Director's Bio

Mr. Weber, Sr. has over 50 years of experience in self-defense training. He has a 6th degree black belt in Nihon Goshin Aikido and has given numerous private, public and televised demonstrations, including those in Madison Square Garden.  He has conducted rape prevention seminars for many women's groups and taught women's self-assertiveness classes at Converse Women's College. He taught special education classes at elementary, middle, and high school levels and taught as a substitute teacher in high school.  The South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind asked him to create a program that would contribute to the independence of these physically challenged students.  Numerous newspaper articles have been written about his art and his unique teaching style. Industries, colleges, high schools, elementary schools, YMCAs, church organizations, men, women, and children of all ages have benefited from his experience in the Martial Arts

As a Spartanburg County Deputy Sheriff for almost 10 years, he taught the practical uses of Aikido and how to handle dangerous situations without the need for excessive force. He was a South Carolina State Criminal Justice Academy Certified Training Instructor for Police and Detention Officers. He was the Lead Florida Certified Defensive Tactics Instructor at the Pasco/Hernando County Police Academy for ten years, and also taught at the Tampa Police Academy. He graduated with class 90 at Central Arizona Regional Law Officers Academy in 2005.

Mr. Weber was the Southeast Director of the Nihon Goshin Aikido Association and the senior training instructor under the U.S. Director. Besides being the Newsletter founder and editor, he also wrote and published the National Training Manual titled "The Student Guide." He is not only trained in other styles of Aikido, Karate, Jujitsu, Judo, Tai Chi, and other arts, but has also travelled to Japan to experience the culture and to more firmly understand the roots of Japanese Martial Arts. Additionally, in 2011, he was certified as a Phase One Instructor of Jeet Kune Do, the Filipino Martial Arts, and Progressive Fighting Systems by Paul Vunak.

Originally from the New York Metro area, he moved to South Carolina and eventually established five schoools across North and South Carolina. He introduced Nihon Goshin Aikido to Florida in 1991 and to Arizona in 2003.

"The accumulation of knowledge through study with all those men who have contributed to my development must be credited with helping me reach this point in my journey to discover the martial arts. It’s been gratifying to look back at my career and realize how fortunate I have been to have experienced so many extraordinary martial artists sharing their knowledge, skills, and unique talents with me. It is difficult to point to any one person and identify quantitatively, their specific influence on me with the obvious exception of Sensei Richard Bowe. But, I have been privileged to train and learn from the following men, some of whom who have become friends: 

Michael Akre – Tactical Police Training 

Sensei Andreas – Judo/Jujitsu 

Tony Blauer – Tactical Police Training/Mixed Martial Arts 

Sam Chapman – American Style Karate 

Dr. Ronald Cherry – American Kempo/Karate/Hapkido/Tae Kwon Do 

Michael DePasquale Jr. - Yoshitsune Jujitsu 

Larry Hartsell – Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do 

Joe Hess – Goju Ryu Karate/Tactical Police Training 

Peter Hill – Integrated Tai Chi 

Tony Lambraia – Professor V Jujitsu/Arnis/MMA/Tactical Police Training 

John Lamont – Aikido 

Joe Lewis – Okinawan Karate 

Huang Chien-Liang – Grandmaster Tien Shan Pai Chin Na & Hsing I Chuan 

Jim Logue – Classical Okinawan Karate 

John Messores – Kendo/Saotome Aikido Schools of Ueshiba 

Master Seiyu Oyata – Ryu Kyu Kempo/Tuite 

Raffee Pambuan – Phillipine Martial Arts/Pambuan Arnis 

O’Sensei Phillip Porter – Judo/Jujitsu 

Sensei Larry Reynosa – Tenshin Aikido/Steven Seagal Aikido Curriculum 

Gary Shull – Ryu Kyu Kempo/Tuite 

Sensei Toyota – Hombu Aikido/Aikido Assn. of America 

Moriteru Ueshiba, “Waka” Sensei – Hombu Aikido/Japan 

Paul Vunak – Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, and Progressive Fighting Systems 

Bill Wallace – Karate 

Richard Wigginton – Koga Ninjitsu 

Yonazawa Sensei – Daito Ryu Aiki Jujitsu

Those instructors who taught me boxing, wrestling, and Paqua are also to be credited."