Chief Instructors

Mary McIntire Sensei Tom McIntire Sensei
Mary McIntire Sensei began her study of aikido in 1972. Tom McIntire Sensei started a few years later in 1978. Each currently holds the rank of 4th dan through Mitsuge Saotome Shihan and the Aikido World Federation (Honbu Dojo). Both were personal students of Saotome Shihan, training with him daily when he was the Chief Instructor at Sarasota Aikikai. When Saotome Shihan left Sarasota, Tom and Mary Sensei continued to train on a daily basis with Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei. They continue to train with Saotome Shihan and Ikeda Sensei whenever possible. Tom Sensei recently attended Saotome Shihan's ASU Instructor Training Seminar at Shobukan Dojo in Washington, DC in October 2007. |