July 2008
A warm welcome to our newest students, Scarlett and Tony. Both are off to a great start and doing well.
Congratulations to Jeff, David, Danielle and Emily who all passed their 5th kyu examination. Well done by all.
Other than the above, July has been business as usual. Keep up the great work and many thanks to all the instructors and senior students who have been such a great help to me over the past couple of months.
June 2008
Welcome to our new students, Troy & Ashlynn. Both are off to a great start and doing well.
We've been very busying this month with testing. Please join my in congratulating the following students who recently passed their advancement exam.
NIDAN
Miguel, Alex, Siva, Justin, Paul
SHODAN
Romuel, Fernando, Mario, Roque
9th Kyu
Ian, Scott
Great job by everyone! Many thanks to Guy, Dan, Trevor, Greg and Jeff for stepping up and assisting with ukemi duties.
A special thank you to Jeremy and Cindy of the Sanbukan for putting together a special training session while I was in town during a recent trip to the L.A. area. It was great seeing them again along with Sensei Larry, Jay and Stephanie, as well as meeting some new folks.
May 2008
This past month was pretty much uneventful and business as usual. Congratulations are in order for Nolan who successfully passed his 9th kyu exam. Sensei Justin administered the exam and reports he did an excellent job.
Many thanks to the Shuharikan dojo gang in St. Paul, MN for hosting a very well attended workshop with Shioda Yasuhisa Kancho and Amos Parker Shihan. It was great to see the likes of Fred Haynes, Keith Taylor and Charles Southern and their gangs who we don't see very often. Of course is always great to see the gang from the Shinrikan dojo in Indy and getting to meet new people and putting a face and nikajo on those I've talked to over the years, but have not met until now. It was also great meeting Graham Stewart and seeing Kaori San again. Thanks again for a great workshop.
April 2008
April was a busy time for us here at Seikeikan. First, we welcome our newest student Troy who is off to an awesome start. This month we had several exams and we proudly congratulate the following students:
Youth 8th kyu: Bridgette, Hanna, Hannah & Stuart
Youth 7th kyu: Devan, Kyle, Nicole & Brianna
In addition to the kyu testing, we had one nidan and 4 shodan exams. Congratulations to the following students:
Nidan (2nd degree black belt): Siva
Shodan (1st degree black belt): Guy, Dan, Trevor & Greg
All did exceptionally well and those who tested for shodan and nidan have been registered with the IYAF. Great job everyone.
Myself, Sensei's Justin & Paul, Andrea, Sensei Miguel (Manteca) and Sensei Mike (Phoenix) will be traveling to St. Paul, MN to meet and train with Yasuhisa Shioda Kancho, the new head of Yoshinkan Aikido, and Parker Shihan. Sensei Mark will be holding down the fort while we are gone. Senpai's Guy, Dan, Trevor and Greg should also be in class to assist. Please give them your undivided attention, practice hard and have fun.
March 2008
As we bring March to a close, let us welcome our newest members, David, Nolan, Cory, Ian and Scott. All three are off to a great start.
Congratulations are in order to Steve S. for a successful 9th kyu exam. Well done Steve.
Several of our old time students have been preparing for their shodan and nidan exams. Those exams will take place the first Saturday in April. Due to space limitations, the testing is only open to current dojo members and their families. Best of luck to all the candidates.
Unfortunately, my computer is still out for repair so I am unable to send out a general notice about the testing and dojo news. With any luck, I will have it back this week. However I am not holding my breath. If you have sent me e-mail and I have not responded, please accept my apologies.
February 2008
February has come and gone and all is well with the exception of my notebook not surviving a business trip home. Unfortunately, the February update is on the notebook which will be on its way to the vendor for repair. So with that in mind, WELCOME to all our new students. You know who you are. Also, many thanks to Sensei's Mark, Justin and Paul for covering classes for me in my absence. Once my notebook has returned, I will do a proper update.
