Ulf Evenas Shihan was born on 3 November 1946 in Trollhattan, Sweden. His Budo way began with a Kyokushin Karate but soon after, in 1968, he switched to Aikido which he studied under Carl Hansson in Gothenburg who had a background in Judo, Ju-Jitsu.
In 1969 Takeji Tomita, 4th Dan at the time was sent to Sweden by the Morihei Ueshiba to spread Aikido in Scandinavia. In 1971 Tomita led a first week-long Aikido camp in Hindas, Sweden and in 1973 Ulf Evenas came to learn under Takeji Tomita and his teacher Morihiro Saito to Iwama Dojo for the first time. Ulf Evenas spent there a half of the year as an uchi-deshi and came back many-many times again.
Takemusu Aikido preserves the old Aikido style that Morihiro Saito was taught by the O’Sensei. RIAI, for example, has much bigger importance. RIAI, for those who do not know, is a relationship of Bokken, Jo and Taijutsu. Idea is to respect each equally and benefit in one while doing another.
Ulf Evenas captured Morihiro Saito‘s best time of Aikido development including Buki Waza of course. In 1977 both of them + Bruce Klickstein came to Sweden to give a first Aikido Seminar in Scandinavia and this was a first Saito’s visit to Europe. Overall Ulf Evenas spent 29 years with Morihiro Saito and in 2001 (one year before the Saito’s passing) Evenas was promoted to 7th Dan and highest weapons teaching certificate in terms of Iwama Ryu. Aikikai approved his 7th Dan and a status of Shihan only seven years after. That never happened with all Iwama students and as a result, Takemusu graduation was discontinued.
Ulf Evenas is sure that Iwama style is an important part of the Aikikai family and went further. He and Christian Tissier were promoted as leading Shihans in Europe by the International Aikido Federation in 2013.
Shihan directs a Gothenburg Aikido Club which is the oldest Takemusu Iwama Aikido Club in Europe. He is also a leader of Scandinavian Iwama Takemusu Aikido clubs network, an official representative of Saito Sensei in Europe and a member of the Swedish Budo Federation. Sensei gave more than 500 seminars around the world and is still active. He says that he is missing only Africa and Antarctica.
If you want to be more connected to Ulf Evenas follow the next pages: Ulf Evenas Aikido Centras Facebook page, Takemusu Aikido Youtube channel and Gothenburg’s Aikido Club’s site in Swedish.