The Heliopolis Sporting Club (HSC) celebrated “Aikido Day” last week, featuring demonstration bouts by skilled Egyptian practitioners.
HSC celebrates Aikido day every month, and invites other practitioners from different clubs to promote the martial art.
Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art that utilises and redirects an opponent’s momentum.
In attendance were several members of the Japanese Embassy, including Koji Kaneko, the director of the Japanese Information and Culture Center in Egypt.
Kaneko told Daily News Egypt that he has noticed that Aikido is increasing in popularity in Egypt, adding “we are always in touch with the Egyptian Aikido Association to organise and celebrate Japanese martial arts’ demonstrations and events in Egypt, including aikido, judo, and karate”.
