Instructors
The late Robert Bryner Sensei founded The Dojo over 40 years ago in 1984 and was our Chief instructor until his passing in October of 2012. We continue training in his honor as he left us with a wealth of knowledge that we continue to discover as we progress in our training.
Chikako Bryner Sensei continues the tradition and teaching of Bryner Sensei as the chief instructor at The Dojo. She shares 40 plus years of knowledge gained through her martial arts training. Currently she holds the ranks of 6th Dan in Aikido, 5th Dan in Aikido Toho Iai, and 5th Dan in Ryu Te®.
Teruko Ishikawa Sensei
Ishikawa Sensei holds the rank of 6th dan in Aikido and 1st dan in Aikido Toho Iai. She began her Aikido training in 1983 with her son and daughter. Ishikawa Sensei also holds teaching credentials in Qigong and Sogetsu flower arrangement. She is a well rounded artist who specializes in ceramics.
Ken Corre Sensei
Dr. Corre Sensei began to study Aikido when he turned 40 years old in 1993. He has been a continual Aikido student since, and has achieved the rank of Godan (5th degre blackbelt) in Aikido, and a 2nd Dan in Aikido Toho Iai. He has embraced irimi and enjoys the attributes of Aikido on the mat and its applications in everyday life.
Dean Fortunato Sensei
Fortunato Sensei began his study of Aikido in 1976. Through his training he has studied under a distinct group of teachers that include Ikeda Sensei, Saotome Sensei, Suzuki Sensei and Bryner Sensei. He currently holds the rank of Godan (5th degree blackbelt) and has been with the Dojo for over 35 years.
Derek Snyder Sensei
Snyder Sensei started his Aikido training in 1989. Through the years he has also studied Judo and Boxing before landing at the Dojo to focus on Aikido, and even some Ryu Te. While he has studied under other teachers, his main instructor was Robert Bryner Sensei until his passing in 2012. He currently holds the rank of Godan (5th degree blackbelt) and Shodan in Aikido Taho Iai, he has been with the Dojo for over 30 years.
Louis Noble Sensei
Noble Sensei began martial arts training in 1993 at UCLA with Robert Bryner Sensei while studying aerospace engineering. He is a 3rd Dan in Ryu Te, and a 3rd Dan in Aikido Toho Iai.
Sarah Rodrigez Sensei
Sarah started her journey in aikido as a teenager in the 1990s and joined The Dojo under Robert Bryner Sensei in 1997. Later, she had the opportunity to train in different styles of aikido at dojos around the country, including Aikido of San Leandro and San Diego Aikikai. She returned to LA and The Dojo in 2015 and has continued her training in Nishio Sensei style aikido under Chikako Bryner-Van Deusen Sensei. Sarah holds a 4th degree black belt in aikido and a 2nd degree black belt in Iaido Toho Iai.
Remembering Robert Bryner Sensei (1942 - 2012)
Bryner Sensei's martial arts training started in 1957 when he began his study of Judo at the age of 15. He went on to receive the rank of Shodan and competed in numerous AAU regional championships where he placed first on several occasions.
In 1966 he began his study of Aikido, and trained under a diverse group of teachers beginning with Shuji Maruyama Sensei, uchideshi of Hombu Dojo. Bryner received his shodan and nidan from Maruyama Sensei, sandan (Ki no Kenkyukai) from Fumio Toyoda Sensei, yondan and godan (ASU) from Mitsugi Saotome Sensei. He also studied Tomiki and Yoshinkan Aikido for a period of time. The last 20 years Bryner was studying with Shoji Nishio Sensei who's emphasis is on the martial arts aspect of aikido and its relationship to jo an sword. He has promoted Bryner to 6th dan in Aikido and 3rd dan in Aikido Toho Iai.
Bryner was also a student of Taika Seiyu Oyata, the founder of Ryu-Te®, a classical Okinawan self defense art in which he received the rank of 7th dan. Bryner Sensei instructed the California Highway Patrol and was requested to be a member of the LAPD Use of Force Committee. He produced two videos, "Supplemental Training Methods for Aikido Vol. 1 and Vol. 2" The first volume was rated, "...one of the best martial arts training videos I have ever seen..." by Aikido Journal no. 109 1996 Vol. 23, No. 4.