Welcome to Three Rivers East Aikido in Effingham, Illinois.  Our dojo is led by James Sloan.  We are a satellite location of the Three Rivers Aikido Dojo in St.Louis, Missouri led by Sensei Elliot Freeman as Chief Instructor.  His teacher is Take Sensei, known to most non-aikidoka as Steven Seagal.  Take Sensei is Shihan or master instructor and our link to Hombu Dojo in Japan, the founding world Aikido headquarters.  James Sloan is a senior student of Sensei Elliot Freeman and dojo cho of Three Rivers East. 

Aikido training is taught in a non-competitive and cooperative manner, emphasizing defense from multiple attack situations: not getting grabbed, not getting struck, and not getting taken to the ground.  We use arm and leg immobilizations, pressure points, deflections, and parries.

Although we do train police and military personnel, it is our aim and purpose that Aikido training is available to everyone.

There are no contests in the Art of Peace.  A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing.  Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within.

The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba

Translated by John Stevens