Peter Bernath

Chief instructor Peter Bernath is an Shichidan (7th degree black belt) and Shihan (master teacher) awarded by Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba, and a member of the Technical Committee of the USAF. Sensei Bernath also holds a Shodan in Iaido.

Sensei Bernath started his Aikido career in 1972 under the direction of Shihan Yoshimitsu Yamada, 8th dan, chief instructor of New York Aikikai and Chairman of the USAF. Yamada Sensei was an uchi deshi (live-in student) of O Sensei and is one of the most respected and influential Aikido teachers in the world today.

Sensei Bernath was an instructor at New York Aikikai prior to being sent to open Florida Aikiaki by Yamada Sensei. Mr. Bernath has traveled extensively throughout the world including Japan and has been fortunate to study under many of O Sensei's most famous disciples, including Kisshomaru and Moriteru Ueshiba, the second and third Doshu (leader of Aikido). Sensei Bernath is one of the most highly respected Aikido instructors in the United States and regularly teaches seminars throughout the USAF, Canada, Latin America and Europe.

Penny Bernath

Penny Bernath is a rokudan (6th degree black belt) and Shidoin (certified teacher) awarded by Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba, and a member of the USAF Board of Governors.

Penny Sensei started Aikido in 1973 in Hollywood, Florida with Steve House Sensei. She soon became a student of Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei and also studied under many of O Sensei's direct students, including T.K. Chiba Sensei and Mitsunari Kanai Sensei. One of the most senior female teachers in the United States, Penny Sensei regularly teaches at seminars throughout the country.

Penny Sensei is an Education Content Producer for Fort Lauderdale's local PBS affiliate and, as such, the creator of a new online training for pre-kindergarten teachers called KidVision VPK.

Harry McCormick

Harry McCormick began practicing Aikido with Yamada Sensei in 1966. Harry is an artist and worked out of a studio upstairs from the New York Aikikai dojo for many years. When he married and started a family, he moved to Boca Raton and has been practicing at Florida Aikikai ever since. His son Sean, 9, also practices Aikido.

Tariq Baig

Mike Patino

Motier Haskins

Emmanuel Herzog

Sensei Emmanuel Herzog is a 5th Dan aikido instructor with over 24 years of Aikido practice and more than 15 years of teaching experience. Sensei Herzog is an instructor for Florida Aikikai main dojo at Fort Lauderdale, and also teaches at the Miramar Youth Enrichment Center and at the Miramar Regional Park.

Alex Peterson

Jeff Shimonski

Gene Nelson

Gene Nelson started practicing Aikido in 1991 under Sensei Bernath. He chose Aikido because he was attracted to the fluidity and beauty of the movement. He also trained in karate(Shotokan) for 16 years prior to his Aikido training, reaching the rank of nidan. He is currently employed as a police officer and also enjoys teaching.

Mike Grover

Silvia Eschenlauer

Gini Becart

Roger Gonzalez

Dr. Roger Geertz Gonzalez began training in Aikido in 1990 under Troy Ferguson at Aikikai International Inc. in Miami. From 1991 to 1993 he trained with Nelson Andujar at Miami Aikikai where he also studied Miyama Ryu Jujitsu. Since 1993 until the present, he has been studying and teaching Aikido at Florida Aikikai. Between 1999 and 2002, he was also co-instructor with David Hurtibise at Allegheny Aikikai in Pennsylvania where he also received his Ph.D. in Higher Education at Penn State University. While at Penn State he also studied Iaido, Kendo, and Chinese Bo Staff. Other martial arts he has studied include: Brazilian Jujitsu, Judo, and Karate.

Janet Lowe

Bob Riester

Randall Smith

Gerry Streeter

Luis Almaguer

Jorge Del Castillo

Andy Edelestein

Sachin Mayi

Sachin Mayi started practicing Aikido in 1995. He currently holds the rank of nidan and has studied under Sensei Angel Alvarez and Sensei Peter Bernath. Sachin is the Founder and current CEO of Share-A-Pet Organization Inc., which provides pet assisted therapy to people in hospitals, nursing homes, and children's centers.

Tabatha Pereyra

Ron Brodkin

Anne Marie Giri

Anne Marie Giri started training at Florida Aikikai in January 2000 while attending law school at Nova Southeastern University. She chose Aikido because she needed an outlet to handle the stress associated with her studies. As her training progressed, she discovered that aikido not only helps her with stress but also helps her maintain a more active and healthy lifestyle. Today, Anne Marie continues her aikido training while working as an attorney.

Ed Delz

Robert Macpherson

Joe Marmol

Alex Socia

Mina Yamaguchi

Yordan Sosa

Alan Adams

Steven Perlow

Marcelo Marinelli

Steve Oxford

John Leff

James Nofil

Victor Ortiz

Keith Lit

Nikolay Grozdanov

Andrew Obeidy

Helen Reynolds

Den Drown

Zach Gart

Dianna Edenburg

Stephen Mazzola

Juan Pablo Pineros

John Rice

Andrei Yamschikov

Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb

Jesus Pacheco

Jonathan Yavneh

Martin Hommel

Member of Florida Aikikai since 1990. Retired police officer. Yudansha in jujitsu and karate.

Pablo Macho

John Madden

Rolando Santos

Alexander Soloviev

Robert Vazquez

Andy Mueller

Roderick Herreman

Isabel Herzog

Brett Kardon

Leo Giacchetti

Foad Farahi

Jason Jorge

Dudley (Harford) Wright

Bill Bashwinger

Fernando Bugueiro

Lee Dodds

Kevin Morrison

Dean Sage

Randy Shelton

Kim Solon

David Weinstein

Ray Chamy

Joshua Edelstein

Dominic Flores

Jay Moguillansky

Olga Sokolova

Gary Leino

Daniel Herak

Daniel McBride

Corey Evrart

Kim Solon

Richard Lookshin

David Miles

Lauren Huber

Abel Gonzalez

Job De Ojeda

Cephus Jones

Jeff Lester

Jeff Poole

David Sage

Gary Schwartz

Dario Sedam

Sean Virtue

Mike Wolfert

Louis Merlain

Samantha Smith

Sarah Hair

John Gentile

Lorenzo Gari

Jeffrey Colletto

Gedeon Rath Jr.

Rimon Shaashoua

Cary Bakker

Pablo Carreno

David Jost

Cindy Jost

Clay Contouris

Richard Lowe

Vladimir Koll

Michael Bugarin

Monica Sasaki

Oliver Anderson