Fumio Toyoda

Who was Fumio Toyoda?

Fumio Toyoda, was a Japanese aikido teacher and lay Zen master who taught extensively in the United States and Europe.

Raised in Tochigi Prefecture in Japan, Toyoda began training at age 10 with his first teacher Koichi Tohei, whose family land neighbored that of the Toyoda family. Toyoda was awarded the rank of shodan at age 17, during a test administered by the late Morihiro Saito. At age 17, he also began training in the misogi methods taught at the Ichikukai Dojo in Tokyo. Toyoda would go on to live for three years at Ichikukai as a resident student, or jyoju. It was here that he began studying Zen as well.

Toyoda later enrolled as uchideshi at Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo, and lived there for over two years. In 1974, when Koichi Tohei split off from the Aikikai Foundation to eventually form his Ki no Kenkyukai, Toyoda followed. In that same year - now 27 years old and holding the rank of godan - he was sent by Tohei to Chicago, USA. Tohei would eventually promote him to the rank of rokudan. Disagreements between the two, however, led to Toyoda's departure from Tohei's organization. In 1984 Toyoda founded his own Chicago-based organization, the Aikido Association of America. Now independent and traveling extensively to lead seminars, a network of European students would also grow to form a sister organization, Aikido Association International. AAA/AAI would eventually re-affiliate with Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1994.