Our senior instructors trained with Saito Sensei in Iwama, Japan, and at his California seminars starting in the 70s and continuing through the 80s and 90s.  This includes a number of classes he taught at our dojo in Oakland.  Together with other students, they created a space in California for Aikido as taught by Saito Sensei.  Our junior instructors are all 3rd Dan or above and have trained extensively in Aikido. 
​Aikido Institute is a non-profit. All of our instructors volunteer to teach Aikido at our dojo. Together, they offer a wealth of knowledge and experience on the mat, and are valuable dojo resources.
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About our dojo

Kim Peuser, 7th Dan, Shihan,
is our dojo's highest ranking member and serves our Supervising Instructor.  He is a founding member of the Takemusu Aikido Association and  serves on its Board of Directors and Ranking Committee, and is also Supervising Instructor for several dojos around the US in addition to ours, including Mendocino Aikido in Mendocino, CA, where he retired to in 2017.

Kim Sensei began studying Aikido in 1974 at our dojo which was on College Avenue in Oakland at the time.  In 1976 he became a live-in student at the dojo, and in 1977 went to Japan for the first time, living at the Iwama Dojo and training under the late Saito Morihiro Shihan who promoted him to Shodan.  He returned to Iwama 4 years later, continuing to study with Saito Sensei while living outside the dojo.  In 1987 he became Chief Instructor of the Oakland Dojo; he turned the role over to Hoa Newens Sensei several years later, but took over again in 2001 and stayed as Chief Instructor until 2017.

Kim Sensei has taught seminars in California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and New York as well as in Italy. In January 2020 Aikido World Headquarters in Tokyo awarded him the title “Shihan”.

Deborah Maizels, 6th Dan,
​is Co-Dojo-Cho (manager) of our dojo, and is the President of our non-profit Board of Directors.  She is an organizational force behind our dojo and is available for any questions from new students and others.
Deborah Sensei began at the Aikido Institute in 1973 at its first location on College Ave. in Oakland.  She studied with Bill Witt Sensei in the 70s and trained in Iwama as an uchi-deshi and as a soto-deshi with Morihiro Saito Sensei in 1980 and 1987.  She has taught at the Aikido Institute since 1986.

Stephen Kilmer Sensei, 5th Dan,
​is a senior instructor and previous Dojo-cho (2008 - 2017).  He began studying Aikido at the Aikido Institute in 1981.  As he puts it:

​I have found that Aikido changes the more I study.   I'm sure this is a reflection of how I have changed and of the increasingly more detailed things my teachers have shown me about Aikido the longer I've trained. 

​Dave Lewin, 4th Dan, is Co-Dojo-Cho with Deborah Sensei, and assists her in managing the dojo.  He excels at helping new students make progress in their practice.

Dave started training in Aikido in 2002 and has studied with Kim Peuser Sensei and others at the Aikido Institute since 2005.  He served as uchi-deshi at the dojo for a year and a half, and also brings a combined 4-5 yrs of experience  in other martial arts including TKD and BJJ to the mat.  Dave has traveled to Iwama, Japan to train at the founder's dojo in 2015, 2017, and 2019.  

Josh Langenthal, 4th Dan, started training in 1993 at the Aikido Institute and has trained here continuously under Kim Peuser Sensei, Hoa Newens Sensei and Stephen Kilmer Sensei since that time.

Jacob Clapsadle, 3rd Dan, started training in Aikido in 1999 in the youth class at Mendocino Aikido with Janferie Stone Sensei.  He joined the Aikido institute in 2002 and has studied with Kim Peuser Sensei and others ever since.  Jacob has trained as uchi-deshi in Iwama with Shigemi Inagaki Shihan in 2012 and 2017.