O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba 12/14/1883 - 4/26/1969
After he intensively studied various swordfighting and jujutsu styles, Ueshiba became famous as one of the strongest men of Japan. In 1919, he turned towards the spiritual, pacifistic teachings of the Omoto religion and started to develop the Art of Peace. In 1942, in the midst of the chaos of World War II, O-Sensei named his new martial art Aikido, and moved to the small country town of Iwama. There he continued to practice, teach and refine Aikido until he passed away in 1969.

Morihiro Saito Sensei 3/31/1928 - 5/13/2002
9th Dan Aikikai. Being an Iwama native, Morihiro Saito started training in Aikido in 1946 and became not only a student, but a close confidant of O-Sensei for the following 23 years. After the founder's death, he was put in charge of the Iwama dojo and became the guardian of the Aiki-shrine. Today, he is also known for his books, his clear and structured way of teaching, and the organization of the huge number of techniques that comprise Iwama-style Aikido. It is through Saito Sensei's timeless Iwama style techniques, that the teacher and students of Austin Iwama Aikido will always remember him.

David G. Alexander Sensei 10/11/1945 -
6th Dan Aikikai. The Founder and Chief Instructor of Westlake Village Aikido.

Christopher S. Field, 4th Dan
Field Sensei founded Austin Iwama Aikido in 2010. Field Sensei is a Yondan (fourth degree black belt) with over 19 years of experience in Aikido.
Field Sensei was trained by David Alexander, one of the top Iwama Aikido teachers in America, who spent over 10 years studying under Morihiro Saito Shihan in Iwama, Japan.
After Alexander Sensei’s retirement, Field Sensei became the Technical Director of Westlake Village Aikido where he continued to teach until moving to Austin in 2006.
Field Sensei has also been fortunate enough to study with many of Aikido’s top instructors including Morihiro Saito, Hiroshi Isoyama, and Robert Koga.
The Aikido training at Austin Iwama Aikido follows Saito Shihan's traditional Aikido style and teaching methods.