DOJO SPOTLIGHT:
MIDWEST AIKIDO CENTER
Say hello to Naomi Wentworth
Chief Instructor, Midwest Aikido Center
6th dan, Shihan
Some interesting facts about Naomi:
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She began aikido in 1983 at the Midwest Aikido Center
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Akira Tohei Shihan was his her first teacher
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She learned about aikido from a TV documentary with a video of O Sensei
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At the Midwest Aikido Center, the Chief Instructor nominates members of the Technical Committee. Naomi Sensei was nominated to serve on the Technical Committee in 2015 by her dear friend and mentor, Walter Van Enck, who was Chief Instructor at the time. She has served in this position ever since.
Tell us something about yourself/profession/background:
I grew up in a small town in New England, but I have almost completely adapted to the big city life of Chicago. I moved to the Chicago area to take a job as a professor at a small liberal arts college and here I remain. I consider it a great good fortune that I found my way to Tohei Sensei’s dojo in a second story space above a liquor store on Lincoln Ave in Chicago.
What do you consider some of your greatest achievements as dojo cho?
The members of the Midwest Aikido Center inspire me with their dedication to our dojo community. A strong, cohesive dojo is an amazing thing. I am awed by it, and happy to join them in building the future of our community.
What have been some of your biggest challenges as dojo cho?
Thankfully, we made it past the Covid-19 period. Listening well, being responsive, preserving the past while welcoming the future.
A Bit About Midwest Aikdo Center
How many days per week do you have classes?
How many classes are available per week?
Do you have a children's program? If so, what are the ages and what else would you like to share?
Is the dojo a not-for-profit?
Is there anything you consider unique to your dojo space? Or something you like/appreciate the most?
Are you working on any aikido-related projects?
Is there any other information about the dojo you would like to share?
The Midwest Aikido Center has classes 7 days per week. We have 11 regular instructors, plus 4 substitute instructors, and 3 members of our instructor mentoring program.
There are 11 adult aikido classes, 1 children's class and 2 Iaido classes each week
Since Covid, our kids class meets only once per week and involves children from 8 to 18. Eventually, we hope to build back up to pre-Covid levels.
Yes, the Midwest Aikido Center is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization. A bit about our organizational structure: We have a Board of Directors, Officers, and several standing committees (e.g., the House Committee, Special Events, Publicity, and so forth). Each Committee has a chairperson who reports to one of the Board Members. The Technical Committee is Chaired by the Chief Instructor who asks senior instructors to serve on the TC.
Our current dojo is spacious, airy, and traditional. We have relocated four times over the years and each time, we bring at least a piece of our previous space to build out our current space. Our history is important to us.
We generally host three seminars each year (Kagami Biraki, O Sensei Memorial, and a Fall Seminar). Our special guest instructors are amazing and inspirational to us and to the many visitors who join us. We are always happy to welcome guests.
Our history: The Midwest Aikido Center celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025. In celebration, we will host a seminar on September 20-21, 2025 featuring H. Osawa Shihan and other special guest instructors. The M.A.C.’s Founder and Chief Instructor since inception has been Akira Tohei Shihan. He was born in 1929 in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, and began training in Aikido in 1946 under the direction of Aikido Founder, Morihei Ueshiba.
Tohei Sensei had been a staff instructor at Hombu Dojo in Tokyo and at several affiliate dojo throughout Japan. He also taught for one year in the Hawaiian Islands. In 1966 he was awarded the title of Shihan by the Aikido Founder. He came to Chicago in 1972 and was promoted to 8th Dan in 1989. He spent the next 27 years teaching and promoting the ideals of the Aikido Founder throughout the Midwest, serving as the Chairman of the Technical Committee of the United States Aikido Federation as well as Chairman of the North American Shihankai. Up until his death July 2, 1999, he was the most senior Aikido instructor in the United States. Tohei Shihan’s senior students are now currently responsible for leading the daily instruction at the MAC, and his many students continue to train diligently to honor his legacy.
Date posted: September 2025
