Our Dojo — Prairie Aikikai — Sycamore, Illinois

The Story

A dojo built from
dedication

Jeff Hecht began his Aikido training in 1984 in California, and Leslie in 1986. After Jeff completed his doctoral studies they moved to Bloomington, Illinois in 1990, where both taught Aikido at Illinois State University for ten years. In 1996 they formally founded Prairie Aikikai.

In December 2000 the Hechts relocated to Sycamore, Illinois. Their new property included an outbuilding the previous owner had used for his car hobby. Jeff and Leslie saw something else in it: a dojo. What followed was several building parties and nearly two years of evenings and weekends — constructing, insulating, matting, and finishing the space largely by hand.

The result is an intimate, purpose-built training hall that has been the home of Prairie Aikikai ever since.

1984Jeff Hecht begins Aikido training in California under Sensei Ace Atkinson at UC Riverside

1990The Hechts move to Bloomington, Illinois; both begin teaching Aikido at Illinois State University

1996Prairie Aikikai officially founded

2000Hechts relocate to Sycamore, Illinois; construction begins on the new dojo

2002Sycamore dojo opens for training; Official Grand Opening seminar featuring Wendy Whited Sensei

2015Jeff retires from NIU; both Jeff and Leslie transition to full-time teaching at the dojo

TodayPrairie Aikikai continues to train, with students ranging from beginners to advanced black belts

The Prairie Aikikai dojo, Sycamore, Illinois

Aikidoka from the Prairie Aikikai

Your Instructors

The people
behind the practice

Dojocho — Head Instructor
Rokudan — 6th Dan

Jeffrey B. Hecht, Ph.D.

Retired Professor & Associate Dean, NIU College of Education

Jeff has been training in Aikido continuously since 1984, when he first stepped onto the mat at the University of California, Riverside. He went on to spend three years teaching Aikido in the UCR Martial Arts Program. Together with Leslie, he taught Aikido for ten years at the Aikido Club of Illinois State University and for thirteen years (as a PE class) at Northern Illinois University. Jeff retired from the university in 2015.

His path to Aikido had an unusual beginning. Shortly after moving to California in 1982 Jeff joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Department as a Reserve Deputy in the Search and Rescue unit. His responsibilities ranged from locating lost hikers and administering first aid to regular law enforcement work.

“Those were usually difficult situations. People, as a rule, are not happy to see law enforcement officers. I wanted to find a way to preserve each individual’s dignity while removing myself, and others, from physical danger. Aikido training helped me learn those skills.”

— Jeff Hecht

He has earned the rank of Rokudan (Sixth Degree Black Belt) and holds certification as a Shidoin (certified instructor) through the Aikido Shimbokukai.

Shidoin — Instructor
Godan — 5th Dan

Leslie B. Hecht, Ph.D.

Retired Academic Adviser, NIU College of Education

Leslie began studying Aikido in 1986 at UC Riverside and continued her training at UC Irvine. Early in her career she co-taught an Aikido class at the Riverside YMCA, and she has been part of every chapter of Prairie Aikikai — from the ISU club years, to the original Bloomington dojo, to the classes at NIU, and to our modern mat in Sycamore today.

She retired from her position as Academic Adviser in NIU’s College of Education in 2015 and now teaches at the dojo alongside Jeff. She has earned the rank of Godan (Fifth Degree Black Belt).

Leslie brings a thoughtful, patient approach to instruction that is especially valuable for new students and for those working through the more nuanced aspects of Aikido technique.

Fukushidoin — Asst Instructor
Nidan — 2nd Dan

Gracia Watson

Engineering Student, Northern Illinois University

Gracia has been training at Prairie Aikikai for over thirteen years, having started as a young student and grown steadily through the ranks to earn her Nidan (Second Degree Black Belt). Her own journey from beginner to instructor gives her a clear empathy for students who are new to the art.

As a full-time engineering student at NIU, Gracia balances the analytical rigor of her studies with a physical practice that demands precision and adaptability — qualities that show in both her technique and her teaching.

She assists with instruction under Jeff and Leslie, and is particularly effective working with children and newer adult students who are still finding their footing on the mat.

先生

Lineage

Where it
all began

Ace Atkinson Sensei

The Hechts’ First Teacher

Jeff and Leslie’s first Aikido teacher was Ace Atkinson Sensei, who had over forty years of Aikido training and teaching experience. Ace first encountered Aikido while stationed on Okinawa during the mid-1960s, learning from Toda Sensei and Iwata Sensei — both direct students of O’Sensei. He was promoted to Shodan in 1967 and was fortunate to practice with Morihei Ueshiba before his death in 1969.

Atkinson Sensei went on to study with Koichi Tohei Sensei, who promoted him to Nidan in 1974. He founded the Aikido Program at the University of California, Riverside in the spring of 1973 — the very program where Jeff would begin his own training a decade later. In 1987, Roy Suenaka Shihan promoted Ace to Yondan (Fourth Degree Black Belt) in recognition of his skill and his years of teaching.

The Hechts credit Atkinson Sensei not only with teaching them the technical foundations of Aikido, but with instilling the philosophical approach that has shaped everything about how Prairie Aikikai is run: rigorous in technique, patient in instruction, and always grounded in the ethics of the art.

Affiliation

Proud member of
Aikido Shimbokukai

Prairie Aikikai is affiliated with the Aikido Shimbokukai, directed by Lisa Tomoleoni Sensei — an Officially Recognized Organization of the Aikido World Headquarters (Hombu Dojo) and the Aikikai Foundation in Tokyo, Japan.

This affiliation means that rank earned at Prairie Aikikai is recognized internationally, and that students have access to a broader community of Aikido practitioners through one day and weekend seminars, camps, and affiliated dojos.

International recognition of rank promotion through Aikikai Foundation, Tokyo
Access to a worldwide network of member dojos and practitioners
Special seminars and camps hosted by nationally recognized instructors
Ongoing opportunities to train with visiting instructors and guest teachers

Getting Started

What to
expect

Visitors Always Welcome

You are welcome to come and observe any class at any time, no appointment necessary. The instructor and students will be happy to talk with you and answer your questions.

Two Free Classes

Prospective students may participate in up to two classes at no charge. No registration required — just show up in comfortable clothes and introduce yourself before class.

Flexible Registration

Registrations are accepted anytime, or before the start of any class. Monthly and quarterly registration options are available. Our complete Student Guide is available on this website.

Small Group Classes

Classes typically have 6–10 students, which means everyone receives individual attention from the instructor. This is not a large commercial school — it is a working dojo for students who want to learn, not just earn a belt.

Registration Forms

New students complete a Student Registration Form and a Release and Assumption of Risk Statement before their first class. Students under 18 require a parent or guardian signature.

Student Guide

All enrolled students should read the Prairie Aikikai Student Guide, covering dojo customs, rank requirements, Aikido terminology, and suggested reading to support your training.

A dojo built fromdedication

The peoplebehind the practice