Please join us June 13, 2026 from 10:00 am-4:30 pm for a “Two Views” Seminar, featuring Kayla Feder Shihan and Lisa Tomoleoni Shihan. This event will be held at Aikido of Berkeley, 1514 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94703. All affiliations and experience levels are welcome!
For the future development of Aikido, it's important to strengthen our community and build relationships between dojo and people that transcend organizational boundaries.
With this in mind we are holding this one day event, with the goal being to bring our community together for a day of training followed by social time (and food and beverage!).
(It’s our intention to have a series of seminars such as this, in various locations, and we hope people will support this endeavor for the future growth of Aikido.)
Our Instructors for this training event will be (more info below):
Kayla Feder Shihan, 7 Dan, Aikido of Berkeley
Lisa Tomoleoni Shihan, 6 Dan, Abiding Spirit Aikikai, Aikido Shimbokukai Director
The schedule for the day will be:
10:00 am-12:00 pm Training
2:00-4:30 pm Training and Discussion
Registration details coming soon!
We look forward to this event, and hope to see you on the mat!
Instructors
Kayla Feder Shihan, 7 Dan, Aikido of Berkeley
Kayla Feder Shihan, 7th dan, Aikikai, is the dojo cho at Aikido of Berkeley. In 1973 at the age of 9 Kayla Shihan fell in love with Aikido and has been dedicated to growing in the art and training continuously for 50 years. For the first 20 years of her practice, she was greatly inspired by training under Morihiro Saito Shihan, who was one of the founder's closest students. In 1980 Kayla Shihan traveled to Iwama, Japan to train with Saito Shihan as an uchi deshi (live-in apprentice). During subsequent trips to study Aikido in Japan, she trained with a number of other Shihan who were close students to the Founder, among many: Kisshomaru Ueshiba NiDai Doshu (O-Sensei's son), Seiichi Sugano Sensei, Motomichi Anno Sensei, and Kazuo Chiba Sensei. Since childhood she has also practiced with and been strongly influenced by Frank Doran Shihan, Robert Nadeau Shihan, and Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan.
Kayla Shihan has taught seminars throughout the US, Europe, and Israel. In addition to her Aikido accomplishments she received a Masters degree in Holistic Health Education from JFK University in 1998. She received the rank of 7th dan in 2020.
Lisa Tomoleoni Shihan, 6 Dan, Abiding Spirit Aikikai, Aikido Shimbokukai Director
Lisa Tomoleoni Shihan holds the rank of 6 dan, received from Moriteru Ueshiba, Aikido Doshu. She spent over 14 years in Japan training at the Aikido World Headquarters and teaching Aikido professionally at a dojo in Tokyo. Tomoleoni Sensei is Director of the Aikido Shimbokukai, an organization Officially Recognized by the Aikikai Foundation and Aikido World Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. She also has yudansha ranking in Judo and Iaido and is a member of the Kenshukan Dojo in Tokyo. Tomoleoni Shihan is a co-author of the book "Along the Way", a collection of writings about training.