teacher asked him, with his son and successor, Hitohiro Saito. He was present at the inauguration ceremony of Iwama Shin Shin Aikishuren Kai, the organization founded by Hitohiro Saito.

Like many of the students of Saito, Tristão da Cunha is also a student of shurikenjutsu, of the Negishi Ryu style, taught by Saito Shihan. In Portugal, Tristão da Cunha named this style Saito Ryu Shuriken Jutsu. He still learns this art from his teacher Hitohiro Saito.