The New Nikyo Quarterly is now available

Winter 2009 Edition of Nikyo Quarterly

To get email notification of Nikyo Quarterly, sign up via our Google Group. The sign up link is at the top right of the blog. Please note that our old newsletter mailing service went away into the ether and, along with it, our old mailing list. So please sign up if you haven't already!

Please answer the following 1 question survey about the Google Group delivery system.
Click Here to take survey

Help Wanted for Cobblestone

Starting January 13, Rochester’s Cobblestone School will bus their 8th grade students to the Dojo for an hour long Aikido class on Tuesdays from 1:00 - 2:00 pm.

The instructors could definitely use some extra uke help. Little experience is needed so this is a wonderful opportunity for anyone in the dojo, regardless of rank, to be in involved in a community service project.

If you can help, please call Mike Lewis as soon as possible at 325-2474 (office), 624-2531 (home), and cell 943-9433.

New Year's Day!

Come ring in the new year with some Aikido practice...class will begin at 10:00 AM on 01/01/09.

Our theme will be: Concepts or techniques learned in 2008 that are worth carrying into 2009.

Hope to see you on the mat!

Marcella

Kokyu Nage

Q: How many kokyu nages can you think of in response to a yokomen attack?

A: 1? 5? 10? 15? (At Open Mat on Sunday we found 14.)

What is a kokyu nage? From Aikiweb wiki (see http://www.aikiweb.com/wiki/Kokyu_nage):

Kokyu-nage, or "breath throws" are a seemingly very broad and ambiguous class of throws. They range from virtually no-touch techniques to what can appear to be "body slams." Some techniques, such as those termed iriminage and hiji-ate nage in many styles, are referred to as types of kokyunage by other styles.

Common Traits:

A few theories exist on what makes a kokyu-nage a kokyu-nage, and do not necessarily contradict one another:

• Techniques that should be done in a flowing fashion, "in one breath."
• Techniques where uke's energy continues uninterrupted.
• Kokyu as timing or the flow of energy: thus, not depending upon joint manipulations but upon subtler timing and control of uke's attention.
• Techniques where uke seems to be thrown with nothing more than "a breath."

In tonight's 7:00 pm class we will explore several of the many kokyu nage options available in response to yokomen.

Monday Morning

For those off for the holidays or anyone wanting an early start come enjoy our morning class! This monday we will be exploring against the wall techniques. What to do when you can't back away.

Join us for breakfast afterwards at The Liberty on Winton Road. Hope to see you there!

New Year's Day Practice

Start your new year with a few good throws!

Please join us if you can for practice on New Year's Day at 10:00 am.

For more info see Marcella Mosher or Jim Austin.

Summer Camp 2009

Summer Camp dates have just been confirmed.

Camp will be at Villanova University, Villanova, PA on July 16, 17, 18 and 19.

Watch the blog and bulletin board for more details.

All things Jo

This Monday at 8pm we will concentrate on the Jo. Techniques, attacks, kata, you name it...

Saturday is Regional Practice

Hi everyone - Hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving...

Next Saturday, December 6, is a regional practice at 10 am. Hope that you can join us.

Note: Parking may be fun on Saturday as there is an auction down the hall from us at the Concept Grove wood shop.

Happy Turkey Day

Just wanted to post a reminder that there will be no class either Thursday evening or Friday morning. Enjoy the time off with family and friends. Happy Holidays

Ki Development Exercises

For the first time, I gave my Monday 7:00 pm class homework…

Question: How do ki development exercises relate to technique?

Assignment:
1. Choose a ki development exercise.
2. Lead the class in the ki development exercise you choose.
3. Demonstrate a throw/technique that illustrates the ki exercise you choose.
4. Have class practice in pairs the technique you demonstrated while you coach.

Homework was due last night and I’m pleased to say it was a great success!

6 different ki exercises were demonstrated ranging from the more commonly known kotegaeshi undo and tenkan undo to the more exotic zanshin undo and gokyo undo.

Here a run down of the ki exercises that were demonstrated:

Name	Ki Exercise	Technique	Notes
Rick P.	tekubi kosa undo (curl wrists up)	katate ryote tori kaitennage	Tekubi kosa undo has two versions: -wrists curl & cross in front of one point -wrists curl upward in front of solar plexus
Brian M.	zanshin undo	ushiro tekubi tori kokyunage line throw	3rd kyu test requirement
Bobby S.	kotegaeshi undo	ushiro kata kotegaeshi	grab side of shoulders from behind
Dave L.	gokyo undo	shomenuchi kokyunage line throw	--
Brad D.	tenkan undo	katate tori kaitennage	same side wrist grab, 4th kyu test requirement
Ann M.	udefuri undo	kosatori kokyunage	cross hand grab

Class observations:
Techniques often incorporate more than one ki exercise, for example:

Brad’s katate tori kaitennage included not only tenkan undo but funekogi undo and udemawashi undo.

Dave’s shomenuchi kokyunage line throw included gokyo undo as well as shomenuchi undo and zanshin undo.

Rick’s katate ryote tori kaitennage incorporated tekubi kosa undo as well as udemawashi undo and funekogi undo.

