Welcome to AikiWeb Aikido Information
AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information
AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.

Sections
home
aikido articles
columns

Discussions
forums
aikiblogs

Databases
dojo search
seminars
image gallery
supplies
links directory

Reviews
book reviews
video reviews
dvd reviews
equip. reviews

News
submit
archive

Miscellaneous
newsletter
rss feeds
polls
about

Follow us on



Home > AikiWeb Aikido Forums
Go Back   AikiWeb Aikido Forums > General

Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history, humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.

If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced features available, you will need to register first. Registration is absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 05-05-2003, 05:39 PM   #1
jeda
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 42
Offline
Female Aikidoka

How many high-ranking female aikidoka are there?

I've only ever heard of Pat Hendricks in Cali. Are there others?
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 05:47 PM   #2
opherdonchin
Dojo: Baltimore Aikido
Location: Baltimore
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 586
Offline
Women in Aikido by Andrea Seigel

Women in Aikido by Sharon Seymoure

I've read the first one and found it excellent. Hadn't heard of the other one before. It's older and may be out of print.

Yours in Aiki
Opher
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 06:47 PM   #3
akiy
 
akiy's Avatar
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 6,049
Offline
There are many high ranking female aikido practitioners all over the world. I listed some here in this post a couple of years back:

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showth...=8332#post8332

As far as "Women in Aikido" by Andrea Siegel goes, I'm not a very big fan of the book. I think it ought to be called "Women in Aikido, Most of Who Used to Train in Aikido But Have Since Then Quit For Various Reasons."

-- Jun

Please help support AikiWeb -- become an AikiWeb Contributing Member!
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 09:51 PM   #4
jeda
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 42
Offline
Is the Bay Area the Mecca of Aikido?
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2003, 10:08 PM   #5
acot
Dojo: West Michigan Aikido
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 112
United_States
Offline
I think the head of the ROC(Taiwan) Aikikai is a woman (6th Dan I believe). Though the figure head is still a man, he is in 90's and doesn't actively practice anymore. I will try to find out their names. Perhaps Mike Lee would know.

Ryan
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 03:47 AM   #6
ikkainogakusei
Location: All over CA
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 137
Offline
Re: Female Aikidoka

Quote:
Jessica Dalton (jdalton51) wrote:
How many high-ranking female aikidoka are there?

I've only ever heard of Pat Hendricks in Cali. Are there others?
Pardon me for seeming mulish, but what constitutes high ranking in your book?

Danelle Smith is a 6th Dan, as is Cindi Hayashi, Kayla Feder is a 5th Dan,as well as Linda Holiday. Bernice Tom 6th Dan, Mary Heiny is a 6th Dan as well.

I'm sure there are others, especially if you count the yondans, or even sandans.


"To educate a man in mind, and not in morals, is to educate a menace to society." ~Theodore Roosevelt
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 04:51 AM   #7
rachmass
Dojo: Aikido of Cincinnati/Huron Valley Aikikai
Location: Somerset Michigan
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 794
Offline
There are almost countless high ranking (I am using 5th dan and above for my critera) women in the USAF alone. Sure there are plenty of others in the other organizations as well.
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 08:12 AM   #8
opherdonchin
Dojo: Baltimore Aikido
Location: Baltimore
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 586
Offline
Quote:
Is the Bay Area the Mecca of Aikido?
I didn't understand this question. Offhand, I'd say Aikido is very decentralized. Many dojos look to Japan and hombu dojo as some sort of mecca, but many others do not.

Yours in Aiki
Opher
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 09:04 AM   #9
LukeTBrown
Dojo: Shoshin Aikido Dojo
Location: Orlando, Florida
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 13
Offline
Patty Saotome, wife of the head of the ASU.
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 09:41 AM   #10
Hanna B
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 647
Sweden
Offline
Mitsugi Minegishi, 6 dan Aikikai.
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 10:52 AM   #11
giriasis
Dojo: Sand Drift Aikikai, Cocoa Florida
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 823
United_States
Offline
Penny Bernath, 5th dan, Shidoin.

