Spring 6-Week Beginners Course
Apr
28
to Jun 2

Spring 6-Week Beginners Course

Start your practice with this step-by-step, six-week introductory Aikido course.  The goal of the beginners course is to give participants a chance to experience Aikido first-hand and to provide them the skills needed to continue in the general classes. 

The class meets Sundays from 3:00 - 4:15 pm.  The cost of the course is $125 per person, and anyone ages 12 and older is welcome. For younger students, learn more about our kids program.

Sign up now to receive your FREE uniform and copy of The Art of Peace!

Payment for Adult Aikido Course:
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Léo Tamaki Seminar
May
25
to May 26

Léo Tamaki Seminar

Join us for our fourth seminar with Léo Tamaki, founder of Kishinkai Aikido. His practice is based on respect and kindness, and always seeking martial efficiency and efficacy. We are excited to have him back another year!

Tamaki Sensei has studied the martial arts intensively with masters such as Nobuyoshi Tamura, Tetsuzan Kuroda, Akira Hino, and more.

Space is limited, and priority goes to people participating in the full weekend. If space is still available when we get closer to the event, we will add options for one-day and half-day training. If you are looking for a place to stay, contact info@portsmouthaikido.org.

Schedule: Sat: 10am-noon and 2:30-4:30pm; Sun: 10am - 1pm

Leo Tamaki Seminar Fee
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Yoshi Shibata Seminar
Aug
9
to Aug 11

Yoshi Shibata Seminar

After a five-year hiatus, we are delighted to be bringing back Yoshi Shibata Sensei for our TENTH seminar with him. Many people have been reaching out about the next time he’d be coming, and it’s finally here! The details of the seminar are as follows:

  • Friday evening calligraphy from 5-7pm

  • Saturday Aikido from 10am-noon and 2:30-4:30pm

  • Sunday Aikido/Weapons from 10am-1pm

In addition to the weekend seminar, we are offering a special opportunity to train with Yoshi Sensei intensively for the week leading up to the seminar. Starting Monday, Aug. 5th you can train with him every day until the seminar. If you are interested, please contact chief instructor Aaron Cass at info@portsmouthaikido.org for details.

Limited housing available — call 603-275-1262 or email info@portsmouthaikido.org for more info.

Space is limited. To secure your space, use the PayPal button below or mail a check.

Yoshi Shibata Seminar
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Hal Lehrman Seminar
Oct
12
to Oct 13

Hal Lehrman Seminar

We are delighted to be hosting Hal Lehrman, 7th Dan, Shihan, for his fourth seminar with us.

Lehrman Shihan is the Chief Instructor of Aikido of Park Slope in Brooklyn, NY. He has been training since 1963, studying closely with Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan and other talented instructors. Please come experience his unique Aikido!

The seminar will be held from 10am-noon and 2:00-4:30pm on Saturday, with a meditation session after lunch from 2:30-3pm. Sunday’s class will go from 10am-1pm.

Hal Lehrman Seminar
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Kangeiko & In-House Seminar
Feb
4
to Feb 10

Kangeiko & In-House Seminar

Take your training to the next level with a week of kangeiko (intensive cold-weather training). For this special event, participants commit to training every day for a full week in the middle of New England's coldest weather. 

The week culminates with an in-house seminar taught by our senior students. The seminar is free of charge and will run from 9am to noon.

Yuka calligraphy.jpg

As an added bonus, members who complete the week-long training will receive a Japanese calligraphy by Yuka Cass to celebrate their hard work and dedication. Members interested in participating should let Chief Instructor Aaron Cass know by email that they intend to complete the week.

The schedule will run as follows:

  • Sunday 2/4 - 4:30-5:30pm

  • Monday 2/5 - 5-6am (morning)

  • Tuesday 2/6 - 7-8:30pm

  • Wednesday 2/7 - 7-8:30pm

  • Thursday 2/8 - 7-8:30pm

  • Friday 2/9 - 5-6am (morning)

  • Saturday 2/10 - 9am-Noon followed by presentation of calligraphies

 

頑張って Gambatte!

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Winter 6-Week Beginners Course
Jan
21
to Feb 25

Winter 6-Week Beginners Course

Start your practice with this step-by-step, six-week introductory Aikido course.  The goal of the beginners course is to give participants a chance to experience Aikido first-hand and to provide them the skills needed to continue in the general classes. 

The class meets Sundays from 3:00 - 4:15 pm.  The cost of the course is $125 per person, and anyone ages 12 and older is welcome. For younger students, follow this link to learn more about our kids program.

Sign up now to receive your FREE uniform and copy of The Art of Peace!

Payment for Adult Aikido Course:
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Turkey Burner Friday
Nov
24
10:00 AM10:00

Turkey Burner Friday

Join us for our annual Turkey Burner Friday the day after Thanksgiving. After stuffing yourself with extra calories and spending possibly-too-much time with your family, come work it all off with this core-crunching, calorie-burning Aikido extravaganza.