Before we leave however, I want to extend my sincere thanks to Alejandro Sensei from 3 Shapes Aikido and all his students for a great training session. While in Boise, ID for work related training, yes - I'm still trainable, I had the opportunity to visit the dojo. I highly recommend this dojo to anyone traveling through the area. Domo Arigato!
January 2008
Happy New Year and welcome back. We've started the New Year off well with a great turnout from our returning students. I'm looking forward to a great year. Welcome to our newest students Barbara, Chris and Connor who are off to an awesome start. A warm welcome back to the students of the Heiseikan and Heidokan dojo's. I look forward to seeing you all soon.
December 2007
Dear Students, Parents and Friends,
I will start by first congratulating Hannah, Max, Stuart, Nick, Joseph, Calin, Joshua, David and Bill who all successfully survived … ummm … passed their exams this month. You all did an awesome job. J
As we bring to 2007 to a close I wanted to again thank each and every one of you for your support, trust and faith in myself, the instructors and each other. We’ve had quite a busy 2007 and I look for more of the same in 2008.
2007 not only had the highest enrollment to date since opening in 1999, but also the highest retention rate. As we do every year, we hosted our annual clinic with Amos Parker Shihan which was well attended. Some of our newest students at the time attended as well. As always, Sensei’s teaching was awesome. In addition to Sensei Parker, we had several visitors, namely Mark Rashid Sensei from Estes Park, Colorado and Andrew Connelly Sensei from Placerville.
This past year Sensei Miguel (Manteca), Sensei Paul, Senpai Andrea and myself travelled to Lincoln, Nebraska to assist Parker Sensei with a clinic. This clinic was attended by many non-aikido students so he really appreciated our joining him. We were also joined by our good friends Charlie Burmeister Sensei (Chicago) and Michael Pitts Sensei (Indianapolis). In addition to the Lincoln trip, I myself taught a clinic down in San Diego and in Phoenix, at Michael Jones Sensei’s dojo, and attended a clinic in Indianapolis at the Shinrikan dojo. A group of us also visited the dojo of Barry Burtt Sensei in Mariposa and took a lesson in Shinkendo, which was followed by a great BBQ. We also hosted a special training session for the Boy Scouts which from what I’ve been told, was well received. The boys did an awesome job.
This year saw the opening of Folsom Aikido at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. Unfortunately the dojo is now on hiatus, but we are hoping to get it running again come Spring or Summer. Many thanks to Jocelyn who helped us get the club going, Risa for her dedication and support in keeping the club running when Jocelyn fell ill and to Sensei Mark, Paul, Alex and Senpai Andrea who took on the roles of primary instructors. In the short time the dojo was open it was visited by Parker Sensei and Mr. Tom Seeto and his wife from Australia. We’ll miss training with the Bears, but look forward to our return.
We also had record growth at the Heidokan dojo in Manteca. Sensei Alex is now a part of the teaching staff while he attends UOP. The dojo is doing well and I look forward to spending more time with Miguel Sensei and the Heidokan next year.
As in past years we’ve welcomed many new students and have said so long to others. We’ve had a record number of examinations this past year highlighted by the Shodan-hou exam passed by Guy, Dan and Trevor. We have a good number of students who will be preparing for first degree black belt and second degree black belt so this certainly gives us something to work towards. Congratulations to everyone who took and passed an exam this past year.
On a personal note, I myself celebrated my 25th year of study in Yoshinkan Aikido. I chose/choose not to make a big deal of it. Maybe because my own Sensei did not make a huge deal out of his and I’ve always tried to follow in his foot steps when it comes to aikido. I can hardly believe I’ve been at it for so long. It’s because of great students and friends like you and the support of my family that I continue on. Several of you have asked me how long I’ve been practicing aikido in the past several weeks, so there you go.
I want to again say THANK YOU to Sensei Mark, Paul and Justin who have assisted me throughout the year when I’ve been away. I also want to say again “welcome home to Sensei Justin” who spent roughly 6 months in Russia teaching English and jumped right back into the mold shortly after his return. You guys are awesome!
