Meet the Instructors

Philippe Wyffels Sensei is the chief instructor for Aikido of Salt Lake and has trained in Aikido for more than 30 years. A native of Brussels, Belgium, he began his training in Brazil under Roberto Maruyama Sensei (7th dan) of the Maruyama Institute of Aikido. Philippe Sensei came to Utah as a shodan (1st-degree black belt) in 1999 and received his nidan (2nd degree) and sandan (3rd degree) rank advancements in Salt Lake City from Masayuki Yamane Shihan (7th dan) of Sakura Aikikai (Sakura City, Chiba-ken, Japan). He was awarded his yondan (4th degree) in 2016 and godan (5th degree) in 2024 from Roberto Nobuhiko Maruyama Sensei in São Paulo, Brazil.

Gerry Carpenter is the second instructor and co-owner of Aikido of Salt Lake. He began training at Salt Lake Aikikai in 2009 and was awarded his shodan by Masayuki Yamane Shihan (7th dan) of Sakura Aikikai in Japan in May 2014. In 2015, he began training with Roberto Maruyama Sensei of the Maruyama Institute of Aikido of São Paulo, Brazil. He received his nidan (2nd degree) in 2016, sandan (3rd degree) in 2019, and yondan (4th degree) in 2024 from Maruyama Sensei.

Steph Beller is an assistant instructor at Aikido of Salt Lake. Originally from Switzerland, she began training with Philippe Sensei and Gerry Sensei in 2016. She was awarded her shodan (1st degree black belt) in Salt Lake City in February 2022 through the Maruyama Institute of Aikido.

Jeannette Rodriguez is an assistant instructor at Aikido of Salt Lake with a martial arts background spanning since 2000, including Tai Chi, Aikido, Jiujitsu, and Judo. She began training with Aikido of Salt Lake in 2018 and received the rank of Aikido shodan in October 2022 through the Maruyama Institute of Aikido.

Grant Jackson is an assistant instructor at Aikido of Salt Lake. He began his martial arts training in Taekwondo in his 20s, and after several years at black belt rank in that style, Grant decided to try training Aikido, which his father had introduced him to as a teenager. He was awarded his Aikido shodan rank in April 2024 in São Paulo, Brazil, through the Maruyama Institute of Aikido. His diverse martial arts background gives him a unique perspective on different training approaches and how the principles of Aikido complement other disciplines.