Aikido World

From all of us in Chicago to all our friends across the globe, have a wonderful and safe holiday!

Happy New Years!

S. Toyoda

The Western Region is growing. Utah Aikikai, a large and active dojo in Salt Lake City, has just affiliated with the AAA. Dojocho Rick Berardini Sensei made it official by hosting Western Region Director James Nakayama Sensei for a seminar over the December 5 weekend.

The existing Utah AAA dojos – Ron Sims Sensei’s Jyushinkan Dojo in Logan, Veera Kasicharernvat Sensei’s Ganshinkan Dojo in Salt Lake City, and Marc Hugentobler’s Utah Valley University club in Orem – turned out to welcome our new friends.

Since Utah Aikikai is getting to know the AAA’s style, the seminar mostly focused on kyu requirements, with Sunday devoted to weapons practice.

Berardini Sensei and his students are very hospitable, and Mrs. Berardini is a magnificent cook who knows that the way to get Nakayama Sensei to return is to make him chicken curry. The weekend was a lot of fun. We’ll be doing it again at the end of January, when Stephen Toyoda Sensei will visit Utah Aikikai for a seminar and first experience of skiing, followed by a visit to Logan to teach new students at the Utah State University aikido club.

Christine Dyer

From everyone at the Aikido Association of America and Aikido Association International, we would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

Best Regards!

Utah State University’s Asian American Student Council signature event Tip Toe into Asia, with a special performance by the USU Aikido Club and Jyushinkan Dojo.  That’s quite a mouth full but as publicity goes the bigger the stage the bigger the audience and from what I remember there was about 150 people in attendance.  We were asked to perform at the event as entertainment due to its Asian heritage.  Happy to showcase our art, offer some insight into Aikido, and get a little free publicity for the dojo we agreed.  While we were performing you could hear a pin drop from the back of the room.

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On March 5th, 2009, his Excellency Mr. Shigeharu Maruyama, the Japanese Ambassador to Slovenia, presented Sensei Matjaž Dobravec, the head of Shodokan Dojo, with an award in recognition of his dedication to aikido, through which he has promoted the Japanese culture in Slovenia since 1994. This was the first award of its kind given in Slovenia by the government of Japan. On the occasion the dojo members demonstrated aikido for the ambassador and the general public.

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Here are some pictures from the Aikido Association of America‘s seminar with Stephen Toyoda Sensei at Shoshinkan Dojo (Rhode Island Aikido) this past November, 2009.   Thank you to Capuano Sensei and all the students of Shoshinkan dojo, as well as, all those who traveled to contribute their ki!