MWA History

Mountain West Aikido (MWA) has training facilities in Billings and Livingston MT.  MWA instructors have a direct lineage to the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba (1883 -1969) known as O’Sensei or Great Teacher.

We are accredited by the International Aikido Federation with world headquarters located in Tokyo, Japan.  This is the original school of Aikido and is sometimes known simply as “Hombu dojo.”

MWA operates under the auspices of Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU) founded by Mitsugi Saotome in 1975.  He is the longest tenured (15 years) Uchi deshi (live-in student) of Aikido’s founder.  This direct line of transmission offers MWA students the most knowledgable basis of the founder’s philosophy and technique.

ASU instructors travel across North America, South America, and Europe to assist with local dojo instruction. Tony Blomert and Scott Brady are the chief instructors at MWA.  Both sensei have been training under ASU senior instructors for decades. Primary among these are Mitsugi Saotome, William Gleason 7th dan (not pictured), Hiroshi Ikeda 7th dan (not pictured) , George Ledyard 7th dan,  John Messores 7th dan, Gregory Olson 6th dan (not pictured) and James Sterling 4th dan.

 

Contact us or stop by to observe classes.  Better avail yourself to train as a guest and experience the joy of Aikido.