Onshinkan Dojo Instructors
Instructor pictures coming soon!
Elisabeth Menning
is ranked yondan (4th-degree blackbelt), and is the chief instructor of Aikido of Northern Indiana - Onshinkan Dojo. She has nineteen years’ experience in Aikido, many of which were as a personal student of Fumio Toyoda Shihan, the late founder, president and chief instructor of Aikido Association of America (AAA) and Aikido Association International. First as uchideshi (traditional live-in student), then as professional instructor trainee, Ms. Menning lived, trained, and worked at AAA national headquarters, Tenshinkan Dojo, in Chicago, Illinois. As a professional instructor, she taught at Tenshinkan Dojo as well as at her own dojo in Northern Indiana. While affilated with AAA, she was a member of the AAA national headquarters testing committee and held national instructor certification from AAA. When Andrew Sato Sensei and AAA parted ways at the end of 2004, Onshinkan Dojo became one of the three founding dojo's of his new organization, Aikido World Alliance (AWA). Menning Sensei and Onshinkan Dojo hosted the first national AWA seminar, Kangeiko, in February 2005. Onshinkan Dojo was an independent dojo from May 2006 to September 2008; at that time we joined a new organization, Sosei Aikido Kyokai, formed by Bob Garza Sensei, also a former student of Toyoda Shihan. We are still currently affiliated with Sosei Aikido Kyokai.
During her uchideshi training with Toyoda Shihan, Menning Sensei was fortunate to be able to travel extensively with him as he conducted regional and national training seminars and camps around the country. She was deeply involved in dojo and organizational management on local, regional, national, and international scales. In 2000, Toyoda Shihan invited her back to live in Tenshinkan Dojo to help with the uchideshi program. At that time she was also working for him full-time as his executive assistant, and was one of the two main instructors at Tenshinkan Dojo under him.
Menning Sensei's background with Toyoda Shihan also involves intensive training in Zen meditation, and she achieved instructor certification (shoden level) by the former Sogenkai organization in Chicago, which was affiliated with Daihonzan Chozen Ji in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1997, she and some other of Toyoda Shihan's students were able to travel with Toyoda Shihan to Chozen Ji to assist Toyoda Shihan with a Zen and Aikido Retreat.
During her time in Chicago and northwest Indiana, Menning Sensei has taught Aikido at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois; Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana; Valparaiso YMCA; Lake Forest College north of Chicago; Logansport YMCA in Logansport, Indiana; and Merrillville Parks Department. She began an Aikido club at Northeastern University, and an Aikido club at a local karate dojo. Following Toyoda Shihan's death in July 2001, she opened and operated a dojo in Chicago (Aikido Connection - Meishin Dojo) for a year before moving to Merrillville, Indiana, to focus on furthering the growth and development of Aikido of Northern Indiana. Ms. Menning now teaches a variety of Aikido classes and programs throughout the northern Indiana region. She also studied Chanoyu (Tea Ceremony) with a reknowned instructor in Chicago (Ikka Nakashima Sensei), and led the Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu Iaijutsu (Japanese swordsmanship) Study Group for three years under JKI Shibu Greg Noble, of Kyushinkan Dojo in Charleston, West Virginia. The Iaijutsu Study Group is now under the direction of JKI Shibu Len Pellman Sensei, from Marion Indiana.
Fumio Toyoda Shihan, with his own background of training as uchideshi with the late Aikido Doshu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, and from his three years of zen and misogi training at Ichikukai Dojo in Japan, has passed on a rich tradition of spiritual and physical discipline through his own instructional programs here in America. Dynamic and powerful Aikido, a clear teaching methodology, and an emphasis on the integration of mental, spiritual, and physical training hallmark the instruction provided by Toyoda Shihan and the instructors he has trained. Here at Onshinkan Dojo, we strive to maintain this unique flavor of Aikido, and meet the high standards and teaching methodology originally set by Toyoda Shihan.
Shannon Crawford-Taylor
is assistant dojo-cho, and has been training in Aikido with Elisabeth Menning Sensei for ten years. She has earned the rank of nidan and regularly teaches adult and youth classes at Onshinkan Dojo in Merrillville, Indiana. Shannon's focus is to explore and fully understand the fundamentals of Aikido, and she is dedicated to carrying on the style and traditions of the late Fumio Toyoda Shihan, as transmitted to his student, Menning Sensei. Shannon is one of the few people in our dojo who actually met and received instruction from Toyoda Shihan.
Lonnie Amico, MD
and his daughters began training years ago with the late Fumio Toyoda Shihan in Chicago, where he first met Menning Sensei. He even remembers when she arrived at Tenshinkan Dojo to begin the uchideshi program! Since Toyoda Shihan's death in 2001, Dr. Amico has been training at Onshinkan Dojo. He is very interested in understanding the roots of the art, maintaining the integrity and tradition of the art, and upholding the teachings of Toyoda Shihan.
Karl Nelson
began training in Aikido in 1990 and enjoys it because of the people he's met through this activity. His previous experience includes Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, T'ai Chi, and Qui Jung. Karl is a shodan (1st degree black belt) rank in Aikido. In life outside the dojo, Karl teaches Psychology at Indiana University Northwest, and has a wife (Jane VanHatten) and 4-year-old daughter (Rose Van Nelson); Rose also trains in Aikido.
Jeff Loewe
currently holds the rank of Shodan and began training in Aikido in 2005 as a student of Menning Sensei. Jeff enjoys Aikido because it matches some of his personal philosophies such as being strong yet gentle, and in control but not overbearing. He regularly teaches classes at Onshinkan Dojo. A chemist, Jeff currently works as a Quality Manager for a testing laboratory. In addition to Aikido, Jeff enjoys the outdoors, hunting and fishing.
Andy Volk
currently holds the rank of 1st Kyu and began training in Aikido in 2005 as a student of Menning Sensei. He is in retail management. He is the father of 3 children, and has 3 grandchildren. He likes to garden and very much enjoys listening to music. Andy believes Aikido should be practiced with passion and is looking forward to continuing Aikido with Sensei Menning. He is an instructor-in-training at Onshinkan Dojo.
Sharon Halfman
currently holds the rank of 2nd Kyu and is our very dedicated office manager. She is an instructor-in-training at Onshinkan Dojo. She also co-leads the Onshinkan Dojo Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu Iaido study group. Her grown kids gave her an iaito for her birthday!
John McCormack
currently holds the rank of 2nd Kyu in Aikido. He is an instructor-in-training at Onshinkan Dojo, and co-leads the Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu Iaido study group.
You are always welcome to come visit!