The Dojo

aikido seminar hosted by Barry Tuchfeld Sensei in 2006

Our dojo was founded in 2004 by a small group of interested students and an instructor committed to Aikido’s teachings of service, sincere self-improvement, and joy.  Sensei's vision, that anyone can train and develop their own self-mastery through Aikido, lives on in his students and the dojo community he inspired.

Resources for Students

Contact the Dojo

Our Mission

Traditional Aikido of Sarasota is dedicated to developing and maintaining a community which recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and supports each person’s capacity for growth through our shared practice of Aikido, The Way of Harmony.

Core Values

Community

  • We strive to create a space that invites people into a shared transformative experience, so that we can grow together.
  • We refuse to allow one measure of success to define us all, or to create a competitive environment where performance in the short-term eclipses growth in the long term.

Integrity

  • We strive to align with Aikido’s teachings of service, sincerity, and love as transmitted through the martial arts instruction of O Sensei, Morihiro Saito Shihan, and our founders.
  • We refuse to allow the fears of the day to compromise our compassion, to force others to comply, or to allow harm to come to others through our actions or inaction.

Joy

  • We strive to embody joy during training, to show our training partners unconditional positive regard, and approach conflict and challenge with gratitude, for we are learning.
  • We refuse to make training about rigor and self-denial. Learning is not always comfortable, but it can be fun.

Our Instructors

aikido instructors and students at seminar

Chief Instructor

  • Janice Bass

Instructors

  • Jerry Jordan
  • Laura Hackle
  • Susie Fernandez
  • John Sing

Assistant Instructors

  • Frank Gomez

All of our instructors have been through the Fukushidoin certification course and come from various backgrounds.

Our Founder

Barry Tuchfeld, (1947 – 2017) held the rank of Yondan (4th degree Black Belt) in Aikido and Shidoin, a Certified Aikido Instructor. He conducted seminars, was a consultant, public speaker, and publisher about how principles of Aikido apply to everyday life. Barry Sensei trained over 25 years in Aikido, including direct training with Saito Shihan in Iwama, Japan and as a long time student of Hans Goto Shihan, 7th Dan and Dennis Tatoian, 7th Dan. Barry Sensei's energy and dedication inspired a generation of practitioners in Sarasota to follow the Iwama tradition.

Aikido Lineage

Our dojo is a member of the Takemusu Aikido Association, which supports the growth and development of Aikido students worldwide, provides advanced training opportunities, and certifies our Dan (Black Belt) Examinations and Instructors.