See her shidoin profile at www.aikidoonline.com

Anne Marie Giri
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 10:59 AM   #12
akiy
 
akiy's Avatar
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 6,049
Offline
Quote:
Hanna Björk (Hanna B) wrote:
Mitsugi Minegishi, 6 dan Aikikai.
That would probably be Mutsuko Minegishi sensei...

-- Jun

Please help support AikiWeb -- become an AikiWeb Contributing Member!
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 11:09 AM   #13
Hanna B
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 647
Sweden
Offline
Ah yes. Fro mthe top of my head, and all wrong. Jun, why don't you let me edit my *&¤# post?
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 11:20 AM   #14
rachmass
Dojo: Aikido of Cincinnati/Huron Valley Aikikai
Location: Somerset Michigan
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 794
Offline
look at just this sampling from the USAF-WR:

Shihan

Gloria Nomura, 6th dan

Shidoin

6th dan

Coryl Crane

Lorraine DiAnne

Elizabeth Lynn

Kristina Varjan

5th dan

Elizabeth Beringer

Michaela Roessner-Herman

Terri Teshiba

4th dan

Maureen Browne,

Leslie Cohen,

Diane Deskin,

In the ER, there are a number 5th dan and above, including Penny Bernath, Susan Wolk, Linda Lee Vecchio (I know I'm missing some...).

There is also Marianne Shibata in California, and Yumi Nakumura in Toronto.

Okay, I can't think of any more at the moment, but you can see there are lots of high ranking women out there.
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 05:36 PM   #15
jeda
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 42
Offline
Quote:
I didn't understand this question. Offhand, I'd say Aikido is very decentralized. Many dojos look to Japan and hombu dojo as some sort of mecca, but many others do not.
The link Jun posted had several female aikidoka from the Bay area. From an outsider's point of view (and someone who has acces to three, maybe four dojos in her area) it seems you can't throw a rock without hitting an aikido dojo.

Quote:
Pardon me for seeming mulish, but what constitutes high ranking in your book?
Good Question (and not the slightest bit mulish.) It would seem from the answers I've received that "high ranking" would be 5th dan or above. In my book, since I'm still a kyu rank, sandan would constitute a high rank.

Perhaps a better question would have been are there female aikidoka who have 1: studied aikido for 10 or more years, and 2: have their own dojo/ teach a student base?





Last edited by jeda : 05-06-2003 at 05:44 PM.
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 05:50 PM   #16
ikkainogakusei
Location: All over CA
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 137
Offline
Quote:
Jessica Dalton (jdalton51) wrote:
The link Jun posted had several female aikidoka from the Bay area. From an outsider's point of view (and someone who has acces to three, maybe four dojos in her area) it seems you can't throw a rock without hitting an aikido dojo.
It is practically like that, imagine that many other martial arts, Japanese, Chinese, and other, each have their plethora of schools in the Bay Area as well. There are aso quite a few (non-yudansha)female aikidoka who train regularly. It's nice to have more variety of personalities, both mental and physical to train with.


"To educate a man in mind, and not in morals, is to educate a menace to society." ~Theodore Roosevelt
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 06:00 PM   #17
ikkainogakusei
Location: All over CA
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 137
Offline
Quote:
Jessica Dalton (jdalton51) wrote:
Good Question (and not the slightest bit mulish.) It would seem from the answers I've received that "high ranking" would be 5th dan or above. In my book, since I'm still a kyu rank, sandan would constitute a high rank.

Perhaps a better question would have been are there female aikidoka who have 1: studied aikido for 10 or more years, and 2: have their own dojo/ teach a student base?
I think that everyone I mentioned would more than qualify.

Kayla Feder Sensei has been aikidoka since she was at leas 9 I think (7?9? something like that) and she's older than 19.

