Jonathan Miller-Lane is the chief instructor at Blue Heron Aikido and is also an Assistant Professor of Education at Middlebury College. He holds the rank of nidan earned in 2005 at Two Cranes Aikido in Seattle under the inspired leadership of Kimberly Richardson Sensei, 5th dan. Jonathan Sensei continues to train in Seattle whenever possible and Kimberly Richardson Sensei and Dan McAbee, sandan, will be holding a Spring seminar in Middlebury April 2009.

Jonathan began teaching in Middlebury, Vermont in January 2004 as there was no dojo in the town and he was searching for people with whom to train. After a year of using mats on the basketball courts, the town of Middlebury agreed to allow ground floor space to be dedicated as a dojo. The first renovation took place in the summer of 2005 with the particular help of the Pierce family, Brian Slavin, Richard Venne and Joe and Gabriel Schine. After a year of training and further growth, the ground floor space was further transformed into a clean, bright dojo thanks to the extraordinary dedication of each and every member of Blue Heron Aikido and thanks to the financial support of the town of Middlebury.

Students at Blue Heron also receive instruction from:
Justin Stearns, shodan. Professor Justin Stearns began his Aikido training at Dartmouth College in 1994 under the instruction of Thomas Pristow Sensei. In 1998 he received his Shodan in Yoshinkan Aikido, Zen Budo Ryu Jujutsu and Nihon Jujutsu. From 1999-2001 he trained in Kokikai Aikido in Princeton, NJ, during which he received the rank of Ikkyu. During the years 1998-2003 he trained for short period in various schools of Aikido in Morocco and Egypt, as well as — for a brief stint — in Judo in Yemen. In 2005 he came to Middlebury where he joined Blue Heron Aikido.

Linda White, shodan. Professor Linda White started practicing aikido in 1982 in Tokyo first with Barbara Summerhawk a student of Hikitsuchi Sensei and Kobayashi Sensei, and then at Gessoji Dojo with Tada Sensei. Linda took her shodan in 1989 at Gessoji and continues to practice there whenever she is in Japan. Linda lived and trained in New York and Boulder before moving to Middlebury where she teaches anthropology and gender studies with a focus on Japan at Middlebury College.

Holly Weir, ikkyu. Holly began training at Vermont Aikido in Burlington, Vermont under Ken Nisson, Sensei and Aaron Ward, Sensei in 1998. Vermont Aikido continues to be Holly’s home dojo, but she plays at Blue Heron dojo whenever she can.

When one understands the working of spiral energy and trains oneself in the truth of the spirit, Aiki is created.

Morihei Ueshiba O Sensei