Budo Society Musashi
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Dojo: Stoke Damerel Parish Centre
Paradise Rd, Stoke, Plymouth
PL1 5QL
BIO
Personal Profile
Marc Kerry Davies,
3rd Dan Aikido
I began aikido in 1976 under the inspirational guidance of the late Steadman Davies Sensei in Sanshirokwai Dojo in Llanelli, South Wales. In 1978 I joined the then Ki Federation dojo in Burry Port, South Wales with Gwynne Jones Sensei under the technical direction of Koichi Tohei Sensei.
After moving to London in 1986, I continued my training at the Morley College Takemusu aikido club with Richard Simms Sensei before travelling abroad for a couple of years from 1989 to 1991. On my return I resumed my practice with Richard Simms Sensei at Aikido Takemusu Kai in Bristol. In 1994 I moved to Stourbridge in the West Midlands where I joined the Stourbridge Ki Society with the late Glyn Simcox Sensei under the technical direction of Kenjiro Yoshigasaki Sensei. On moving to Milton Keynes in 2000 I joined the MK Seishin Aikido Club under the guidance of Ray Munns Sensei, whose openness to diversity in aikido continues to inspire my training.
I endeavoured to maintain this openness through subsequent changes in the Milton Keynes club’s affiliation, from the Yama Arashi to the Lancashire Aikikai in 2002 under the direction of Bob Spence Sensei, and from the Lancashire Aikikai to Seibukan in 2011 under the excellent technical direction of Nakao Shingo Sensei.
In 2009 I gained my Coach Level 1 certificate with the BAB and became the main instructor at the Seibukan Aikido UK dojo at the Open University as well the Child Protection Officer and Club Welfare Officer for the club.
In November 2015, I moved to East Cornwall and began training and teaching at the Budo Society Musashi dojo in Plymouth with John Piket Shihan in 2016. I also train regularly at the South Devon Aikikai dojo in Ashburton with Rick Smaridge Sensei.
In some ways I have come almost full circle as the Budo Society Masashi is affiliated to the Shin Gi Tai under the technical direction of Gwynne Jones Sensei, my second sensei, all those years ago.
Still, I remain indebted to Steadman Davies Sensei for first and most profoundly introducing me to the true spirit of aikido. I continue to embrace the diversity of the art, and look for similarities rather than differences between styles. It is important to remember that everyone is different and that ultimately our aikido becomes our own, and this might not necessarily be a true hybrid of what we have learnt over the years.