Malaysia’s father of aikido, passed away on Sunday at his home here. He would have been 97 next month.

Remarkably, he thrived on extreme exercise until his mid-80s, smashing stereotypes and proving that elderly people can be just as active and fast-paced as anybody else.

As the first Malaysian to achieve black belts in aikido and judo, he helped popularise self-defence in the country since the 1960s.

After setting up Malaysia’s first aikido dojo – the Shudokan Institute of Aikido – in Temiang in 1960, he went on to teach scores of sensei (aikido teachers) how to run the gyms.

His shudokan – place to learn the way – became the birthplace of such schools worldwide.

Many world-renowned martial experts, such as Ichijima Hariyoshi, Shimizu Takaji and American Donn F Draeger, have graced Thamby Rajah’s dojo.

Noveen Mannath, a former student of Thamby Rajah, described his master as a “man of great vision, strength and principles who changed the lives of many through aikido”.

“He devoted his life to martial arts and to the study of self-defence as a way of living life to its fullest,” said Noveen, who stepped into Thamby Rajah’s dojo in 1998.

He said: “The shudokan torch he lit over 60 years ago will continue to burn brightly as the instructors and students stood on the shoulders of a true titan.”

Another former student Dino Pascual Herrera recalled how his life was transformed for the better after training under a “no-nonsense, yet compassionate” man.

He said his mischief-making as a youngster was outweighed by the discipline, self-confidence and self-defence skills he had benefitted from Thamby Rajah’s teachings.

It was the training, coupled with his kendo skills, that helped Herrera remain composed in taking down the notorious burglar Mat Kilat in his Temiang neighbourhood in the 1970s.

Herrera said: “Don’t nod in recognition of Thamby Rajah’s name, but bow with admiration and respect.”

Thamby Rajah’s journey in martial arts began with his study of jujutsu under the tutelage of Walter De Silva in the post-World War II years in Malaya.

His strong desire to learn more saw him visiting Japan many times in the 1950s to train in judo and eventually, yoshinkan aikido.

It was at a time when Japan, as a defeated nation, was still struggling to wake from the nightmare of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Young people had lost much of their vision of the future and in searching for a new direction, embraced the boundless spirit of martial arts.

Thamby Rajah seized the opportunity to join them, stimulating one another to grow.

He combined his training of judo with that of yoshinkan aikido and returned home with black belts in both sports.

“His dynamic personality came out in different ways over the years and aikido is what it is today because of him,” said Rahiman Dawood, president of the Negeri Sembilan Aikido Association.

“He was a pillar of strength and inspiration to all who encountered him, and his radiant spirit and legacy will never be forgotten,” said Rahiman.

Thamby Rajah, a former clerk at St Paul’s Primary, is survived by his nieces, nephews and students, past and present.

The cremation will be at 11am tomorrow after the final rites at the Shudokan Institute of Aikido, 416A, Jalan Temiang, Seremban.