Aikido Chicago Aikikai | Aikido Chicago IL 60642

The first dojo in the Midwest dedicated to Aikido, Chicago Aikikai offers a warm community and a tranquil environment for the study of the traditional Japanese “martial art of peace.”

Marsha Turner Sensei, Chief Instructor, is a sixth dan and student of Mitsugi Saotome Sensei and Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei, but began her studies under Chicago Aikikai’s former dojo-cho Kevin Choate Sensei (seventh dan) in 1986. After Choate Sensei’s passing in December 2012, Saotome Sensei appointed Turner Sensei as chief instructor and dojo-cho for Chicago Aikikai. Turner Sensei is known for her exceptional weapons skills having earned a shodan rank in Iaido, and being a former student of Western-style fencing.Aikido, the art of peace, offers a modern-day path to achieving inner balance. Rooted in the traditional disciplines of the Japanese samurai warriors - including jitsu (hand), ken (sword) and yari (spear) - Aikido is a contemporary martial art that can effectively repel any attack, but the goal is nonviolent conflict resolution.