In May 1969, Kobayashi Hirokazu shihan, accompanied by Abe Tadashi sensei of the Aikikai, visited Tomiki shihan’s research office. At the time, Kobayashi shihan was working toward uniting the aikido world under a common cause. The two had a mutual understanding, and before long two competitive aikido seminars were held under Kobayashi shihan’s guidance to introduce Tomiki shihan’s competitive aikido to university students in the Kansai region. The first of these seminars was held on 10th October 1969 at Momoyama Gakuin University, and the second was held on 11th March 1970 at the New Japan Judo Dojo. It was thanks to these efforts, that on 11th November 1970 the 1st All Japan University Student Aikido Competition was held at the Okubo Sports Hall in Tokyo. Students from seven universities under Tomiki shihan, as well as seven universities under Kobayashi shihan, participated and competed together.
On 31st January 1976, the 16mm educational film “Aikido Kyogi”, Volumes I and II, produced the previous year by TBS Britannica, premiered at the Okuma Small Auditorium of Waseda University. Volume I showed basics and fundamentals, while Volume II focused on training methods. This film systematically organized the training system that Shihan had developed through many years of research. Shihan instructed that the film be kept at Shodokan and shown at various universities, clubs, and public gatherings in Kansai in order to spread the correct understanding of “Aikido Kyogi.” On 27th March of the same year (the day before the opening ceremony of the new Shodokan central dojo), the first preview screening in Kansai was held at Shodokan. Many distinguished guests, including those from the judo community and other fields, were in attendance.
On 28th March 1976, the new Shodokan dojo was finally opened. In a letter addressed to me in July 1975, Tomiki shihan had written, “Starting next year, I hope that Shodokan will be constructed as the central dojo, gathering people from Tokyo and Fukuoka so as to hold regular training seminars. I have also made a separate request to President Uchiyama. Furthermore, I have asked Kobayashi shihan to work closely together with us going forward. (…) Upon returning home, I will immediately attend the Kodokan’s summer seminar, which runs through early August. The number of people in the higher ranks of the Kodokan who understand me has been increasing, and among them are people operating dojo who have shown interest in incorporating aikido alongside judo. Although we currently struggle to secure practice dojos, it is my ideal that in the near future, judo dojos around the world will all have an ‘Aikido Kyogi’ division. I hope to quickly cultivate capable instructors so that we will be able to respond to this.”
Furthermore, in his Greeting message at the Dojo Opening Ceremony in 1976, Tomiki shihan wrote, “In the early Meiji period, Kano Jigoro sensei proposed Kodokan Judo by modernizing classical jujutsu from the standpoint of education for the new era. Modernization of classical jujutsu means transcending individual schools or styles so as to scientifically classify and organize techniques and forms of combat, and to establish a training system for randori. (…) Kodokan Judo created a randori training system for nage waza (throwing techniques) and katame waza (locking techniques) within a grappling combat structure. (…) Shodokan Aikido, following the educational method of Kodokan Judo, has established a randori training system for atemi waza (striking techniques) and kansetsu waza (joint techniques) within a distanced combat structure.” One can clearly sense the depth of Shihan’s thoughts regarding both aikido kyogi and Shodokan.