Past Seminars

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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.

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 to replicate 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.

Tres Hofmeister Sensei (7th Dan), Boulder Aikikai

All levels of Aikidoka are welcome to join us in Nashville, Tennessee for our Annual Fall Seminar with Tres Hofmeister Sensei, 7th Dan and instructor at Boulder Aikikai. We are honored to host him, September 12-14th, 2025. The cost for the entire weekend seminar is $150 or you can participate for only $55 per class.   Classes will begin Friday September 12th at 6:30 PM, Saturday September 13th at 10:30 AM and 3:00 PM and Sunday September 14th at 10:30 AM –  All times being CDT.

Nanadans in Nashville – Robin Cooper Sensei (7th Dan) and Chuck Weber Sensei (7th Dan)

Nashville Aikikai has the privilege of welcoming Robin Cooper Sensei, 7th Dan and Dojo Cho of Aikido of Madison and Chuck Weber Sensei, 7th Dan and Dojo Cho of the Baltimore Aikido Club for a special Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU) weekend seminar. Space will be limited for this special event that is part of ASU’s ongoing series of Nanadan seminars focused on the transmission of the martial art of aikido as passed down to them from Saotome Shihan. Please make sure you register and pay via PayPal using this registration form . For all other inquiries, please email us at Nashaikikai278@gmail.com.

Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan (8th Dan) May 16 – 18, 2025

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.

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