Seminars at Nashville Aikikai
Nashville Aikikai often has the great privilege of hosting seminars led by world-class shihan and sensei. Below you will find upcoming seminars being held at Nashville Aikikai. Aikidoka of all affiliations are welcome.
Payment options: Excluding Nanadan seminars and the Fall Safety seminar, you may bring cash or check or reserve your spot via PayPal. Note: Please make sure you put a reference to seminar in the PayPal memo.
Fall Safety, The Kapuna Method, Train the Trainer May 2 – 3, 2026
Steve Glanstein and Dennis Jinnohara from Hawaii will be in Nashville, May 2–3, 2026 to teach us the Kupuna method of fall safety.
Please click this link to complete the form and register for the Nashville Aikikai train the trainer Fall Safety course.
Kupuna Aikido (KuA) is a Hawaii based nonprofit that teaches fall safety, primarily to seniors. Kupuna Aikido’s innovative methods are based on aikido principles. Their technique emphasizes harmonizing and controlling the fall to significantly reduce fall impact, rather than tumbling or rolling. This makes the process gentler, less intimidating, and easier for seniors to learn than typical martial arts falls. To date, KuA has given their safe falling presentation to over 5300 seniors and have graduated over 1500 seniors in their 8-week safe falling classes. Student feedback indicates that even when specific techniques are forgotten, the principles learned have helped to reduce injury severity during actual falls.
The Kupuna Aikido’s Train-the-Trainer seminar trains instructors toeplicate what they are doing in Hawaii. Offering the program in your community helps reduce fall injury or death among seniors, gives yourschool an inroad to a group that is often ignored by the martial artscommunity, meets a significant need among seniors in the local community, and allows instructors — including retired instructors — to give back to theircommunity.
Due to their busy schedules these gentlemen don’t manage to come to the mainland often, so we’re very grateful that they’ll be joining us in May. The schedule for this course will be Saturday 9 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday 9 AM to 2:00 PM. Because of the tight schedule lunches (sandwiches, fruit,
and chips) will be provided both days at no additional cost to the participants. When you register, please let me know of any food restrictions
you have.
Classes will be held at the Nashville Aikikai dojo. The address is 1701B Fatherland St., Nashville TN 37209. Class size is limited, so I encourage you to and sign up soon.
Recommended attire is a T-shirt and comfortable pants (with nothing that will damage a mat), such as gi pants. We will not be wearing traditional martial arts outfits.
Note that anyone registering for this train-the-trainer course must be able to get up and down from the mat alone multiple times.
Please let us know if you have questions.
Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan (8th Dan) May 22 – 24, 2026
Nashville Aikikai has the great fortune of welcoming Tom and Mary Sensei’s long time friend and Sensei, Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan (8th Dan), for his annual Spring seminar in Nashville. Please join us for this wonderful opportunity to train with Ikeda Sensei.
Local Accommodation Options
NOTE: Please book your accommodations as early as possible to ensure availability.
- The Russell – close to the dojo. It’s a little expensive, but it’s worth noting that they give away a generous percentage of each night’s stay to local nonprofits who are helping those experiencing homelessness here in Nashville.
- SpringHill Suites – Nashville Metro Center, 250 Athens Way — Hotels in Metro Center may have better rates than ones downtown. Still just a 10 minute drive to dojo.
- For Airbnb options, look in East Nashville for accommodations most convenient to the Dojo.
- The dojo is also an option! We have mat space and showers in the dojo for those in need of local housing. There is no fee to stay at the dojo. Please let us know in advance if possible.