Shobu Aikido of Boston is a 30 year-old non-profit martial arts school located in Union Square, Somerville, MA.

Traditional Aikido classes are held at our dojo every day of the week - all aikido students are encouraged to visit and train here, regardless of level of experience or affiliation.

Basic-level classes are offered every day (see our 2010 schedule) - these are perfect for beginners who want to learn the foundations of technique, movement & weapons training. We also offer more advanced mixed level classes that are taught by our higher-level instructors. The founder of Shobu Aikido of Boston, Sensei William Gleason, teaches four 2-hour classes every week (3 evenings & 1 Sunday class), in addition to frequent seminars.

Sensei Gleason is a 6th degree black belt and the founder and head instructor at Shobu Aikido of Boston. He lived in Japan from 1970-80, where he trained in traditional aikido and sword at the aikido world headquarters (Honbu Dojo). Morihei Ueshiba sensei ("O-sensei"), the founder of Aikido, had passed away the year before Gleason sensei arrived in Japan. He practiced intensively, under the best possible instruction in the art, with the founder's most prominent students and uchi-deshi, including Takeda sensei, Osawa sensei, Watanabe sensei, Koichi Tohei sensei, Saotome sensei, Sasaki sensei, Endo sensei and the Doshu (the founder's son).

Sensei Gleason is one of only a few active aikido instructors in North America who lived and studied aikido for so long, and so intensively, with these great instructors.

He trained most often and intensely with the late Yamaguchi sensei, who became his mentor and friend. Gleason sensei describes his teacher as such, in his account of his early training in Japan:

"No one could understand or agree with his techniques, which seemed to flow so effortlessly. This is really no surprise. Even the high-ranking teachers of Honbu dojo couldn't usually understand how Yamaguchi sensei was able to so effortlessly do what he did. Taking his ukemi was an indescribable experience. His touch was like a feather, yet you would fly off your feet as if you had been hit by a tornado and hit the mat like a sack of stones."

Since 1980, Sensei Gleason has taught full time at Shobu Aikido of Boston (a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization) in addition to conducting aikido seminars worldwide. He is the author of two books on aikido and a DVD on aikido and sword. Aikido is truly his life's work and passion.

The school is a member of the internationally-recognized ASU that is under the head instruction of Saotome sensei, a former uchideshi of O-sensei. Our students' ranking is internationally recognized by Aikaikai Hombu Dojo through this affiliation. Several of Gleason sensei's students have opened their own affiliated schools and currently teach around the country.

Over the years, there have been thousands of students, with up to 75 active members at the highest point. Average evening classes currently range in size from 10-30 students. Sensei Gleason teaches classes 7 hours per week, every week, in addition to teaching 5-10 hour intensive seminars that occur approximately every other month.

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