Robert Wolfe Sensei

Dojo Founder and Chief Instructor

Robert Wolfe, the founder and chief instructor of Itten Dojo, began martial arts training in 1975 and has taught since 1985. Wolfe Sensei has trained in swordsmanship since 1990 and aikijutsu since 1992. He holds the ranks of rokudan (sixth-degree black-belt) in aikijutsu, rokudan in Isshinryu karate, nidan (second-degree black-belt) in Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu iaido, a kirigami menjo (certificate) in Ono-ha Itto-ryu (Sokaku-den) kenjutsu, was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Japanese Studies from Bucknell University in 1978; and is certified by the NRA to teach the Refuse To Be A Victim® crime prevention and personal safety seminars. Wolfe Sensei is a 2025 Inductee to the Pennsylvania Karate Hall of Fame.

Wolfe Sensei retired from federal civil service after a long career supporting the U.S. Navy as a logistician. His final position was Director of Maritime Industrial Support, managing a staff of more than 40 individuals responsible for ensuring the proper material was delivered to the four Naval shipyards for on-time maintenance of nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. A highlight of his career was receiving the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the third-highest decoration possible for civilian employees of the Navy.

Interviews with Wolfe Sensei discussing Itten Dojo and the benefits of training in heritage martial arts can be heard here, on the Speaking From The Heart podcast, and here, on the Punch. Kick, Choke, Chat podcast.

As an author, Wolfe Sensei has published numerous articles addressing the martial arts in a variety of periodicals, ranging from popular magazines such as Inside Karate, Martial Arts Training, and Aikido Today Magazine, to internationally distributed, academic publications such as the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. He served as assistant editor and was a frequent contributor to Bugeisha—Traditional Martial Artist magazine. His first book, A Journey of Sword and Spirit, was published in March 2024 and is available from Amazon in print and Kindle editions—the book was awarded Second Place in the fall 2025 BookFest Awards, in the category of Nonfiction-Memiors-Transformational. His second book, Budo Renaissance Man, a profile of Suino Sensei, was published in April 2025 and is also available from Amazon.

Alan Starner Sensei

Dojo Co-founder and Assistant Instructor — Jujutsu and Iaido

Alan Starner helped found Itten Dojo and holds the grades of yondan (fourth-degree black-belt) in aikijutsu (Tendokai), shoden menjo in Ono-ha Itto-ryu (Sokaku-den) kenjutsu, sandan (third-degree black-belt) in Isshinryu karate, and shodan (first-degree black-belt) in Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu iaido. Mr. Starner serves as assistant instructor for jujutsu and iaido.

In his professional career, Mr. Starner is a Sales Team Lead for Advantage Solutions, a sales and marketing agency in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry.

Rie Hashimoto Bailey Sensei

Instructor — Shodo (Calligraphy); Japanese Language and Culture

Rie Bailey was raised in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, but has also lived in Spain, Italy, Washington State, and now Pennsylvania. She speaks Japanese, English, Spanish, and Italian, and is a professional international travel coordinator. Bailey Sensei is ranked 7th-dan in the Tonan school of shodo, is a Reiki master and teacher, and an alternative medicine practitioner. As a calligrapher, Bailey Sensei has taught shodo everywhere she’s lived and has received numerous awards for her art.

Charles Hudson Sensei

Assistant Instructor — Jujutsu and Iaido

Charles Hudson began training at Itten Dojo in 2012, is graded sandan in aikijutsu (Tendokai) and nidan in Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu iaido, and serves as an assistant instructor. Mr. Hudson received a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Fort Hayes State University and now works as a web developer with expertise in web design, development, and languages such as PHP, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

Jennifer Bennett

Assistant Instructor — Jujutsu

Jennifer Bennett began training at Itten Dojo in 2008. She is graded nidan in aikijutsu (Tendokai), and serves as an assistant instructor. Ms. Bennett was a regular contributor to Bugeisha—Traditional Martial Artist magazine, writing in the “Yin—Women in the Martial Arts” column.

Ms. Bennett holds an associate of applied science degree in health information management and occupational therapy and a bachelor of arts degree in communications. In 2017, Ms. Bennett founded Velocity Medical Billing LLC, which she owns and operates. 

Jevin Orcutt

Assistant Instructor — Iaido

Jevin Orcutt joined Itten Dojo in 2002 and is graded nidan (second-degree black-belt) in aikijutsu (Tendokai). He began his martial arts training with Isshinryu karate in 1985, and currently holds a teaching license in Taikyoku Budo, shoden menjo in Ono-ha Itto-ryu (Sokaku-den), Shoden in Taikyoku Aikido, and 1st-dan in Chin Mu Kwan Tae Kwon Do. Mr. Orcutt’s current training focus includes mainline Ono-ha Itto-ryu kenjutsu, Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu iaido, Taikyoku Budo (a training methodology he helped develop), and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Mr. Orcutt graduated magna cum laude from Shippensburg University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History, with a concentration in Public History. He currently works in organizational development for a 501(c)3 non-profit supporting a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum.

