Sensei, Aoinagi Dojo

Ask Neville Billimoria, Sensei of the Aoinagi Karate-Do at UCSD dojo he founded in 1981, the name of his best student. He won't even hesitate in his answer: “They're all my best students.” That kind of passion for teaching and dedication to his students, as well as a personal philosophy of seeking what is best in all people and in all aspects of life, goes well beyond the dojo he founded as a college student on the University of California at San Diego campus.

A student of Aoinagi-Ha Shito Ryu under Shihan R.R. Castilonia, Kyoshi since 1977, Billimoria brings a well-rounded resume of teaching traditional martial arts, as well as the internal arts of yoga and meditation, for over 20 years to the UCSD community. Accepted as a shugyo student in 1986, Billimoria was awarded Menkyo Sensei certification in 1995 with the endorsement of O'Sensei, Sensei Castilonia and the Aoinagi Martial Arts College. O'Sensei accepted Billimoria as a direct student when Sensei Castilonia passed away in 1999, and entrusted him as the Technical Director of Shito Ryu for the Zen Bei Butokukai and for Aoinagi.

Billimoria-or “Sensei Neville” as he is known by his students-has fostered the growth of the martial arts community at UCSD, which he helped institute in 1981, by developing the Martial Arts Council. As the Council's leader, he conceived UCSD's Martial Arts Expo, where various martial arts groups come together and collaboratively share their arts with one another. For over ten years, he has coordinated and served as Master of Ceremonies for the UCSD Martial Arts Festival to promote the martial arts experience for the San Diego community. (In 1992 the Festival won The Saturn Award for Excellence in Teamwork.) True to O'Sensei notion of “The only things you keep are the things you give away,” Sensei Neville's UCSD dojo has participated in a variety of benefits and philanthropic events to support the causes of the underprivileged members of the San Diego community.

For the past two decades, Sensei Neville has been actively promoting the martial way as well as Eastern approaches to wellness in a variety of settings, ranging from the traditional karate dojo, to the boardrooms of Corporate America. To that end, Billimoria is founder and President of Full Circle, a business development, organizational alignment and executive coaching “pro-sultancy.” Billimoria has developed and facilitated professional seminars in “The Art of Peaceful Confrontation-Gentle but Successful Conflict Resolution,” presented to the academic and business community through San Diego State University's Management Program, and “Black Belt Business Strategies” a seminar for leaders in business, professional coaches, and executive management. He has also co-founded a seminar and retreat program to promote balance for corporations and institutions called “Balance Mastery.” His “MindBody Dynamics-Eastern Techniques of Mind Body Integration,” has been taught for over ten years in San Diego and for seven years in Hawaii.

When he's not training in karate, Sensei Neville enjoys non-competitive sports and recreational activities. An avid outdoors enthusiast, he has put in many miles of hiking the John Muir Trail from Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite; the Kalalau Trail on Kauai, Hawaii; and various local excursions and summits in the Sierra Nevada, San Jacinto, and San Gorgonio mountains.

Billimoria is married to Sensei Barbara Sedgwick-Billimoria, Yondan in Aoinagi Karate, and lives in Cardiff, California with his son Arman and daughter Aysha.