Franco Martufi Sensei

AFSA’s Technicall Advisor

AFSA Jokyushidoin 1997 - 2011

I have been a close student and colleague of Franco Martufi Sensei since 1996 and would like to give recognition and present him to my friends and students in the following pages. I would especially like you to give credit to the important work Sensei is doing to develop Aikido in South Africa on a continuing basis since his first arrival in 1996.
-- Paul de Beer

Franco Martufi Sensei has been practising Aikido since 1976. He graded for Shodan in 1980. In 1984 his teacher Hosokawa Sensei (now 7th Dan) called him to assist in his new Dojo in Cagliari (Sardinia). He continued to work as a teacher in Rome at the Aikikai of Italy Central Dojo where he had started practising Aikido thirteen years before.

When he returned to Rome in 1990 he continued to practice and teach Aikido at the Italian Aikikai Central Dojo where he had first started Aikido at the age of fourteen.

He opened Seiki Dojo in Rome, training a large number of new aikidoka until he moved to the United Kingdom in 1997. In the UK he opened the 'Aikido Tada Juku' United Kingdom Dojo in the European School of Culham, Oxfordshire.

In 2006 Sensei spent 6 months in South Africa, based in Port Elizabeth, to promote Aikido around the country. He later returned to Sardinia in Italy where he teaches at the “Zan Shin” Dojo in Olbia.

Martufi Sensei has traveled the world, giving Aikido classes and workshops, since 1993.
 

He was a member of the Technical Committee of the Confederation of Russian Aikido Group (CRAG) for more than 10 years. Since 2005 he also taught seminars for the Aikikai Jordan and the Iraqi Aikikai.

In 2007 Martufi Sensei was awarded a 6th Dan degree in Aikido by Hiroshi Tada Sensei (9th Dan).

Franco Martufi is also a certified Ohashiatsu Instructor and teaches and practices Ohashiatsu around the world.

Franco Martufi Sensei is currently the Technical advisor of the Aikido Federation of South Africa (AFSA). He has served as AFSA's Jokyushidoin or Chief Instructor between 1997 and 2011.

PERSONAL DETAILS:
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 August 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH: Piombino (LI) Italy
OCCUPATION: Aikido Teacher, Ohashiatsu® Teacher & Practitioner

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:
since 1997 Chief Instructor AFSA
since 2005 Instructor in Charge Aikikai Jordan
since 1997 Certified Ohashiatsu® Instructor Ohashi Institute N.Y.
1991 - 1996 General Secretary Aikikai d’Italia
1993 - 2005 Co-Technical Director CRAG

INSTRUCTORS
1976-1989 Hosokawa Hideki 7th Dan Aikikai d’Italia
1980-2005 Tada Hiroshi 9th Dan Aikikai d’Italia
1992-1996 Ohashi Wataru Ohashi Institute N.Y.

GRADES:
Shodan 1980 Fujimoto Sensei Aikikai d’Italia – Aikikai Hombu
Nidan 1982 Hosokawa Sensei Aikikai d’Italia – Aikikai Hombu
Sandan 1985 Fujimoto Sensei Aikikai d’Italia – Aikikai Hombu
Yondan 1991 Tada Sensei Aikikai d’Italia – Aikikai Hombu
Godan 1997 Tada Sensei Aikikai d’Italia – Aikikai Hombu
Rokudan 2007 Tada Sensei Aikikai d’Italia – Aikikai Hombu