先生
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.
Instructors
Kim Peuser, 7th Dan, Shihan, is our dojo's highest ranking member, and is our Supervising Instructor.  He is on the Board of the Takemusu Aikido Association, of which our dojo is a member.

Kim Sensei started at the Aikido Institute in 1974 and trained with Saito Morihiro Sensei in Iwama as both uchi-deshi and soto-deshi, and with Bill Witt Sensei and Frank Doran Sensei in the Bay Area. He was the Aikido Institute’s first uchi-deshi, and was Dojo Cho at the Aikido Institute for a number of years.
Deborah Maizels, 6th Dan, Shidoin, 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.
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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.

​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 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 with Shigemi Inagaki Shihan in 2015, 2017, and 2019.  
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. 
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.
Zoe Laventhol, 3rd Dan, started in Aikido at the age of 7 year in our very own Kids program.  She trained in Boston while in college, and after world travel has returned to the Bay Area and now teaches our Kids classes.  Zoe trained in Iwama, Japan with Inagaki Shihan in 2017.
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Aiki Integrated Arts, dba the Aikido Institute, is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization.  Our mission is to provide instruction to the public about the art of Aikido and other movement arts, for the benefit of the practitioners and the community at large. All of our instructors teach on a volunteer basis, and proceeds from tuition go directly into fulfilling our mission. For more info, please go here.
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