Instructors

Gail Eder, 4^th Dan

I practised Karate from 1979 until the end of 1988 and reached the rank of 2nd Dan. In early 1988 I began to practice Aikido as well. By the end of that year it was clear to me that Aikido was what I wanted to focus on.
Although I had had many teachers over the years there are 4 Aikido teachers who have been most influential in my training. They are: The late Ron Russell, my first teacher, loved Aikido above everything and was a skilled and dedicated teacher. Mr. H. Foster Chief Instructor of the Institute of Aikido (UK) was Ron's teacher and mentor. Through visits to New Zealand and Summer School in the UK he has shared his vast reservoir of knowledge accumulated over 50 years in Aikido. Richard Moon who taught me that Aikido is so much more than technique. My husband Ray who has many more years Aikido experience than I and who "walks the talk" in his daily life.
My ideas in presenting an Aikido class are first that it should be safe and fun for everyone involved. My quest in teaching, learning and my day to day life is to find better ways of smoothing the paths of human interaction.

Dianne Haynes, 4^th Dan

I started Aikido in October 1976 in a Dojo in Onehunga in Auckland. When I turned up to my first class, I saw there were no women training, so I decided to join forthwith. I cajoled another woman to come with me, and we trained with a Shodan, a policeman named Hugh Millar. We trained in the Aikikai style.
In 1978 when I was a 3rd kyu, Ron Russell came from England and joined our club. He was a Nidan, at the time and became our Sensei, as Hugh went on to other things. Ron Russell changed our Aikido. I found his style to be logical and sequential, making teaching beginners easier. The aikido I teach is traditional, and the organisation of the techniques make it simple for new students to understand. Ron Russell became my friend, and was significant in my aikido life.
Another Sensei whom I admire enormously and became my mentor, was Jack Nairn, a man who started Aikido at 52 and became a Shodan at 58 years, went on to become Yondan,. He was highly respected in New Zealand for his great aikido wisdom.
Paul, my husband, and I moved to Rotorua in 1984, and as there was no Aikido club in Rotorua, we set one up in 1986 with three borrowed mats in a carpeted room on the top floor of a fitness centre. Over time we moved, initially to a school hall and eventually to a dedicated building which the club owns.
We moved back to Warkworth, where my family live, in 2009 . I continue to be head of Rotorua Aikido while training and teaching at Warkworth where the style has also evolved from Ron Russell's teaching.

Andy Metzler, 1^st Dan

Andy Metzler is a foundation member of the Warkworth Aikido club and has been with it since the opening night.

He had some prior experience of Aikido was in Germany so he had a head start on his fellow students.
Andy completed his Shodan Grading in August 2009 and has taken on the role of instructor responsible for the Junior students in 2010. 

 

Our Teachers

 

Gail Eder 4th Dan

Dianne Haynes 4th Dan

Andy Metzler 1st Dan