Rocky Valley Aikido

Brian has been training sincerely in Aikido since 1995 (4th degree black belt), and Tai Chi since 1992. He spent two years training intensely in Japan with his Aikido teacher Kato Sensei (8th degree black belt) and continues to travel to Japan frequently. Brian has trained with Bob Frager (7th degree black belt) and Sue Ann McKean (5th degree black belt) since 1995. Brian was born in Ireland and moved to the United States when he was sixteen years of age. He was the senior national gymnastics champion in Ireland and competed in two world championships 1985 & 1987. He was the assistant men's gymnastics coach at Stanford University for two years helping the Cardinal to their first NCAA championship in 22 years in the 1991/1992 season. He attended the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto and received his Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology in June 2003. His dissertation investigated peak and mystical experiences in the practice of Aikido. Brian has been the founder and dojo cho of Rocky Valley Aikido dojo since 2003.