Meet Mary McIntire | Founder and Head Instructor of Nashville Aikikai

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary McIntire and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?

Aikido is a martial art without competition. Everyone helps everyone else learn and improve. By helping each other, and not competing, we all improve.

In Aikido you don’t meet force with force. The defender blends with the attack and redirects the energy so as not to be harmed. Being large or strong does not necessarily give you an advantage. This is a different mindset than most martial arts and many people find that these principles are very advantageous in dealing with every day life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
One thing that’s very different about Nashville Aikikai is that we are a not for profit organization. And although a lot of not for profit organizations pay their administrators, no one at Nashville Aikikai is paid. This is our way of giving back to the community. The money that we collect from dues is used to pay for rent, utilities, etc. Our dojo (school) members appreciate this so much that during Covid everyone continued to pay dues and we were able to continue paying the rent at a time that many dojos were forced to close.

We call ourselves Nashville Aikikai because an Aikikai is a group of people, like a brotherhood, who work together to study Aikido. However, we also make a point of working together to help the community. For example, our dojo is in East Nashville. The tornadoes in early 2020 hit that area very hard, but the dojo itself received only minor damage. Our first class after the tornadoes was scheduled for a Saturday morning. Instead of our usual training we immediately went out to help folks in the neighborhood clear through their rubble. This is the type of spirit that we want to promote in the community.

In addition to our regular classes, we have two or three seminars each year. These seminars feature guest instructors and participants from all over the country. People who are interested, are welcome to stop by and watch any of our classes, including the seminar classes.

Personally, I started my training at a college club in 1972. My sensei (instructor), Dennis Hill, was primarily a Karate instructor, but also had black belts in Jiu-jitsu and Aikido. He encouraged me in all three arts. Although I now have advanced black belts in both karate and Jiu-jitsu, my heart is in Aikido.

During college a few of us went to Sarasota Florida for Spring Break and visited an Aikido dojo there. Later, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I wanted to continue studying Aikido. I had felt welcomed at the Sarasota dojo, so I decided to move there. I was very lucky, because a year later Saotome Shihan, a world famous Aikido instructor from Japan, moved to Florida and started teaching at our dojo. Even now I continue to train with Saotome Shihan whenever I can.

Unlike most people in my position, I originally did not want the responsibility of running my own dojo. However, there was no Aikido anywhere in the Nashville area. So after working informally with various groups, I realized that if I wanted to continue improving, I needed to start my own school. My husband and I were both professional teachers and had also taught many martial arts classes by this time, so in 1988 we started Nashville Aikikai. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. In addition to meeting many wonderful and fascinating people, running the dojo has helped me to grow as an individual. I became more confident and even overcame some physical issues. Furthermore, as I met various obstacles, which are inevitable when running a business, the basic principles of Aikido helped me deal with those obstacles.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Nashville has many wonderful spots to visit. When I have someone coming from out of town, I try to consider what their interest are and go from there. Some spots that I look at are museums such as the Frist Art Museum. I also like taking people to places like the Parthenon or Cheekwood. When it comes to music, one of my favorite places is the Ryman auditorium because of its history. There are also great spots to just stop and get a cup of coffee, like the Barista Parlor.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Although there are many people who have helped enormously with my Aikido journey, three standout in particular. First, Dennis Hill, my original Aikido instructor who helped instill a love of the art in me.

Second, Mitsugi Saotome Shihan, who came to the United States to teach Aikido 50 years ago. I’m very fortunate to be one of his original students. Saotome Shihan is the founder of Aikido Schools of Ueshiba, has helped spread Aikido throughout the United States, and at 88 is still teaching seminars.

Third, Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan, who came to the United States to continue his training with Saotome Shihan. Throughout the years, Ikeda Shihan has been the person who I could go to with any questions and who always helped steer me in the right direction. He is the person I have leaned on the most.

Website: https://nashvilleaikikai.org/

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