In closing, the Seikeikan dojo exists because of great students like you. I look forward to 2008 and the continued growth of the dojo. Remember, keep practicing those basics movements. There’s only 6!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday’s and here’s wishing you all a safe, prosperous, healthy and joyous New Year. See you all on Saturday, January 5, 2008.
Peace,
... Steven
November 2007
November was pretty much business as usual. Our newest student Jim comes to us by way of Southern California. Jim started his Yoshinkan Aikido training 1980 and is adapting to our school quite nicely. Welcome Jim.
We had a visit from the Reeves family who trained with us for quite some time. Patricia is now in the US Navy stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. She is currently continuing her training with Nakazawa Sensei who, like me, is a student of Amos Parker Shihan. It was great seeing the Reeve's again.
I spent a weekend visiting and training with Cameron Gary and his students down in San Diego. Everyone is doing great. Congratulations to Curtis and Ian who were tested and advanced to ikkyu. I also want to again extend my thanks to Sensei's Paul, Justin and Senpai Andrea who covered class while I was in San Diego and sick.
October 2007
We start October news by welcoming all of our newest students to both our youth and adult programs. In no particular order we welcome Steve, Stuart, Hannah, Anna, Drew, Paul, Max and Richard. Quite a large contingent of new students for sure.
October was also a very busy month for testing. Congratulations to the following students. Jeff (7th kyu), Stephanie, Danielle & Emily (8th kyu), Josh, David and Bill (9th kyu); and from out youth program, Hannah (9th kyu), Kyle, Nicole & Brianna, (7th kyu), Devon (6th). All did an awesome job.
Many thanks to Sensei Barry Burtt of Aikido of Mariposa who hosted a group of us on the 28th. We took a 3 hour lesson in Shinkendo and finished the day with a nice BBQ. We were joined by Sensei Miguel and some of his students from Manteca Aikido. A great time.
September 2007
This month features new students, some promotions, special visitors and news about our Folsom dojo. We will start by again welcoming Nic and Ana to our youth program. Both are doing very well. This month we also welcome back our good friend and assistant instructor, Sensei Justin. Justin has been in Russia since January teaching English as well as learning about the culture.
Sensei Alex was in town and came by to practice with us. He reports that all is going quite well at the University of the Pacific. He also reports training at our Manteca dojo affiliate is going quite well. It was great seeing Alex again. We also had a special visit from Sensei Mike from our Phoenix affiliate. It was awesome having our first shodan back in the house, even if for one night of training.
Congratulations are in order to the following students: Guy and Dan (Seikeikan Shodan-ho), Greg (1st kyu). All did a fabulous job on their exams.
News regarding our Folsom dojo is mixed. First the good stuff. Students continue to train hard and with great spirit. Many thanks to the Boy Scouts who fixed the area in front of the Owl Barn where we keep the mats. It is so much easier now to get the mats in and out of the storage area. Our resident zoo staff member, Risa, made 9th kyu. If you knew Risa you would know why this is such a great accomplishment.
We had a wonderful visit from Tom and Susan Seeto from Sydney, Australia. Tom is a student of Sensei Darren Friend. :: http://www.aikido-sydney.com :: Tom and Susan were in town visiting family and made a special trip to Folsom to train with the "Bears". We all had a great time training and visiting with Tom & Susan.
And now for the not so good news. Unfortunately the Bear Deck does not stay dry when it rains and the Folsom Parks and Recreation is unable to accommodate us for the winter by providing an indoor location. Our last class will be the last Monday of October, weather permitted. If anyone has a location in Folsom that can accommodate our aikido program, please contact the dojo.
I was asked recently how long I've been practicing aikido. It is hard to believe that September marks my 25th year. I really don't know what has kept me going all these years other then I just flat out love practicing and teaching aikido; and giving back to my students what my instructors gave to me. It has been a great journey which I hope lasts another 125 years. To my teachers, instructors, training partners and students who have put up with me all these years, thank you. You all ROCK!
-- Steven
August 2007
2007 August Seminar - Our summer seminar with Amos L. Parker Shihan was a great success. Our newest dojo, Folsom Aikido, also hosted Sensei for a 1.5 hour session. Many thanks for all who supported this years seminar. We had a great turnout which also included a live video feed to group of dedicated students in Saudi Arabia.
