Chief Instructor, Dee Seabolt (Fukushidoin)
Dee
began her Aikido training in 1996. Searching for a martial art that suited
her, she was drawn to the fluidity and dynamic movement she saw in Aikido.
She was also encouraged by the cooperative spirit she found in the dojo.
Dee assumed the position of chief instructor in 1998, when her former instructor
relocated abroad. Since that time, she has attended over eighty
seminars throughout the East Coast and Canada. To this day she continues to
train on a regular basis. She attends on average six to eight
seminars a year, and trains annually for a few weeks at the
New York Aikikai, where she
stays at the dojo. She is certified by the USAF as a
Fukushidoin, and
is the only certified Aikido instructor in north Florida. Dee believes
strongly in consistent and dedicated training, especially after reaching shodan rank.
Instructor, Mike Sands
Mike has been practicing Aikido since 1986. He began his training under the
direction of
Lorraine DiAnne Sensei, a student of
T.K. Chiba Sensei, then in the USAF Western region. During this time, Mike also received his shodan
rank in Iaido. In 1998, Mike moved to Jacksonville and has since become an invaluable addition to our school.
Mike has also studied Tae Kwon Do, Ishin Ryu Karate, and Goju Kai Karate.
Instructor, John Miller
John began practicing Aikido in 1982
at
The Aikido Center of Atlanta under
Rodney Grantham
Sensei. After relocating to Iowa, John continued his training in the
Midwest Aikido Federation under the direction of Akira Tohei Sensei.
After moving back to the East Coast, he resumed his training under
Clyde Takeguchi Sensei, at which time he earned
the rank of shodan. He later trained in Atlanta at
Dogwood Aikikai, before joining the Aikido Center of Jacksonville in 2002.
In 2008, John received his nidan rank.
Instructor, Buck Pittman
Buck began his formal Aikido training in 1995. He first studied under
Chris Rozette at the Aikido Center of Jacksonville, and now continues his
training under Dee. In 2008 he received his shodan, or black belt. Buck was introduced to the martial arts through Tae Kwon Do, under Grand
Master Shin in Nashville, Tennessee.
Instructor, Jerry Akel
Jerry began training in Aikido in 2001. Since that time, he has attended over forty
seminars and has trained with Dee as a guest at the
New York Aikikai.
In 2008, Jerry received the rank of shodan. "Taking that first step on the
mat was the best decision I've ever made. It changed my life."
Instructor,
Bruce Katz
Bruce started his Aikido journey in 1994, under the tutelage of Edward Hagihara Sensei, chief instructor of
Long Island Aikikai.
In 2000, he joined
Suffolk Aikikai in Patchogue, New York, and continued training under
Gene Monteleone Sensei. Bruce moved to Jacksonville in 2008, and is now
sharing his insights with our students. Bruce received his shodan in 2004.