As for the Mecca thing, I know that many of the SFBay dojos have uchideshi programs and at least one (though I'd imagine more) most often has international uchideshi, even Japanese deshi come over to train. Now, I would imagine that there are world-class sensei in many places, but I know more about the area because I live in the area.


"To educate a man in mind, and not in morals, is to educate a menace to society." ~Theodore Roosevelt
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 08:44 PM   #18
DanielR
Location: New York
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 164
Offline
Quote:
Jessica Dalton wrote:
are there female aikidoka who have 1: studied aikido for 10 or more years, and 2: have their own dojo/ teach a student base?
Marie Mockers-Numata sensei, yondan, Princeton Aikikai, NJ.

Daniel
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 09:53 PM   #19
GregH
Location: Harrisburg, Pa
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 15
Offline
Hello All,

I didn't see Lia Suzuki whom I think is 5th dan. She directs Aikido Kenkyukai in Lansdale, Pa as well as Santa Barbara, Ca. On the web at http://www.aikidokenkyukai.org/intro.aki.html

greg
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2003, 10:24 PM   #20
Qatana
 
Qatana's Avatar
Dojo: Aikido of Petaluma, Petaluma,CA
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 834
Offline
the Bay Area has always been a "beginning point" for many subcultures.(the Grateful Dead & renaissance Faire being two that i have participated in- not to mention Silicon Valley)

remember that Robert Nadeau and Frank Doran have been teaching here since the 60's and that this is a beautiful place to be and that the people here are extremely open minded about trying new things it makes sense that people who came here to train would naturally want to stay here to teach.

The women in my dojo are

1-sandan, training since 1970

1-nidan, training since about 1983

1-shodan, training since 1990

1-1st or 2nd kyu

1-4th kyu

me-somewhere between 10th-5th kyu

Q
http://www.aikidopetaluma.com/
www.knot-working.com

"It is not wise to be incautious when confronting a little smiling bald man"'- Rule #1
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-29-2003, 08:06 PM   #21
dion
Dojo: san diego aikikai
Location: San Diego
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 24
Offline
There are several ranking women aikidoka at my dojo, rachel named a few of them.

San Diego Aikikai
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-30-2003, 12:07 AM   #22
sanosuke
Dojo: Seigi Dojo
Location: Jakarta
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 247
Indonesia
Offline
what about Dr. Lee Ah Loi from Shodokan (Tomiki) Aikido? i heard she holds a high rank, too.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2004, 07:15 PM   #23
Frp
Dojo: Charles River Kokikai
Location: Somerville
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 14
Offline
There are, at least, four sixth dan women in Kokikai Aikido, including my Sensei.

And if I rember right Jessica your Sensei and a higher ranking member from your dojo visit us when they are in Philadelphia.

David
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-05-2004, 06:02 AM   #24
philipsmith
Dojo: Ren Shin Kan
Location: Birmingham
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 362
United Kingdom
Offline
High ranking women?

In the UK I would include:

British Aikiai:

Dee Chen 6th Dan

Pauline Squire 5th Dan

United Kingdom Aikikai ( and both from my dojo)

Pat Narey 5th Dan

Cath Davies 4th Dan

All of whom are either Hombu or Birankai graded and having been training in Aikido for over 20 years.
  Reply With Quote

Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Martial artist / Aikidoka Ghost Fox General 35 08-02-2006 10:42 PM
aggresive and arrogant aikidoka aiki-G Anonymous 55 11-19-2005 07:52 AM
Male or Female Taliesin Humor 2 10-18-2005 10:36 AM
Difference: Male and Female Sensei rachel General 32 01-26-2005 09:26 PM
Female uke suren General 67 09-14-2004 03:15 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:06 PM.



vBulletin Copyright © 2000-2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited
----------
Copyright 1997-2024 AikiWeb and its Authors, All Rights Reserved.
----------
For questions and comments about this website:
Send E-mail
plainlaid-picaresque outchasing-protistan explicantia-altarage seaford-stellionate