Windsong dojo is home to one of the most advanced teaching staffs in the nation
Windsong Dojo was founded in 1982 by Chuck Caldwell Sensei. In the years following, our tradition of excellence and welcoming, friendly atmosphere continued under the leadership of Nick Lowry. Since 2017, our dojo is led by a highly skilled team of instructors, who trained directly under Nick (and most of them trained directly under Chuck). In addition to our instructor team, Windsong also includes a large number of black belt students, many of those ranked at 4th degree or higher.
The teacher/student relationship is our primary concern. All budo instruction offered at the dojo is given freely, passed on from teacher to student, not sold as a service or product. Our goal is to share in training and learning in budo, to grow in positive and principled ways with one another, not to reap a profit or make a quick buck.
We believe that providing access to a wide range of highly skilled teachers, with various teaching styles and unique perspectives, is key to developing well-rounded students; students who will become the teachers of tomorrow.
Instructors
 | JimIn 1979, Jim went searching for a tai chi class and stumbled upon an aikido class instead. He has been practicing aikido ever since. Jim currently holds the rank of 9th dan in aikido, and is also Windsong’s dojo cho (head of the dojo). Jim teaches the 12:00 pm classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as the 11:00 AM class on Saturdays. | |||
 | BrianBrian began aikido in June 1985 with Quang Van Tran. Shortly thereafter, he met his wife Kitty, who practiced Tomiki aikido. In November 1985, Brian switched to Tomiki aikido and began training with Chuck Caldwell. Brian is currently 8th Dan in aikido and 7th Dan in Jyodo. He teaches the Monday night class from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. This class focuses on the principles of aikido with softness and centered movement. | |||
 | CourtneyCourtney has been practicing aikido since 1985. She currently holds the rank of 8th dan. In 2011, she began practicing jyodo as well, and is currently a 4th dan. Courtney assists at the Saturday 11 AM aikido class. | |||
 | PrentisPrentis began studying martial arts in 1971. Since that time, he has studied over 7 different martial arts. Prentis joined Windsong dojo in October 1999 and is the only instructor with teaching rank in all three of the budo arts Windsong dojo offers. Prentis is 7th dan in aikido, 6th dan in judo, and 7th dan in jyodo. He teaches the following classes:
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 | JoeJoe has been part of Windsong dojo since 2012. He holds the rank of 3rd dan in aikido and 2nd dan in judo. He teaches several early-morning judo and aikido classes. In addition, he teaches the Sunday afternoon aikido class. Joe’s aikido and judo classes focus on the fundamentals of each art and are excellent for learning the basic movements and techniques. | |||
 | JimmyJimmy currently has the rank of 5th dan in both aikido and jyodo. He teaches the 5:00 PM jyodo class on Monday nights as well as the 6:30 AM jyodo class on Friday mornings | |||
 | RichardRichard previously trained in boxing and jeet kun do before joining Windsong dojo in the late nineties. He is currently 7th dan in aikido. Richard teaches the Wednesday aikido class from 7:30 to 9:00 and also assists with the fundamentals of aikido class on Sunday at 1:00 PM |