Welcome to Aikido Mt. Airy. 

Sensei Olinger began his training in the martial arts in 1978, practicing various fighting styles that he later brought together under the concepts of Jeet Kune Do. After joining the Marine Corps in 1985, he continued his education in combat self-defense training. He served as a Military Police Corrections Specialist in Okinawa, Japan, where he studied a combined style of Okinawan Kempo, Isshinryu, and Shotokan Karate.  He then transferred to the Marine Detachment at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. Sensei Olinger taught self-defense to members of both of those units. He later transferred to the Light Armored Infantry (now Light Armored Reconnaissance), where he taught self-defense and sentry removal tactics on the squad and platoon level. At the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, CA, he taught new Marines combat survival tactics.

In 1991, Sensei Olinger was hired by the police department in Reading, PA. At the same time he started training in Kinokawa Aikido under Hanshi Wirth. In 1993, Sensei Olinger trained under John Desmot and Jim Marsh in the Police SAFETY system and started teaching physical fitness, self-defense, and the mechanics of arrest at the police academy in addition to his patrol duties. He also taught Sunday morning aikido classes at Aikido Kinokawa West Reading, PA.

In 1995, Sensei Olinger earned his 1st Dan in Kinokawa Aikido and started teaching as a Shodan Sempai for Hanshi Wirth. The following year, Sensei Olinger helped form the Aikido Kinokawa, Temple, PA, dojo. In 1998, Sensei Olinger opened Aikido Mt. Airy, MD, and in 1999 earned his 2nd Dan under Hanshi Wirth.

While continuing his academic education, Sensei Olinger worked as a bouncer in a night club where he met and trained with other bouncers skilled in Brazilian Jujitsu. In 2001, Sensei Olinger earned his BA from UMBC and in 2002 was hired as a police officer for Montgomery County, MD, where he worked in the Silver Spring district. In March of 2003 Sensei Olinger earned his 3rd Dan under Hanshi Wirth.

Later that year during a traffic encounter with a group of carjackers and robbers, Sensei Olinger was shot in the spine. The incident has left him temporarily partially paralyzed; however, he continues to train in Iron Palm kung fu (which he started studying under Ron Burkle in 1997), Iron Shirt qi gong, and bone marrow qi gong. He is currently working toward his MA in Five Elements Acupuncture while recovering from his wound.  In April of 2009 Sensei Olinger was awarded his 4th Dan and title of Sensei under Hanshi Wirth.

Sensei Olinger continues to teach aikido at his dojo and has been a guest aikido instructor for Ten Shin Ichi Ryu seminars held in Rockville, MD. He believes in real-world martial skills balanced with ki development and self-discovery training and falls back on his thirty plus years of experience to train his students.