Congratulations are in order to Andi, Nicole and Brianna. Andi made 5th kyu while Nicole and Brianna were elevated to youth 8th kyu. The all did very well in their presentations/exams. Keep up the great work ladies.
A warm welcome to William, Bill & Sitra, our newest members.
We finished August with a special one hour workshop with Boy Scout Troop 107. The boys have been working on sports activities all month. Aikido and Judo are two of three martial arts sanctioned by Boy Scouts of America. Many thanks to all the parents who came out in support, the boys and instructors who assisted. All had a great time.
June & July 2007
The month of June was a busy time for us and July is shaping up very nicely. A warm welcome to Jeff, Dave, Nicole and Brianna who are our newest students. All are doing fantastic. This month we sadly say farewell to Tom who's parents are moving out of the area. It has been a real pleasure and we hope to see Tom again. I would also like to welcome all the new students who are attending classes at our newest dojo, Folsom Aikido. Everyone is doing an excellent job. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Sensei's Mark, Alex, Paul and Senpai Andi who have graciously taken on the primary teaching duties at the Folsom dojo.
Final preparations are underway for our August clinic with Amos Parker Shihan. Information on the clinic can be fount at
www.seikeikan.com/2007clinic.php. More to follow soon.
Welcome back to Stephanie & Sarah who are back in town for the summer. Both are University students at UC Davis & UC Berkeley respectfully. Nice to have you back.
May 2007
We are very excited about the grand opening of our newest dojo, Folsom Aikido. Classes commence on Monday, May 7. The new dojo is on the covered Bear Deck at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. The dojo will feature brand new Mancino mats, which are the same high quality mats used at the Orangevale dojo. Many thanks to Zoo Manager and student, Jocelyn, who helped make the new dojo a reality. We are hoping for a good turn out. Come learn Aikido while enjoying the sites and sounds of the resident animals which include Bears, Tigers, Lions and an assortment of other fabulous animals. More details can be found online at www.FolsomAikido.com or www.FolsomZoo.com.
May 5: Congratulations are in order for Stephanie, who passed her first adult examination and to Kyle and Vincent who passed their youth 8th kyu exam. Well done by all three.
April 2007
Our highlight this month was a trip to Lincoln, Nebraska to assist Parker Shihan with an Aikido clinic at the dojo of John Roseberry Shihan. The Sho-rei-shobu-kan dojo teaches Judo, Daito-ryu, Goju-ryu Karate, Aikido and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The clinic was very well attended by members of the dojo. Also assisting from Seikeikan were Sensei Paul & Andrea and from our Manteca dojo, Sensei Miguel. Charlies Burmeister Sensei from Chicago and Michael Pitts Sensei from Indianapolis also came to train and assist. We all had a very good time and recommend this dojo to anyone in the Lincoln area that may be looking for a school.
March 2007
We had a very busy month of March. Jocelyn is the newest member of our adult class and is off to a wonderful start. Congratulations are in order for Emily and Devon who passed their youth 7th kyu examination and for Andi who passed her adult 6th kyu examination. Many thanks to Sensei Paul who took ukemi for the exam.
Many have asked about Sensei Justin and his adventures in Russia. I have heard from Justin and he is doing well, learning lots and meeting new people. I look forward to his return and hearing of all the adventuring he had.
Our sister dojo in Manteca, the Heidokan, is doing well. They recently had a round of youth examinations. The first in their new location. The Heidokan is co-located in the dojo of MVP Taekwondo in Manteca.
February 2007
Let's start the February news by welcoming our newest member, Thomas, who is off to a great start. We also had our first visitor of 2007, Shawn, from Mendicino, CA who was in town on business and visited our dojo. Shawn's dojo is affiliated with Kevin Blok Sensei's Chudokai organization in Windsor, Canada.
