Helmut Floss began his study of Aikido in 1991 at the Seattle School of Aikido, and subsequently moved to Two Cranes Aikido where he was the director of the children and teens program from 2000 to 2009. Helmut holds the rank of yondan (4th degree black belt) and recently returned to the Seattle School of Aikido. He teaches children and adults and uses his experience and expertise to bring new vitality to the dojo's training programs.
In addition, Helmut holds the rank of sandan (3rd degree black belt) in Aikibojitsu (long staff), and was awarded his instructor's license by Tom Read. Helmut is also a student of Icho Ryu Aikibudo.
Mike started Aikido with Bill Lee (Shinshin Toitsu Aikido, Rod Kobayashi Shihan), in Austin, Texas, in the 1970s. After moving to Seattle, Mike studied in the mid-1980s with Andy Dale at his Phinney Ridge dojo. He resumed Aikido practice shortly after Dale founded the Xin Qi Shen dojo in the late 1990s, and received his shodan in 2000 from Andy Dale and John Kanetomi. Andy Dale awarded Mike his nidan in 2006 and his sandan in 2008.
Before I started Aikido, my Karate instructor said that practicing Aikido would make me less jerky. I'm still working on that. — Mike Ullmann
Chris Moses began his study of Aikido under Donovan Pierce in Kurita Minouru’s Seikikai Aikido in 1994. In 1998 he was promoted to shodan (1st degree blackbelt) in Seikikai Aikido and Shoden-Ni in Seiki-ryu Kenjutsu/Jodo (a combination of Iwama style Aiki-ken/jo and Nishio Sensei’s Aiki-toho). He continued his study of Aikido under Kimberly Richardson at her newly formed Two Cranes Aikido. Around this same time, Chris became a student of Shinto Ryu Iai-Battojutsu at Seattle School of Aikido under Robby Pellett. Chris studied and taught Aikido at Two Cranes Aikido for six years, and was promoted to nidan (2nd degree blackbelt) in 2002.
Chris was inspired by the classes and demonstrations of some non-Aikido teachers at the Las Vegas Aiki Expo in 2002 (namely Toby Threadgill and Don Angier) to look outside of the Aikido mainstream for a deeper understanding of aiki. In 2003 this brought him to Icho Ryu Aikibudo beginning the process of relearning everything he thought he knew about aiki. In 2006 on a trip to Japan he visited Akuzawa Minouru and his Aunkai Bujutsu dojo and was introduced to the Aunkai. He has been instrumental in the organization of seminars and workshops in Seattle with both Akuzawa Minoru and his senior student Rob John. In 2006, he was promoted to yondan (4th degree blackbelt) in Shinto Ryu Iai-Battojutsu by Mochizuki Takashi Shihan, head of the Seibu line of Shinto Ryu Iai-Battojutsu.
Chris has taught Aikido at Seattle School of Aikido since 2008 and continues his own training in Icho Ryu Aikibudo, Shinto Ryu Iai-Battojutsu and Aunkai Bujutsu.
Jeremy Hulley started training in Aikido in 1996 under Donovan Pierce with Aikido Seikikai. He trained at Two Cranes Aikido from 1999 to 2005 and received his nidan from Kimberly Richardson in 2005. He has trained with Neil Yamamoto of Icho Ryu Aikibudo since 2002. He lists his primary training influences as Mochizuki Takashi and Robby Pellett of Shinto Ryu, Neil Yamamoto of Icho Ryu and Akuzawa Minoru of the Aunkai.
Jeremy has been student of Shinto Ryu Iai-Battojutsu under Robby Pellett since 1999. He was awarded the rank of yondan in August of 2006 by Mochizuki Takashi Shihan.
Neil Yamamoto is the current chief instructor for Icho Ryu. Neil's first introduction to Aikido began at the Seattle Ki Society with his cousins, but he began his formal training in 1973 at the Washington AikiKai with Bernie Lau and Andy Dale as his primary teachers. Other teachers at Washington AikiKai in those early days included Douglas Tsuboi, John Kanetomi, Nat Steiger, and Chuck Livingstone. He was awarded his Aikido shodan through the Aikikai in 1980. Neil was also active in varsity wresting in high school, and casually studied (no rank was ever earned) Judo, Kendo, Hapkido, American Kenpo, and varied Chinese martial arts.
When Bernie Lau formally developed Icho Ryu, Neil departed from Washington Aikikai and Aikido.
As part of the development of Icho Ryu, Bernie trained with other teachers of martial arts and introduced Neil to these other instructors to further his 
range of knowledge. Don Angier, headmaster of the Yanagi Shidare Ryu, is a significant influence on Neil's teaching methods and understanding of how various methodologies connect. Neil was also awarded yudansha rank (6th dan) from Jon Bluming, in the International Budokaikan in the all around fighting division.
In 2002 Bernie appointed Neil as the senior instructor to ensure the continuity of Icho Ryu and establish new teaching standards. In 2004 Bernie retired from teaching and appointed Neil as the chief instructor. Neil occasionally writes about his teaching and martial arts experiences at his blog.
Robby Pellett began the study of martial arts in high school with Shotokan Karate and continued these studies as an undergraduate. During his university days, Robby also practiced Tai Chi Chuan for a year.
Robby was introduced to Aikido in San Francisco while studying dance. In 1979 Robby became a serious Aikido student, training with Kashiwaya Koichi of Ki Society in Boulder. Soon after that, Ikeda Hiroshi came to Boulder and Robby began to study with him.
From about 1986 to 1992 Robby lived in Japan and trained with Mochizuki Minoru Sensei at Yoseikan where he received his shodan in 1989. While training at Yoseikan, Robby was able to study kobudo weapons, Judo, and Wadokai Karate. In addition to his studies at Yoseikan, Robby studied and received a shodan in Jiki Shin Kage Ryu Naginata, Kyudo Remmei Kyudo, and Shinto Ryu Iai-Battojutsu. Robby has gone on to receive a godan in Shinto Ryu. Robby has been training and teaching at Seattle School of Aikido since 1992.
Precision allows gentleness — as we study the way the body moves we can respond to a hostile gesture with more precision. With precision our responses can be more effective using a minimal amount of force, or gentleness. — Robby Pellett
John Peng began his study of martial arts in 1990 at UCLA and has trained in a variety of "striking" arts including Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do, and Wing Chun Kung Fu. In 1995, after seeing kotegaeshi in his first Aikido class, he knew intuitively that Aikido was the path that he was seeking.
John begain his Aikido training in Albany, NY, in February 1995, in Nihon Goshin Aikido until 1996, then at Albany Aikikai (USAF) until 1997. He moved to Seattle in June 1997 and continued his Aikido training at the Seattle School of Aikido (SSA) where he received the rank of shodan (1st degree black belt) in November of 2002. He has been training and teaching at SSA regularly ever since.
On April 6, 2008, John had the opportunity to have his shodan rank recognized internationally by testing in Seattle under Seishiro Endo Shihan, 8th Dan, Hombu Dojo, Japan. John continues to study and attempts to teach his own interpretation of Endo Shihan’s style of Aikido.
John is also an MD in internal medicine and practices full time in northern Seattle.
I began my study of martial arts as a way to explore the mind-body connection, but I got tired of learning how to hit people.
Through Aikido practice, I experience integrated mind-body metaphors which show me opportunities for improving myself, through which I learn how to improve my relationships with others. — John Peng