Thamby Rajah

The founding father of aikido in Malaysia, Thamby Rajah Sensei began his martial arts career with the study of judo. He travelled from Malaya (as it was then known) by ship in 1957 for eleven days, arriving in Japan to seek training under Harayoshi Ichijima Sensei and Mifune Kyuso Sensei, the latter of whom was a 10th dan and one of the foremost exponents of judo at the time.

Thamby Sensei was introduced to the founder of yoshinkan aikido Soke Gozo Shioda during his time of training in Japan. Fascinated with the martial art, he studied under the watchful eye of Soke Shioda from 1959 as his student. Upon his return home to Malaysia, Thamby Rajah Sensei made history by becoming the first ever Malaysian to attain a black belt both in judo and yoshinkan aikido. He would one day attain world records for these achievements, in addition to being Malaysia’s oldest and longest-practising aikido teacher.