Our visit to the Heiseikan dojo in Phoenix went very well. We trained Friday night, had two sessions on Saturday and one on Sunday. Jeremy and Katie was advanced to 9th kyu and Michael Sensei was graded to nidan. Fine job by everyone. A very special thank you to Miguel Sensei for joining me on the trip and for the assistance.
January 2007
Happy New Year and welcome back. We started the New Year by welcoming our newest members to the adult class, Stephanie and Melissa. In our youth class, we welcome Crystal. All are off to a fabulous start. I am very pleased to see everyone back and into their training regiment again after the break. We've picked up where we left off and are getting close to our first shinsa for 2007.
Our newest shodans are now officially registered with the honbu via the IYAF. Their diploma's arrived and were presented this month. Congratulations once again to Evan, Siva and Paul for a fine job.
We've switched to a new web calendar because the old one was no longer free. I am using my Yahoo Calendar and have added all our training days as well as for special events. The first weekend in February, Miguel Sensei and I will be traveling to Phoenix AZ to practice with Michael Jones Sensei and his students. Other events include a special workshop in Lincoln, NE with Parker Sensei and 3 great clinics in June featuring Terada Hanshi, Chida Dojocho and Shioda Shihan.
December 2006
Wow – We certainly finished 2006 with a bang. But before we go there, let's welcome to the family the newest member to our juniors program, Devon. Welcome aboard Devon.
2006 has certainly been a full year for us here at the Seikeikan. By far, this has been one of the most productive years we have had since we opened our doors in 1999. We have welcomed many new students and have said good bye to others. Most notably is Barry, who is in the US Air Force and was traveling from Beale AFB to practice with us. We say sayonara to Barry this month as he as been redeployed to South Korea. Also leaving us for 6 months is Sensei Justin, who will be heading to Russia to teach English at several schools and universities. Safe journey to both of you, and I look forward to your return.
Some of the highlights for 2006 include, but are not limited to, the following:
CLINICS: We hosted Amos Parker Shihan twice this year. Both clinics were well attended by our own dojo members as well as visitors from Manteca, Chicago, Phoenix, San Jose, Modesto, San Diego and Sacramento. Several aikido students from other organizations were among these visitors. 2006 also found us hosting our good friend John Fox Sensei from Ashland, OR, who kindly came down and taught a JO class. We also traveled to Mariposa to the dojo of our good friend Barry Burtt Sensei. All events were well attended and everyone had a great time.
ADVANCEMENTS: 2006 saw several advancements of our students. Within our junior program, Alex, Dan and Trevor were promoted to youth shodan (Purple Belt). Joseph, Calen, Tom, Trent, Sid & Anthony were elevated to 6th kyu (Yellow Belt).
Within our teen/adult program, 5 of our adult students were tested for shodan (black belt). This past summer, Alex and Justin were tested for shodan and we ended December with Evan, Siva and Paul being tested for their shodan. All have been students for over several years and have been very dedicated to the dojo, both as students and as mentors to the new and junior students.
Also grading this year were Ben, Stephanie and Sarah (4th kyu), Greg, Natasha & Jordan (5th kyu) and Andrea (9th kyu). Like the others, great job.
DEMOS: 2006 had us doing demos at JFK High School in Sacramento as well as Twin Lakes and Coleman Elementary schools. A huge thank you to everyone who attended these events and helped make them a success. I would also like to again thank Sensei Justin and his Kenpo Karate students for the fine demonstration they did for us. It is always good to see other martial arts in action.
SEIKEIKAI DOJO’S: Our two affiliate dojo’s continue to progress. Sensei Mike Jones in Phoenix/Peoria continues to train at his home dojo with his students. Sensei Mike indicates all are doing well and I look forward to visiting the Heiseikan dojo early next year.
Sensei Miguel Arredondo and the Manteca dojo had a bit of a set back earlier this year when they lost their training space. However, patience, timing and good fortune finds Manteca Yoshinkan training at Crossroads Grace Community Church in Manteca. The program was setup as an out-reach program, however has expanded beyond that. Sensei Miguel and I also did a basic self defense class for a group of moms at Crossroads that turned out quite well. I look forward to returning to Manteca to meet and train with Sensei Miguel’s students.
