Sugawara Tetsutaka was born in Hokkaido in 1941.
In 1960, he began Aikido at the Hombu dojo, Tokyo, under O-Sensei Ueshiba Morihei, founder of Aikido, and became uchi-deshi under O-Sensei at the Ibaraki dojo in 1961.
In 1964, Sensei returned to Tokyo and entered Chuo University.
Sugawara Sensei was directed by O-Sensei to learn more about weaponry, and with that charge, entered the Katori Shinto-ryu receiving the kyoshi license in 1986.
Sensei has also studied Okinawa Goju-ryu Karate do under Master Miyagi Yasuichi, Master Higaonna Morio, and Kato Tomoyuki Sensei; earning a full teaching license also in this tradition.
In addition to Japanese martial arts, Sugawara Sensei was become proficient in Taijiquan and other Chinese martial arts, learning from Lujian Xing Sensei as well as Xing Yanlin Sensei. He has incorporated this art into much of his Aikido style.
Sugawara Sensei was promoted to 7 Dan Aikido by Kisshomaru Ueshiba Doshu in 1995.
Sugawara Tetsutaka has published countless martial arts titles, including Saito Morihiro’s five-volume series “Traditional Aikido”, Sugawara Sensei is also the author of several books examining Aikido and the Chinese Martial Arts, in addition to Asian metallurgical and military history.
Shihan Sugawara Tetsutaka