was a Japanese martial artist who specialized in aikido and judo family of martial arts. He was a pedagogue of martial arts theory (武道論, Budo-ron). He is the founder of Japan Aikido Association and the competitive aikido (aikido kyogi) style.
Tomiki was a professor at Kenkoku University in Manchuria and later at the Faculty of Education at Waseda University. Tomiki is credited in devising and introducing new forms of Randori practice in Aikido. He founded his own Aikido system, which has many differences from other Aikido styles, mainly in randori training, and is referred by several names including Tomiki Aikido, Shodokan Aikido and Sport Aikido. He was the as the eldest son of the Shosuke Tomiki - a landholder. Japanese-style painter Hoan Hirafuku was his maternal grandfather.
Circa 1910, Tomiki began practising at the Kodokan, under Judo founder Jigoro Kano.
In early 1926, he encountered the founder of aikido Morihei Ueshiba. Fascinated by Ueshiba's technique, as well as being encouraged by Kano to explore Ueshiba's martial knowledge, Tomiki introduced himself and became one Ueshiba's early students.
In 1927, he went on to graduate school and was promoted to Judo 5th Dan. In 1940, he was the first 8th dan black belt to be awarded by Morihei Ueshiba in Aikido history. In the same year, Tomiki began re-evaluating Aikido and combining its practices with that of Judo's, which would eventually lead to the creation of his own Tomiki-Ryu/Shodokan Aikido.
Post-war
Tomiki was released from internment in 1948 and subsequently returned to Japan. In 1949, he became a part-time lecturer at Waseda University's Physical Education Department. His work Judo is considered a classic. The aikido appendix to the book is thought to be the earliest English language text on aikido.
In 1953, Tomiki along with 9 other martial art instructors were selected to tour US Air Force bases in the United States and was thus the first aikido instructor to visit the US.
In 1954, he became a economics professor at Waseda University.
It was this action on the part of Tomiki of attempting to convert aikido into a sport that led to a schism with the founder Morihei Ueshiba and the Aikikai. Tomiki was urged by the Aikikai to adopt a different name for his art other than "aikido" if he intended to introduce such a system of competition. Convinced of the need to modernize aikido, he stood his ground and persisted in his efforts to evolve a viable form of competition.
In 1958, Waseda University Aikido Club was established and became the first director. This is also considered the de facto start of his own style of Aikido, called Tomiki-Ryu, which was later renamed to Shodokan Aikido.
Also in 1958, he published two major books on Aikido and Judo, them being "Aikidō nyūmon" (『合気道入門』 - Eng. "Introduction to Aikido"). and the Kodokan Goshin-jutsu, which would serve as the most important book on the Kodokan Goshin Jutsu Judo kata.
In 1960, Tomiki had formalized aikidō kyōgi/competitive Aikido. Tomiki followed Ueshiba as the Aikido division head of the Kokusai Budoin-International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF Japan). In 1970, Tomiki retired from Waseda University and, in the same year, presided over the first All-Japan Student Aikido Tournament. The basic rules for the holding of aikido tournaments had been worked out by this time in what would become an ongoing experiment to develop a viable form of competitive aikido.
In 1971, Kodokan awarded Tomiki with the 8th Dan blackbelt. Then, in 1974, he founded the Japan Aikido Association (JAA) from an earlier organization of the same name to promote his theories. In 1975, he became Vice Chairman of the Japanese Academy of Budo.
Tomiki set up a new dojo for the Shodokan in Osaka on March 28, 1976, with the support of Masaharu Uchiyama, Vice-chairman of the J.A.A. This dojo was intended to function as the headquarters of the Japan Aikido Association and Tomiki served as its first director. The current head of the dojo and chief instructor of the Shodokan Aikido Federation is Tetsuro Nariyama.
Professor Tomiki died from complications of colorectal cancer on December 25, 1979.