Aikido Schools of Ueshiba

05/30/2026

05/04/2026

05/02/2026

Saturday at Aikido of Livermore-Shinrei Dojo.

Sensei continues the Bay Area dojo tour tomorrow with a full day of training in Livermore, joined by Julie Tollen Sensei, Don Ellingsworth Sensei, and Jim Alvarez Sensei.

Training begins at 10:00am. Lunch will be provided at the dojo.

Aikido of Livermore-Shinrei Dojo
3985 First St., Suite C
Livermore, CA 94551

All aikido affiliations welcome.

05/01/2026

On the road to Aikido West.

Sensei continues the San Francisco Bay Area dojo tour tonight with training at Aikido West. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone there and getting back on the mat.

Aikido West
Friday, May 1
6:00–7:00pm

All aikido affiliations welcome.

04/30/2026

🥋 TODAY! Mitsugi Saotome Shihan 🥋

⏰ IT'S HAPPENING TONIGHT!

📅 April 30th | Thursday | 6:00-7:00pm

The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here! We're honored to welcome Mitsugi Saotome Shihan, 8th Dan, to our dojo tonight.

Get ready for an extraordinary evening of training that you'll remember for years to come. We can't wait to see everyone on the mat!

📍 142 Redwood Ave, Corte Madera, CA

🙏 See you in just a few hours!

04/29/2026

Soaking in a little quiet time on the plane making his way to California.

Sensei is using the flight time well as we head west for the San Francisco Bay Area dojo tour. We’re looking forward to training at Aikido of Tamalpais, Aikido West, and Aikido of Livermore over the next few days.

See everyone soon.

04/29/2026

Halfway to California!

We’re in Austin for our layover, and Sensei is excited to continue on to the San Francisco Bay Area for a special dojo tour over the next few days.

We’re looking forward to seeing so many friends, students, and aikido practitioners at Aikido of Tamalpais, Aikido West, and Aikido of Livermore. It will be a joy to share time on the mat together.

All aikido affiliations welcome — we hope to see you there!

04/08/2026

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.

01/11/2026

Each year at Kagami Biraki, we pause to mark both renewal and continuity in our practice. Promotions by recommendation are not moments of arrival, but acknowledgments of long-standing dedication — years of sincere training, teaching, and service to Aikido and to one’s community.

These promotions are offered under the guidance of Saotome Sensei, whose lifelong commitment to the art continues to shape and inspire the Aikido Schools of Ueshiba. Advancement at this level reflects not only technical maturity, but trust in character, judgment, and responsibility — qualities cultivated through decades of steady practice and care for others.

The Aikido Schools of Ueshiba extend heartfelt congratulations to all those recognized this year. May this acknowledgment serve as encouragement to continue walking the path with humility, gratitude, and quiet resolve as we enter the new year together.

Rokudan (6th dan)
Donald Crawford — Arizona Aikido
Nina Carleton — Aikido Shobukan Dojo

Godan (5th dan)
Alyssa Ferguson — Palouse Aikido
Tobin Foster — Aikido In The Fan
Katherine Derbyshire — Aikido Eastside
Axel Rodriguez — Michi Dojo
Julie Tollen — Tampa Aikido
Michael Pollak — Tulsa Aikido Club

01/05/2026

As we leave Winter Intensive and start 2026 in earnest, we wish to express our deep gratitude to Mitsugi Saotome Shihan, Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan, and Lee Crawford Sensei for their in-depth instruction. We’re indebted to Chuck Weber Shihan, George Ledyard Shihan, Tres Hofmeister Shihan, and Raso Hultgren Shihan and ASU Board members for their insights. And we thank each of those who participated in our five-day celebration of Aikido and community.

We hope to see you next year!