Aikido in New Hampshire

Hey Folks,

A very good friend of mine might have the opportunity to relocate to New Hampshire and I'm trying to help him out with some information about Aikido in the State/ Area. The Aikiweb dojo search yields about six dojos actually in the state, some of them seem a bit off the mark as far as Aikido goes (by this I mean that Aikido is not even mentioned on their website, even though the dojo is on the Aikiweb). I noticed that there seem to be two Aikikai USAF dojos active in the area, are they affiliated with the late Kanai Sensei's organization or with Yamada Sensei out of NYC? I noticed on the Portsmouth Aikido page a comment that the primary instructor is a Shodan, with classes only held 3 times a week. Does the population in NH support full-time professional teachers, or is it too small? Any information is appreciated....

Thanks

joe

Where exactly will your friend be? Northeast Aikikai with Perriello Sensei is excellent (www.northeastaikikai.com) and Black Sword Aikido is fantastic (Caufield Sensei). Black Sword is a little less traditional blending Aikido and Chinese Chin Na (Shaolin Kung Fu grappling). Hope that helps.

If your friend is going to be anywhere near Keene I recommend Monadnock Aikikai. This is a USAF-E affiliated dojo. I have never actually taken a class with their sensei, Liz Dinowitz, but I attended a seminar there and someone who trains at our dojo trained there for a long time before moving to MA. Liz is I believe a 5th dan, and the dojo was run by her husband until he died. They have been around a long time. I don't believe they have a website, but you can certainly find their phone number on the internet.
Good luck,
Gaia