Yumi Nakamura Shihan, 1948-2024

Link to the memorial article on the Canadian Aikido Federation website here.
Link to Yumi Sensei's obituary here.

It is with deep sadness that we join in mourning the loss of Yumi Nakamura, 7th dan, who passed away December 3rd, 2024, in Toronto.  Our thoughts are with her family and her students at this difficult time.

Yumi Sensei was the highest-ranking woman in the Canadian Aikido Federation and has always been a driving force.  She was an inspiration for more than a generation of aikidoists.  As chair of the Examination Committee and as Liaison between the CAF and Hombu Dojo, she opened a pathway for women in aikido to see themselves in leadership positions.  

It's impossible to estimate how many people's lives she touched and influenced, nor how many people learned, through her example, why making assumptions about power and stature is inadvisable, especially on the mats. 

Her kind and generous nature will live on in our memories, as will her teachings in our practice.

Domo arigato gozaimashita, Sensei.