Steve Kaufmann, Shihan, 7th degree black belt, is the chief instructor Open Sky Martial Arts. He also teaches Aikido and Chen Style Tai Chi in the Physical Education Department at Duke University.
Steve is a certified public school teacher. He taught grades K–8 in Oakland, CA, and in Chatham and Orange Counties, NC, for many years. His certification in learning disability instruction is from UNC–Chapel Hill. Steve’s years of public school teaching and a lifetime of intensive martial arts training combine to give him insight into how to effectively create a positive learning environment so students can grasp how to peacefully handle aggression.
Steve began the innovative violence prevention program at the Central Park School for Children that integrates Aikido into the curriculum and focuses on violence prevention. This program was funded by a grant from the N.C. Psychoanalytic Foundation’s Peaceful Schools Project. Steve presented many workshops in violence prevention for 6th grade teachers and their students in Durham Public Schools through a research program co-sponsored by the Center for Disease Control and Duke University.
Aikido Credentials: Steve is a Shihan (master teacher). His certification, through the United States Aikido Federation, allows him to award rank in Aikido. He studied extensively with three of Aikido’s great teachers: Y. Yamada, Shihan, chief instructor of New York Aikikai; M. Kanai; and T. K. Chiba. These three Aikido masters trained with and assisted the Founder of Aikido, O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, as live-in students in his dojo.
Tai Chi Credentials: Steve has trained Tai Chi in multiple styles including Sun, Yang, and Chen for over 30 years. He is a dedicated student of Grand Master Wang Hai Jun, a teacher in the Chen Style lineage at the highest level. Chen Tai Chi provides the internal counterpart to Aikido for Steve. Master Wang Hai Jun is based in Manchester, England and visits the U.S.A three times a year. Open Sky is fortunate to host Master Wang as he’s gained increasing renown throughout Europe and China.
Steve’s daily practice includes Aikido, Zen meditation, and Tai Chi. His model of excellence is Morihei Ueshiba, O’Sensei. Steve’s interest is in developing great internal awareness and relaxed power, sensitivity and health in himself and his students. Steve’s teaching methods clearly communicate to students how to refine themselves through integration of body, mind, and spirit.
Sensei Kaufmann at White Cross School demonstration c. 2000 with uke Josh Lozoff
Sensei Kaufmann seminar discussing Yin/Yang energy
Assistant Instructors
Open Sky is lucky to have had many high ranking students to help teach aikido and tai chi classes and support newer students. By both teaching and learning from each other we gradually develop our own practice while helping hone the practice of others. Below is a list of current black belts practicing and teaching aikido and tai chi at Open Sky:
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Jesse Kaufmann is the co-founder of Open Sky Martial Arts, a lifelong student of movement, and an instructor in the Tai Chi program. Jesse was Open Sky’s school administrator and public communications person for 24 years. She also organized and ran the kids Aikido summer camp programs and taught children’s Aikido. Jesse expands on her Tai Chi teaching philosophy on the Tai Chi page. |
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Alexey Rytenkov, 4th dan, started aikido in 2003 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He is one of the senior students of Alexander Pastukhov sensei, president of Yamato Aikido Foundation. He joined Open Sky in 2016 when he moved to the United States. Alexey has studied Masatake Fujita sensei’s method for many years and has a special interest in applied forms of aikido. |
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Andy Wood, 3rd dan, often teaches weapons and bokken classes at Open Sky. After joining Open Sky in its first year, Andy also taught kids and teen classes at Open Sky for many years. Andy has been instrumental in designing and building our Open Sky dojo locations, including our most recent move in 2020, and has had a strong role in maintaining Open Sky’s weapon’s classes. Andy is professional carpenter and owner of Wood Construction, Inc. |
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Ben Wood, 1st dan, is the son of Andy Wood and joined Open Sky in 2003. Ben practiced Aikido in the kids classes through his childhood, eventually becoming an assistant teacher for kids and teens. Ben also grew up training in competitive swimming until age 19. This training informed his current fitness interests which focuses on Olympic and powerlifting weightlifting, and general calisthenics. |
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David Oskardmay, 2nd dan, is a software engineer, musician, and martial artist. David lives in Durham with his wife and cat – the kids have grown, but they still keep in touch! He has been a member at Open Sky since 2006 and practiced Tang Soo Do in his early training. He enjoys practicing with people at all skill levels and looks forward to exploring both the deep and practical aspects of Aikido. |
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Georg Buehler, 1st dan, started studying aikido in high school at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics but didn’t find his way back to the art until 2016 when his son Aidan joined the kids program at Open Sky. Georg is drawn to the radical inclusiveness of aikido, as a means of transcending conflict and realizing our common humanity. He practices aikido and tai chi in the vain hope of staying young, or at least aging gracefully. He is a software developer and consultant. |
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Margaret Krome-Lukens, 1st dan, started her Aikido journey as a high school student at Five Rivers Aikido in Gloucester, VA and has called Open Sky her Aikido home since December 2008. She appreciates the way training helps her cultivate a learning mind and has a particular fondness for jo practice. She is a Senior Program Manager and chair of the Policy Team at RAFI-USA, working to connect the experiences of farmers and community stakeholders to policy solutions. Margaret dotes on her niece and nephew, dog, and plants, and enjoys knitting and watching the US Women’s National Team play beautiful soccer. |
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Michelle Mulky, 1st dan, joined the school in its early days in the kids program and found her way back to it as an adult with renewed intent in 2017. She is happily untethered to a career: her two or three odd jobs allow her to maximizes her ability to train at Open Sky. Michelle uses the practices of Aikido and Tai Chi, as taught by Steve Sensei, to center her life and promote the patience, discipline, and awareness required for a peaceful existence both inside and out. Otherwise she’s usually just riding her bike. |
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Mike Dolan Fliss, 4th dan, teaches classes and is the manager (dojo cho) of Open Sky Martial Arts. Mike started martial arts 30 years ago, gaining dan rank in a striking art (Korean Tang Soo Do) before starting Aikido in 2000 and Chen-style Tai Chi soon after. He has a particular affinity for ukemi training and weapons work, and an interest in balancing vigorous physical conditioning with the ki aspects of aikido. Mike is also a longtime student of Buddhism and enjoys traveling for brief training intensives in both aikido and zen. Mike is a professional public health epidemiologist at UNC Injury Prevention Research Center and the NC Division of Public Health. |
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Ross Tompkins, 1st dan, began studying Aikido when he joined Open Sky in 2008. Drawn to the physical practice of restoring and maintaining harmony, he seeks to bring the mental and spiritual aspects of Aikido to other parts of his life. As a husband, father, and public servant, he finds many opportunities off the mat to practice intentionality, humility, and getting up after falling down. |
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Sean Gallagher, 2nd dan, started training in aikido in 1996 with William Gleason at Shobu Aikido (Boston, MA). He joined Open Sky Aikido in 2003 after moving to North Carolina. He is a nurse practitioner at UNC Cancer Hospital. |
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Tommy Lee White, 4th dan, began his study of Aikido at ASNJ in Roselle Park, NJ under Sensei Rick Stickles in 2002. He closely follows Yoshimitsu Yamada of New York Aikikai, Harvey Konigsberg of Aikido of Woodstock and Karen De Paola of Skylands Aikikai. Originally from Mississippi, he moved to the Northeast in 1988. In 2018 he moved “half-back” to North Carolina where he continues his Aikido studies under Sensei Steve Kauffman. As an instructor he shares his experiences as an avid participant of the Aikido seminar circuit of various instructors from around the country and abroad. He enjoys motorcycling and fishing and maintains his own architectural practice. |