Chicago Aikikai

10/20/2026

A trip back through time to the origins of Chicago Aikikai. The original dojo, the Illinois Aikido Club, started in 1961 (though incorporated in 1963), located at 3223 N. Clark Street in what was Chicago's Lakeview postwar Unofficial Japan Town.

10/19/2026

Morning sunlight catching the rock garden in front of the dojo (Note - the garden is the building’s, not ours, but it is a nice feature).

10/16/2026

10/15/2026

Chicago Aikikai is fundraising for a new dojo space, and we would love your contribution to the Kevin Choate Sensei Memorial Building Fund.

Please scan QR code or visit https://www.chicagoaikikai.org/dojo-move/.

Does your company have a matching program? Please consider using the match to augment your contribution. Every dollar matters! Check with your employer today.

Chicago Aikikai (Illinois Aikido Club) is a 501(c)3, organized exclusively for charitable, scientific and educational purposes. All donations are fully tax deductible in the USA and may be deductible in other countries as a charitable donation.

10/13/2026

In a week and a half, noted Midwest ASU instructor Wendy Whited Sensei will be honored by the Illinois Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Presented here is an essay by Whited Sensei that appeared in the book Women in the Martial Arts by Carol A. Wiley (North Atlantic Books, 1992)

10/12/2026

Hi Everyone. Quick update on the canvas painting sales. Thank you to everyone who has already made a purchase to help support us. There's still some left on our Etsy store, not to mention both new and vintage Chicago Aikikai T-shirt designs.
(https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChicagoAikikai)

10/10/2026

09/29/2026

Block Club Chicago has posted an article about the Nisei Lounge in the Lakeview/Wrigleyville neighborhood. Located at 3439 N. Sheffield Ave., it is just an 8-minute walk from the early locations of Illinois Aikido Club (as Chicago Aikikai was originally called) in the 1960s on the 3200 block of N. Clark St. Both were part of the neighborhood when it was Chicago's postwar Unofficial Japan Town, and the bar was a familiar hangout for those founding dojo members.