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WELCOME TO GREEN RIVER AIKIDO

Green River Aikido provides instruction in the traditional martial art of Aikido, focusing on individual needs in a supportive and non-competitive environment. Through the regular practice of Aikido, students improve their strength, balance, posture, coordination and stamina. Aikido emphasizes partner training to develop effective responses to physical encounters which take the form of different grabs and strikes. Students learn to deliver these attacks and to dynamically and safely respond to the application of Aikido techniques (ukemi) which is perhaps the most important aspect to aikido training. In addition to body art, Aikido includes weapons training as many attacks and defenses are derived from movements based on the use of staff, sword and knife. Embedded in the training is the philosophy of the founder of Aikido, O Sensei,  who believed that physical aggression can be completely neutralized and controlled without causing harm to the attacker.

WELCOME TO GREEN RIVER AIKIDO

Green River Aikido provides instruction in the traditional martial art of Aikido, focusing on individual needs in a supportive and non-competitive environment. Through the regular practice of Aikido, students improve their strength, balance, posture, coordination and stamina. Aikido emphasizes partner training to develop effective responses to physical encounters which take the form of different grabs and strikes. Students learn to deliver these attacks and to dynamically and safely respond to the application of Aikido techniques (ukemi) which is perhaps the most important aspect to aikido training. In addition to body art, Aikido includes weapons training as many attacks and defenses are derived from movements based on the use of staff, sword and knife. Embedded in the training is the philosophy of the founder of Aikido, O Sensei,  who believed that physical aggression can be completely neutralized and controlled without causing harm to the attacker.

MEET OUR SENSEIS

Sensei Dave Stier
Sensei Dave Stier7th Dan Shihan
Chief instructor David Stier Sensei currently holds the rank of nanadan (7th degree black belt) with the International Aikido Federation and is recognized as a Shihan (Master Instructor) by Hombu Dojo in Japan.

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Stier Sensei began training in 1973 with the UMass Aikido Club in Amherst MA under the direction of Dr. Taitetsu Unno Sensei, a student of Akira Tohei Sensei. During his time with UMass Aikido he met his eventual teachers, Paul Sylvain Shihan and Lorraine DiAnne Shihan. Sylvain Sensei and DiAnne Sensei were his sempai and they encouraged him to join them on many trips to Kenmore Square to train with Mitsunari Kanai Shihan at New England Aikikai. Stier continued training with Kanai Sensei during the summers of his undergraduate career.
In 1976, Sylvain and DiAnne Sensei left to train at Hombu Dojo and became special apprentices to T. K. Chiba Sensei. Upon their return in 1979, they asked Stier Sensei to help them build their new dojo, Amherst Aikikai. Stier received his Shodan in Aikido in 1981 and, shortly after that, his Shodan in Iaido. He remained affiliated with USAF Eastern Region with Kanai Sensei and Yamada Sensei, although a special relationship with Chiba Sensei would play an important role in his Aikido development.
In 1986, Stier helped open Valley Aikido in Northampton, MA with Sylvain Sensei. At Valley Aikido, he became Sylvain Sensei’s first student to be given a regular class. Soon thereafter, in an effort to grow our student base, Sylvain Sensei sent him out to teach weekly classes with students in Brattleboro, VT and Greenfield, MA. Those efforts continued until the untimely death of Sylvain Sensei in 1996. Stier assumed a greater role at Valley Aikido as co-head instructor and continued in that role for nearly 10 years. He opened Green River Aikido with his wife Kathy in 2005, and was promoted to the rank of nanadan in 2024. Stier felt the need to more thoroughly explore the weapons aspect of his training in order for his Aikido to evolve so he was naturally attracted to Chiba Sensei’s teaching and use of weapons in his training. In 2011, Chiba Sensei officially accepted Stier Sensei as his student and Green River Aikido as active members of Birankai North America.
Sensei Kathy Stier
Sensei Kathy Stier6th Dan Shidoin
Kathy Stier, 6th dan instructor at Green River Aikido:

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Kathy Stier Sensei began training in 1981 at Amherst Aikikai while she was a graduate student at UMASS, Amherst. She was 23 years old and studied under Paul Sylvain Sensei and Lorraine DiAnne Sensei, both who had recently returned from Hombu Dojo in Japan and had served as apprentices for T. K. Chiba Sensei. In addition to being students of Chiba Sensei (USAF Western Region), they also had strong ties to Yamada Sensei in New York and Kanai Sensei in Boston (USAF Eastern Region). They had just opened their own dojo and were very excited to start teaching aikido. As a new student, this gave Kathy a unique perspective in her aikido training and development. She continued to train throughout her young life while working full time as a high school science teacher and the mother of three girls. In 1985, she along with her husband, Dave Stier Sensei, helped open Valley Aikido in Northampton. She assisted Paul Sylvain in the children’s classes and began teaching some aikido classes. She tested for her black belt in 1989 and continued to progress and train along with her young family. In 1996, Sylvain Sensei died unexpectedly in a car accident, leaving his senior students to teach and maintain Valley Aikido. That same year, Kathy received her fukushidoin promotion, tested for 3rd Dan, and became the director of the children’s program. She and her husband instructed for 9 more years at Valley Aikido, until they opened their own dojo in 2005; Green River Aikido, located in Greenfield, MA. She is currently an active member of Birankai North America, and certified Shidoin instructor of 6th dan rank.

Follow your curiosity & contact us for a free training session!

Email Sensei Kathy Stier: Kathy@greenriveraikido.com
Stop by our dojo: 9 Dickinson Street in Greenfield, MA

AIKIDO “THE WAY OF HARMONY”

HISTORY OF AIKIDO
BIRANKAI

Green River Aikido
Community Experience

“Sensei Dave & Kathy’s 40+ years of experience and knowledge is apparent in their training techniques, methods and traditional values. Pleasure to train with and learn from them.”
– Krissy L.

“I’ve trained for a only a handful of months but I’m really enjoying the classes, especially the weapons classes.”
– Dan B.

OUR DOJO & AIKIDO COMMUNITY

“Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow.

You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment.”

- Morihei Ueshiba

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Green River Aikido Info. & Packages

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9 Dickinson Street

Greenfield, MA

Copyright 2020 Green River Aikido. Site designed by Grady Justice of Capeside Studios.

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