Sara Bluestone began her training in Aikido at Saotome Sensei’s first dojo in Sarasota, Florida in 1976 and moved with him in 1977 to Washington, D.C. to train at the Aikido Shobukan Dojo. She was awarded the rank of godan (5th degree blackbelt) by Saotome Sensei in 2002. Sara taught in the evening classes for a number of years and now assists in the children and teens youth program.