Itten Dojo
Itten Dojo is a private center for the practice of budo, located less than ½ mile from the intersection of Interstate-81 (Exit 61) and Wertzville Road (Route 944) near Enola, Pennsylvania. Please click here to download the dojo brochure in Acrobat (PDF) format, or click here for a map to help locate the dojo.
We regard the martial arts as a special and significant part of our lives, and we admit as new members those persons we believe will likely share our enthusiasm and dedication. Previous experience is not required. An applicant’s initial call to make an appointment to observe class is the first step in undertaking the challenge of a lifetime. For information on applying for membership and a detailed explanation of the cost of tuition and required equipment, please click here.
Two complimentary martial arts are practiced at our dojo:
• Aikido — An elegant, unarmed, throwing and pinning art derived from Daito-ryu aikijujutsu by founder Ueshiba Morihei.
• Ono-ha Itto Ryu Kenjutsu — Classical Japanese swordsmanship.
In the same way a Japanese sword is created through the heat and pressure of a forge, a martial artist is crafted by means of the intensity and shared purpose of a dojo. Within the dojo, rank is determined solely on the basis of demonstrated performance, and expectations of women are the same as those for men of comparable size.
New students — especially those without prior martial arts experience or current participation in athletics — are guided very carefully in their early training, so that they are able to build the requisite level of physical conditioning and basic skill without undue risk of injury or discouragement.
While the necessary uniforms and equipment required for training can be obtained through the dojo, only the prospective student can provide the most important ingredients for the creation of a martial artist — enthusiasm, dedication, a strong sense of fun and adventure, and the ability to retain forever the receptiveness of a beginner’s mind.
Staff
Robert Wolfe, the chief instructor of the Itten Dojo, began martial arts training in 1975 and has taught since 1985. Mr. Wolfe has trained in swordsmanship since 1990 and aikijutsu/aikido since 1992, is fully certified to teach the Amdur approach to aikido, holds the rank of 6th dan in Isshinryu karate, was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Japanese Studies from Bucknell University in 1978, and is certified by the NRA to teach the Refuse To Be A Victim® crime prevention and personal safety seminars. He is a division director and supervisor within the federal civil service. As an author, Mr. Wolfe has published numerous articles addressing the martial arts in a variety of periodicals, ranging from popular magazines such as Inside Karate, Martial Arts Training, and Aikido Today Magazine, to internationally distributed, academic publications such as the Journal of Asian Martial Arts.
Randy Manning is assistant instructor to the kenjutsukai, having trained in swordsmanship since 1993. Mr. Manning holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and is a Patent Agent, registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He retired from his position as Development Engineering Manager for the Fiber Optic Division of Tyco Electronics, but continues to serve as U.S. expert to the IEC SC86B, an international organization that develops standards for fiber optic passive components and interconnection devices.
Alan Starner holds the grade of chuden in Itten aikido and a 3rd dan in Isshinryu karate, and has trained in swordsmanship for more than 10 years. Mr. Starner is Vice President of Perishable Foods for the central Pennsylvania division of Advantage/Pezrow Sales and Marketing. He serves as assistant instructor to our aikido class.
John Butz is graded chuden in Itten aikido. He is an agent for AAA Insurance and serves as assistant instructor to our aikido class.
Jevin Orcutt is graded shoden in Itten aikido and serves as assistant instructor to our aikido class.
Budd Yuhasz is graded shoden in Itten aikido, and works as an information technology consultant to a variety of corporate clients. He has an extensive background in grappling arts and sports, and serves as assistant instructor to our aikido class.
Technical Advisor Emeritus
Ellis Amdur served for five years as technical advisor to the Itten Dojo Aikidokai, revolutionizing our practice, and he continues to stay in close contact with the dojo. Mr. Amdur is a licensed instructor in two koryu, the Araki-ryu and the Toda-ha Buko-ryu, and has practiced aikido for approximately 30 years, thirteen of them in Japan. In aikido, Mr. Amdur studied most intensely with Terry Dobson, Yoshio Kuroiwa and Yasunori Kuwamori. He was a contributing editor of Aikido Journal, and his articles on the subtle integration of martial arts in ordinary life were published in book form as Dueling with Osensei: Grappling with the Myth of the Warrior-Sage. His most recent reflections on classical arts have been published as Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions, and he has also produced an instructional DVD, titled Ukemi from the Ground Up. A final work dealing with aikido, Hidden in Plain Sight, is due to be published in the spring of 2009.
Professionally,
Mr. Amdur is a consultant specializing in trainings for those who face hostile
and aggressive individuals and also a crisis intervention specialist in the
Seattle, Washington area. He received his B.A. in psychology from Yale
University in 1974, and his M.A. in psychology from Seattle University in 1990. He
is a National Certified Counselor, and a State Certified Child Mental Health
Specialist.
Combining
his knowledge of psychotherapy, crisis intervention, and martial traditions, Mr.
Amdur has trained mental health professionals, disabled-housing staff, school
personnel and students, Washington State DSHS social workers and clerical staff,
survivors of abuse, various businesses and law enforcement personnel (both
first-response officers and hostage negotiation teams). He offers consultation
to therapists who are working with frightening individuals, or with clients who
are in danger because of their association with such people.