Everyone is welcome — no extra charge. Be there or be square!

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Vu X. Ha Seminar
Oct
28
10:00 AM10:00

Vu X. Ha Seminar

We are excited to bring back Vu X. Ha, 6th Dan, Shihan, and Chief Instructor of Boston Aikikai.

Ha Shihan has been a practitioner of aikido since 1989 and was a close and direct student both of the late Akira Tohei Shihan and Mitsunari Kanai Shihan. His aikido is powerful and precise, and we are delighted to have him back again in-person this year.

Classes will go from 10am-noon and 2:00-4:00pm. Use the link below to register online by credit card, or pay by cash or check at the dojo.

Vu X. Ha Seminar
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Waterfall Misogi at Diana's Bathswi
Oct
9
9:00 AM09:00

Waterfall Misogi at Diana's Bathswi

Join us for our ninth annual dojo trip to Diana's Baths to perform waterfall misogi (purification practice). Enjoy a short hike out to the falls, have lunch on the rocks, and get ready to step under a frigid mountain stream!

Friends and family are welcome. We will meet at the Exit 9 Park and Ride in Dover at 9am and carpool up from there. If you want to head up on your own, we will meet at the Diana’s Bath’s parking lot at 11am before walking to the falls.

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Fall 6-Week Adult Beginners Course
Sep
24
to Oct 29

Fall 6-Week Adult Beginners Course

Start your practice with this step-by-step, six-week introductory Aikido course.  The class meets Sundays from 3:00 - 4:15 pm.  

The goal of the beginners course is to give participants a chance to experience Aikido first-hand and to provide them the skills needed to continue in the general classes. 

The cost of the course is $125 per person, and anyone ages 12 and older is welcome. For younger students, learn more about our kids program.

Sign up now to receive your FREE uniform and copy of The Art of Peace!

Payment for Adult Aikido Course:
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Kids Overnight Camp
Aug
4
to Aug 5

Kids Overnight Camp

We are happy to be hosting our annual overnight aikido camp for kids!

We'll get started at 2pm Friday with a special weapons class followed by an ukemi/samurai obstacle course class. From there, we'll head to Odiorne Point State Park for pizza, Frisbee, and fun by the ocean. In the evening we'll head back to the dojo to play some games and watch a movie before camping out on the mat for bedtime. In the morning we'll get up, eat some easy breakfast, and have class from 8-9am, after which you can come pick up the kids.

Yuka, Aaron, and Paul will be there to run the event, and if any parents want to join we're glad to have you. Please pack your children a sleeping bag, pillow, change of clothes, toothbrush, and uniform.

The cost is $150, which you can pay using the link below.

One note — If your son/daughter isn't quite up for a sleepover at this point, you are welcome to pick up/drop off your child whenever works for you.

Looking forward to it!

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Summer 6-Week Adult Beginners Course
Jul
23
to Aug 27

Summer 6-Week Adult Beginners Course

Start your practice with this step-by-step, six-week introductory Aikido course.  The class meets Sundays from 3:00 - 4:15 pm.  

The goal of the beginners course is to give participants a chance to experience Aikido first-hand and to provide them the skills needed to continue in the general classes. 

The cost of the course is $125 per person, and anyone ages 13 and older is welcome. For younger students, learn more about our kids program.

Join now and receive a FREE uniform!

Payment for Adult Aikido Course:
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David Halprin & Barbara Britton Seminar
Apr
29
10:00 AM10:00

David Halprin & Barbara Britton Seminar

Join us for our much-awaited seminar with David Halprin, 7th dan, Shihan and Barbara Britton, 7th Dan, Shihan. Halprin Shihan and Britton Shihan are both longtime students of the late Mitsunari Kanai Shihan, and have dedicated their practice to his memory.

Classes will go from 10am-noon and 2:00-4:00pm. Use the link below to register online by credit card, or pay by cash or check at the dojo.

David Halprin & Barbara Britton Seminar
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Laura Pavlick Seminar
Apr
1
10:00 AM10:00

Laura Pavlick Seminar

Portsmouth Aikido is proud to be hosting its first seminar with Laura Pavlick, 6th Dan, Shihan, and Chief Instructor of Litchfield Hills Aikikai.

Pavlick Shihan began practicing Aikido in 1981 at the New York Aikikai under Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan, direct student of the founder, Morihei Ueshiba. As a shodan, she was assigned to teach a regularly scheduled class at NYA while also taking several classes daily. In the early 1990s she moved to northwestern Connecticut and opened Litchfield Hills Aikikai, in Bantam, CT where she has been Chief Instructor since they opened their doors.

The seminar will run from 10am-noon and 2:00-4:00pm.

Laura Pavlick Seminar
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Hatsugeiko
Jan
1
1:00 PM13:00

Hatsugeiko

Join us for our annual Hatsugeiko training to welcome in the new year!

