Rhondda Ki Society

Dojo Address
Abergorki Hall
16-18 Bute Street
Treorchy
Rhondda-Cynon-Taff
Mid Glamorgan
South Wales
CF42 6BD

Classes
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
7:30 – 9.00pm (Adults)

Mat Fees
£25.00 per month

Contact Information
Sensei Neil Davey
E-Mail : rhondda@ki-aikido.org.uk

Grading Successes: Congratulations to Martin John and Gareth Evans on their recent Shoden gradings and to Rhys Brabham on his recent Okuden grading.

From L to R: Martin John, Rhys Brabham, Sensei Davey and Gareth Evans.

Instructor Biography

Sensei Neil Davey started Aikido in February 1978 at the Ki Club in Pentre, Rhondda which was being run by Sensei Ken Williams of the British Ki Federation who was the official representative of Tohei sensei and the Ki No Kenkyukai  in Japan. The teaching was Shin Shin Toitsu Ki and Aikido.

Later that year sensei Ken Williams moved to Burnham on Sea and the Rhondda branch was taken over by sensei  Richard Gardiner and sensei Robert Turner.  Sensei Davey continued to train directly under sensei Gardiner and Turner and was graded to Shodan – 1^st Dan by sensei Ken Williams in 1983. From then he also attended monthly Dan classes from sensei  Williams until being graded to Nidan – 2^nd Dan in 1986.

Under the direction of senseis Burgess, Gardiner and Turner the newly formed British Ki Society was created in 1986 to bring the clubs/societies directly under Tohei sensei and his European representative Yoshigasaki sensei and sensei Davey joined as part of Rhondda Ki Society.

He attended a two day seminar in London in 1987, instructed by Tohei sensei who was assisted by Yoshigasaki sensei.

In 1988 he helped organise and attended a week long seminar instructed by Tohei sensei`s chief instructor Maruyama sensei at the National Sports Centre in Cardiff.

In August 1989 sensei Davey was appointed Head Instructor at the Treorchy branch of the Rhondda Ki Society, running both the children`s and adult classes.

In August 1997 he also attended a weeks`seminar in Bressanone, Northern Italy by the chief instructor of Kiatsu of the Ki No Kenkyukai, Otsuka sensei .

Sensei Davey helped organise all Doshu Yoshigasaki`s courses in South Wales over the coming years and continued to train on the majority of his courses held around the country. In 2007 he was invited with others from the British Ki Society to attend a weeks` seminar at the opening of `Furisato` in Belgium which was the personal dojo of Doshu Yoshigasaki.

He has been graded/promoted by Doshu Yoshigasaki from Sandan – 3^rd Dan in 1993, up to Nanadan – 7^th Dan in 2019. In 2021 he was made Chief Instructor in Wales for the British Ki Society. He has also been instrumental in students obtaining grades up to Okuden in Ki Development and 3^rd Dan in aikido under Doshu Yoshigasaki.