The Founder

1947-2025

The Founder:
Dr. Simon Darakhvelidze

Dr. Simon Darakhvelidze was an individual of rare and extraordinary magnitude, a man who successfully revived the classical, antique ideal of the “scientist-warrior.” Throughout his life, he completely dissolved the boundaries between the rigorous science of human healing and the uncompromising discipline of the martial arts. He was a master who simultaneously possessed the profound science of curing the body and the highly refined art of combat.

For Dr. Darakhvelidze, the martial path was never a vehicle for personal vanity, the display of external superiority, or the cultivation of aggression. Instead, it was an exacting journey of resilience, inner mobilization, biomechanical precision, and the vital preservation of human dignity required during moments of fear, pain, and profound loss.

The Physician and Scholar: A Life Devoted to Healing

Before and beyond his identity as a martial artist, Dr. Darakhvelidze was a profoundly dedicated medical professional and an intellectual giant in his field. With a medical career spanning half a century, he dedicated his intellect and physical endurance to the practice of orthopedic surgery and traumatology. His relentless pursuit of knowledge extended deeply into the academic realm, where he achieved the title of Doctor of Medical Sciences and authored more than 50 scientific works, contributing significantly to medical literature and the advancement of surgical traumatology on a world-class level.

This immense academic and practical medical background was the defining lens through which he viewed the martial arts. Where traditional practitioners saw only the external geometry of a technique, Dr. Darakhvelidze observed the precise, underlying anatomical architecture. He analyzed every stance, strike, and throw through the strict empirical principles of joint mechanics, skeletal alignment, the physics of the human center of gravity, and maximum physiological leverage. His deep understanding of traumatology allowed him to perceive martial techniques not merely as movements, but as intricate interactions that required absolute pedagogical safety.

The Origins of Mastery (1977–1992)

Hailing from a prominent, highly respected family in the coastal city of Sokhumi, his foundational work in both medicine and martial arts began in his beloved hometown. He was a true pioneer of the martial arts in the region, formally establishing the very first Karatedo group in Sokhumi on September 10, 1977. This initiative did not merely create a sports club; it opened a completely new page in the history of regional martial arts, igniting a significant cultural movement.

While advancing his rigorous medical career and conducting his doctoral research in Moscow, he immersed himself deeply in the study of Shito-ryu Karatedo. Training under the strict guidance of Tetsuo Sato Sensei, he subsequently refined his knowledge directly under the legendary master and President of the All-Japan Shito-ryu Association, Manzo Iwata. From these formidable grandmasters, his practice absorbed the uncompromising strictness of traditional form, unwavering somatic stability, extreme physical precision, and the demanding discipline of completed action.

Driven by an insatiable analytical mind, he sought to understand the deeper mechanics of combat—specifically spatial distance (ma-ai), the preservation of the center, and the seamless redirection of adversarial force. This led him to an exhaustive study of the aiki arts. To continuously refine his technique and internalize the fluid dynamics of Aikido, he actively participated in high-level seminars conducted by Ueshiba Moriteru. He filtered every new principle through his own grueling physical practice and his unparalleled medical perspective.

The Russo-Georgian War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)

In 1992, the outbreak of the Russian war in Abkhazia brought devastating conflict to Dr. Darakhvelidze’s native city of Sokhumi. As the city was subjected to relentless, heavy bombardment, he made the definitive decision not to abandon his hometown or the people who relied on his medical expertise.

He maintained his critical position at the Sokhumi hospital, serving as its leading orthopedic traumatologist during one of the most chaotic and violent periods in the region’s history. The working conditions at the medical facility were catastrophic, yet Dr. Darakhvelidze continuously performed emergency surgeries, focusing his vast surgical experience entirely on treating the wounded and saving human lives as the conflict escalated around the hospital walls. He remained on the frontlines of the operating room, fulfilling his professional and medical obligations under extreme physical and psychological duress.

The progression of the war systematically stripped away his ancestral home, his personal property, and his previous life’s work in a city where his family held a prominent and highly respected history. Despite facing these immense personal and material losses, he refused to leave his medical post. His continuous service in the besieged city concluded only when he was personally and severely wounded during a direct bombing of Sokhumi. This severe injury, coupled with the subsequent occupation of the region, forced him into permanent displacement, compelling him to leave the city where he had established both his surgical career and the foundation of his martial arts instruction.

