Sara Kovacs Middleton

4th Dan Shodokan Aikido practitioner and instructor · UK and international competitor

Sara has trained and competed in Shodokan Aikido for many years, in the UK and internationally, earning her 4th Dan and a world-championship medal along the way. Aikido has given her satisfaction, experience and joy throughout her life.

In July 2025, Sara was diagnosed with stage 4 endometrial cancer, giving her a one-year survival chance of 30–40%. A year later the cancer metastasised to her brain — a 1–3% occurrence — and she has now been given six months to live if treatment is successful.

Facing this diagnosis, Sara saw an opportunity to give back to the people she admires and cares about most, by establishing a scholarship fund for women in the sport. The Fund is run under both her maiden name (Kovacs) and married name (Middleton) — it mattered to her that this achievement be recognised under her Hungarian identity as well.

That urgency is why the Fund exists now rather than someday. Sara is racing to put it on solid footing — with trustees, an advisory panel, and its first grantees already in place — while she still can lead it herself.

Fund objectives

The Fund promotes and encourages the participation of women in Shodokan Aikido through five programmes.

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Honbu Travel Bursary — bursaries enabling women who face financial hardship to train at Osaka Honbu Dojo.

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Technical Development Programme — support for female practitioners’ technical development, including grading progression, competition training, and refereeing skills.

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Membership Support — helping clubs recruit more women students, particularly care leavers.

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Club Leadership Support — practical support for women who run Aikido clubs, or clubs with significant women’s membership: equipment grants, travel assistance, training, fellowship opportunities and operational aid.

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Competition and Refereeing Development — a female-led inter-club competition programme, covering the costs of holding events, to build competitive experience and refereeing development.

A direct outcome of this work is a strengthened relationship between Shodokan Aikido UK and the Japanese dojos — particularly, though not exclusively, the Honbu Dojo in Osaka — through the participation of Honbu’s senior leadership. At the Fund’s establishment, this includes Nariyama Shihan, Omori Shihan, Sakai Shihan and Endo Shihan.

Who the Fund supports

Individuals

Women, or those who identify as women, training in Shodokan Aikido. Sara has a trans son — as a teacher, she has seen the struggles trans people face, and the Fund welcomes applications from any trans person.

Care leavers

Female care leavers who wish to start training in Shodokan Aikido.

Clubs

Shodokan Aikido clubs, provided the ultimate beneficiary is a woman or women at that club.

Geographic scope: the UK and Japan primarily, though international applications are also considered.

Eligibility

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Individual grants require a grade of 3rd Kyu or above (except for care leavers).

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Club grants require the lead instructor to be a woman, or the club to include women of Shodan grade or above.

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Hardship includes single mothers, carers, care leavers, and women in education who must travel during peak holiday periods. Mothers are given priority.

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All applications consider active club/association membership, registration and insurance, regular training and competition attendance, engagement with the wider Shodokan/Tomiki/Sport Aikido community, and personal circumstances.

Exclusions: previously funded individuals are not eligible again, except in exceptional circumstances agreed by the Advisory Panel.

Advisory panel

Sara Kovacs Middleton

4th Dan

Vanda Fairchild

5th Dan

Louise Parkin

4th Dan

Through the Kovacs Fund, Sara wishes to honour a group whose contributions are often overlooked — the women of Shodokan aikido. And she knows that any support for women in the sport will generate benefits for the clubs they attend and associations around the world. Please join Sara in building this fund for future generations.

Donate Now

The Kovacs Fund