Siskiyou Aikikai was founded in 1983 by Chief Instructor Darrell Bluhm.

In Aikido, Bluhm Sensei holds a degree of 7th dan (black belt) and Shihan (master instructor) certification. He is the longest-serving member of the Birankai North America Senior Council, where he focuses on technical standards and maintaining the integrity of the Birankai founder’s legacy. He has been assisted for nearly thirty years in teaching and dojo management by his wife, Cindy Eggers, 6th dan.

Bluhm began his study of Aikido at U.C. Santa Cruz in 1970. In 1981 he became a student of Kazuo Chiba, Shihan, and a founding member of San Diego Aikikai. Bluhm also studied Iai Batto-ho (Iaido) with Chiba Sensei and had several opportunities to study with his teacher’s teacher, T. Mitsuzuka. In addition to teaching in his own dojo, he has taught Aikido seminars nationally and internationally.

Cindy Eggers began her Aikido training at Siskiyou Aikikai in 1986. She taught the children’s program for many years in addition to adult classes—with special attention to teaching the basic weapons forms. Cindy supported Chiba Sensei in his organization for 13 years as the Executive Director of Birankai North America. She is currently on sabbatical from teaching Aikido.

In Tai Chi Chuan, Sifu Bluhm holds a teaching certificate from Master Choy Kam Man’s Tai Chi Chuan Academy of San Francisco. He began studying with Master Choy in 1971 and has taught Yang-style forms for over forty years.

In The Feldenkrais Method^®, Darrell Bluhm has been a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner (CM) since 1996 when he graduated from a rigorous four-year professional training program. This followed a 25-year career as a body-worker in several modalities, a licensed massage therapist and instructor at massage schools in Ashland and San Diego.

Bluhm worked with the acting company at Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 16 seasons as Teacher of the Feldenkrais Method^®.