An Era of Relentless Exploration (1994–1997)

Displaced from his home, Dr. Darakhvelidze relocated to Yalta in Crimea, Ukraine. where he initiated a highly dynamic, transformative era of martial and personal reconstruction. From 1994 to 1997, he established a thriving Aikido school in Yalta.

The martial arts landscape of the 1990s was an era of intense curiosity and rapid discovery. , In 1995 he connected with fellow dedicated martial artists, initiating a period of intense cross-training and collaborative research.. Seeking like-minded individuals, they, along with a dedicated community of practitioners, transformed the Yalta dojo into an intense, collaborative martial laboratory.

During their training sessions they rigorously tested the intersection of martial mechanics. They tested escapes from high-pressure holds, analyzed precise angles of entry, and actively resisted one another. The training was characterized by robust experimentation—punches were thrown with real intent, occasionally resulting in bruises, black eyes, and pulled joints as they sought the universal truth of combative mechanics.

Despite the grueling physical intensity, the atmosphere was defined by immense camaraderie, joy, and laughter. Dr. Darakhvelidze, universally remembered for his intensely positive demeanor, deep intellectual brilliance, and highly subtle sense of humor, trained on completely equal terms with his peers. Beyond his role as an instructor and fellow student, he served as the essential medical lifeline for the community. As a highly respected physician, he consistently utilized his esteemed position to arrange critical medical care and provide specialized treatments for his injured peers, proving that his dedication to their well-being extended far beyond the tatami.

The Shobukan Seminars and Technical Evolution

During these highly active years, the group aggressively sought out international expertise, participating in intensive training camps focused on Jukokai Nihon Ryu Taijutsu, expanding their vocabulary with classical combat methods. They also established lifelong connections with European masters, including Jan Erik Karlsson (Sweden) for Jujutsu and Jan Janssens (Belgium) for Aikijutsu.

A pivotal milestone in Dr. Darakhvelidze’s ongoing pursuit of mastery occurred through their connection with Lidia Volyanskaya of Aikido Shobukan. In 1996, a rigorous seminar was organized in Yalta led by Shihan Ralph Singer, representing Aikido Shobukan and the esteemed Mitsugi Saotome lineage. Acting as a dedicated uke during the intense technical demonstrations, Dr. Darakhvelidze was officially tested and awarded advanced expert recognition in Aikido.

Through these rigorous seminars and direct exposure to high-level instruction, the group’s understanding of internal mechanics was definitively cemented. Validating the devastating effectiveness of proper blending and structural control, these seminars drove Dr. Darakhvelidze to plow even deeper into their research, expanding their rigorous practice into the parallel traditions of Jujutsu and Aikijutsu.

The Formal Creation of Aikijutsu Goshinkan in Tbilisi (1997)

His unyielding dedication and relentless research culminated in 1997. Traveling alongside his peers to an international budo camp at Lake Balaton, Hungary, he successfully tested and attained advanced expert certification in Aikijutsu. Armed with this profound knowledge, his decades of striking expertise in Shito-ryu, and a peerless understanding of human anatomy, he experienced a massive conceptual breakthrough. He discovered the precise, functional synthesis between the explosive, structured striking mechanics of Karate and the dynamic blending, center-control, and redirective principles of the Aiki arts.

Later in 1997, Dr. Darakhvelidze relocated to Tbilisi, Georgia. It was here that he officially opened his new dojo and formalized the creation of Aikijutsu Goshinkan.

An Enduring Legacy

Until his passing in May 2025, Dr. Simon Darakhvelidze dedicated his entire life to refining, expanding, and transmitting this profound path. The institution he built reveres him not solely as its first teacher, but as a true Renaissance man—a healer and a warrior—in whom the medical arts and martial disciplines coalesced into a unified service to the human condition.

Today, Aikijutsu Goshinkan meticulously preserves his transmission under the strict guidance of the current Sōke, safeguarding his enduring standards of discipline, resilience, precision, mercy, and uncompromised human dignity. The legacy of Dr. Simon Darakhvelidze stands as a permanent, living reminder to every practitioner: true knowledge must serve humanity, martial strength must forever remain a tool to protect life, and honor must always follow duty.