Yudansha Prep in Sarasota: July 11-13,2025

Sarasota Aikikai is very pleased to offer this year's round of yudansha prep workshops, July 11-13, 2025!

Partly seminar format (with instruction), and partly interactive workshop format with plenty of time for Q&A (all the things you *wish* you'd been able to ask before), and real time problem solving with customized, practical solutions you can try out with your ukes right away. Plus mock-testing OF COURSE for those who will be testing for real at the seminar in August.

The instructors:

• Mike Page (6th dan)

• Tim Magill (6th dan)

• Melissa Bell (6th dan)

• Ola Karasik (5th dan)

• Meredith Abel (4th dan)

The schedule:

• Friday 6:00 - 7:00pm:  Ola Karasik teaches kihon for testing

• Friday 7:00 - 8:00pm: Tim Magill teaches open hand randori

• Saturday 10:00am - 11:00am: Tim Magill teaches weapons take-aways

• Saturday 11:00 - noon:  Mike Page teaches weapons randori

• Saturday noon - 1:00ish:  Mock Testing

• Saturday Brunch provided in the dojo

• Saturday 3:00 - 5:00pm:  Mike Page and Meredith Abel lead class based around issues and questions from the Mock Testing. plus Melissa Bell, Meredith Abel, and Mike Page take requests for anything you’d like to see!

• Sunday 9:00 - 11:00am:  Melissa Bell teaches Weapons for Testing, plus we can take more requests if time allows.

All the instructors have pledged to donate their time and effort to support the regional aikido community ♥  so there is no registration fee for this event. Instead, we respectfully request a $35 donation/weekend or $25/day to cover costs. Registration online is available here: https://form.jotform.com/251905582373158 or you can register and pay at the door.

Thanks, and see you soon!

Sarasota Aikikai 50 Years!

Registration is now open. I hope you will come join us! Register now.

Sarasota Aikikai will celebrate its 50 year anniversary with a very special seminar March 7-9, 2025, featuring some of the original instructors from its early days: Saotome Sensei, Ikeda Sensei, Dan Messisco Sensei, John Messores Sensei. This will also coincide with the celebration of Saotome Sensei’s 88th birthday on Friday March 7th.

Saotome Sensei and Ikeda Sensei both told me they are excited to see all their friends from the old days together once again.

For those who can make it to town a day early, we will also have special pre-seminar classes in the Sarasota Dojo (https://maps.app.goo.gl/kpbRhoa44a91vxxG8) on Thursday night, taught by Sarasota Aikikai instructors Melissa Bell and Zach White. Although this is not the first location that Sensei came to in 1975, it is the location that has lasted the longest – Frank Bell established the present location of the Sarasota Aikikai in 1995, and it has been here ever since! The original Princeton Street Dojo is a mere four blocks away, so if there is interest, we may walk over and see it.

The seminar itself will be held at the gorgeous Sarasota Art Museum (https://maps.app.goo.gl/TiBHSj98mosR2pTcA) for Friday and Saturday classes. Friday night social will be held at a local favorite spot, just a few blocks from the seminar venue. The banquet will be Saturday night at our fabulous local Churrasco restaurant/Brazilian steakhouse, (vegetarian and gluten free options are included). And because everyone remembers those iconic early photos of Sensei on the Sarasota beaches, we will train Sunday morning on the sands of that beach! Update: Our beach is still being restored from the hurricane damage last fall, so Sunday class will be at a waterfront park. The view is still great, but we will train on grass not sand. There will be plenty of time for photo ops too ;) The schedule wraps with a “Bond Street Style” brunch after class. Last day to Pre-Register for classes or for the banquet is Tuesday March 4th! Register now.

Because this seminar is part of ASU's 2025 yearlong anniversary celebrations, it qualifies for ASU Grant assistance. 

The Schedule:

Thursday 6:30 - 8:00pm: Pre-seminar class at the Sarasota Aikikai with dojo instructors

Friday: Seminar Class 5:30 - 7:30pm at SAM (Sarasota Art Museum), Friday night social 8:00 - 10:00pm

Saturday: Seminar Class at SAM 10:00 - noon and 2:30 - 4:30pm, Banquet 7:30 - 9:30pm

Sunday: Seminar Class at the beach 9:30 - 11:30am followed by brunch

Dojo Holiday Brunch

with Saotome Sensei and the Aikido Family! Everyone is welcome :)

December Kyu Testing

Lee Crawford Sensei in Sarasota!

We are very pleased to welcome Lee Crawford Sensei (6th Dan ASU) to the Sarasota Aikikai on Thursday 10/31/24.

Lee Sensei has been training aikido since the 70’s, and has decades of extensive experience with Saotome Sensei and his other first generation students. She was the chief instructor and dojo cho of Aikido Northshore in Seattle, WA for 30 years until she gave the dojo to her students who are continuing her legacy. She now continues her training at regional seminars and camps, and from her home in NYC, where she is an instructor at the Bond Street Dojo.

October Kyu Testing

The first class will occur as usual; kyu testing will be held in place of the second class. Students should plan to train. Friends and family are welcome to come watch (and be moral support) for the testing candidates. 

Special Guest Instructor Joshua Drachman Sensei Thursday 6/16

The 12th Street Dojo is very pleased to welcome Joshua Drachman Sensei as the special guest instructor for class this Thursday, June 16th @6:30pm.

Josh Drachman Sensei, (6th Dan ASU) is a senior instructor at Aikido Eastside in Seattle, a personal student of Saotome Sensei, and has received the Ueshiba Juku designation from Saotome Sensei. 

ASU Florida Regional Testing Seminar in Sarasota

The 12th Street Dojo is pleased to host this year's ASU Florida Seminar! 

This seminar is a cooperative venture in which all of ASU aikido dojo in Florida work hard every year to bring their students and instructors together to teach, to train, and to hold yudansha testing.

Kyu Testing Thursday 4/21/16

The first class will occur as usual; kyu testing will be held in place of the second class. Students should plan to train. Friends and family are welcome to come watch (and be moral support) for the testing candidates.