Our Aikido Instructors
Call (720) 221-3665
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Tip Harris Sensei
2nd Degree Black Belt (Ni-dan)
Tip Harris Sensei has been practicing Aikido for more than a quarter century (since 1984) and has been teaching for over 15 years. Before that he studied the Japanese art of Judo.
He began his Aikido training under Ed Peteroy Sensei at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and earned both his 1st and 2nd degree black belts from Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan of Boulder, Colorado. He has also had the privilege of training with talented Aikido practitioners including Debbie Noblett Sensei, Wayne Perkins Sensei, and George Bevins Sensei.
Dr. Sean Hannon, DC
Owner of Castle Rock AIKIDO & IAIDO
Dr. Sean Hannon began his study of martial arts in 1989 under Emil Santoro Sensei in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. In 1995, he earn his black belt in Okinawan Karate under Dennis Sammartino Shihan. He then began training Japanese Aikido in 1996 under 5th degree black belt, Greg O'Connor Sensei of Aikido Centers of New Jersey. He later continued his Aikido training with Masayuki Kaneshi-Mesa Shihan in Rock Island, Illinois and again briefly with 7th degree black belt, David Shaner Sensei in Greenville, South Carolina.
In addition to learning from Harris Sensei and Goettsche Sensei, Sean has also had the privilege of training with Mitsugi Saotome Shihan, Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei, Munetsugu Sakabe Sensei, Kei Izawa Sensei, Cindy Hayashi Sensei, George Ledyard Sensei, Frank Doran Sensei, JD Paul Sensei and Pat Musselman Sensei.
Sean also studies Iaido under Iwakabe, Monica Sensei, Iwakabe, Hideki Sensei, and has also had the privilege of training with Oda, Katuso Sensei from Shizuoka, Japan.
After a debilating spinal injury that left him unable to walk for over a full year, Sean re-evaluated his priorities and decided that one of the things that made him most happy in life was practicing the art of Aikido. Since there was no Aikido program in his town of residence, he took it upon himself create an Aikido school right here in Castle Rock while he slowly recovered from his injury.
Sean is neither an instructor, nor a black belt in Aikido, but does practice both Aikido and Iaido as a student at Castle Rock AIKIDO & IAIDO.
He is an avid fan of classic Japanese martial arts philosophy and how to apply such in contemporary society.
Harris Sensei retired from his career with Walgreens in 2004 and since then has committed much more time to continuing his learning and teaching of the art of Aikido. He attends between four and five Aikido seminars each year. He has also traveled throughout Japan on multiple occasions.
A semi-native of Colorado (since 1968), Harris Sensei has been married for 42 years and has 4 grown children. At age 68, Harris Sensei credits decades of Aikido training for his continued agility, flexibility, strength, and power.
Iwakabe, Monica Sensei
4th Degree Black Belt (Yon-dan Iaido)
Iwakabe, Monica Sensei began her martial arts study in 1991 while Germany serving in the United States Army. After two years training in Shotokan Karate, she was fortunate enough to be transferred to Colorado where she began her training at Rocky Mountain Budokan with Iwakabe, Hideki Sensei. There, she continued her study of Shotokan Karate in 1993, took up Kendo (the Japanese ‘way of the sword,’ a sword-fighting art) in 1998, and finally added Iaido to her martial arts resume in 2000.
She has had many opportunities to train with several instructors throughout the United States and Japan at AUSKF National Kendo & Iaido seminars, the Foreign Kendo Leaders’ Seminar, and many other venues. Iwakabe Sensei has successfully placed in several competitive tournaments on both the local and national levels. In 2007, she took second in the national Nakanishi Cup for 3rd degree black belts and above held in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2011, she again placed second in the national Yamaguchi Cup tournament held in Kent, Ohio. She currently holds the rank of 4th degree black belt (yon-dan) in Shotokan Karate, Kendo, and Iaido; and, continues to train in all three disciplines under the guidance of her instructor, Iwakabe, Hideki Sensei.
Iwakabe Sensei is the Iaido instructor (the art of drawing the samurai katana) at Castle Rock AIKIDO. She teaches a style of Iaido called Musoshinden-ryu Iai.
CLICK HERE to learn more about our Iaido program.
Ryan Goettsche Sensei
4th Degree Black Belt (Yon-dan)
Ryan Goettsche Sensei began his study of Aikido in January 1994 and over those many years earned the rank of yon-dan or 4th degree black belt. In addition to teaching at Castle Rock AIKIDO, Goettsche Sensei has also been the head instructor of an Aikido school in Colorado Springs since 2008 and has been affiliated with John Sabo Sensei, founder of Jugensoku Aikido of San Diego and the Colorado Purple Mountain Dojo / Dojang Association. In 2011, Goettsche Sensei opened Aikido Koshin Shuri in Colorado Springs 1.5 miles from the Colorado College campus.
Goettsche Sensei has attended many seminars through the years with Sabo Sensei, Meno Sensei, Saito Sensei, Bookman Sensei, Perello Sensei, Isoyama Sensei, Kashiwaya Sensei, Maida Sensei, Saotome Sensei, Ikeda Sensei, and has spent personal time with each of them discussing Aikido, its history and ultimately its goal to better the world.
Goettsche Sensei is a native of Colorado and resides in Colorado Springs with his wife and three children. He works as a senior database administrator in the Denver area.
Our Iaido Instructors
Pattarozzi, Mike Sensei
3rd Degree Black Belt (San-dan)
Mike Pattarozzi is the Assistant Instructor for the Castle Rock Iaido program and has been practicing the art of Iaido for more than 11 years. He earned his rank in Iaido from 6th degree black belt, Iwakabe, Hideki Sensei.
Mike also has six years experience in the Japanese martial art of Aikido, where he earned the rank of Ni-dan (or 2nd degree black belt). He studied Judo while attending college in Texas and since then has also trained in the arts of Kendo and Karate.
Mike lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado where he is currently the Chief of the Englewood Fire Department. After he retires, he hopes to dedicate more time to his martial arts training.
Dojo Cho &
School Founder
Castle Rock AIKIDO
Traditional Japanese Martial Arts Exclusively for Adults
Kriss Myer
1st Degree Black Belt (Sho-dan)
Kriss Myer is a Castle Rock resident who began his Aikido training five years ago at Castle Rock AIKIDO. He is the first student to earn the rank of black belt from Castle Rock AIKIDO.
Kriss frequenlty travels for business throughout the United States and Canada and he always brings his Aikido uniform with him and trains visits as many local Aikido schools and Aikido Sensei as possible. He has trained with Mitsugi Saotome Shihan, Haruo Matsuoka Sensei, Frank Doran Sensei, George Ledyard Sensei, David Choate Sensei, Kei Izawa Sensei, Yasumasu Itoh Sensei, Cindy Hayashi Sensei, David Goldberg Sensei of Aikido San Diego, and many others.
Kriss and another senior student, Sean Hannon, lead our new Teens Aikido program for ages 10-17. CLICK HERE to learn more about our Teens Aikido program.
Assistant Aikido Instructor
Assistant Iaido Instructor
