Chicago Aikikai aikido dojo

An inclusive community for exploring the Japanese martial art of aikido

NEWS & EVENTS

Two Views Seminar with Meido Moore & Lisa Tomoleoni

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Meido Moore (6th Dan, Great Lakes Aikido) and Lisa Tomoleoni (6th dan, Aikido Shimobkukai) will teach a joint seminar under the theme “Two Shihan, Two Perspectives, One Class” on February 18-19 at Great Lakes Aikido (150 Fairway Drive, Suite 156, Vernon Hills, IL, 60061.)

 

Schedule (US CST):

Saturday, February 18, 10:00 am-12:00 pm & 2:00-5:00 pm

Sunday, February 19, 10:00 am-12:30 pm

 

Fees: $125 for the whole seminar, $100 for Saturday only, and $50 for Sunday only.

Please register online at the Aikido Shimbokukai homepage. In-person registration will also be accepted at the door.

A limited number of scholarships are available, please contact if interested.

 

Kagami Biraki 2023

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Chicago Aikikai members and guests gathered to celebrate Kagami Biraki at their Third Friday class on Friday, January 20, 2023.

Rotating instruction was provided by Marsha Turner (Chief Instructor and Dojo-cho), Edward Reiff, Andrew Vitale, Dwight Sora, Qin Coe, Patrick Miller and Rob Brose. Class was followed by a potluck dinner.

 

 

 

 

Jan Nevelius Shihan at Aikido of Madison

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Aikido of Madison again welcomes Jan Nevelius Shihan of Vanadis Aikido in Sweden for a friendship seminar March 10-12, 2023.

All participants will be required to be fully vaccinated (including any boosters for which you are eligible). At present the event is planned to be mask-optional, but that status may be altered depending on conditions. Attendance will be limited and pre-registration is required.

For full information: https://aikidoofmadison.com/events/seminars/

Bill King Passes Away

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Bill King, former instructor and dojo-cho of ASU member dojo Cleveland Aikikai, passed away on January 15. During the 1980s and 90s he was a regular fixture of weekend seminars at Chicago Aikikai, frequently participating when Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan (Founder and Chief Instructor, Boulder Aikikai) and Mitsugi Saotome Shihan [Founder, Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU)] were in town to teach. He is immortalized at the Aikikai by the photo at the top of the entrance stairs, taking ukemi for Ikeda Shihan.

Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan Passes Away

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Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan [8th dan, Chief Instructor of New York Aikikai, President of the United States Aikido Federation (USAF)] died peacefully on Sunday, January 15.

Born in 1938, he entered aikido Hombu Dojo (headquarters) as an uchi deshi (live-in student) in 1955 at the age of 17. He first came to the U.S. in 1964 to demonstrate at the World’s Fair in New York, and assumed the position as chief instructor of New York Aikikai. At that time, he was the only aikido teacher from Japan on the East Coast.

As President of USAF, his home when visiting Chicago was naturally the Midwest Aikido Center (MAC), the local USAF member dojo. However, in the early days of American aikido and prior to the founding of MAC or USAF, he was known to visit Illinois Aikido Club, as Chicago Aikikai was originally known. Our condolences to his family, friends and students around the world. Mitsugi Saotome Shihan [Founder, Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU)] is quoted on the ASU Facebook page saying ““Yamada Sensei had a huge influence on aikido in the United States and I respect him.” Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan (Founder and Chief Instructor, Boulder Aikikai) posted “We lost another great Aikido teacher, January 15th, 2023. Rest In Peace.”

Kagami Biraki at Chicago Aikikai

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Chicago Aikikai will hold its annual kagami biraki class on Friday, January 20, 2023, to celebrate training in the New Year.

Training will be from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm led by Marsha Turner Sensei, followed by a potluck dinner.

Members past and present, as well as fellow aikidoka from other dojo, are invited to join us for class.
Friends, family and visitors are welcome to observe and join in the party afterward.

If you are planning to attend and bring something for the potluck, please e-mail info@chicagoaikikai.org.

 

About Kagami Biraki

Kagami biraki (鏡開き) is the traditional kick-off for the New Year held in many Japanese martial arts dojo.

It means “opening the mirror,” and references the breaking of ceremonial rice cakes (kagami mochi) or the top of a cask of sake.

According to history, the fourth Tokugawa shogun (supreme warlord), Tokugawa Ietsuna, was the first to hold a kagami mochi ceremony 300 years ago. On the eve of war, he gathered the lords in his castle to break open a sake cask.