About the Japan Aikido Association/USA

The JAA/USA is a national organization that promotes the practice of Professor Kenji Tomiki's system of Aikido. The organization brings together Aikido clubs around the United States with publications, newsletters, seminars, and competitions. JAA/USA also coordinates various Aikido activities with other national and international Aikido organizations.

How to Join the JAA/USA

Annual $20 membership fee includes newsletters, national insurance coverage, and membership discounts on JAA/USA books, videotapes, DVD's, and most regional/national clinics and tournaments.

Click here to download the JAA/USA membership application in Microsoft Word format. Completed forms, along with payment, can be mailed to:

JAA/USA

5752 South Kingston Way

Englewood, CO 80111


You may also pay your JAA/USA annual membership dues (individual only) by using the PayPal link below. Please note, that you will still need to fill out the membership form and send it to the JAA/USA office.

Please visit our Dojo Listing to find a Tomiki Aikido dojo near you.

JAA/USA Online Discussion Group

New - JAA/USA has a discussion group, through Google Groups, which is available for JAA/USA members. Click on the link below to access the JAA/USA Members group site. If you are not already a member of the group, then you will have to sign in and request access.

http://groups.google.com/group/jaausa-members

Mission Statement

The JAA/USA is formally incorporated and is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax exempt organization. The Association functions on a non-exclusive and non-discriminatory basis as an umbrella organization for all of the Tomiki Aikido clubs and schools in the United States that wish to join. As Tomiki Sensei emphasized so many times, we should strive to welcome everyone and to learn from each other by practicing together. To help attain this goal, Tomiki Sensei advocated joint practice sessions as well as open tournaments comprised of both kata embukai and team and individual shiai.

In furtherance of Tomiki Sensei's desires and goals, the Association helps to coordinate national events, provides support for regional events, encourages the interchange of information on training methods and the coordination of our grading and promotion standards with those used by the Japan Aikido Association, raises public funds to support the Association and its educational goals, and to engage in related activities. Because each of us has a different way of practicing aikido based on our experiences and training (and it is this difference that can help to make Tomiki Aikido a strong and vibrant martial art), the JAA/USA does not set binding guidelines on how individual clubs and schools are run. Those are decisions that should be made by the individual sensei who runs the dojo.

The JAA/USA functions as a central coordinating and support center rather than as an authoritarian governor. We strive to unify our teaching methods and promotion standards so that the members of all of our clubs can practice and compete effectively and safely together with members of other clubs, while retaining as much as possible each club's individuality. The JAA itself has been developing for over thirty years and even still is working toward ever more consistent grading and training standards. The Tomiki Aikido International Network (TAIN) was founded in 1993 for the purpose of propagating and developing Tomiki Aikido and developing mutual trust and friendship internationally through aikido. The TAIN organizes international aikido tournaments, conducts international aikido seminars, exchanges information and holds General Assemblies to help promote goodwill and develop more consistency in training standards.

Governing Board

The current JAA/USA Board of Directors:

Board Position Director Name
Chairman / Director Seiji Tanaka
Director/Chief Legal Counsel/Secretary Bob Dziubla
President / Chief Technical Director Dave Nettles
VP / CFO Open
Director of Administration Bob King
Director of Marketing Jay Harris
Director of Communication Sean Flynn
Director of Events and Activities Wade Current
Director/COO Kerry Nettles
Public Relations Director Moe Stevens
Director Carol Apple
Director Manny Vargas
Director Ari Reinstein