Robert began his aikido journey in late 2004. He was in his mid-50’s and in a very sedentary job at a local insurance company when he realized that he needed to find some activity to get him up and moving around.
Although his co-workers were promoting the martial arts of taekwondo and karate as a means of maintaining good overall physical fitness, he felt that the high impact and competitive nature of these sports did not make either of them a good fit. When he discovered that there was an aikido dojo in the area he decided to pay a visit. That visit opened up a whole new world for Bob.
What appealed to him about Aikido was its emphasis on posture, breathing, engaging the mind and the body while blending with your opponent instead of relying on a violent impact to overpower them. The Aikido in Fredericksburg community is very welcoming and supportive of students of all ages, sizes and ability. When our dojo partnered with the YMCA in our area to offer an aikido class there, he stepped up to teach some of the classes. He enjoys having the opportunity to introduce new students to the basics and fundamentals of aikido training.
Robert also serves as the President of the Board of Directors of Aikido in Fredericksburg, a non-profit educational corporation.
