Toyama Ryu Iaido Kai
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Seidokan Dojo
ABOUT US
The Seidokan Dojo endeavours to create the same experience students would have when attending the Headquarters (Hombu) Dojo in Japan. This has proved successful in preparing students to attend for Shinsa (testing for grade advancement) in Japan.
Chris Spencer-Hicks Sensei
Mr Spencer-Hicks has trained in various Japanese Martial Arts for over 39 years achieving a number of high ranking grades. Mr Spencer-Hicks was introduced by a Japanese friend to Morioka Sensei the then Kaicho (President) of the Toyama Ryu Iaido Kai and direct student of Morinaga Sensei. After a formal interview and initial session in the grounds of the Tsukiyomi Shrine to demonstrate his knowledge of Toyama Ryu he was pleased to be accepted by Morioka Sensei as a student.
Morioka Sensei granted Mr Spencer-Hicks the use of his personal and family mon (crest)
Mr Spencer-Hicks makes regular trips to the hombu Dojo to deepen his studies. During the trip of 2019 he successfully challenged for rokudan 6th Dan and won a number of prizes for performance and tameshigiri (test cutting).
Alongside his Budo journey, professionally he has over 30 years of operational experience within the Criminal Justice system.
Graeme Lawrence Sempai
Graeme Lawrence began his Budo training at the age of eleven, starting with Shotokan karate, and Iaido soon afterwards. Graeme passed his Nidan (2nd dan) grading during a training visit to the Japanese hombu dojo in 2019.
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Having previously lived in Japan for almost a decade, he is the dojo's International Liaison Officer, responsible for communication in Japanese with the Headquarters dojo and other groups.
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Outside the dojo he is the UK representative of Japan Consulting Office, a corporate training company, while at the same time running Graeme Lawrence Japanese Translations.
Graeme was honoured to win first prize in the prestigious "29th Sir Peter Parker Awards Business Japanese Speech Contest" at SOAS.