This year we will be starting with Japanese calligraphy with Yuka at 1pm. She will teach a few basics, and then we will do kakizome (書き初め, literally "first writing") to set down our good intents for the new year. Please come with a concept in mind for a word/character you’d like to write (Yuka and Aaron will help you translate your ideas into Japanese, or feel free to research your own).

From there, we will clean up and do a brief meditation followed by the Ki Musubi Kumitachi paired bokken kata. We will then finish out the day with open-handed training.

All are welcome and there is no extra fee for training.

See you in the new year!

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Aimeé Bel Seminar
Apr
9
10:00 AM10:00

Aimeé Bel Seminar

We are delighted to host Aimeé Bel, 5th Dan and Chief Instructor of Worcester Zenshinkan Dojo. Bel Sensei is a student of Ed Germanov Shihan and Mary Heiny Sensei. She has been influenced, as well, by the generous instruction of teachers like Jan Nevelius Shihan and William Gleason Shihan.

Class will be held from 10am-noon, break for lunch, then from 2-4pm.

The cost is $50, which you can pay by cash or check at the dojo or using the PayPal button below.

Aimée Bel Seminar Fee
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Aiki Summer Gasshuku
Aug
20
to Aug 22

Aiki Summer Gasshuku

"Now and again, it is necessary to seclude yourself
among deep mountains and hidden valleys
to restore your link to the source of life."

—Morihei Ueshiba

Come join us for our second annual Summer Gasshuku. Last year was a lot of fun and a good excuse to head out into the woods to train, enjoy time together, and relax in nature.

The event will take place at Ron Totten’s farm, located at 674 First Crown Point Rd, Strafford, NH. We will be camping, and everyone should bring their own food and supplies for the weekend.

Here is a tentative schedule. People are encouraged to stay for the whole weekend, but if you can only make part we’re glad to have you.

Friday 8/20
9am — Registration and tent set up
10am — Weapons Class
11am — Aikido Class
     Noon — Lunch
2pm — Qi Gong Exercises & Yang-Style Tai Chi with Yuka Cass
3pm — A Brief History of Aikido and Internal Practice/Aiki Taiso
4pm — Aikido Class
5pm — Aikido Class (Ray Lefebvre)
     6:30 — Dinner
7:30 — Campfire

Saturday 8/21
7am — O-Sensei’s Misogi Practice and Makko-ho Stretching Routine
     8am — Breakfast
9am — Aikido Class (Zach Nobel)
10am — Aikido Class
11am — Iaido with Bill Querry
     Noon — Lunch
2pm — Kashima Sword Class
3pm — Aikido Class
4:30pm — Hike and swim on Blue Job Mountain
     6:30 — Dinner
7:30 — Campfire and Aikido Stories!

Sunday 8/22
7am — Meditation, Kototama Chanting, and Aiki Taiso
     8am — Breakfast
10am — Aikido Class
11am — Pack up tents and clean

2021 Summer Gasshuku

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Claude Berthiaume & Vu Ha Online Seminar
Dec
19
2:00 PM14:00

Claude Berthiaume & Vu Ha Online Seminar

Join us online for this special online seminar with Claude Berthaiume Shihan and Vu Ha Shidoin, who are generously donating all proceeds to our 2020 fundraiser.

The Zoom meeting link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88200742295?pwd=N0F4NVJnL09FcmtDUHNNYStPbzgrdz09

The login password is 143251

Sliding scale with suggested donation of $20.

You can pay by cash or check, or use the PayPal link below.

Thank you!

PA Poster 2020-12-19 Berthiaume & Ha-SQ.jpg
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25th Anniversary Seminar
May
2
10:00 AM10:00

25th Anniversary Seminar

On May 4th, 1995, Portsmouth Aikido held its first class at the Seacoast YMCA. With the help of Mitsunari Kanai Shihan, and a handful of his instructors, Judy Ringer had successfully started a dojo.

In the 25 years since, Portsmouth Aikido has grown and thrived. We now have our own dedicated practice space, hold class seven days a week, and have added a Kids Program and Veterans Program.

To commemorate this auspicious anniversary, we have invited three of Kanai Sensei’s longest-practicing students, David Farrell, David Halprin, and Barbara Britton, each now a Shihan in their own right, to teach a special seminar with us.

Class will run from 10am-noon and 2:30-4:30pm. You are invited to stick around and join us for drinks and hors d’oeuvres after class at the dojo.

See you there!

25th Anniversary Seminar
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2020 New Year's Party
Jan
18
6:00 PM18:00

2020 New Year's Party

Friends, Parents, and Members,

Join us for our 2020 New Year’s Party to be held at Blue Lattitudes Restaurant in Dover, NH.

Friends and family are welcome. The cost for the meal is $45/person, and you can purchase drinks additionally on your own.

We need a head count by Friday, Jan. 10th. If you aren’t able to pay via the PayPal button below, be sure to contact us at info@portsmouthaikido.org to reserve your space.

See you there!

Attendees
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