Ichiro began his Aikido training under Katsuyuki Shimamoto in 1993 in Osaka, Japan. In 2007, he relocated to the United States and met George Ledyard, and has continued his Aikido practice as his student ever since. Influential figures in his Aikido training include Hiroshi Ikeda, Ryoichi Kinoshita, William Gleason, and Kenji Ushiro (Ushiro Karate). He believes that Aikido is a form of spiritual discipline through martial principles, and that the essence of Aikido is to continually strive to be a better person, both on and off the mat. 

Jeff studied Tae Kwon Do as a teenager from 1989-1995, and assisted with teaching the kids program for many of those years.

In 1996 Jeff started training in Aikido at Aikido Eastside under George Ledyard Sensei.  Around 2000 he began teaching kids classes at Aikido Eastside and was running the children's program shortly after until that dojo closed at the end of 2025.  He taught adult classes at Aikido Eastside as well.

Strand Sensei now leads the kids program at Aikido Northshore, and teaches adult classes.  He emphasizes the principles of cooperation, sincerity, and mutual respect in his teaching. 

Katherine started Aikido with Bill Gleason Sensei in Boston in 1993. She joined Aikido Eastside in 2007 after moving to the Seattle area and then Aikido Northshore in 2025. Off the mat, she writes both fiction and non-fiction, enjoys the abundant scenery of Puget Sound, and is managed by two cats. 

Dave began his Aikido journey at Aikido Seattle in 2007 then spent 10 years in Washington, DC training under senior students of Mitsugi Saotome Shihan before returning to Seattle in 2019. He then trained under George Ledyard Sensei before joining Aikido Northshore, while also training regularly at Aikido Seattle. Jan Nevelius Shihan and students of Endo Seishiro Shihan are other key sources of inspiration in Dave’s Aikido practice and development. Training with the jo (short staff) and bokken (wooden sword) have been a particular interest in his training, with a focus on exploring how weapons practice informs and sharpens our empty-handed training. 

Jerry practiced Goju-Ryu Karate from 1977 to 2001. He has practiced Aikido with the ASU from 2001 to present with a current rank of Nidan. He also practiced Daito Ryu Aikijujitsu (predecessor to Aikido) for the last decade. He worked as an engineer after graduating from college with a BS in Forest Engineering (1982) until retiring in 2021. Hobbies include hiking, gardening, and cooking. 

When Warren started training in 2007, his main goal was to get some exercise and meet new people. The more he trained, the more intriguing to him the idea of redirecting an attacker's energy became. Now, every time Warren trains or teaches, he learns something new, even with techniques he has done for years. 

All these years later, the dojo community has been for him a tremendous influence creating many rich friendships.

Andy Weng started his aikido training under Terry Gettling Sensei while he was a chemical engineering student at Brigham Young University in 1996.  During that time, he also had the opportunity to train under Frank Doran Shihan and Michael Friedl Shihan. After he moved to Seattle, Washington in 2006, he continued his aikido training under Darren Mckee Sensei and Lee Crawford Sensei. Through both excellent Aikido teachers, Andy had the opportunity to meet and train under the direction of Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan until the present. 

Over the years, Andy's aikido has been tremendously influenced by Jan Nevelius Shihan, Christian Tissier Shihan, Endo Shihan, and Haruo Matsuoka sensei. Andy's aikido focuses on crisp and precise movements while maintaining relaxation and connection. He also brings his years of training in Wing Chun and its principles into his aikido which focuses on structure and sensitivity.

Nathan is a childhood cancer survivor with narcolepsy who swears by soft martial arts for lifelong mobility, health, and fitness. His many and severe surgeries left him walking with a heavy limp and a cane—until he met the right Aikido and Tai Chi/Bagua instructors. He began his Tai Chi training in his teens and has a long history of body work and soft martial arts with which he has helped many other people regain mobility. While his Tai Chi is not a complete martial art on its own, he nevertheless has used it successfully in physical conflicts against him. He does not consider himself a master, but he is happy to share what he knows. 

Roger has been training consistently at Aikido Northshore for the last eleven years. His time with the dojo has been transformative. What began as a pursuit of self defense, quickly became a wondrous journey of learning, guided by exceptional senior instructors. While teaching, he encourages curiosity, and includes an emphasis on understanding the underlying principles while studying the various techniques.

Shannon has been training at Aikido Northshore since 2014. While learning martial arts has been great fun, the Aikido journey has been deeper and more fruitful than imagined thanks to exceptional instructors. While teaching, he encourages curiosity, exploring options, and maintaining solid grounding in the fundamental principles.