Emerald City Aikido was founded in August of 1991 by Sensei Joanne Veneziano with the help and support of Aikido students all over the Seattle area. As the previous chief instructor of Seattle School of Aikido, the Seattle Aikido community was excited to see Sensei Veneziano expanding Aikido’s message to a larger community. We are the oldest Aikido dojo in the Capitol Hill/Central District, and the largest.
Our DOJO (meaning place where we study the art) on 19th Avenue East was previously a lived- in stage lighting business and a complete demolition and remodel was in order to prepare the space for Aikido practice. Friends and students pitched in and worked tirelessly for two months to finish the space and on October 29, 1991, the first class was held. Almost immediately our adult and children’s classes grew to capacity.
Though Aikido was not as well known as the more popular movie or competitive martial arts, its graceful movements and non-violent emphasis on manners and ethics soon found many adherents in the Capitol Hill/Central District and other areas. Parents were especially pleased their children could practice a martial art that would help them protect themselves yet not foster a violent or competitive nature.
Nineteen years later our dojo is still open every day for Aikido. Some of our younger students have grown up and are off to college. Our adult students also are still training years later. Our oldest student is 66 and has been training for 16 years. Many of our adult students are also professionals in the community. We have Doctors, Lawyers, Nurses, CPA’s, Real Estate Professionals, Bus Drivers, Computer Experts, Financial Planners, Master Chefs, Social Workers, Performers, Architects, Lobbyists, Administrators, and others from all professions sharing Aikido practice daily.