Interview with Coalition Founder Lynne Morrison: Her Experience with the Independent Coalition of USAF Women

With a background in dance and a love for movement, Lynne Morrison found herself drawn to Aikido when she saw it for the first time in 1972 with Yoshimitsu Yamada leading a class at the New York Aikikai. Immediately, she signed up and trained intensely when, in 1978, she began teaching classes at New York … Continue reading Interview with Coalition Founder Lynne Morrison: Her Experience with the Independent Coalition of USAF Women

Interview with Canadian Aikidoka Kali Hewitt-Blackie: Aikido, the Coalition, and Beyond, Part II

Kali Hewitt-Blackie first saw aikido above a burger shop in California in 1987. At that time, because of her schooling and being a single mom, she could not commit. Upon returning to Canada, she met Yumi Nakamura at Aikido Tendokai in Toronto. She trained diligently there for nineteen years, and because of a number of … Continue reading Interview with Canadian Aikidoka Kali Hewitt-Blackie: Aikido, the Coalition, and Beyond, Part II

Ruth Peyser began training aikido in 1980 after observing a class at the New York Aikikai. For the better part of forty years, she trained under Yoshimitsu Yamada, Seiichi Sugano and Donovan Waite. In late 2019, she signed the Independent Coalition of USAF Women’s petition, resulting in her banishment from the New York Aikikai. Today, … Continue reading Interview with Former New York Aikikai Instructor Ruth Peyser: Supporting Gender Equity and the Independent Coalition of USAF Women’s Petition