Instructors
Ron
West,
Sandan Aikikai, is the chief
instructor. He's been studying Aikido since 1992 when, at age 43, he
enrolled in his first Aikido class along with his 2 sons at the Cal
State San
Bernardino Aikido Club under Ed Carroll Sensei. The sons
later
became involved in other activities but Ron kept going to Aikido class.
In 1995 the
club
moved to Riverside and became the Riverside Aikido Club,
located
at a Riverside Karate studio. After the move, along with
continuing to study at the RAC, Ron had the privilege of
studying
with the
new Cal State San Bernardino Aikido Club (ASU affiliated) under Chetan
Prakash Sensei.
In early 1997
Riverside Aikido Club became a member dojo of Aikikai
Associates - West Coast, Francis Takahashi, Shihan. Late in 1997
Ron
passed his Shodan (1st degree black belt) exam through AA-WC and was
awarded certification from Aikikai Foundation, Aikido World
Headquarters, Tokyo,
Japan.
He passed his Nidan (2nd degree black belt) test and and was
certified in 2001. After moving to Palm Desert, California later
that year, he started Desert
Aikido as a member dojo of
AA-WC. He has since led Aikido classes
for Cal State San Bernardino, Extended Education Dept, Desert Campus
and for the City of Palm
Springs Parks and Recreation. In December 2007 he was honored
to
receive
his Sandan (3rd degree black belt) certification from Aikikai Foundation, Aikido World
Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan.
To
further his understanding of the principles of Aikido, he teaches
classes in Palm Springs, attends
seminars throughout Southern California, and continues to attend
classes
in Alhambra, CA. He's found Aikido is a
life-long
learning process.
****
Masaru Yamada,
Nidan Aikikai, instructs the Fundamentals class. Born in Sapporo
Japan, he began his
martial
arts training in Jr. High school and High school's Judo class.
His first Aikido experience began in March 1991 at the San Diego
Aikikai under Kazuo Chiba Shihan until Nov. 1991. Followed by
Dojin Aikikai (Riverside Community College) from Aug. 1993 to Feb.
1994. While studying Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles, he
practiced as a visiting student at LA Aikikai. In 2004, he joined
Desert Aikido in Palm Springs as his home dojo. He passed his
Shodan exam in Nov. 2008, tested by Francis Takahashi Shihan, AA-WC and
was awarded certification from Aikikai Foundation, Aikido World
Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan. He passed his Nidan (2nd degree black belt) test and was certified in 2011.
****
Katherine "George" Cannon,
Nidan Aikikai, has the pleasure of instructing the youth class.
She found Aikido in 1993 with the help of her sister and
her youngest son. When looking for something to satisfy the then 7 year
old's desire to learn Karate, she was struck by the joy that was being
expressed during the training by Craig Fife Sensei and his students.
She trained with Fife Sensei in Portland Or.
until 1998 when the job market took her to Seattle, Wa. where she
continued her training with Lee Crawford Sensei (ASU
Affiliated.) She passed her Shodan exam in 2002, tested by
Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan and was awarded certification from Aikikai
Foundation, Aikido World headquarters, Tokyo Japan. She passed her
Nidan exam in 2007, tested again by Ikeda Shihan, and was awarded
certification from Aikikai Foundation, Aikido World headquarters, Tokyo
Japan.
After moving to Banning to help her
ailing parents, she trained for a time at Redlands Aikikai with Chetan
Prakash Sensei and then happily found her way to Palm Springs and
Desert Aikido in 2010. She currently alternates her training between
Palm Springs and Dojin Aikikai with Sensei Jim Woods in Riverside.
She supplements her training by attending seminars with as many
visiting instructors as she can manage to see. She has worked with
children's classes in most of the places she has trained and always
welcomes a chance to see how other teachers share Aikido with children
and adults.