An inclusive community for exploring the Japanese martial art of aikido
THIS FRIDAY, MAY 15 will be Chicago Aikikai’s last regular Third Friday class at its Chicago Avenue location. For the past several years, Aikikai members have been gathering every Third Friday evening for an extra weekly class followed by a potluck dinner. It has also become a regular date for kyu tests and our annual Kagami Biraki party. If you’re free, come join us this Friday, starting at 6:30 pm. (Pardon our dust; dojo dismantling continues apace)
It has come to our attention there is an issue with the dojo’s main e-mail address info@chicagoaikikai.org.
We are working to rectify this. In the meantime, if you wish to contact the dojo, please e-mail our backup account at chiaikikai@gmail.com.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Although Chicago Aikikai’s membership has not been majority Japanese American since the early 1970s, its roots lay in the postwar Chicago Japanese American community that was established here by people coming out of the wartime internment camps. Along with Hawaii Aikikai (Honolulu) and Los Angeles Aikikai, it is one of several aikido dojo that owe a debt to nisei (second generation Japanese Americans) who were early students of aikido in the US.
Check out our History of Chicago Aikikai video playlist on our YouTube channel. We are also presenting a selection of historical photos from our archieves below.
There has been an update to the schedule for our upcoming Seminar (and Dojo Packing Weekend) with Tres Hofmeister Sensei.
The Sunday class will now run from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Afterward, Chicago Aikikai members will be loading components of the dojo into a moving truck for transport to our temp location (TBA) and a storage facility.
Any assistance from seminar guests will be greatly appreciated.
Work is proceeding to dismantle the interior of Chicago Aikikai prior to our move-out in June.
Regulars and visitors please note that the class schedule will remain unchanged, but art and other design elements will be coming down and staged for moving.
If you have some free time and would like to help out, please contact the dojo regarding specific tasks. Larger take-down projects are being scheduled for certain weekends.
Our parent organization, Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU), just announced the names of senior ASU instructors who have been appointed Shihan (師範) or “Master Instructor,” including our own chief instructor, Marsha Turner Sensei. The appointments were done by the Examination Committee for the Appointment of Shihan at Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo, Japan.
Our heartfelt congratulations to all those who have been recognized for their years of dedication, self-development and teaching in the art of aikido.
You can also learn more about Marsha Turner Sensei from her instructor profile video on our YouTube channel, and this interview that appeared on the website Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
2026 Shihan Appointments
We are pleased to announce that the following ASU members have been appointed Shihan by the Examination Committee for the Appointment of Shihan at Aikikai Hombu Dojo. Congratulations to all!
Jim Alvarez, Aikido of Livermore
Lee Crawford, Bond Street Dojo
Robert Deppe, Aikido Shobukan Dojo
Eugene Lee, Aikido Shobukan Dojo
Chetan Prakash, Redlands Aikikai
Gary Small, Aikido of Maine
Marsha Turner, Chicago Aikikai
This honor reflects their deep experience, technical mastery, and long-standing dedication to the transmission of Aikido and its values through their leadership, engagement, and support of ASU.
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Saotome Sensei, whose vision and lifelong commitment to Aikido continue to guide and inspire our community. We also offer our sincere thanks to Doshu and the Aikikai Foundation for this recognition.
Please join us in congratulating these outstanding leaders in our community.
What is a Shihan?
Shihan (師範) is a Japanese term indicating a”master instructor” or “teacher of teachers,” used primarily in martial arts for highly skilled, senior instructors. Those awarded usually hold a rank of 5th to 7th degree black belt or higher, and it represents a formal title recognized by a Japanese headquarters or association, rather than just a rank.
Etymology
shi (師 – model/example) and han (範 – master/exemplar). Hence, shihan means an exemplar or model.
Proper Use
Shihan is not used as a name extension or form of address like –san or –sensei. Address a Shihan as “Sensei” or “[Name]-sensei” in regular dojo conversation. However, do use it when referring to them in a formal introduction or announcement (especially written).