Freddy Lebron

Co-Leader Kyudo Study Group

Freddy Lebron began training at Itten Dojo in January 2021, holds the rank of shodan in Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu iaido, and is a co-lead of the kyudo study group. Originally from Lares, Puerto Rico, Freddy earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico. He served as a United States Army Signal Corps officer, attaining the rank of Captain, and now works in cybersecurity as a Directorate Information Systems Security Manager for the Defense Information Systems Agency. His background in military service, technology, fraternal leadership, and budo reflects a continued commitment to discipline, service, and lifelong learning.

Michael Travisano Osho

Co-Leader Kyudo Study Group

Mike Travisano began training at Itten Dojo in 2018. Rev. Travisano is a fully ordained Buddhist teacher in the Zen tradition (Osho) and teaches mindfulness to individuals and organizations professionally. Rev. Travisano’s book, Refuge in Small Things, was released in 2024 and his writing has also been featured by Psychology Today, Tricycle Magazine, The Dewdrop, and others.

Nicklaus Suino Sensei

Visiting Instructor — Iaido and Jujutsu

Suino Sensei has been called “one of North America’s foremost martial arts teachers.” His personal mission is to master the most profound aspects of Japanese heritage martial arts and offer the true Japanese budo experience to his students. Suino Sensei believes that proper practice of Japanese martial arts can have a profoundly positive effect on people’s lives—and we can attest to this! Since 2009, he has been consulting for businesses and individuals who want to improve their effectiveness using the physical, mental, and intangible principles of mastery.

In 1988, Suino Sensei decided to see the homeland of budo. He sold his belongings, bought a plane ticket, and moved to Yokohama, Japan. Between 1988 and 1992, he practiced judo, jujutsu, iaido, and kyudo (archery). He studied iaido at the home dojo of the late Yamaguchi Katsuo, one of the greatest of the 20th century swordsmen. In 1989, Suino Sensei was appointed secretary to the Foreign Department of the International Martial Arts Federation, Tokyo HQ. He was four-time All-Tokyo forms champion in iaido at his rank level between 1989 and 1992, and represented the Kanto region in the All-Japan tournament in Kyoto in 1992. He continues to visit Japan regularly, visiting and training with some of the world’s most respected instructors of aikido, iaido, judo, jujitsu, karate, and koryu bujutsu.

Suino Sensei is widely published in the martial arts, having sold over 60,000 copies of his books, including The Art of Japanese Swordsmanship, Practice Drills for Japanese Swordsmanship, Arts of Strength, Arts of Serenity, and its revised version, Budo Mind and Body, Strategy in Japanese Swordsmanship, and The Flywheel. He is President and Managing Director of the Shudokan Martial Arts Association and a Michigan Regional Director for the US branch of the International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF-Americas). He was director of ITAMA Dojo in East Lansing, Michigan, from 1993 until 2003. In 2006, he returned to Ann Arbor to open the Japanese Martial Arts Center, offering classes in jujutsu, judo, iaido, and children’s programs.

SABASTIAN VELILLA SENSEI

Visiting Instructor — Kyudo

Velilla Sensei has studied Budo since 1984 and is a U.S. Army veteran with postgraduate studies in Japanese Studies from Sophia University in Tokyo and Advanced Public Policy from Old Dominion University. He holds the rank of Renshi, Rokudan in Toyama Ryu Iaido and the ranks of Renshi, Godan in Battodo Iaido, Kyudo, and Gima-ha Shotokan Karatedo.

During his federal career, he administered International Military Education and Training for the Japan Self-Defense Forces under the U.S. Department of the Army’s Security Assistance Program. A lifelong martial artist, he has trained, competed, and earned recognition in multiple Budo disciplines across the United States, Europe, and Japan. 

His service to Japanese culture and martial arts has received international recognition, including Japan Foundation Award nominations in 2023 and 2025, the 2024 Korosho Award from Kokusai Budoin/IMAF Japan, and a 2026 Lake County, Florida proclamation recognizing Arching Oaks Japanese Arts and Culture Center’s contributions to Japanese arts, culture, education, and community engagement. Velilla Sensei serves as President of Kashimon Nihon Bijutsu Kaikan, also known as Arching Oaks Japanese Arts and Culture Center, and the Florida Budokan. He also serves as International Director for Toyama Ryu (TIBDR) and Batto Do (ZNBDR) organizations in Japan, Managing Secretary of the Dai Nippon Kyudo Kai Japan, Co-Director of Gima-Ha Americas, and a leader within Kokusai Budoin (IMAF) USA.

Velilla Sensei’s work is dedicated to preserving and expanding Budo and Bijutsu through disciplined training, etiquette, character development, and spiritual growth. His published books include Shinto Moments—Discover Your Connection with this Ancient Japanese Way of Living, Banzai Charge—Japanese Swordsmanship of WWII, and Kyudo kyohon: Original Japanese Archery Instruction Manual from 1922.