Daniel James has been studying Aikido after dabbling in a number of other arts. He moved to Aikido Yuishinkai when Maryuama Sensei emerged from seclusion and established Brisbane's first Aikido Yuishinkai dojo at Griffith University along with several others. Under Daniel's leadership the club grew to over one hundred active members across several dojo.
Committed to learning and 'drinking from a flowing stream' he has travelled extensively overseas, including visits to Japan to study Aikido and is a regular attender of national and international seminars including other schools and artsl. He has played host to several international instructors running national training camps in Brisbane as well as organising a seminar in Japan. He holds grades from Aikido Yuishinkai, as well as from the Aikido Ki Society and was a founding office bearer of the national body, Aikido Yuishinkai Australia Inc., an NCAS level 2 coach and holds a Blue Card from the Children's Commission Queensland. He is a professional member of the peak body Sports Medicine Australia and has a minor representative role with the Australian Jujitsu Federation.
Daniel cites his major influences as: Michael Williams Sensei, whom he travelled to Byron bay regularly to practice with, Master Koretoshi Maruyama through national seminars and at his dojo in Japan and more recently David Brown Sensei through seminars and private training and the internal strength movement. He has published articles on Aikido in the academic press, Blitz magazine Australia and the American based Aikido Journal. He has also appeared on ABC television (see In the press), has a by line in Tom Osbourn's PTSD book and consulted to THQ on a FPS video game.
He is an Associate Professor at Griffith University and a research leader at the Queensland Academy of Sport and has developed several commercial technologies for biomechanics, skill acquisition and performance enhancement. His career includes post graduate degrees in Physics and includes a period as a glaciologist in the Antarctic.
He considers his Aikido journey as a holistic practice of eastern traditions, drawing on insights from the western sciences to better understand the art.
See Daniel James for more information.