San Francisco Aikikai
​Lauren Mallas
rokudan shidoin
Chief Instructor

Founding member of San Francisco Aikikai which started in 1992 under the instruction of Joel Posluns and under the auspices of both Mitsunari Kanai and Yoshimitsu Yamada.
Lauren has also practiced at Hombu Dojo in Tokyo, where she resided while attending Tokyo University. She has a particular interest in Aikido weaponry, which she has studied with Steven Kaufmann, Mitsunari Kanai, Kazuo Chiba and Claude Berthiaume.
​Fred Foote
rokudan shidoin
Dojo Manager
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Founding member of San Francisco Aikikai which started in 1992 under the instruction of Joel Posluns and under the auspices of both Mitsunari Kanai and Yoshimitsu Yamada.​
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Fred has found Aikido training a major asset in maintaining good health, balance, and body flexibility. A primary interest in Fred's teaching is understanding how counterintuitive movements can become automatic and natural with ongoing Aikido practice.
Sylvain Choisel
nidan fukushidoin

Sylvain started practicing Aikido in France under the direction Christian Tissier. In 2009 he moved to Belgium and trained with students of Seiichi Sugano. Since 2012 he has been training at San Francisco Aikikai and was promoted to Nidan under the auspices of Yoshimitsu Yamada. Sylvain currently teaches the Tuesday night class in which he elegantly demonstrates the principles of blending and centeredness.
Deborah Yoon Zacharias
sandan fukushidoin
Deborah started on her Aikido path at New York Aikikai in 2005. She has been practicing at San Francisco Aikikai for more than twenty years and teaches the Saturday morning class. Her generous personal style is a wonderful accompaniment to her beautiful Aikido, and the grace of her Ukemi is truly inspiring. By her own account she plans to continue practicing and teaching Aikido as long as she is physically able because “the learning never ends.”
​Alesia Kunz
​​rokudan shidoin emeritus
Alesia began her Aikido practice in 1979 at New York Aikikai under the instruction of Yoshimitsu Yamada. She has been teaching and practicing at San Francisco Aikikai for more than thirty years.
​Gus Sandage
​​nidan fukushidoin
Gus Sandage has been practicing Aikido at San Francisco Aikikai for 20 years. His focus is on the principles of Ukemi, defined broadly as including Attacks, Falls and Rolls, Following and Blending, all utilizing the Aikido principle of Musubi. Gus teaches the Sunday morning Ukemi class, sharing his own excellent Ukemi skills and exploring the ways Ukemi defines the relationship between Uke and Nage.