"When you walk into a dojo you cross a threshold. You are walking into a space that is unique and special. You feel that you will find something in the dojo that was missing from your life — something that you have been looking for. Our job as instructors is to help facilitate that experience."
— Malory Graham, founder of Seattle Aikikai
Chief Instructor
Malory Graham started training in 1988 with Paul Sylvain Shihan in Amherst, MA. She founded Seattle Aikikai in 1997 and received her 6th Dan from Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan in 2014. She continues to develop her own training with Yoko Okamoto and Chris Mulligan Senseis of Aikido Kyoto. Along with teaching Aikido, she has had tandem careers as a filmmaker and non-profit Executive Director. She is also a certified yoga instructor, and has taught yoga to incarcerated youth with Yoga Behind Bars. She loves bringing yoga into her Aikido warm-ups. She has made films to promote women in Aikido and has been deeply committed to the social justice and youth development fields. Her latest side project, the Aikido Idea Project, is about making Aikido more diverse and inclusive.
Dojo Cho
Daniel Top began training in 1995 with Irvin Faust at Capital District Aikikai (now Albany Aikido). He was attracted to the cooperative and non-competitive nature of the practice. He studied under various visiting teachers from around the region, getting a glimpse of the breadth of the art. He moved to Seattle in 2003 and began studying under Malory Graham at Puget Sound Aikikai (now Seattle Aikikai). Daniel loves the endless challenge and variations of Aikido. He believes every class is an opportunity to learn, and every partner can teach you something.
Instructors
John Peng began training in 1995 in Albany, NY. He began training with Jan Nevelius in 2012 and received his 5th dan with Nevelius Sensei’s recommendation in 2026. He had previously trained in a variety of martial arts but found Aikido while attending medical school, and happily gave up hitting people for what he felt was a more interesting and life-applicable art. His focus is on being soft but sharp, assertive but not antagonistic, attentive without judgment, and joyful with intention. Off the mat, he uses Aikido in daily life in his outpatient primary care internal medicine practice in Lynnwood.
Faith Lumsden began training at Seattle Aikikai in 1987. She has trained with Malory Graham for nearly 30 years and taught open-hand and weapons classes for more than 20 years. She loves the clarity and precision required in Aikido weapons practice and helping students embody the essence of weapons work in their open-hand practices.
Amanda Page (she/her/hers) began training in 1992 in Newark, DE. She studied under John Messores Shihan (The Aikido Dojo in Largo, FL), the late Kevin Choate (Chicago Aikikai), and for a short time under Shibata Shihan (Berkeley Aikikai). In 2012, she began training at Seattle Aikikai under Malory Graham. She has been teaching since 2016.
Dominic Ng (he/they) began training in 2012 with Joanne Veneziano Sensei at Emerald City Aikido, and joined Seattle Aikikai in 2023. Drawn to aikido as a path of cultivation through collaboration, he believes the art can be of tremendous benefit to modern society. He strives to uplift others with joyful practice and teaching, and delights in exploring the depths of aikido with his peers. Dominic works with cancer patients at Virginia Mason Medical Center, studies and practices Tibetan Buddhism, and is an avid fan of horror movies and books.
Wini Hamilton
Sam Sibley
Michael Gilbride
Isabel began her training in Emerald City Aikido’s kids program in 2004, joining the adult classes in 2012. Recently, she has gone full circle and taught in the kids program herself. Off the mat, Isabel attempts to put her art degree to good use.
Erica began training in 2016 with Malory Graham Sensei at Seattle Aikikai. She is the Youth program director and a Youth aikido instructor. Erica is a professional dancer with 15 years experience performing locally and in Europe. She was drawn to the curving pathways and surprising unbalances of Aikido. Erica is in the process of creating a movement-generalist program in partnership with Seattle Aikikai that exposes children to various movement practices (dance, martial arts, circus etc.), for which Aikido will be a cornerstone.
Sama Ahmed
Emeritus
Joanne Veneziano began training in 1976 with Mitsunari Kanai Shihan at New England Aikikai. In 1979 she moved to Seattle to study with Mary Heiny. In 1986, she studied with Morito Suganuma in Fukuoka, Japan. In 1991, she founded Emerald City Aikido. Her teaching style combines warmth, humor, and deeply committed physical practice. She is a dedicated and passionate teacher and practitioner who has inspired many to begin their Aikido journey. From 1987 to 2018, she worked in the emergency room at Harborview. When she is not teaching or training, she enjoys birding and playing pickleball.
Dave Becker began training in 1981 with Robert Aoyagi Shihan at Aikido of Honolulu, (The “Waialae Dojo”). When he was in high school, he saw an Aikido demonstration by O’Sensei, so when his doctor advised him to pick up exercise, he decided to start Aikido. After leaving Hawai’i, Dave practiced with numerous dojos around Seattle and Port Angles. He trained with Kurita Sensei in Mountlake Terrace for several years. In 2002, he began training with Malory Graham and has been her student ever since.
Roy May taught the morning classes at Seattle Aikikai with unmatched consistency and precision. His tireless practice inspired many early risers, and his influence is clearly visible in many of our senior students today.
John Benner’s (he/him) first experience with Aikido was as a child when he studied under Peter Ting at the Berkeley YMCA. He has trained with Bernice Tom and Kayla Feder. For the last 24 years, he has trained under Joanne Veneziano at Emerald City Aikido. John cross-trains in Kajukembo. He has been teaching children’s Aikido since 1999 and is a learning scientist finishing his Ph.D. at UW. He has a special interest in Aikido classes as learning environments and integrates his knowledge of child development and learning theories into his teaching with children and adults. John tries to incorporate O-Sensei’s saying “Always practice the Art of Peace in a vibrant and joyful manner” into every class.