“I respect only knowledge — not titles or positions.”
— Michele Quaranta Shihan

Michele Quaranta Shihan — a teacher with more than half a century of dedication to Aikido

Michele Quaranta is a distinguished Aikido master, 7th dan Aikikai and Shihan, who for decades has been one of the most significant figures in the European Aikido community.

He was born on December 24, 1953, in Italy, and began training Aikido in 1972 at Aikikai Dojo Basel in Switzerland, after an unexpected encounter with a man changed the course of his life — turning the martial art into his life’s calling.

Quaranta Sensei is especially known for his deep understanding of Aikido philosophy and practice. Through years of training and work with great teachers, including Nobuyoshi Tamura, Hiroshi Tada, and Masatomi Ikeda, he developed his own unique pedagogical approach which — more than technique — emphasizes presence, understanding of principles, and the personal development of each practitioner.

During his long career, Quaranta Shihan has:

• served as the personal uke and assistant to Masatomi Ikeda Sensei for two full decades, learning firsthand his approach to Aikido,

• led the technical development of Aikido in Central and Eastern Europe for more than 20 years, including in Serbia,

• regularly taught seminars across Europe — from Switzerland and Germany to Serbia, Poland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and beyond — contributing to the growth of the Aikido community and the spread of knowledge.