DOJO PARTY: As we have done since our opening, our end-of-year party was well attended. The variety of food was once again awesome. A very special THANK YOU to Sensei Mark and his wonderful family for hosting the event at his house.
WEBSITE: The website underwent a major over haul for the first time in about 3 years. I want to thank Ben Comroe for his time and dedication in redesigning the site and making is much easier to navigate and browser friendly. I have received many compliments from other schools and instructors about the redesign; and updating the site is much simpler. Thanks again for your time and energy on our virtual dojo Ben.
To all the families, parents, guardians and adult students, thank you for your dedication and trust in our school. To all the Seikeikan deshi, thank you for your excellent work, great spirit and beautiful attitude on the mat during our training and clinics. I trust you exhibit the same when away from the dojo.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza and Happy Holidays. Be safe and may 2007 bring you good fortune, health and happiest.
Heiwa,
Steven Miranda
November 2006
This month we welcome our newest student, Aileen, to the family. We look forward to working with her as she begins her aikido journey.
Our Fall clinic with Parker Shihan was a great success. As in the past, we had an excellent clinic, learned a lot and had a great time training under one of Yoshinkan Aikido's best instructors. We had an excellent turn out which included Yoshinkan instructors from San Diego, Mariposa and Manteca. A special thank you to our guests from Aikido of Modesto and Sacramento that joined us on Saturday. It is always great to meet, train with and make new friends. You are most welcome any time.
As a reminder, there will be no class on Thursday, 11/23 due to Thanksgiving. Classes will resume as schedule on Saturday, 11/25.
E-mail was recently sent out about our end-of-year party to be hosted by Sensei Mark and his family. If you did not receive that e-mail, please let myself or Sensei Mark know. There is an RSVP form on the main page.
October 2006
We start the month of October by welcoming Vincent, David, Kiyomi, Kyle and a belated welcome to Anton. Everyone is off to a great start.
Please join me in congratulating Stephanie on a fine performance during her yonkyu (4th kyu) examination. Many thanks to Guy who stood in as uke at the last moment.
Our fall gasshuku with Parker Sensei is set for November 16~18. More information can be found by clicking H E R E.
September 2006
With folks returning from vacation and the new school year getting under way,
I'd like to say to all our students, welcome back and good luck with the new
school year.
We have quite a few new students joining us this month. A warm welcome to, Andi, Julie, Sarah, Emily, Phil and Barry. All are off to a wonderful start
Many thanks to all who attended our JO workshop with John Fox Sensei from Ashland, Oregon. The workshop was well attended and everyone learned new skills. Many thanks to Fox Sensei for taking time from his very busy schedule to come down and to work with us.
August 2006
Business pretty much as usual this month. A warm welcome to our newest students Mark and Nhi who join are adult & teen class. Not much more to report for August.
July 2006
Summer time has certainly taken its toll on enrollment, however those
still in town have been training with great spirit. Our new summer Monday night
class has been well attended by our youth. Many thanks to Sensei's Mark
& Justin who have been filling in for me while I was away on company
business as well as vacation.
Several of us traveled down to the Shounkan dojo in Mariposa and had a
wonderful training with Barry Burtt Sensei, members of his dojo, as well as
John Fox Sensei and two of his students who came down from Ashland OR. After
training, we had a BBQ, sat around and told stories and visited. It was a great
time by all. Many thanks to Burtt Sensei, his family and students for having of
down for the afternoon.
June 2006
Things ended on a strong note for May and have started out with a real bang in
June. On May 30, four of our adult/teen students passed their 7th kyu exam.
Congratulations are in order for Natasha, Jordan, Matt and Austin. They all had
an excellent exam.
We held a shodan (1st degree black belt) test on June 1. This is the first
shodan exam in over a year. Congratulations are in order for Alex and Justin
who both passed their exam with great energy and technique. Alex and Justin
become Seikeikan dojo's 4th and 5th black belts.
