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.
Dane Doerflinger brings a strong, often wet, leadership background to his teaching role at the Seattle School of Aikido. He has been a professional outdoor guide for 30 years, leading whitewater rafting, climbing and skiing trips throughout the Northwest. He is certified in whitewater rescue, first aid and is a PSIA certified telemark ski instructor. Dane has been dedicated to learning Aikido for the past nine years. His training, after a brief introduction at North Seattle Community College, has been at the Seattle School of Aikido. With two daughters now old enough to be involved in the kids program, Dane has volunteered to teach a weekly session. His girls are very excited to be taking classes from their dad.
Alex Cho Snyder started training at the Seattle School of Aikido in 2003, during his freshman year of high school. He soon found the art, with its emphasis on connection and sensitivity, to be a great fit for his personality and applicable to many other activities that reward careful listening, from learning to play new musical instruments to coaxing reluctant teenagers through a difficult programming problem. He has continued to train here and has grown exponentially more graceful as a result, though he still bumps into things occasionally.
Alex was one of a handful of volunteers who stepped up to continue the kids program at Seattle School of Aikido two years ago and now teaches alongside Helmut Floss on Saturday mornings. Thanks to Helmut's guidance, he has also grown marginally more adept at handling large groups of small children.
More recently, Alex has begun studying Icho Ryu Aikibudo as well as the Brazilian martial art Capoeira, and enjoys confusing his students with unexpected cartwheels and leg sweeps whenever they get too complacent in their Aikido practice.
Robert M Huberth started his Aikido career in the winter of 2004 when his son was given a training gift to SSA, thereby giving both of them the opportunity to train and learn this art together, which they still do to this day. Robert co-teaches the Wednesday classes and occasionally the Saturdays, and will lead a class as needed. His biggest challenges are not muscling through the techniques and continuing to find and use his center consistently during these movements. However, the kids continue to remind him that the only way to improve is to be soft and relaxed and have fun. He continues to strive for this ideal in both Aikido, Icho Ryu and life outside of the dojo.