Instructors and Yudansha (those who hold black belt or "dan" rank)

Andrew Weiner is chief instructor. Weiner Sensei holds a yondan rank in aikido (fourth degree black belt). He first trained in aikido under Ed Baker Sensei in Orlando in the early 1970s. He resumed his aikido training under Kei Izawa Sensei in Boulder from 2006-2007 and has since trained under Lisa Tomoleoni Sensei. He also holds nidan rank in judo. Prof. Weiner is on the faculty of Purdue’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Greg Buzzard has trained in aikido since 2001 with various teachers, including Larry Bieri Shihan, Yuki Katagiri Sensei, Soke Thomas Burdine, Lisa Tomoleoni Sensei, and Andrew Weiner Sensei. He holds the rank of nidan in aikido under Tomoleoni Sensei and nidan in Kokon Ryu Bujutsu Renmei under Soke Thomas Burdine. Prof. Buzzard is on the faculty in the Department of Mathematics at Purdue, currently as Head.

Eduardo Lindenmeyer Toso trained in aikido in his native Brazil beginning in seventh grade, before coming to Purdue as a freshman in Fall, 2016. At Purdue he is studying in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the College of Engineering. Eduardo holds shodan rank in Aikido and currently serves as club president.

Maxim Barkov trained in aikido for about ten years in Russia, Germany, Japan and England before coming to Purdue. Maxim holds shodan rank in aikido. Currently he is a research associate in Physics working in computational theoretical astrophysics.

The Purdue University Aikido Club is affiliated as a member dojo of Aikido Shimbokukai , an organization officially recognized by Aikido World Headquarters. We are fortunate to have periodic seminars with Lisa Tomoleoni Sensei (rokudan, 6th degree black belt), Director of Aikido Shimbokukai and Chief Instructor of Abiding Spirit Aikikai.

Yudansha Alumni

Yoichiro Togawa trained at Purdue during 2012-2014 while a graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences. Yoichiro began his aikido training from 2005 at the National Defense Academy in Japan under the instruction of Shigeru Sugawara Sensei, a Hombu Dojo instructor. While at Purdue he earned Sandan rank under Lisa Tomoleoni Sensei. Yoichiro returned to Japan in 2014 and is a member of the National Defense Force.

Stylianos Chatzidakis began his training at the Aikido Kodukan Dojo, Athens, Greece in 2009 under the supervision of Adamski Sensei. He trained at the Purdue University Aikido Club from 2012-2015, where he was a graduate student in the School of Nuclear Engineering. At Purdue he gained shodan rank under the guidance of Andrew Weiner and Lisa Tomoleoni Sensie.