Berin Mackenzie was born in Sydney in 1975 and grew up in the Blue Mountains.
He was first drawn to Aikido in 1991 and practiced for several years with Nev Sagiba
of Blue Mountains Aikido before meeting Chicko Xerri of Aikido Kenkyukai International in 1994. While studying
with AKI Sydney, he was introduced to Takeda Yoshinobu Shihan.
In 1998, Berin travelled to Japan to practice with Takeda Shihan and to represent
Australia at an international Aikido demonstration held in Kamakura. During this
visit, he was invited to return and study at the Shonan Aikido Renmei. In 2000, he
moved to Japan and spent 3 years studying intensively under Takeda Shihan and his
senior students, becoming the first Australian to have ever done so.
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With the encouragement of his teacher, Berin returned to Sydney in 2003 and began sharing his unique Aikido experience. He maintains a close connection with Takeda Shihan and returns to Japan several times each year to further his study. He is currently ranked 4th dan with Aikikai Japan, and is a fully-insured and accredited instructor through the Martial Arts Industry Association. Berin is also author of the AKI Japanese Aikido Glossary.
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