Jiai Aikido

A beautiful dojo. Strada sensei is both passionate and knowledgeable in Aikido and was very hospitable to us as visiting students from Texas. She accommodated other arts and classes concurrently with our seminar in complete harmony. An excellent embodiment of the spirit of Aikido.

This dojo actually embodies the spirit of connection and openness I would love to see more of in the Aikido community. The different styles taught by each instructor blends together in a holistic and actually functional way that gives the training profound meaning.

This dojo is great. The space is so open, clean, and comfortable to practice in. It has such a great vibe. Cat STRADA Sensei, Tom Liu Sensei are great instructors and very knowledgeable in their craft and they provide great spiritual guidance as well as great fundamental aikido’s teachings. I really enjoyed my time practicing and taking instructions from both Cat and Tom. They are both very supportive, encouraging and super friendly folks. They foster a family oriented environment and are always willing to go the extra distance to support your training by providing seminars and various other resources to supplement your training.

What an amazing place to train! Thank you so much to Strada Sensei and Liu Sensei for their hard work making this dojo such a welcoming place for self-empowerment and community. Weekly classes offer an insightful, introspective, and creative approach to Aikido! Being such a large and beautiful dojo, this is a great space to hold seminars, and the kind energy of the people who teach and train here make it great for those pursuing martial arts at any level.

As a martial artist with 10+ years of Aikido experience and training in various other disciplines (Eskrima, Capoeira, BJJ), I was on the lookout for my new dojo when I moved to San Diego and was happy to discover Jiai Aikido. What sets Jiai apart is its appreciation for not just different styles of Aikido, but for martial arts as a whole. The instructors bring a wealth of knowledge and cross-disciplinary experience: head instructor Cat Strada also teaches Systema, while Tom Liu incorporates his Tai Chi background. Every year, Jiai hosts the Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, bringing together all schools into a weekend of intense training. Jiai also maintains strong ties with shihans Lisa Tomoleoni and Hiroshi Ikeda, so students benefit from some seriously renowned Aikido experience. The dojo itself is impressive with beautiful mats and sprung floors, and it is well-maintained by the students, reflecting the pride and commitment of the community. I would actually say that the most striking aspect of Jiai is its sense of community. From the moment you join, you're welcomed into a supportive and inclusive group of practitioners. For anyone looking to expand their Aikido journey or explore martial arts in a holistic way or just to explore movement with their body, I would absolutely recommend Jiai Aikido.