Our Instructors
Cyd Curtis Bates, Chief Instructor
Cyd has been studying Aikido for 20 years. She began her training in the Chicago area. Her primary instructor in Chicago, Dianne Costanzo Sensei Rokudan (6th Degree black belt) was a direct student of Shihan Fumio Toyoda. Since moving to Arlington in 2014 she has been training under the instruction of Costanzo Sensei, Lasky Sensei and Sorrentino Sensei. She currently holds the rank of Yondan (4th Degree black belt).
Danielle De Lanoy
Danielle De Lanoy has been studying Aikido for over 15 years. She began her training at Oberlin college in 2005. She holds the rank of Sandan (3rd degree black belt).
Mike Lasky, Technical Advisor
Mike Lasky, the dojo's Technical Advisor, began his aikido training in 1975 as a freshman at Oberlin College under Frank Hreha-sensei. Mr. Lasky continued his study with Mitsugi Saotome-sensei in 1975, when Saotome-sensei arrived in the United States, and he followed Saotome-sensei to Washington, DC, in 1979. Mr. Lasky served on the Board of Directors of Aikido Shobukan Dojo (formerly known as the Washington, DC Aikikai) from 1981 to 2003. He received his 6th dan in 2001. Mr. Lasky teaches and trains regularly at Aikido of Northern Virginia.
James Sorrentino, Instructor
Jim Sorrentino, Instructor: Mr. Sorrentino holds a sixth-degree black belt in aikido. He began practicing Uechi-ryu Karate-do (an Okinawan martial art) under Robert Galeone in 1977 and holds a third-degree black belt in that art as well. With Mr. Galeone’s encouragement, Mr. Sorrentino began his study of aikido in 1984 under Mitsugi Saotome-sensei, who was a disciple of the Founder of Aikido from 1954 until the Founder’s death in 1969. Mr. Sorrentino served as Chief Instructor for Aikido of Northern Virginia from 1999 through 2019. His leadership in our dojo helped foster relationships with instructors from a variety of martial backgrounds, enabling students to experience a range of instructional approaches and deepen their study and understanding of Aikido.
Bill Bates, Karate Instructor
Bill has been studying martial arts for 20 years. He started his journey into martial arts in in Chicago under the tutelage of Jay Nacu-sensei (fifth-degree black belt),earning a fourth degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. He has also studied Shorinkan Shorin-ryu under Eberhard Welch-Shihan (eighth-degree black black), achieving a second-degree black belt in Shorin-ryu karate and a first-degree black belt in kobodo. Bill has been studying Aikido for over eight years, and currently holds a second-degree black belt. .