Aikido of Montpelier
Founder
Sara Norton - Dojo founder. Sara taught Aikido for over 35 years. She studied and completed her instructor training in Paris with Masamichi Noro Sensei, a direct student of Aikido's founder, Morihei Ueshiba (O-Sensei) in the 1970s. As a Quaker and a pacifist, Sara taught Aikido as an extension of her nonviolent philosophy. Sara is now retired, but still teaches a Tai Chi workshop twice a year.
Instructors
Robert Lamprey - Head Instructor - Emeritus. Robert began practicing Aikido in 1994, received his hakama in 2000, began teaching in 2004, became Head Instructor in 2013, and retired in 2019. In addition to Aikido he teaches Buddhist meditation and is a long-time student of Ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arranging). He also enjoys Tango dancing, which he believes has a lot in common with the improvisational harmony of Aikido.
Greg Sauer - Head Instructor. Greg began practicing Aikido in 2008, received his hakama in 2010, became an Instructor in 2016 and Head Instructor in 2019. As a teenage Greg studied Jujitsu. Before moving to Vermont in 2001, he practiced Hapkido.
“Aikido is how we celebrate
being alive in this world.”
Sara Norton
Dojo Founder