I started Aikido in1985. My 1st official teacher was Marc Commisar at the Cincinnati Aikikai. However, since I was the rankest beginner for a long time I had 12-20 teachers... the rest of the dojo mebership. I met my permanent teacher, Pat Hendricks Sensei, in 1986 at the Oakland Aikido Institute. I got to be in her outdoors weapons class at the 1986 Northern California Aiki Retreat. In 1988 I got her permission to come back to California and be her uchideshi. I did this briefly in 1989 and then for a year 1990-91. I've been back to her dojo as a short-term uchideshi every year and a half since then.

My non-Aikido profession is being a Chemical Dependency and Mental Health Counselor. Currently I work in a residential treatment program for people diagnosed with both Chemical Dependency and Mental Illness.

I started my dojo in October of 1991. The adult membership fluxuates between 20-30 and the children's program fluxuates between 10-20. I have classes 7 days per week--21 total.

Most memorable experience: Weapons training in a trio with Pat Sensei at 6:30am Monday through Friday during my 13 months as uchideshi. Learning to see what is being taught, quickly and completely. In the past 9 years everytime I get the opportunity to be uke for Pat Hendricks Sensei (in a seminar especially) for 30 seconds it keeps me motivated for a long time. I learn more in that 30 seconds than I could training in my dojo in a year.