Sensei Thambu, the chief instructor of the Shudokan, Melbourne, Australia, and Tecnical Director of Aikido Yoshinkan Nottingham has been a student of Aikido for nearly 35 years.
2002 was Sensei Joe's thirtieth year of Aikido training and teaching, and he continues to spread the art with recent visits to Malaysia, Canada, Europe and Japan. In early 2008 he was also awarded the rank of seventh dan black belt by the International Yoshinkan Aikido Federation.
Andy began his Aikido training in 1998 under Sensei Ken Robson (7th Dan, Shudokan Institute of Aikido International). He was awarded the rank of Shodan (1st degree black belt) in 2001 and Nidan (2nd degree black belt) in 2004 by Sensei Robson.
In March 2008 Andy was tested to Nidan in Yoshinkan Aikido by Sensei Joe Thambu (7th Dan, IYAF) following three years of training in Yoshinkan Aikido under the technical direction of Sensei Thambu.
Andy has been teaching Aikido since 2001 and in 2005 set up his own independent dojo Aikido Shoshinkai. At the beginning of 2008 Andy joined forces with Sensei Damon Robinson of Aikido Shudokan UK and together formed Aikido Yoshinkan Nottingham.
Andy firmly believes in providing opportunities for students to learn from and train with many different instructors and at different dojo. Andy himself has attended seminars both in the UK and abroad and has received tuition from many senior Yoshinkan Aikido instructors including Master Thamby Rajah (9th Dan, Aikido Shudokan Malaysia), Terada Saikokomon (9th Dan, IYAF), Inoue Hanshi (9th Dan, IYAF) and Tsutomu Chida Sensei (8th Dan, IYAF).
During May and June 2006, June 2007 and again from January to March 2008, to further his Aikido, Andy undertook intensive training as dojo-sei (live in student) at Sensei Joe Thambu’s (7th Dan, IYAF) Shudokan dojo in Melbourne Australia.
Andy is certified to teach Yoshinkan Aikido by the International Yoshinkan Aikido Federation (IYAF) and is trained in first aid.