About Our Dojo

Jim Baker began his martial arts journey at age 12, taking up judo after recovering from rheumatic fever. After several years of judo, he discovered Aikido in 1974 and has been practicing continuously for 52 years.

His Aikido training started at the New York Aikikai under Yamada Sensei. He earned his Shodan in 1982 and later moved to Brooklyn to train at Aikido of Park Slope under Hal Lehrman, Shihan. There he worked closely with direct students of the Doshu, Koichi Tohei, and Yamada, and had opportunities to study with many distinguished teachers, including the first and second Doshus, Saito Sensei, Osawa Sr. and Jr. Sensei, and Sugano Sensei. Over the years he attended roughly 24 summer camps and participated in numerous seminars and intensive training opportunities.

Jim taught at Aikido of Park Slope for 13 years. In 1995 he and his wife relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, where he founded the Aikido Society of Memphis. In 2003 they moved to Norfolk, Virginia, and Jim established Aikido of Norfolk, where he has served as dojocho since that time. He has taught seminars in England and Germany and has been active with the Aikido-L internet seminar community in the United States.

In 2024 Jim was appointed to the title of Shihan by the Aikido Hombu in Japan, recognizing his long-term dedication to teaching, training, and spreading Aikido.

Steve Nelson began training in Aikido at 15 under Gordon Sakamoto Shihan at Northern Virginia Aikikai (USAF) in 1992. After high school he moved to Charlottesville for college and trained for six years at Aikido of Charlottesville (USAF) with Sensei Elizabeth Pennell and at Virginia Ki-Aikido Society with Sensei Jonathan Doner.

Following a move to Charleston, SC, he spent five years studying Suenaka-style Aikido—blending Aikikai and Ki-Aikido—under Sensei Eric Lipton, while also training with Sensei Alan Jackson at Mt. Pleasant Aikido (USAF); he earned Shodan in 2005.

After relocating to Norfolk, he studied for more than 20 years with James Baker Shihan. With nearly 35 years on the mat, Steve is a USAF Fuku Shidoin and holds the rank of Sandan; he practices and teaches classes weekly at Aikido of Norfolk.

Eric Pierce began his martial arts training at age 7, studying American Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do. He started Aikido in 1995 at the age of 15, when he began training under Sensei Tim Antrim at Southside Aikido in Fayetteville, GA. After several years at Southside, Eric transferred to the Aikido Center of Atlanta (a United States Aikido Federation dojo) under George Kennedy Shihan, where he trained until 2011 and learned from instructors with varied backgrounds, including George Kennedy Shihan, Watu James, Edwin Sterns, Richard Nardi, Alicea Cordero (Kentuckiana Aikikai) and Darell Tangman Shihan of the Midwest Aikido Federation.

Eric earned his Shodan in August 2004 and currently holds the rank of San dan. He has attended numerous seminars and training camps, where he was given the opportunity to learn from prominent instructors such as Yoshimitsu Yamada, Mitsunari Kanai, Kazuo Chiba, Rodney Grantham, the 3rd Doshu, and Seiichi Sugano, among others. He began teaching while still at the Aikido Center of Atlanta, assisting with instruction and leading regular Friday night classes before pausing to focus on college. After moving to Virginia with his wife in 2011, he continued his Aikido training at Aikido of Norfolk under Jim Baker Shihan and serves there as an assistant instructor.

In addition to more than 30 years of Aikido experience, Eric trained and competed in kendo and earned his Shodan prior to relocating to Virginia.