Mitsugi Saotome Seminar

Celebrating 50 years in Aikido

April 25th - 27th

Aikido and its principles are the life blood of Master Instructor, Mitsugi Saotome. For fifteen years until the Founder's passing in 1969, Saotome Sensei lived as his personal disciple, studying under his guidance the practice and philosophy of Aikido. In 1975 Saotome Sensei left a highly respected position as a senior instructor at the World Aikido Headquarters in Tokyo to come to the United States. When asked why he made this decision he replied, "I meditated on O Sensei's (Great Teacher) spirit for three days and three nights and I felt it was his wish that I should go. This country is a great experiment, a melting pot of people from many different cultural backgrounds living together, the world condensed into one nation. The goal of Aikido and O Sensei's dream is that all the peoples of the world live together as one family, in harmony with each other and with their environment. The United States has the opportunity to set a great example."

Saotome Sensei spends most of his time at his headquarters dojo, The Aikido Shobukan Dojo in Washington, D.C. He also travels to Aikido Schools of Ueshiba associated dojos which he and his students have opened throughout the country leading seminars and training camps.

Saotome Sensei has given many demonstrations of his art both here and abroad, among them demonstrations for the International Peace Academy and Diplomatic Community at the Japan House in New York City. He has written two books: Aikido and the Harmony of Nature, an in-depth study of the relationship of Aikido with the movement and processes of natural phenomena, and The Principles of Aikido, both published by Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Aikido is not a sport. It is a discipline, an educational process for training the mind, body and spirit. An Aikido dojo is not a gymnasium. It is the place where the way of the discipline is revealed. Physical technique is not the final objective, but a tool for personal refinement and spiritual growth. The correct attitude of respect, sincerity and modesty, and the proper atmosphere are essential to the learning process. And as Aikido is a martial way, they are essential to the safety of each individual.