SHOBUKAN BRANCH

Maryland & Pennsylvania

The Shobukan is an official Branch (Shibu) of the Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Hombu Dojo (World Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan) and operates under the authority and supervision of Kondo Masayuki Sensei, Daito-ryu Hombucho. Training is conducted at the Upper Bay Budo Society (Maryland) and Harrisburg Aikido (Pennsylvania).

The dojo is composed of a small, committed group of practitioners dedicated to the preservation and faithful transmission of the Daito-ryu tradition as passed down through Takeda Tokimune Sensei and continued under Kondo Katsuyuki (General Affairs Director) and Kondo Masayuki (Headquarters Director).

Originally founded in 1992 under the name Pinelands Aikido, the dojo was established under the guidance of Toyoda Fumio Sensei and the Aikido Association of America (New Jersey Branch No. 06). In 2003, Kondo Katsuyuki Sensei renamed the dojo, Shobukan (勝武館), and the following year, authorized Ted to conduct Daito-ryu classes under his guidance and supervision. Howell Sensei assumed leadership of the Maryland Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Study Group in 2025 and was appointed an official Branch Chief (Shibucho) by Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Headquarters in 2026.