Instructors & Yudansha

Joe Petrovich

Joe Petrovich Sensei, started Aikido in 1974 under Kushida Sensei. In 1975 he was introduced to Takeshi Kimeda Sensei and Mitsugoro Karasawa Sensei and trained with them regularly when in the Toronto area. In 1980 after completing post-graduate work at the University of Windsor Petrovich Sensei returned to Hamilton, Ontario and helped to establish the Hamilton Yoshinkai Aikido Club at the Hamilton Japanese Cultural Center with Kimeda Sensei.

The first visit in 1980 by Master Gozo Shioda,(founder of the Yoshinkai School of Aikido), to North America had an immeasurable and profound effect on his study of Aikido. As well He traveled to Japan in 1990 to practice at the Hombu dojo. In 1990, in order to further and deepen training, took the opportunity to study Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido under Goyo Ohmi Sensei for several years. In 1995 at the urging of Fred Springer Sensei the Seikeikan.ca Aikido Club was established and this blossomed into the Seikeikan Yoshinkai Aikido Dojo.   March of 2024 also marks Petrovich Sensei's 50th year in teaching and training in Yoshinkan Aikido.  

On a personal note, Sensei Petrovich believes we should study Aikido with a child's uninhibited sense of wonder and curiosity completely void of ego. 

Tim Webb Sensei 5th Dan

Tim is a dedicated martial artist whose journey spans over four decades. His early athletic career focussed on western fencing, where he led McMaster University to a provincial championship in 1987. After a brief exploration of kendo, he found his true calling in Yoshinkan Aikido in 1989.

Having spent many years of intense training under the auspices of Senseis Thomson, Haynes, Stewart and Blanking at the Seibukan dojo, he gained his first degree blackbelt in 1992, advancing to 5th dan by 2007 under Soke Yasuhisa Shioda, and is a certified Level 2 instructor. He has contributed significantly to Aikido's development through teaching, establishing dojos, and providing or participating in international seminars across North America, Brazil, and Japan with such prestigious instructors as Terada Shihan and Tsutomu Chida Shihan, among many other high-ranking shihans. He played key roles in founding both the Seiwakan dojo in Burlington and the Seibukan (Waterdown Aikido Yoshinkai), before going on to be the senior instructor at Toronto’s Shinseikan dojo. Since his retirement from law enforcement, he continues support local dojos in southern Ontario.

Andrew McBride 6th Dan Shihan - Technical Advisor & Guest Instructor.

With 25 years of experience Andrew McBride Shihan is internationally renowned, having taught throughout North America and all over the world (Brazil, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey). Andrew McBride Shihan started Aikido at the Royal Military College, receiving his Shodan (1st degree black belt) in 1998.  In 2008, he was requested to accompany Shioda Kancho (9th) on his 2008 North America tour as his secondary Uke, he then was selected to attend the International Instructor Course the following year, graduating from the 19th Senshusei at the Headquarters Dojo in Tokyo. In 2013, McBride Sensei received special recognition at the International All Yoshinkan Demonstration in 2014 and won the top Uke award in 2015. He was then promptly invited back to Japan as the Chief Foreign Instructor.  

Based out of Kingston, McBride Shihan visits Seikeikan often to share his Aikido and mentor teachers and students.