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.

About our dojo

Instructors

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Kim Peuser, 7th Dan, 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, 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.
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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 teaches the Basics class and 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 and 2017.  

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, 3rd 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.

Chris Porto, 3rd Dan, was exposed to a mix of different approaches in his early years: Mitsugi Saotome Sensei’s Ueshiba School of Aikido in Washington D.C.; in Iwama, Japan, at Hiroki Nemoto Sensei's dojo facility, as well as occasional visits to the Founder's dojo under Inagaki Sensei; then coming back to the States and spending time at Aikido of Fredricksberg with Aviv Goldsmith Sensei; then coming to the West Coast and training with Pat Hendricks Sensei at Aikido of San Leandro. Chris has been a member of the Aikido Institute since 2016.

Zoe Laventhol, 2nd 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 on Saturday mornings.  She  trained in Iwama, Japan with Inagaki Shihan in 2017.