1940s
Iwama, Japan. In the 1940's the Founder of Aikido moved to Iwama*, a rural town about 2 hours north of Tokyo by train. There, he built an Aiki Shrine and perfected the art of Aikido.
​​*Iwama was merged into a neighboring city, Kasama, in 2006.  The dojo is referred to by headquarters as the Ibaraki Shibu or Branch Dojo of the Aikido Honbu Dojo.

1946 - 1969.
Morihiro Saito Sensei was a local in Iwama who started training with the Founder as a young man.  Often times he and the Founder went long stretches where it was just the two of them, training and farming, rinse and repeat.  He dedicated himself to learning from and serving O-Sensei, and when the Founder passed away in 1969, he left the Iwama dojo in the hands of Saito Sensei, to run and carry on.  Saito Sensei eventually became a 9th dan, Shihan, well-known internationally both for his teaching in Iwama as well as numerous seminars throughout the world.

Late 1960's
In the 1960s Westerners began to discover Aikido.  Bill Witt Shihan was living in Japan and began his training at Hombu dojo where he met the Founder. There he also met and studied with Saito Sensei, eventually becoming the first Westerner to be invited to Iwama to train at what is today known as the Ibaraki Shibu Dojo. He came back to the Bay Area and encouraged people in the up-start Aikido community to train with Saito Sensei in Iwama.

1970.
The Aikido Institute was founded in Oakland, California. It was one of the dojos that Witt Sensei frequented, and where he served as Dojo-Cho for a brief period in the 70's while folks from our dojo went to Japan to train with Saito Sensei. This connection with Saito Sensei and Iwama came to influence our dojo's approach to Aikido practice.

- 1973. Deborah Maizels, current Co-Dojo-cho, starts training as a new student at the Aikido Institute.
- 1974. Kim Peuser, current Supervising Instructor, starts training as a new student at the Aikido Institute.

- 1974. Bernice Tom, current chief instructor/dojo cho of Sunset Cliffs Aikido in San Diego, starts training as a new student at the Aikido Institute

1974. Saito Sensei at the Aikido Institute
As a result of the relationships formed through hard training in Iwama, Saito Sensei came out to California to teach on numerous occasions, often holding seminars at the Aikido Institute during these tours. His first visit was in 1974, at our dojo's first location on College Ave.  Inagaki Shigemi Shihan, who currently manages the Iwama dojo, was with him during this trip.

1976. 
Saito Sensei's second visit to the College Ave. dojo. By this time, the senior students were yudansha and many had gone out to Iwama.

Stan Pranin (1945 - 2017), founder of Aikido Journal and well-known student of Saito Sensei, trained and taught at our dojo around 1976/1977, before he went to Japan.  

​Pat Hendricks, current chief instructor at Aikido of San Leandro, also trained and taught at our dojo during this time; she went to Iwama with Pranin Sensei, and came back and was with the Aikido Institute until about 1984 when she opened her dojo.

Hans Goto, current chief instructor at Bay Marin Aikido in San Rafael and President of the Takemusu Aikido Association, was another prominent figure who taught at our dojo for about a year around this time, covering for those going to Iwama to train with Saito Sensei.

 - 1978. Hoa Newens, current chief instructor at the Aikido Institute of Davis (and previous  Dojo-cho at our dojo and a huge influence), joins our dojo as a nidan.

 - 1978. Wolfgang Baumgartner, current chief instructor at Aikido Berlin-Karow in Germany, joins the dojo. Serves as uchi deshi for about one year before moving on to Reno and beyond.

1980. 
​The dojo moves to Piedmont Ave., Oakland

1980. Jimmy Friedman, current chief instructor/Dojo-cho at 11th Street Dojo in San Francisco, starts training as a new student at the Aikido Institute. Serves as Uchi Deshi for about a year.

1981. Stephen Kilmer, current instructor and previous Dojo-cho, starts training as a new student at the Aikido Institute.

1982. 
​The dojo moves to Telegraph Ave., Oakland

1986
Saito Sensei's first visit to the Telegraph Ave location.

1987.  Kathy Montgomery, current instructor, starts training as a new student at the Aikido Institute.

1989
Saito Sensei teaches at the Aikido Institute during another one of his tours through California. 

1990
Saito Sensei's last visit to our dojo.

1993.  Josh Langenthal, current instructor, begins training as a new student at the Aikido Institute.

2000.  Dojo 30th Anniversary

2002.  Saito Sensei passes away.

2002.  Jacob Clapsadle, current instructor, starts training at the Aikido Institute.

2002.  Lars Eric Holm and Marth Evans-Holm, current instructors of the Kids program, start training at the Aikido Institute.

2005.  Dave Lewin, current instructor and Co-Dojo-cho, starts training at the Aikido Institute.

2010.  Dojo 40th Anniversary.  In spring 2010 many alumni of the Aikido Institute came back to the Oakland dojo to celebrate its 40th year in operation.  Attendees included Bill Witt, Hand Goto, the late Stan Pranin, Pat Hendricks, Bernice Tom, Hoa Newens, Jimmy Friedman, Kayla Feder, Louis Jumonville, Eytan ben-Meir, David DeLong, and special guest Carlos Zensay Hill. A most memorable event.

2012.  Kim Peuser receives 7th Dan from the Doshu, in Tokyo, Japan

2013.  Deborah Maizels  receives 6th Dan from the Doshu, in Tokyo, Japan

2016.  The Aikido Institute moves to Doyle Street in Emeryville, CA.

2017/18.  Ryuji Sawa Sensei, brother of Inagaki Shigemi Shihan and student of the Founder during his teenage years, visits the Aikido Institute.

The Aikido Institute after evening class with Kim Peuser Sensei. February 2018.