Lynn Johnston was born in Chicago, Il. in 1952, and began her training Aikido in 1984 at the Santa Rosa Recreation Center in California. In the following year, Lynn became a student of Dennis Tatoian Sensei in Sebastapol, Ca.. In 1988, Lynn studied for the first time with Morehei Saito Sensei of Iwama, Ibaraki-ken as he toured the United States; the fall of that same year she went to Japan as an uchideshi under Saito Sensei. Upon her return she continued her studies with Tatoian Sensei as well as other senseis in the Bay Area. Johnston currently holds the rank of Yondan (4th degree) in Aikido

In 1991, Lynn Sensei began training the 600-year-old sword style, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, under the direction of Tetsutaka Sugawara Sensei of Machida-shi, Tokyo. Lynn Johnston Sensei was perhaps the first woman in the United States to receive the 'mokuroku' certification for this distinguished and complex art. Johnston Sensei has subsequently received the ‘kyoshi’ instructor’s license from Tetsutaka Sugawara Sensei.

In 1991, Lynn Sensei also co-founded Traditional Aikido of Santa Rosa with Jay Bell Sensei. Traditional Aikido of Santa Rosa is affiliated with Hombu Dojo in Tokyo, Japan.

In 1992, Lynn Sensei went to China with Sugawara Sensei and other Aikidoka, introducing Aikido to the Shanghai Institute of Physical Education, Beijing University of Medical Science in China, returning to Japan for further study with Sugawara Sensei. Lynn Sensei continues her training with Sugawara Sensei during his annual visits to North America as well as regular visits to Japan.

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