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. Jim is the dojo’s chief instructor for aikdo and iaido, and 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, 4th Dan Aikikai
Rod started Aikido in 1999 at Orange County Aikikai, then under the technical direction of Fumio Toyoda Shihan. After moving to Los Angeles, he continued his practice at City Aikido of L.A. with Kazuho 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 and actively trains at seminars to deepen his study of Aikido.
Southland Aikido 