About the Instructor:

Robert Caron Sensei began his training in Aikido and Zen in 1995 with Zenshinkan Dojo founder Edward Haupt Sensei. After Haupt Sensei's death in 1999, he continued training as a student of Damon Apodaca Sensei and then as a direct student of Fumio Toyoda Shihan.

Caron Sensei takes a unique and integrated perspective on Aikido and Zen training as a tool for personal transformation. His passion lies in using high quality, dynamic martial arts to bring about a greater sense of understanding of our behaviors, thoughts and actions and how they contribute to the life we are creating.

“Our movement in Aikido and the manner in which we deal with an attack, is a reflection of our total self as an emotional, cognitive and physical being. The mind and body cannot be separated—therefore we use our Aikido to cut straight into the essence of who we truly are.”

Caron Sensei has been guided and inspired by some of the best Aikido and Zen Masters of the 21st century. (See our lineage page for details of Caron Sensei's Teachers). Having been exposed to such high quality instruction he has committed himself to passing on the art of Aikido in its most authentic form. Caron Sensei values excellence in Aikido technique and has a deep respect for the power and effectiveness of Aikido as a means of self-defense.

“Aikido is a martial art with limitless application to both daily life and to tactical defense. However a great deal of patience is necessary to learn how to use Aikido effectively in either situation”

Often using his background as a Rehabilitation Counselor, Caron Sensei consistently draws a connection between what we do on the Aikido mat and what we do in our daily lives. As an active doctoral student in Human Movement Sciences at Boston University he is also a student of how the body works at a scientific level and often ties the physics of dynamical systems into the way he expresses the beautiful and powerful movements of Aikido.

As his teachers have before him, Caron Sensei passes on the emphasis of Shugyo, the deepest level of mental, physical, and spiritual training. He continues the tradition of his teachers in pointing to sincere practice as the key to using the disciplines of Aikido and Zen as a means of personal transformation.

Currently, Caron Sensei holds the rank of Sandan with Aikikai Hombu Dojo. His Zen teacher is Rev. Jiko (Ginny) Whitelaw, who is a priest in the Chozen-ji line of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. Caron Sensei is part of a vast network of teachers affiliated with the Aikido Association of America and other organizations that have banned together to share and improve their art through a cooperative effort (See our links page for examples of our Aikido network).

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