The Genkikai Aikido Club at University of Chicago will hold a memorial class on Thursday, May 8 in honor of the late Don Levine Sensei (1931-2015). Levine Sensei began studying aikido in 1979 and served as head instructor of the University of Chicago Aikido Club (now closed) from the late 1980s. He was promoted to the rank of yondan (4th degree black belt) under Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU) in 2003. He passed away on April 4, 2015 after a long illness (click here for UChicago obituary).
During Levine Sensei’s leadership, the Aikido Club maintained an open atmosphere, welcoming students of all affiliations (including the Genkikai Aikido Club). It also had an ongoing relationship with regional ASU dojo. Chicago Aikikai’s Kevin Choate Sensei and Marsha Turner Sensei both guest instructed at the club, as did Inaka Dojo’s Wendy Whited Sensei and Kay Sandacz Sensei. When Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan came to town from Boulder Aikikai to teach an annual weekend seminar at Chicago Aikikai, he would arrive a day early and teach the Thursday night class on campus. Many members of the Aikido Club went on to become long-time students. Current Chicago Aikikai senior members Qin Coe, Tod Olson and Dwight Sora all trained under Levine Sensei, as did Kraig Rice at Aikido at Valhalla in Santa Barbara, CA.
For a time, the Aikido Club also hosted an annual seminar with Frank Doran Shihan of Aikido West in Redwood City, CA.
In addition to leading the Aikido Club, Levine Sensei also taught a for-credit course, Conflict Theory and Aikido, starting in 1986. The course combined training in aikido principles with studying texts addressing how to neutralize social conflicts (Levine Sensei was a professor of sociology). He was also founding president of Aiki Extensions Inc., a non-profit organization that networks and supports individuals involved with “off-the-mat” aikido applications.
The memorial class will be held at 7:00 pm at Henry Crown Field House, led by Kagan Arik Sensei of Genkikai Aikido Club, who will also provide an opening dedication to Levine Sensei. Any non-University of Chicago students or faculty interested in attending must contact Tod Olson (olson.tod@gmail.com) by Tuesday, May 6 in order to access the building.
10-year Memorial class for Don Levine Sensei
Thursday, May 8, 7:00 PM
Genkikai Aikido Club, University of Chicago
Henry Crown Field House
5550 S. University Ave
Suggested reading by or about Don Levine Sensei
Group offers new solution to Mid East peace process: Aikido (The Chicago Maroon, February 2004)
How One Aikido Sensei Changed My Life (and 17 of His Life Lessons) (Observer, January 2016)
Endpaper; The Liberal Arts and the Martial Arts by Don Levine (The New York Times, April 1985)
