Tomiki Kenji was born on 15 Mars 1900. B. Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture. Graduate in Political Science of Waseda University. From a family of landowners. Began judo at age 10. Member of Waseda University Judo Club and student of judo founder Jigoro KANO. In the summer of 1926, Tomiki first trained under Morihei UESHIBA. He was awarded a judo 5th dan by the KODOKAN in 1928. He entered the Tenranjiai Imperial tournament in May 1929 as a representative of Miyagi Prefecture. Tomiki moved to Manchuria to become an instructor at Daido Gakuin in March 1936 through an introduction provided by Ueshiba. He later became an instructor at KENKOKU UNIVERSITY in Manchuria, which opened in the spring of 1938 and headed the AIKI BUDO program, a regular part of the curriculum, with the assistance of Hideo OHBA. Tomiki was awarded the first aikido 8th dan on 11 February 1940 by Morihei UESHIBA. He established the WASEDA UNIVERSITY AIKIDO CLUB in April 1958. Tomiki was awarded an 8th dan in judo by the Kodokan in 1964. He was also a member of the teaching staff of the AIKIKAI HOMBU DOJO through the late 1950s. Tomiki developed TOMIKI AIKIDO which included competition patterned after the ideas of Jigoro KANO in the creation of judo. He was a professor in the Physical Education Department of Waseda University from its inception in 1954. He authored numerous studies and books on aikido, judo and self-defense. Tomiki was the first Chairman of the JAPAN AIKIDO ASSOCIATION, an organization founded in 1974 to administer Tomiki Aikido and a member of the Board of Directors of the Kodokan.

      He died on December the 25 th, 1998, aged 79