Maine Summer Teacher Retreat 2025

Hi, I’m Jennifer Barr. I am a Certified Professional Midwife and Registered Midwife in the state of Colorado. I received my license in 2009 and have a Homebirth practice centered in Boulder and serving families within a 45-minute drive.

I believe that birth is a highly successful and natural process, and while we can cooperate and participate with these forces of nature, they are always beyond our complete understanding and control.

Lee Crawford Sensei, 6th Dan, is Chief Instructor at Aikido Northshore. Crawford Sensei began her aikido training in 1980 under the direction of Akira Tohei Shihan at the University of Wisconsin Aikido Club. After relocating to Seattle in 1988, she became the Assistant Chief Instructor for George Ledyard Sensei at Aikido Eastside in Bellevue, WA. In 1995 Crawford Sensei opened Aikido Northshore in Kirkland, WA. Crawford Sensei has trained extensively under the direct instruction of Mitsugi Saotome Shihan and Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan. She also includes Kevin Choate Sensei and Patty Saotome Sensei as having strong influences on her aikido.

Robert began his aikido study in 1984 and holds the rank of rokudan (6th dan). He is a personal student of Mitsugi Saotome Shihan and is especially known for his precise and powerful weapons work, graceful movement, and clear teaching. Robert has been training and teaching at Aikido Shobukan Dojo (ASD) since 1994. Robert has studied Shindo Muso Ryu for 30 years as well as Yagyu Shinkage Ryu for 7 years. Robert

Tres Hofmeister Sensei is ranked nanadan (7th degree) in Aikido. He is a student of Mitsugi Saotome Shihan and Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan. He began his training in 1978 and entered Boulder Aikikai under Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan in 1980.

Hofmeister Sensei is a senior instructor for Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU), teaching regularly at Boulder Aikikai and at seminars throughout North America and abroad. Hofmeister Sensei is also a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method®. He has a particular interest in the process of learning in Aikido and its relationship to self-understanding.

Don Ellingsworth Sensei is a Head Instructor and Founder of Aikido Chuseikan, and holds the rank of rokudan (sixth degree black belt), as recognized by the Aikido World Headquarter (Aikikai). He has been awarded the Ueshiba Juku designation by Saotome Shihan, and is authorized to wear Saotome Sensei’s own “Ueshiba Juku” calligraphy on his professional uniforms.  Literally “the Academy of the Founder”, this indicates that Saotome Sensei recognized him for his loyalty and dedication to promoting O Sensei’s vision, and that he is not only a true Deshi of Saotome Sensei and an inheritor of his teachings, but is also part of O Sensei’s own school and pure lineage as only a true Uchi Deshi of O Sensei can recognize.  He and Sensei Hagen are among the youngest recipients of this honor to date.

Ellingsworth Sensei was previously regular instructor at the Ji On Juku Aikido Academy from 1999 to 2012.  He began his training in 1989 at the University of Florida.

Ellingsworth Sensei has been a personal student of John Messores Shihan (7th dan) since 1993. Messores Shihan is one of Saotome Shihan’s senior-most US instructors, and among the highest ranked Americans affiliated with Aiki Hombu (the world Aikido headquarters). Messores Sensei was featured in the 1986 book Aikido and the Harmony of Nature (Shambhala Press) by Saotome Shihan, the 2002 production The Budo Experience (Budo Productions LLC), and the 2002 international Aiki Expo Demo video. Messores Shihan also has an Aikido encyclopedia listing with the Aikido Journal and the Aikido FAQ, and is the founder and senior instructor of the Ji On Juku Aikido Academy of Warrior Spirit in Largo, Florida.

Ellingsworth Sensei has a direct lineage from the founder of Aikido, O Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, through Mitsugi Saotome Shihan.  Saotome Shihan is one of the few living direct uchi deshi (disciples) of O Sensei, and has been regarded by many as one of O Sensei’s foremost students and heirs. Ellingsworth Sensei has been recognized as a personal student of Saotome Shihan, and as Sensei’s current principle travel Otomo (travelling assistant) he has the honor of being one of Sensei’s top demonstration assistants at seminars throughout the US.

Ellingsworth Sensei also serves as the Administrator for the Aikido Schools of Ueshiba organization, where he is responsible for all of ASU’s membership and promotion processing.

Don began his Aikido studies in 1978 at the New Haven Aikikai in New Haven, Connecticut. His early teachers were Bob Barrett, Donald Hailey, Terry Dobson, Ken Nisson and Mitsugi Saotome Shihan. Captivated early on by the depth and beauty of Aikido movement, Don’s interest continues to be to explore the many ways that Aikido practice can be personally transformative, in both the physical and inner realms. Integral to his practice is his fundamental belief that he is on the path as a student of Aikido. To this end he often travels to seminars and other opportunities to further his growth and hopefully set an example for his own students. Don has been awarded the rank of Yondan by Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan then with the Aikido Schools of Ueshiba.

Don has lived and worked in the Keene-Brattleboro area since 1983. In 2001 he renovated a hundred year-old church in Brattleboro, Vermont to be his home and the location for the River Valley Aikido club. He has one daughter whose passion is dance.

Eugene Lee Sensei began his Aikido study in 1988 and holds a rokudan (6th degree black belt). He has trained directly under Saotome Sensei for many years and has been awarded the designation of Ueshiba Juku. Eugene Sensei is one of the senior instructors at Aikido Shobukan Dojo. He is also an avid mountaineer, trekker and cyclist.

Kamenna Lee began her study of Aikido in 1988 and holds a rokudan (6th degree black belt). She has been training and teaching Aikido at Aikido Shobukan Dojo since 1993. Kamenna is a Vice President of Marketing for American Red Cross Biomedical Services.