Not to be out done by the adults, three of our long time youth students,
Daniel, Trevor and AlexE, took and passed their shonen shodan (youth shodan,
purple belt) on June 8th. All three of them have been long time students of the
Seikeikan and have attended several clinics with Amos Parker Shihan. They
become our 2nd, 3rd and 4th youth shodan. Well done lads.
On a sad note, Matt will be leaving us as he and his wife are on their way to
Hokkaido, Japan. Please join me in wishing them all the best.
I'd like to welcome back to the dojo our very own Yuko. She is on summer
break from her studies at UC Berkeley. Yuko is one of Seikeikan's original
students.
Talks are currently under way to provide a youth and adult/teen class on Monday
nights. E-mail will be sent out soon once all the talking and arrangements are
done.
May 2006
May 12: Twin Lakes Elementary Carnival
Many thanks to the Twin Lakes carnival committee for their kind invitation to
participate in their school carnival. This is our first year doing a demo at
Twin Lakes. Many thanks to Sensei Mark and Senpai Justin for their kind
assistance.
May 5: Coleman Elementary Carnival
Many thanks to the Coleman committee who again invited us to do a public demo
at their school carnival. This will be our last year doing this demo because
the school board has decided to close the school. Many thanks to Coleman and
Seikeikan dojo student Anthony and Sensei Mark for their assistance.
May 1: Thank you to everyone who helped make our Spring gasshuku with
Amos Parker Shihan a success. As in all gasshuku's, our focus was on kihon
dosa and kihon waza. As well, we were drilled on other such basics as shikko
ho, kamae and ukemi. Along with all the Seikeikan students, I would like to
thank the following persons for their attendance and support.
Charlie Burmeister, Chicago, IL
Michael Jones, Phoenix, AZ
Miguel Arredondo, Manteca, CA
Don Hoffman, Manteca, CA
Don Shigemura, San Jose, CA
Yojiro Imaya, San Jose, CA
Daryl Bryant, San Jose
... and of course, to all the families, wives and significant others who put up
with our Aikido habit. THANK YOU! We're all looking forward to Parker
Sensei's next visit in November.
April 2006
It's been a busy April for us here at Seikeikan dojo. Let's first start
by wishing Sensei Ben at Junshinkan best wishes as he embarks on a new
adventure in Taiwan. The company that Ben is working for assigned him to their
Taiwan office for 6 months as part of his internship. Ben left for Taiwan on
April 1.
April Promotions: Congratulations are in order for the following
students:
- Gregory - 5th Kyu (green)
- Maeobi - 9th Kyu (yellow)
- Ken - 9th Kyu (yellow)
On Tuesday, 4/10, I had the opportunity to visit my home dojo while traveling
on business to Los Angeles. I'd like wish my first teacher, Mits Yamashita
Sensei, a very happy birthday. It's hard to believe he is 64 years young.
You would never know it by looking at him. I would also like to thank Sensei
Larry, Senpai Jeremy, Stephanie and the whole gang at Sanbukan for the warm
welcome and great training. I had a great time seeing the old gang again and
being able to practice at the dojo where I got my start oh so many years
ago.
On Friday, 4/20, The Seikeikan was invited to participate in a public
demonstration at JFK High School in Sacramento. Many thanks to Sensei Mark,
Senpai Justin and Kohai Sinforoso for helping with the demonstration. Mr. Kenny
Chang, a JFK senior, invited us to participate in his senior project which was
a Martial Arts demonstration. Afterwards there was a pizza party which gave
everyone a chance to visit after the demo. Great job by all the participants.
We're hoping to get copies of the pictures to share with the dojo.
We're just a week away from our clinic with Parker Sensei. Everyone
continues to work hard in preparation for what is turning out to be a great
event. On Tuesday, 4/25, we'll be cleaning the mats. Please bring any old
rags you may have.
March 2006
Congratulations are in order for Natasha, Austin and Matt who were
advanced to 9th kyu. They all had an excellent examination and are on great
pace for their next exam. This month we welcome Maeobi to the dojo who is doing
a fantastic job. In our youth class, Sam and Kyle join our ranks. Everyone is
doing a great job. Keep up the great work.
