Instructors
CHIEF INSTRUCTOR | james graves, 6th dan aikikai
Jim started Aikido in 1981 at Mount Pleasant Aikido. During this time, he had the opportunity to travel the world and train with many of Morihei Ueshiba’s original students, including a brief stint as a live-in student with the late Morihiro Saito Shihan in Iwama, Japan. Jim began teaching Aikido in 1985 and became chief instructor of Mount Pleasant Aikido shortly after. After moving to Los Angeles, he became an assistant instructor at Aikido Center of Los Angeles. In 1991, he cofounded City Aikido of Los Angeles, where he remained a senior instructor until 2014. In 2015, Jim reestablished Southland Aikido in the Los Angeles area, a dojo he originally founded in the early nineties where he taught until he matriculated for graduate school. Graves Sensei is a Shidoin (certified instructor) with the United States Aikido Federation (USAF).
Graves Sensei is pictured above (right) demonstrating a bokken kata. Uke: Chris Bushra
Assistant Instructors
Tom Ito, 4th Dan Aikikai
Tom began his Aikido training at Pasadena Aikikai in 1997 under Dan Nicodemo Sensei, along with their sister dojo, Aikido Academy under Francis Takahashi Shihan. He credits Nicodemo Sensei for much of his early development of his fundamentals and foundation. He continued his training at City Aikido of Los Angeles under Kazuho Nishida Shihan, where he received his dan ranks from Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan. Additionally, he was also heavily influenced by the late Mitsunari Kanai Shihan. In 2015, he continued his practice under the guidance of Jim Graves Sensei. Tom is a Fukushidoin (certified assistant instructor) with the USAF.
Rod Yabut, 3rd Dan Aikikai
Rod’s formative years of Aikido practice started in 1999 at Orange County Aikikai, under the technical direction of Fumio Toyoda Shihan. He continued his study at City Aikido of L.A. in 2004 with Kaz Nishida Shihan, where instruction was heavily influenced by Shihans Yoshimitsu Yamada, Kazuo Chiba and Mitsunari Kanai–all direct students of Morihei Ueshiba. In 2015, Rod joined Southland Aikido under the tutelage of Jim Graves Sensei. He is a Fukushidoin with the USAF, actively training at seminars led by Yamada Sensei and other renowned teachers from the U.S. and Japan.
Anna Ito, 1st Dan Aikikai
Anna began practicing Aikido at City Aikido of Los Angeles in 1996. After stepping away from Aikido in 2005, she joined Southland Aikido in 2015, rekindling her regular Aikido practice under Jim Graves Sensei. Anna received her Shodan from Peter Bernath Shihan in 2019.
Southland Aikido 