It is thanks to our friends, the ones we had and the new ones we made along this journey that we can provide these resources to you. They have helped shape our understanding of what is needed, provided perspectives, wrote posts, allowed us to bounce ideas off of them, and we are all our preliminary test groups for many of the projects we put out. They are also the helping hand in our community who answer questions and give out of the box ideas–they truly wish to help our martial arts community grow. We have listed them here, along with their pages and dojos (should they have wished to be named–if not, they provided their screen name so you can find them if you join in.) Many of them are also extremely knowledgeable in different areas, so if you have any questions, feel free to contact them.
This is an endeavor independent of any organization, meant to bring people together and help through the free flow of information. We may not all agree in all aspects, but we all want to help.
Gregory Cassaza
Website: https://caliburnts.com
“Gregory is an IT professional who has spent over a decade in systems and hardware management for retail and educational institutions. He also runs a small data management and business continuity company with his brother Gary, whom he looks nothing like. He started Aikido as a way to step away from electronics and has been practicing since 2016. Gregory loves learning new and exciting ukemi almost as much as he enjoys sweets.”
Gary Cassaza
Website: https://caliburnts.com
“Gary is an IT professional (to use the term loosely) who has spent much of the last ten years in computer networking, infrastructure, and cyber security for legal, financial and educational institutions. In 2014 he discovered that the only thing better than going into business for yourself, is going into business with your twin brother when Caliburn Technology Services; a data management and security company, was born. As a way to step away from electronics he began practicing aikido in 2017 where he found a passion for learning new and exciting ways to fall on the floor (ukemi) and flying (when thrown).”
Jakob Blomqvist
Website: https://jakobblomquist.wordpress.com/about/
“Some say he earns his living as a Physics and Chemistry university professor, but that is just a front. His real life and (not-so)-free time is spent as a 4 dan Aikikai shidoin and aikido bum with a global aikido family which he feels very passionately about. The man trains and instructs aikido in the dojo of Lunds Aikidoklubb in the south of Sweden, as well as handle the dojo’s and his own online presence. If there is anything left of the space-time continuum he can often be seen outdoors helping a dozen or so kids have a good time in the woods.”
Graeme Ede
Website: https://www.sanchin.uk/
“Graeme began studying Aikido in November 2001 under William Andrew Sensei of Aikido UK, and has trained in Iaido (Muso Shinden-ryu) with the British Kendo Association under Billy Smart Sensei since February 2017. When not practicing martial arts, he works with a team of IT specialists to support a service automation platform, and in his free time he terrorizes others with awful puns.”
Amos Barnett
Amos began Aikido in the early 1990s in Australia while a university student. At the same time he discovered that you could chat to people online in other parts of the world and even make your own web site, and from there has been involved in “social media” before the term even existed. He has a variety of skills including web development, forums, photography and videography. He is presently living in Fukuoka, Japan and is a 3rd dan in Aikido under Suganuma Sensei, where he manages their English web site, as well as helping branch dojos set up theirs.
Nick Porter
Website: https://thewayyoupractice.com/
“A lifelong martial artist, Nick has trained in Katori Shinto Ryu, Amateur Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Aikido, among other arts. Outside of martial arts, he spends most of his time working as a Critical Care Nurse and badly spoiling his dog.”
David Beebe
Website:
Carrie Campbell
Carrie Campbell is an assistant instructor at Capital Aikido – Lincoln, Nebraska, under Jaime Obrecht and Robin McConnell, and affiliated under Clyde Takeguchi Sensei (7th dan, CAF). She is responsible for coordinating all dojo events and correspondence. Carrie started Aikido in January 2004 and practiced through most of two pregnancies. She loves seminars, visiting, and meeting new friends to practice with. Outside the dojo, she uses her Ph.D. in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning[Mathematics] to engage adult learners in core, fundamental mathematics concepts.
Daniel José Correa, Bond Street Dojo, ASU
For more information about our outreach, community development or Budo collaborations please email us (aikido@bondstreet.org) or message us through our social media.
“Daniel is an enthusiastic mudansha and honored to have started his Aikido journey at the Bond Street Dojo (BSD). As a member of the BSD board, he is dedicated to preserving the history of the BSD and growing the community as a place for the study and practice of the martial art of Aikido. In his opinion, engagement with younger generations, long standing Aikidoka, and other sincere Budoka is essential to the preservation of this art. ”
Tresa
Antonios Pavlakis
Website: https://leicesteraikikai.com/
“Antonios Pavlakis holds a third degree black belt – 3rd dan – (sandan so-Hombu Fukushidoin 副指導員) and is the chief instructor in the Leicester Aikikai dojo. He started aikido in 1997 at the De Montfort University Aikido Club in Leicester under the instruction of Dave Lenton sensei (4th dan).
In 2009, when Adoni received his teaching qualifications be became an assistant instructor at the DMU Aikido club and in May 2013 he started Leicester Aikikai dojo – 栄明館 レスター 合気道 道場. He gets regular tuition from Philip Smith shihan (7th dan) from Ren Shin Kan dojo. He also practices with other Aikikai organisations including Mei Jyu Kan from British Birankai (BB) and Ashby Folville Aikido from the British Aikido Federation (BAF).
Adoni often travels both nationally and internationally to attend aikido classes and over the years has practiced with N. Tamura shihan, T.K. Chiba shihan, J. C. Aegerter shihan, C. Tissier shihan, Ian Grubb shidoin, Y. Kobayashi shihan, E. Katsurada shihan as well as the present Doshu and Hombu Dojo-Cho. As a qualified instructor, he has a Sports England teaching qualification (Coaching Level 2 – CL2) and a First Aid.”
xRenascent/Rena
Tiffany Runge
“Trained in Soo Bahk Do karate as a child and started aikido in September 2015. She also goes by the name TRex Aikidoka on youtube. Outside of aikido, she enjoys many outdoor hobbies and is a Watershed Technician for one of the local stream management programs.”
Crystal Aldrich
“Crystal is the dojo manager and program director of Aikido North Jersey. With her background in high-end customer service, her methods of helping dojos grow are by leading with legendary customer experience. One of her specialties is to keep the traditional Japanese martial integrity while making aikido accessible to the new American student. She also has over ten years of experience in managing large volume dojos and can offer ways to streamline sudden volume increases.”
Yulie Simonovis
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @yulie1022
“Yulie began Aikido in 2011 at Riverside Aikikai in California. Due to her experience growing up with a non-verbal autistic brother, Yulie was invited to be an assistant aikido instructor for the pilot aikido class offered by EEK Fitness for children and young adults with varying development challenges and disabilities. She continued as an assistant instructor from 2013-2017 until her relocation to Long Island. Additionally, as a traveling clinical research associate, she frequently visits dojos across the U.S. and trains with a variety of styles and dojo affiliations. She currently holds the rank of shodan.”
Juan Pablo Simonovis
“Yulie and Juan Pablo Simonovis aspire to run their own Aikido Dojo in the near future. Juan began Aikido in 1998 in Venezuela at the age of 14 and has been training for over 20 years. He was with Homero Navas Sensei until his relocation to California, USA in 2012. Juan was occasionally invited to teach classes at Riverside Aikikai until his relocation to New York in 2017. He joined the Long Island Aikikai teaching staff at the end of 2018 and is on rotation for Saturday classes. He currently holds the rank of sandan.”