John Wiley Sensei
(3rd Dan – Aikikai)
John Wiley Sensei is the Traditional Aikido of Colorado Springs Dojo-Cho. He began practicing Aikido in 1994 under George Simcox Sensei at the Virginia Ki Society Headquarters Dojo in Merrifield, Virginia. In early 2001, John moved to Arlington, VA and began practicing Iwama-Ryu Aikido at Aikido of Arlington (Arlington, VA), under Yvonne Thelwell Sensei. John’s principal Aikido influences include Patricia Hendricks Shihan, Yvonne Thelwell Sensei, and Mark Larson Sensei.
Yvonne Thelwell Sensei
(6th Dan – Aikikai)
Yvonne Thelwell Sensei , Dojo-Cho of Aikido of Arlington, began practicing Aikido on April 15th, 1989 under Donny Lyon Sensei (4th Dan). Donny Lyon Sensei passed away in 1996, leaving the dojo to Thelwell Sensei. Aikido of Arlington has been operating, under Thelwell Sensei’s leadership as Dojo-Cho, for over 20 years. In May 2019, Aikido of Arlington, celebrated 30 years of uninterrupted operation.
Patricia Hendricks Shihan
(7th Dan – Aikikai)
Patricia Hendricks Shihan began studying Aikido in 1974 under Stanley Pranin and Mary Heiny. She moved to Iwama, Japan in 1976 to study with Morihiro Saito Shihan. During her time in Iwama, she spent significant time as Uchideshi (live-in student) at the Iwama dojo.
Hendricks Sensei holds a 7th Dan (Aikikai) and has been designated a Shihan (teacher of teachers) by the Aikikai. She also holds the first Menkyo Kaiden (teaching license) in Aiki-Ken/Aiki-Jo awarded by Morihiro Saito Sensei. Hendricks Sensei served, for many years, as Morihiro Saito’s representative to the United States. She currently serves as Division Head of Division 1 (Iwama) of the California Aikido Association (CAA). Hendricks Sensei is also the Dojo-cho of Aikido of San Leandro.
Morihiro Saito Shihan
(9th Dan – 1946–2002)
Morihiro Saito Shihan (9th Dan – Aikikai) began training under Ueshiba Sensei in 1946. He continued to train, directly under the founder, until the founder’s death in 1969. Prior to passing, O Sensei both gave Morihiro Saito the responsibility of teaching at the Iwama dojo and appointed Saito Shihan as caretaker of the Aiki Jinja, located in Iwama. Prior to his passing, Saito Shihan turned over his teaching responsibilities at the Iwama dojo to his son, Hitohira Saito Sensei. Hitohira Saito Sensei has since formed an organization called “Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai“, with a mission to preserve the teachings of his father.
O Sensei Morihei Ueshiba
(Founder – 1882–1969)
As a youth, O-Sensei studied many different martial arts and weapons styles. He began studying Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu in the early 1920s, under Sokaku Takeda. In 1926, O-Sensei opened the Kobukan, in Tokyo, teaching Aiki-Budo, a derivative of Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu. In 1942, Ueshiba Sensei moved to the village of Iwama, in Ibaraki Prefecture, where he built the Aiki Shrine, and the Aiki Shuren Dojo (also known as the Iwama Dojo). It was at the Iwama dojo that O-Sensei created the Art of Aikido.
