Then he’d disappear, and people would wonder what that was all about.

Sooner or later, people attracted by his emphasis on movement and balance in the defensive martial art of aikido would seek him out.

They would later come to appreciate that aikido being strictly self-defence without excessive force leads to an enhanced spiritual development.

Many aikido experts say Melaka-born Ramlan has a worthy ability to bring people together and make aikido thrive as a way of harmony.

He is Malaysia’s highest-ranking teacher and practitioner of aikido, which, loosely translated, means “the way of the harmonious spirit.”

For Ramlan, 56, a dojo is more than a gymnasium; it is a “place for achieving goals.”

It has been three decades since Ramlan first embarked on his aikido journey, one which would irrevocably shape his experiences, his life and the lives of those he would touch.

Last week, Aikido Shudokan Malaysia celebrated the man and his saga – an unending pilgrimage to spread the system of yoshinkan (the hard style of aikido) to the world.

Over 200 local and foreign specialists of aikido gathered in the spirit of harmony to celebrate the 30-year milestone achieved by Ramlan.

They travelled from Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Singapore, bringing with them the purpose of not fighting, connection, cooperation and community.

Ramlan’s popularity comes from the way he embodies the spirit of aikido itself: peaceful, inclusive, with strict core principles surrounded by a flexible emphasis on developing them your own way.

Being a family

Aiko Inoue, president of Aikido Shudokan International, paid tribute to Ramlan for continuing the legacy of Malaysian martial arts legend Thamby Rajah, who’s also known as Malaysia’s father of aikido.

“Keep up the great work in bringing our community together through our art known as ‘the way of harmony’,” she said.

Thamby Rajah, who founded the Shudokan Institute of Aikido in Temiang, Seremban, in 1960, the first aikido dojo outside of Japan, died two years ago.

He taught hundreds the grappling art of aikido, even into his mid-80s, proving that elderly people can be just as active and fast-paced as anybody else.

Thamby Rajah’s nephew, Joe Thambu, a practitioner of aikido for over 36 years, praised Ramlan and his students for their efforts in introducing the yoshinkan style of aikido in various countries including Iran, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

“I thank Ramlan for keeping alive the flame of our art, which was first lit by my uncle in 1952, and for his continuous perseverance to help and unite people through aikido,” said Melbourne-based Thambu, the chief instructor of Aikido Shudokan Australia.

Thompson Low Wan Kong, president of the Aikido Shudokan Club, was full of admiration for a man who endured to turn his passion into a career.

“I look forward to seeing him continue to make a difference in society, especially in uniting Malaysians through his love for aikido,” he said.

Way of harmony

Ramlan expressed delight that many of his students have improved their lives through aikido, with some becoming teachers themselves in different parts of the world.

“To make 30 years, you need the dedication of students, as well as the teachers. I’m truly grateful to everyone for their support in getting to where I am today, and I look forward to many more years of walking this budo (martial way),” he said.

Ramlan’s ongoing personal objective is to maintain a high level of aikido for himself and his students.

His seven children are also training in aikido, with three of them already black belts and assisting him during classes locally and internationally.

He believes the harmonious spirit within the aikido community will eventually inspire fellow Malaysians, especially the younger generation, to have unity and goodwill.

“It has been an honour to keep the torch started by Thamby Rajah burning brightly, and I’m confident it will continue to do so with the support of my students from all walks of life, most of whom are capable of making that next step of teaching,” said Ramlan.

In Malaysia, where there are numerous aikido clubs, the appeal evidently lies in the art requiring only average physical skills and moderate athletic ability. It takes only a couple of months of serious practice to learn the basics.

Aikido is all about defence, using throws and joint locks to deflect an attacker’s energy in a way that does them minimal harm. Though there are ranks of skill, aikido is not competitive.