05/12/2025
Multnomah Aikikai is excited to host Naini Sensei in May 2025. Classes will include Iaido on Friday night, Aikido body arts on Saturday and Sunday morning, a jo class, and also a bokken weapons class geared to both Iaido and Aikido students on Saturday afternoon. See the registration page for the full schedule.
Biography:
Neilufar Naini (she/they) started training in aikido in 1994 while attending Swarthmore College. They hold the rank of rokudan (sixth degree black belt) and have a shidoin teaching certification through Birankai North America. Currently, they train in Sequim, WA where they live a life filled with organic farming, aikido, nonprofit work, and anti-oppression practices. A major and continuing project they collaboratively founded is the MeTooAikido movement, which shares her own story alongside resources and a pledge invitation. The goals of this work are to connect individuals, educate on the importance of being trauma informed, and provide materials for dojos and organizations to build better accountability mechanisms like Codes of Conducts and grievance protocols. On and off the mat, their practice is to continue dreaming and creating different dojo cultures, in community.