February 2006
I would like to start off by thanking Sensei Mark and Senpai Justin
for holding down the fort in my absence. As always, they did a great job at
keeping things running smoothly. Brenton is our new student for February and is
doing an awesome job. He is on great pace for his first exam in March.
Congratulations are in order for Joseph (youth 8th kyu) and Sid
(youth 9th kyu) for passing their advancement exams. The both did an excellent
job. Our next round of exams will be in early March.
Parker Sensei Clinic Update:
It's official - Parker Sensei will be with us at the end of April. The
youth center has been reserved for the two nights/days that we need the room.
Parker Sensei indicates he is looking forward to his visit. Burmeister Sensei
from Chicago is planning on coming out again as well. Let's make a good
showing by practicing our basics every day and making a good showing. More
details will be provided.
None dojo business - Many thanks for all your support of Girl Scouts by
ordering Girl Scout Cookies. My troop, 1701, especially thanks you.
January 2006
First - Happy New Year to one and all. I am pleased to see everyone
back at the dojo. The new year has started off well and I look forward to a
great year. Our first guest of 2006 was Mr. Fred Calef from our fellow
Yoshinkan dojo in Troy, NY. This is Fred's second visit to our dojo. We
also have returning and new students joining us. I would like to welcome back
Jordan and also welcome our newest students, Alan, Natasha, Ken and Jared.
It is my plan to bring Parker Sensei out in April and November this year. As
more details are available, I will be sure to let you all know. We also had our
first shinsa (examination) for 2006 within our youth class. Congratulations to
Sarah, Calin and Anthony who have all been elevated to Youth 9th kyu.
December 2005
With the Christmas Season upon us and the end of 2005 approaching, I can say
with great certainty that 2005 has been an awesome year for the Seikeikan dojo.
Every year seems to get better, and it's because of great students, family
support and friends like each of you.
This month we welcome three new students to the dojo, Brenton, Austin and Matt.
All are doing exceptionally well. We've also had our final round of shinsa
for this year. Congratulations to the following:
1st KYU:
Alex, Paul, Justin, Siva
5th KYU:
Sarah
9th KYU:
Mark C.
We also extend our congratulations to the Manteca Yoshinkan dojo students who
took and passed their shinsa.
This year we have welcomed many new and returning students and for various
reasons, said our good byes to others. Our guests this year included fellow
Yoshinkan Aikido instructors and students from Chicago, Indianapolis, Vista,
CA, San Francisco, Ashland, OR, and all the way from Ontario Canada. We
certainly cannot forget our 6 day visit from mentor and chief technical advisor
Amos Parker Sensei.
2005 saw the formation of our newest sister school, Manteca Yoshinkan Aikido,
under the direction of Miguel Arredondo, who became the second student to be
promoted to shodan by myself. The Manteca dojo, like ours, is registered
internationally and joins our other sister school in Phoenix. Our clinic this
year with Parker Sensei brought many of our visitors to Sacramento and was the
first time we did a multiple dojo clinic. Congratulations again to Sensei Ben
and his students at the Junshinkan (Sac State) dojo for a great showing. We did
two public demonstrations, one at Coleman School and the other at Beale Air
Force Base. Students traveled to Ashland for a special weapons class with our
good friend John Fox Sensei and the highlight of our travels was our 10 day
trip to Japan in celebration of the 50 th anniversary of Yoshinkan
Aikido.
We've had many shinsa (examinations) which has put us in position to reach
yet another milestone in 2006. Along with Miguel’s shodan exam and
promotion, we held our first youth shodan exam. Guy became our first youth
shodan and the first to be registered with the Yoshinkan HQ (Honbu Dojo) via
the IYAF. If 2006 goes as well as 2005, we have 7 students who will be eligible
for their shodan exam. There may even be a nidan or two in the making.
We've had a great year and I have you, and most importantly, my family to
thank. I look forward to our continued friendship, training and growth. May you
all be blessed with great happiness and health in 2006. Merry Christmas and
Happy Holidays to you all.
Peace,
...Steven
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