About our instructors
Because we are a USAF dojo, our instructors and members have access to and have received instruction from senior instructors from Hombu dojo and from the many gifted instructors within the USAF. Collectively, our instructors have more than 50 years of experience in Aikido. Their diverse backgrounds in Aikido and somewhat varied stylistic expression of the art enriches the Aikido practice of our members.
As we are a nonprofit organization, our instructors are not compensated. Instead, they volunteer their time and efforts as a means of perpetuating their own practice and as a way of contributing to the New Orleans community by making Aikido practice available to everyone. They act out of a deep appreciation for the art of Aikido and out of gratitude for the gifts they have received from their seniors.
Chief Instructor/Dojo Cho
Lawrence Ozenberger, 3rd dan, Fukushidoin, was a founding member of Aikido of New Orleans and has been its Chief Instructor since October 2004. He has been active in the martial arts for 30 years.
Yordan Yordanov, 3rd dan, came to us recently from Bulgaria, where he helped to lead a large Aikido dojo.
David Cody, 2nd dan, began to practice Aikido in 1993
at San Francisco Aikikai, under the direction of Joel
Posluns, 6th dan, Shidoin.
