Ukiah Aikido

History

Ukiah Aikido was founded by Gayle Fillman Sensei. She began training in 1969 and trained with Koichi Tohei Sensei during his seminars in Hawai'i and Calfornia. In the 1980s she met and trained with late Judo Master Keiko Fukuda, the highest ranking woman in Judo, who was her mentor and a frequent visitor to the dojo while her health permitted. Under Gayle's leadership, Ukiah Aikido became a community institution in our rural area, now serving up to three generations of some families. She taught Aikido to everybody from local law enforcement to children in foster care. With her passing in 2010, administration of the dojo was assumed by the non-profit Redwood Empire Aikikai, with major teaching duties by her senior students We continue to honor her memory by striving to maintain a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive school that offers practical self-defense in the context of bettering oneself and one's community.

Specialties

Inland Mendocino County's community martial arts school since 1976, Ukiah Aikido is operated as a non-profit with a highly experienced, all-volunteer teaching staff. Our weekly schedule includes classes for children and adults. We also offer intermittent short programs for adults on Tuesday, including All Fall Down!: Learning to Survive Falls and Low Impact Aikido/AikiEnergy. Our approach focuses on Aikido both as a practical martial art and as a path for spiritual development. We welcome students of all abilities and visitors from all styles.