ORGANIZATION

Structure

Shin Kaze Aikido Alliance is a non-profit organization of practitioners and dojos with common goals. It prides itself in listening and being responsive to its members’ needs and requirements in the pursuit of its mission and vision, guided by its core principles and values.

Incorporation

Shin Kaze was registered in Canada as a non-profit corporation in April 2019. Its headquarters are located at 58 Ritchie Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6R 2J9.

Founding Members

The Founding Members of Shin Kaze are:

  • Barbara Britton Shihan, 6th dan Senior Instructor at Framingham Aikikai.

  • David Farrell Shihan, 7th dan, Chief Instructor of Commonwealth Aikikai.

  • David Halprin Shihan, 7th dan, Chief Instructor of Framingham Aikikai and of Providence Aikikai.

  • Robert Zimmermann Shihan, 7th dan, Chief Instructor of Toronto Aikikai.
B. Britton Shihan
D. Farrell Shihan
D. Halprin Shihan
R. Zimmermann Shihan

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of Shin Kaze (Board) manages all affairs of the organization.

The Board aims to be comprised, on a best efforts basis, of no less than one third of female directors.

Initially, the Board consists of the four Founding Members of Shin Kaze.

Committees

The Board of Directors of Shin Kaze manages all affairs of the organization. To support its efforts, it has established 2 types of committees: Standing and Other.

The Standing Committees as established in the By-Laws are:

  • The Technical Committee (TC), that has the authority to oversee and determine all technical aspects pertaining to the practice of Aikido within Shin Kaze.

  • The Board Advisory Council, an advisory committee to the Board composed of the dojo-chos.

  • The TC Advisory Council, an advisory committee to the TC composed of experienced practitioners.

Other Committees are created as required to provide guidance on specific topics. There are currently two such committees:

  • The Access and Equity Committee, that provides advice regarding equitable access, gender and minority group issues.

  • The Educational Committee, whose mandate is to preserve, organize and distribute historical and educational materials, to develop processes that maintain the legacies of our teachers and to organize dialogue to clarify important issues affecting our understanding of Aikido.

The Technical Committee

The TC is a Standing Committee of the Board that has the authority to oversee and determine all technical aspects pertaining to the practice of Aikido within Shin Kaze.

The TC oversees and determines the establishment of test requirements, technical standards, rank promotions and rank recommendations in Aikido. It also manages the designation and qualifications for the titles of Fukushidoin, Shidoin and Shihan in a manner consistent with International Regulations.

The Technical Committee originally consisted of the four Founding Members of Shin Kaze. Josef Birdsong Shihan, 6th dan, Chief Instructor of Aikido of Austin was added to the Technical Committee in September 2020.

The Advisory Councils

One of the main aims of Shin Kaze is to have open, transparent and participatory two-way communication among its members. To this end, the Board has established for itself and for the TC (the 2 Bodies) associated Standing Committees called Advisory Councils to provide feedback on and input to their decisions. These committees are called the Board Advisory Council and the TC Advisory Council. Each of these Councils operates independently of the other and of their associated Bodies.

The Board Advisory Council is comprised of one individual representative from each dojo in Shin Kaze, appointed by the legally recognized owner of the dojo. The TC Advisory Council is comprised of all individual members of Shin Kaze holding a rank of 3rd dan or higher in Aikido or the designations of Shidoin or Fukushidoin, and may include others who wish to participate.

Each of the Bodies and Advisory Councils select a Chairperson to manage meetings within a Body or Council and to be the communications liaison between the groups.
Org Chart

Benefits of Shin Kaze’s Organizational Structure

Some of the benefits of Shin Kaze’s structure are:

  • Consultation
    Shin Kaze’s Advisory Councils mediate meaningful interaction and consultation,  providing two-way communication and feedback between the membership, the Board and the TC.

  • Legacy and Education
    Shin Kaze’s Educational Committee  protects and preserves our members’ varied heritages.

  • Equity and Access
    Shin Kaze’s Access and Equity Committee interacts with the Board and informs and provides advice on equity, access, gender and minority group issues.

  • Freedom
    Shin Kaze’s allows its members the freedom to define one’s own learning path.

  • Flexibility
    Shin Kaze’s Board has the ability to set up other Committees to manage matters of significance as they arise.

  • Transparency
    Shin Kaze’s structure and values promote running the organization with full transparency in all aspects of its operation.