Description

Japanese aikido teacher (8th dan Aikikai Shihan). An uchi-deshi of Morihei Ueshiba from 1959, he was appointed by the founder in 1965 to introduce aikido to Australia, where he spent 15 years and founded Aiki Kai Australia. He later taught in Belgium, Luxembourg and France, and from 1988 co-instructed with Yoshimitsu Yamada at the New York Aikikai until his death in 2010.

Teachers (1)

• 
  Ueshiba Morihei

  sports_martial_artsAikidō Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Sugano entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1957 and was an uchi-deshi of Morihei Ueshiba from 1959, corroborated by Wikipedia, the Aikido Journal interview and the Aiki Kai Australia biography

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  Uchi-deshi (1959–1969)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Sugano entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1957 and was an uchi-deshi of Morihei Ueshiba from 1959, corroborated by Wikipedia, the Aikido Journal interview and the Aiki Kai Australia biography

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “I was around 18 at the time, so instead of going to the university I joined the dojo. About a year later I signed on as an uchideshi.”

  — Fuyuo Nanaura; Stanley Pranin. (2002). Interview with Seiichi Sugano (Aikido Journal). Aikido Journallink history info

  “Sugano entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1957 and by 1959 was an Uchi-deshi of Morihei Ueshiba living at the main school.”

  — Wikipedia contributors. Seiichi Sugano - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “Sugano entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1957 and by 1959 was a direct student (uchi-deshi) of Morihei Ueshiba, the Founder of Aikido.”

  — Aiki Kai Australia. Sugano Sensei - Aiki Kai Australialink history info

Ranks (1)

• sports_martial_artsAikidō

  military_tech8 dan Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Sugano held the rank of 8th dan Aikikai Shihan, stated in the Aiki Kai Australia biography and the English Wikipedia article

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  Dan-Kyu System

  granted by Aikikai Foundation

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Sugano held the rank of 8th dan Aikikai Shihan, stated in the Aiki Kai Australia biography and the English Wikipedia article

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “He held the rank of 8th Dan, Aikikai Shihan.”

  — Aiki Kai Australia. Sugano Sensei - Aiki Kai Australialink history info

  “He held the rank of an 8th dan Aikikai.”

  — Wikipedia contributors. Seiichi Sugano - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info

Students (2)

• 
  Agostinho Vaz

  sports_martial_artsAikidō Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Vaz states in his 2003 interview that Seiichi Sugano has visited Portugal regularly since 1996 and, together with Tamura, constitutes one of his main references

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  (1996–2003)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Vaz states in his 2003 interview that Seiichi Sugano has visited Portugal regularly since 1996 and, together with Tamura, constitutes one of his main references

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “Desde 1986 que tenho seguido em Portugal e no estrangeiro o ensinamento do Mestre N. Tamura, o qual em conjunto com o Mestre S. Sugano, que nos visita regularmente desde 1996, constituem as minhas principais referencias.”

  — Pedro Escudeiro. (2003). Entrevista ao Professor Agostinho Vaz (Pedro Escudeiro, 2003). Surya (Centro de Artes Orientais) linkhistory info

  “o qual em conjunto com o Mestre S. Sugano, que visita Portugal regularmente desde 1996, constituem as suas principais referencias.”

  — Mestre Agostinho Vaz (Aikido Marcial Dôjo Clube). Aikido Marcial Dôjo Clubelink history info
• 
  Tony Smibert

  sports_martial_artsAikidō Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Tony Smibert was a student of Seiichi Sugano from Sugano's arrival in Australia in 1965 until Sugano's death in 2010, documented by Wikipedia and the Guillaume Erard interview

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  (1965–2010)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Tony Smibert was a student of Seiichi Sugano from Sugano's arrival in Australia in 1965 until Sugano's death in 2010, documented by Wikipedia and the Guillaume Erard interview

  “He became a student of aikido master Seiichi Sugano in 1965 and remained his student until Sugano's death in 2010.”

  — Wikipedia contributors. Tony Smibert - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “Then I was with him as his senior student from then on until he passed away [...] I was in the room as he passed away.”

  — Guillaume Erard. (2026). Interview with Tony Smibert - Mastery via stewardship, not ownership link info

Honours (1)

• receipt_longShihan Probable

  Probable

  The shihan title is stated in the Aiki Kai Australia biography, without a specific award date

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Title

  granted by Aikikai Foundation

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  The shihan title is stated in the Aiki Kai Australia biography, without a specific award date

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “He held the rank of 8th Dan, Aikikai Shihan.”

  — Aiki Kai Australia. Sugano Sensei - Aiki Kai Australialink history info

Sources

Identifiers