Eric Schafer started learning martial arts as a teenager in 1988 with Judo and Tang Soo Do.  His training was brief, but martial arts made a big impression.  After 4 yrs in the US Coast Guard, Eric moved to Austin, TX to pursue a Mechanical Engineering degree from The University of Texas.

In January of 1998, while working toward                                                that degree, Eric found a Saturday Aikido class at Austin Community College’s Northridge campus.  It was, and still is, taught by Sensei David Hamilton who has been Eric’s primary martial arts instructor ever since.  Eric has also trained in both Aikido and Tai Chi under Sensei Mark Leidig, founder and chief instructor of the School of Inner Martial Arts at ACC NRG.                                                     After graduating from UT, Eric moved to East Texas in January of 2003 for employment.  With no known Aikido dojo in the area, Eric continued to commute 4.5 hrs (one way) every weekend of that year to Austin from East Texas to take Saturday Aikido classes from David-Sensei.

 Events during this period in his life brought Eric to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  That profession of faith in 2003 led to many blessings for Eric over the next few years.  One blessing was a growth in his Aikido training.

Eric was given the opportunity to practice and share Aikido by teaching classes at the YMCA in Whitehouse, TX in September of 2006.  This continued until April of 2007 when Eric found new employment in Central Texas.

In August of 2009, the folks in the Continuing Education Dept at McLennan Community College allowed Eric to start an Aikido class at their campus.  The class struggled with insufficient space and mat availability until it was cancelled in May of 2010.  Cancellation of the MCC class was the catalyst which led to Eric starting Waco Aikido and Self Defense.