About London East Aikikai - Gen Pu Kan
Welcome to London East
Aikikai.
Our name, given by
Shihan T.K. Chiba, is
Gen Pu
Kan
which means
The House That
Transmits the Original Current (Energy)
We are members of the
British
Birankai and are directly affiliated with the Hombu Dojo,
Tokyo,
Japan.
We are members of
the B.A.B.
(British Aikido Board) and all students are insured
through the BAB
scheme.
Sensei Steve Beecham is
a level 3 (National Level) teacher
About Sensei Steve Beecham - Chief
Instructor
Steve Beecham started practising Aikido
in 1968 under TK Chiba Sensei, a direct student of, Morihei
Ueshiba, O Sensei, founder of Aikido. TK Chiba Sensei now
holds the rank of 8th Dan
In 1973 Steve was awarded Shodan (1st Dan) and began teaching in
the late seventies. He soon had a thriving dojo in South
London. In 1978 he was awarded Nidan. (2nd Dan)
In 1979 Steve renewed contact with Chiba Sensei who had left the
UK to make his home in the U.S.A. Having informed Chiba
Sensei of his hopes to visit Hombu Dojo in Tokyo for an intensive
period of training he was delighted to be given letters of
introduction to Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba and others making his trip
very successful. Although the visit was a short one he trained
intensively at Hombu Dojo with the current Doshu and Sensei's
Yamaguchi, Osawa, Shibata and many other Shihan
In 1983 Steve met Nobuyoshi Tamura Shihan 8th Dan who had recently
established the National National Aikido Federation and in 1987
Steve Beecham the technical director. In 1987 Steve was awarded
Yondan (4th Dan) under Shihan Tamura.
In 1989 TK Chiba Shihan invited Steve to teach at the Aikido
London Headquarters, Shinmei-kan Dojo. (Shinmei-kan). In that same year Chiba Sensei
confirmed his Yondan Grading with Hombu Dojo. Steve taught at the
Shinmei-kan Dojo for 17 years. until his sabbatical in 2007.
In January 2003 he was awarded Godan (5th Dan) by TK
Chiba Shihan and has been a Shidoin with the British
Aikikai/Birankai since its inception and also a member of the
Teaching Committee.
In August 2011 he was awarded Rokudan (6th Dan) by TK Chiba
Shihan.
Apart from teaching in the UK he has also taught in the U.S.A,
Canada, China, New Zealand, France and Spain.