It is an undeniable fact that since the opening of the Cougar Café Activity & Sports Center, the frequency and range of activities offered to our students and extended community has increased substantially.

From basketball clinics, to the recent KPASS Dance Festival, the campus is just buzzing with life. Recently, we hosted the first ever Aikido masterclass with over 30 practitioners of all levels attending a special, 3-hours class led by one of France’s most experienced instructor in the art.

The dojo had much cause for celebration, its head instructor, Guillaume Erard Sensei having been recently promoted to the rank of 6th dan. But even more exciting, the dojo was officially recognized by the Aikikai Foundation after a successful three years of operation, hence making Saint Maur International School an official Aikido dojo affiliated to the World Headquarters in Tokyo, which are under the leadership of the grandson of the founder of the art.

Official certificate showing that Yokohama AikiDojo is officially recognized by the Aikikai Foundation

For the occasion, the class was moved from its usual location in Activity Room 3 to the Main Gym, where close to 200 square meters of mats were laid out in order to accommodate the very dynamic practice safely and comfortably. In the spirit of our regular classes, the instruction was delivered in multiple languages but more importantly, Japanese and French practitioners were able to communicate non-verbally through the gracious, codified movements of Aikido.

We would like to thank Mrs Annette Levy, Mr Gilles Gaury, and Mr Yoel Pardez for their constant support in helping us build a real Aikido dojo within the walls of the school.