Dave is a yondan in Aikido. He started his Aikido training in 1991 at McGill University in Montreal. In 1993 he began graduate studies in Colorado and continued his training at Boulder Aikikai. Returning to his home state of Maine, David joined Aikido of Maine in 2001. Dave enjoys a dynamic Aikido practice, exploring ways to improvise and helping students approach a place of self-confidence.

Ania Small is a rokudan began her Aikido training in Warsaw, Poland in 1983. Right before coming to the US in 1989, she lived in London and trained Aikido with Kanetsuka Sensei. After coming to Boston, Ania joined Shobu Aikido and studied with Gleason Sensei. In 2001 she moved to Maine to open a dojo with her husband Gary. Ania has been part of ASU and studying with Saotome Sensei since coming to US. She has been awarded Ueshiba Juku designation and serves the ASU in a variety of ways. Ania holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is interested in the role mind plays in Aikido practice.  She has a private practice in Freeport Maine.

“I came across Aikido class completely by accident, while returning a book to a friend. If you asked me then if I was interested in Martial Arts, I would have said no, but what I saw, completely captivated me. I loved the beauty of Aikido movement, I noticed that people were enjoying the practice and later learned that it was a non-competitive art. After participating in competitive team sports, I was looking for a physical activity I could enjoy and engage in without the focus on winning or loosing. Now, years later, I fell very lucky to have Aikido in my life. It gives me a great physical workout, including aerobic exercise, strength and core training as well as opportunity for self discovery and growth. Aikido practice continues to teach me about energy, power, conflict resolution and relationships. Studying and teaching Aikido is an integral part of my life. Through it, I met many people and build many friendships. I have also had opportunities to travel and study with amazing teachers.”

Gary began his martial arts and Aikido training in 1974. In 1988, he joined Shobu Aikido of Boston under the direction of William Gleason sensei. He travels to many Aikido seminars and camps to continue his training as a teacher and student of Aikido. Prior to his move to Maine, he ran a sporting goods sales and marketing company covering the six New England states. This work helped facilitate the family move to Maine and establishment of Aikido of Maine in 2000.
“Having a dojo is an incredible privilege, it is a constant learning experience and a true pleasure to spend my time thinking about our practice and how we can make our dojo a better place. I am very captivated by the power of aikido in people’s lives and from a training perspective I am most interested in the connection aspect of practice and how we can put O’sensei’s teachings of creating harmony and improving the world into physical form.”
”I am always excited with the many ways aikido can help people who are in need of transition and am humbled by the power of the practice to help people improve their lives”.

Sensei Julie “Jet” Tollen, began her Aikido training in 1999 and holds a 4th-degree black belt.  She started her training as a college student in Ithaca, New York.

After moving to Boulder, CO, to complete her schooling, Tollen Sensei discovered the incredible Boulder Aikikai and took Ikeda Sensei as her main teacher for the next five years.

After graduating, she relocated to Kumamoto in Southern Japan, where she trained like a maniac for another five years while teaching English to both extremely shy and extremely spirited Japanese girls. While there, she passionately explored Japan’s unique language, landscape and culture.

Coming home led Tollen Sensei to a new adventure at a dojo outside Philadelphia, where took on positions as Dojo Cho (Head of Operations) and Chief Youth Instructor under David Goldberg Sensei (a.k.a. sword-maker extraordinaire).  At that dojo, little by little, she re-constructed the program for youth based on her experiences teaching English in Japan along with observations gathered from the various Aikido instructors she met along the way. 

She brought that new program to Tampa in 2013 with the opening of the Tampa Aikido Youth Program at Chuseikan Dojo.  As a result, to date, hundreds of children have taken her Aikido classes over the past decade and been able to learn about the life-enhancing benefits of practicing Aikido.

But… as it has in many places, the pandemic brought changes to the Tampa Aikido Youth Program and in 2022, Tollen Sensei chose to merge the youth program in with the adult program.

These days, Tollen Sensei teaches Basic Adult Aikido classes at Chuseikan Dojo and serves as Dojo Cho.  Separately, Tollen Sensei also teaches Aikido to at-risk youth in the Tampa Bay area.

Marsha Turner Sensei has anchored the Chicago Aikikai as its chief instructor and dojo-cho since 2012. A long-time aficionado of aikido, she is known in particular for her strong weapons work. Turner Sensei began her study of aikido in 1986 under Kevin Choate Sensei, and Shihan Mitsugi Saotome and Shihan Hiroshi Ikeda have been very influential in her aikido development. Her extensive background in ballet, gymnastics, and traditional fencing (foil) allows her to bring elements to her current training that make her aikido unique among her peers. “Aikido caught my attention and pulled me away from fencing. I loved the rigor of fencing, but the physicality and the opportunity to throw around people bigger than me sealed the deal for aikido.” Turner Sensei received her rokudan in aikido from Shihan Mitsugi Saotome in 2017.

Richard began his Aikido practice in 1999 under the guidance of Lee Crawford Sensei and soon began studying, and training with many teachers including Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei, Mary Heiny Sensei and Mitsugi Saotome Sensei. He enjoys traveling to train with teachers, including regular visits to Aikikai Hombu dojo and Kuwamori dojo in Tokyo, Japan. He believes Aikido is like a tree, a living system of ideas, inspiration, martial discipline and philosophy with endless potential for growth in many directions. Richard is an artist, musician, student of philosophy and is deeply inspired by Kazuo Ohno and Tatsumi Hijikata the primary founders of Butoh. In early 2017 he was asked by Chris Jordan Sensei and the board of Bond St Dojo to take the position of Chief Instructor and Dojo Cho which he currently upholds.  He emphasizes wellbeing, adaptation and flexibility in his learning methods.