Aikido Center of South Texas has been offering traditional aikido in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas since 1998. Our master teacher is Hiroshi Kato Shihan. Kato Sensei is a direct student of O'Sensei Morihei Usehiba (the founder of aikido). We are members of the Suginami Aikikai in Tokyo, Japan and members of the Texas-based Shudokan Aikido Association. Through Suginami Aikikai, Shudokan dojos relate to the Aikikai Hombu Dojo (Aikido World Headquarters) in Japan and our black belt certificates bear the signature of Moriteru Ueshiba, the grandson of the Founder of Aikido.

Joe Cavazos Sensei now resides in Houston, Texas where he is getting first hand teachings from Hiroshi Kato Shihan and Jorge Garcia Sensei.  Cavazos Sensei's top students: Tim Kikos and Serafin Padron Senseis has taken over as Chief Instructors for the RGV dojos.  Our regional group currently consists of dojos in Mission (TX), Harlingen(TX), Laredo(TX), Nuevo Laredo(Mex), Monterrey(Mex), Cd. Valle Hermoso(Mex) and Matamoros(Mex). Shudokan Aikido Association is the groups' not-for-profit charitable corporation in the state of Texas. Our regional group is the Mexico / South Texas Region and holds quarterly seminars to keep our group up-to-date with Kato Shihan's teachings.

What is Aikido?

Loosely translated, Aikido means "the way of harmonizing with energy." 

At the core of Aikido are at least two fundamental threads:  a commitment to peaceful resolution of conflict whenever possible and a commitment to improvement of the human-spirit through Aikido training.

Aikido emphasizes evasion and circular/spiral redirection of an attacker's aggressive force into throws, pins and immobilizations as a primary strategy rather than punches and kicks.

The primary strategic foundations of Aikido are:

1. moving into a position off of the line of attack
2. seizing control of the attacker's balance by means of leverage and timing
3. applying a throw, pin, or other sort of immobilization (such as a wrist/arm lock)

Strikes (atemi) are not absent altogether from the strategic arsenal of the Aikidoist, but their use is primarily (though not exclusively) as a means of distraction. A strike is delivered in order to provoke a reaction from the aggressor, creating a window of opportunity, facilitating the application of a throw, pin, or other immobilization.

Many Aikido schools train in varying degrees with weapons, including the jo (a staff 4 or 5 feet in length), the bokken (a wooden sword), and the tanto (a knife, usually made of wood, for safety). These weapons are used not only to teach defenses against armed attacks, but also to illustrate principles of Aikido movement, distancing, and timing.

Staff Members

Joe Cavazos is the Founder and Chief Instructor of Aikido Center of South Texas and currently holds the rank of Yondan (4th degree black belt) through SAC and Tanakaha Aikido as well as a Sandan (3rd degree) through the Aikido World Headquarters (Aikikai) - directly from Moriteru Ueshiba. Cavazos Sensei is a direct student of Hiroshi Kato Shihan, Hachidan (8th degree black belt) from Japan. Kato Shihan is the founder and director of the Suginami Aikikai and is a member of several Internation Aikido Federation boards.  Cavazos Sensei considers himself an aikidoka despite having trained in several styles of the martial arts.

Aikido Seminar with Hiroshi Kato Shihan 
November 18-20, 2011
Houston, Texas

The Shudokan Aikido Association will be hosting Hiroshi Kato, Shihan for a major seminar in Houston, Texas on Friday through Sunday, November 18-20, 2011 in Houston, Texas.  For more information please go to the Shudokan Aikido Association website.

Location: 1171Keith Harrow, Houston, Texas 77084
Times:  Friday, Nov 18; 7-9pm; Saturday, Nov 19 10am-12pm; 3pm - 5pm         Sunday, Nov 20, 10am to 12 noon; 
Seminar Fees:   Please see the Shudokan Aikido Website for details 

Morihei Ueshiba

Aikido 
The History of Aikido

Aikido was founded by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) in Tokyo, Japan in 1942. Ueshiba was born in a rural area of Japan near Osaka and left home in his late teens for Tokyo to seek martial arts instruction. Ueshiba was heavily influenced by Daito Ryu AikiJu-Jitsu - a traditional martial art that dates back 1200 years and by the religion Omotokyo. In 1942, Ueshiba called his art "Aikido".

Largely because of his deep interest in Omotokyo, Ueshiba attempted to cultivate a "spirit of loving protection for all things" rather than techniques for achieving physical domination over others. He organized Aikido; his own system, and established the principle of nonresistance, the non-violent way of self defense. The name Aikido means "The Way of Harmony with the Ki" (life force) and stresses the harmony between mind, body and spirit.

He then began teaching selected pupils, some from noble families, others from the armed forces. He continued his instruction until World War II when he returned to the countryside. Witnessing his countrymen turn their interests from spiritual to material matters, Ueshiba eventually decided that he could encourage a rebirth of the spirit through the medium of Aikido. With that thought, he selected his finest students and sent them to spread Aikido throughout the world. 

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