Shin-Budo Kai

Two martial artists, a woman with gray hair and an older man with dark hair and a gray beard, practicing a joint lock technique on a light-colored mat in a dojo. Both are wearing traditional white martial arts uniforms.

Shin-Budo Kai (SBK) is a national Aikido organization founded by Shizuo Imaizumi, Shihan. The name of the organization is meant to convey a sense of genuineness as well as a commitment to the “core” or “marrow” of traditional Budo. 

Within Shin-Budo Kai, the arts of Aikido, Bokkendo (the way of the wooden sword), Jodo (the way of the short staff), and Genkido (the way of cultivating one’s body, mind and spirit through ki development) are the cornerstones of training. Training in Aikido forms the core, while genkido is foundational across all SBK arts. Practice in the use of the bokken and jo starts in the earliest stages of training.

Albuquerque Shin-Budo Kai

The thread of ASBK’s history as a martial arts dojo runs through a number of individuals who dedicated their time and resources to establish Aikido training opportunities in Albuquerque. We are particularly indebted to Wade Ishimoto Sensei, who was the first to offer Shin-Budo Kai style Aikido training in Albuquerque. Ishimoto Sensei began studying Aikido in 1965 in Hawaii and became a student of Imaizumi Sensei in 1982 after retiring from the United States Army Special Forces. With a martial arts background that includes judo, boxing, and Goju Ryu Karate-do, he is also noted for his contributions to combating terrorism. Ishimoto Sensei joined with Shizuo Imaizumi Shihan in October 1988 when Imaizumi Sensei established a network of Shin-Budo Kai dojos. Ishimoto Sensei remained as the only Shin-Budo Kai Aikido Chief Instructor in Albuquerque until his move to Washington, DC in 1996. Jim Redel Sensei, a student of Ishimoto Sensei, was a Shin-Budo Kai Aikido Chief Instructor here until his resignation in early 2006. In March of 2006, Imaizumi Sensei certified Ralph Bryan Sensei as a Chief Instructor of Shin-Budo Kai Aikido in Albuquerque.

ASBK is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization

Albuquerque Shin-Budo Kai, Inc., a New Mexico nonprofit corporation (501(c)(3)), was established in 2015 to provide an official organizational vehicle whereby we could preserve, strengthen, and continue this long-standing legacy of providing education in Aikido and related arts to our local community.