Instructors

The North Florida School of Aikido dojo has a variety of instructors who share the teaching responsibilities each month. Most of the classes are led by the head instructor, Mike Page Sensei. However, those of yudansha (black belt) rank are encouraged to instruct classes in order to gain valuable teaching experience which in turn helps each instructor develop as a martial artist.

Each teacher at NFA possesses extensive martial arts experience that is unique from the others. Yet, each person’s knowledge and teaching style compliments the others. Since Aikido is a very personalized art, each student must learn to tailor the art to his or her own experience. Multiple instructors present techniques from different but overlapping perspectives while students are expected to seek out the common elements of each teacher’s demonstration. Students are then expected to build on this “core” or “base” of a technique as they develop.

Our instructors are listed below. If a link is present, click on the name for more information about the instructor.

Mike Page	Yondan	Dan Evans	Sandan
Tracy Wujcik	Sandan	Richard Moore	Sandan
Mark Ice	Nidan	Kevin Vaccarella	Nidan
Eric Lingswiler	Shodan	Ken Frederickson	Shodan
Motoi Namihira	Ikkyu

Karate Sensei: Bill Lucas Sandan

Aikido Instructors

Mike Page Sensei, Yondan

Bio coming soon...

Richard Moore Sensei, Sandan

Richard Moore has studied Aikido for 15 years. He is one of the original founders of North Florida School of Aikido and the Sho Dojo. Richard started Aikido after 16 years of studying and teaching other styles of martial art including the Japanese karate styles of Shotokan, Yoshukia and the Korean style of martial art Tang Soo Do Mudukan. Richard holds black belts in Yoshukia and Tang Soo Do Mudukan. Richard switched to practicing Aikido out of curiosity and stayed with Aikido because of its philosophy and dynamic use of the opponent’s energy in resolving conflict. Richard has been significantly influenced by Dennis Hooker Sensei, Ikeda Shihan and Saotome Shihan. Richard uses the principles and philosophy of Aikido in his daily life to resolve conflicts at work and other venues in his life.

Kevin Vaccarella Sensei, Nidan

Kevin Vaccarella began his martial arts career in high school, taking classes formally and informally in kickboxing, street fighting, and various weapons. While studying judo in college, Kevin discovered Aikido. He was attracted to the religio-philosophical underpinnings of the art as well as how the techniques allowed for a physical means to train the spirit. In 1993, Kevin began his training at Three Rivers Aikikai in Pittsburgh, PA under the instruction of Dave Raffo Sensei, and later continued under Klaus Sutner Sensei. While completing his university degrees, Kevin trained at a few different Aikido centers in South Carolina, arriving in Tallahassee in 2000. Since then, he has trained at North Florida School of Aikido under Mike Page Sensei. Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei, whose Aikido style balances explosive power with amazing musubi, and Mitsugi Saotome Shihan’s ideological views on Aikido and the universe, have been central influences on the development of Kevin’s Aikido. Kevin utilizes what he has learned in the dojo in his daily life, especially as a graduate student and more recently as a university professor.

Ken Frederickson Sensei, Shodan

Bio coming soon...

Motoi Namihira Sensei, Ikkyu

Motoi Namihira has practiced martial arts since 1996, starting with Taekwondo as a teenager and attained 3rd dan in the art in 2003. In 2004, he moved to St. Louis, MO to pursue graduate school and decided to pursue a different direction in his martial training. After considering a number of arts, he finally settled on Aikido as the most appropriate setting for his burgeoning interest in the softer side of martial technique. Motoi moved to Tallahassee, FL and joined North Florida Aikido in 2006. Motoi's most influential instructor in Aikido has probably been Haruo Matsuoka who combines the elegance of subtle connection with martial practicality.

Karate Instructor

Sensei Bill Lucas, Sandan

Sensei Lucas has studied Shorin Ryu Karate and okinawan Kobudo since 1982. He is a Sandan (3rd degree black belt) in Okinawa Karate-Do Shorin Ryu Kishaba Juku under the guidance of Sensei Paris Janos and Sensei Steve Harless. Sensei Janos and Harless are both senior American students of the late Sensei Chokei Kishaba and continue to train and teach under the guidance of Sensei Katsuhiko Shinzato of Okinawa, Japan.

He has been influenced by many martial artists and forms of martial arts, but especially by his teachers and their teachers.

Lucas has dabbled in other martial arts including Tai Chi, Aikido, Naginata and Iai-do, but feels that he still has too much to learn in his chosen art to really give any other arts his full attention at this time.

While people train in martial arts for many reasons including physical fitness, self defense, and artisitic expression, Sensei Lucas believes that the ultimate goal of martial arts should be the development of the human character. He believes that the physical training, mental discipline and the honing of the spirit inherent in martial arts are the perfect vehicle for this goal.

Sensei Lucas feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to share the art and tradition of Kishaba Juku Shorin Ryu Karate with the Tallahassee community through classes at North Florida School of Aikido.

Instructors

Aikido Instructors

Karate Instructor

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