Link:
Our main web site has some QuickTime videos that illustrate 12 ki exercises: http://bodymindandmodem.com/KiEx/KiEx.html

Thank you to all for your enthusiastic participation!

Marcella

It's Thanksgiving Week in Rochester

ok, it's actually all across the US, Rochester is really not THAT unique...

Just in time for the Turkeys, a little sword work for the Monday 8pm class. And for those post turkey family squabbles, some weapons of opportunity will be afoot, too.

For Marcella's 7pm class, come see if the blackbelts did their homework assignments from last week.

Don't forget, check the calendar for class times this week. No class on Thursday.

Happy Thanksgiving. And my greatest sympathy for those subjected to Tofurkey this year. Out thoughts and prayers are with you. :)

This week in Rochester

Monday night's 8pm class will focus on our demo skills. We have been working on several demo weapons katas, the multi-attacker exercise, and compliance techniques so the audience can see.

Also, please congratulate our new orange belts and our newest 3rd kyu student. Testing was this past Saturday. Thanks to all who came to help our students advance.


3rd kyu
Alex

6th kyu
Peter
Cindy
Jordan

This Monday...

... we'll be focusing on small techniques for tight spaces in the 8pm class. Attacks we'll be from shorter distances so they'll be faster/sooner.

See you there.

Oh, by the way, if you were wondering who won the throwing for distance contest, we'll, too bad, you should have come! :)

Reminder - Saturday Testing This Week!

Remember that we will be testing members on Saturday, November 15 during the 10 am class.

Please come and uke and cheer for:

Alex Sarkozy (3rd kyu)

Cyndi Lovejoy (6th kyu)
Jordan Bell (6th kyu)
Peter Veazie (6th kyu)

Throwing for distance

Join us Monday at 8pm for Big Techniques. We'll be concentrating on large flow-y throws. Who will go home with the title of the farthest throw?


Next week we'll do small tight throws.

THIS WEDNESDAY!



THIS IS A
FREE EVENT

Come join us as we celebrate 25 years of practice in
Rochester! We would like to welcome current & former members to
catch up with fellow aikidoka that you may not have seen in awhile.
New to Aikido? We want to meet you too!

The format for the Open House will be OPEN MAT and an
informal reception. Come whether you're interested in just catching
up or slamming on old friend on the mat. If you can't find that old
Gi, sweats are just fine.

As a thank you to our new, current, and
once-and-future students for attending, we will have a massage
therapist on site to help you work out some of the kinks. Light
refreshments will be served.

250
Cumberland Street (2^nd
Floor)

Rochester,
NY 14605

www.BodyMindAndModem.com

(585)
325-9160

This week in Rochester

Monday night's 8pm class will be weapons tori and kata.

Don't forget, Wednesday the 29th at 6:30 we are having an open house to welcome both newly interested students as well as old friends. Come say hello. There will be open mat if you wish to play, a massage therapist, and, of course, refreshments.

See you there!

Costumes optional (really, no one is dressing up, honest, but there will be Candy and some candy)

Updated Testing Info

Here is an update to our next testing which will be on Saturday, November 15 at 10 am.

Alex Sarkozy (3rd kyu)

Cyndi Lovejoy (6th kyu)
Jordan Bell (6th kyu)
Peter Veazie (6th kyu)

Please plan to attend.

Guess who came to class!

Remember Sergei? He is now practicing in Los Alamos, NM. Sergei was in Rochester for two days at a conference and stopped in Tuesday night to practice. He will be back on Wednesday night. If you have time, please stop in and say hi. His aikido has grown wonderfully and he is a fun uke.

Dark Side

Monday at 8pm

Regional Practice

Our next regional practice will be on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 10 am. Practice will be from 10 - 11:30. Please make your best effort to attend.

Testing in the Dojo

Our next tests will be on Saturday, November 15 at 10 am. Among those testing will be

Cyndi Lovejoy (6th kyu)
Jordan Bell (6th kyu)
Peter Veazie (6th kyu)

Please plan to attend.

U of R Students to Visit Downtown Dojo

Bob Martini will be bringing his Tues./Thurs. night U of R class to the downtown dojo on Thurs. Oct. 16 at 8:00 pm.

For many of the students this will be their first visit to our dojo, let's help Bob to make them feel welcome, please come and practice if you can!

For more information please contact Bob Martini at 585-507-7730.

Last Black Belt Meeting of the Year

Our last Black Belt Meeting of the year will be held on Tuesday night, October 14 at 8 pm. Please attend.

Initiative

Monday night at 8pm we will work on taking what Leon Sensei calls "Initiative." We will work on drawing attention of an attacker from another person (intervention), guard exercises, and determiing natural flinch responses to different "leads."

Come play.

Boo! - Open House, Wednesday, October 29

the aikido kokikai of rochester dojo is on facebook. if you have a facebook account, please show your support and become a member of the group by clicking here, http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=16613267579

also, please save this date, on Wednesday, October 29th, we will be holding an OPEN HOUSE from 6:30pm to 9:00pm.

we are seeking volunteers from active and current dojo members to help set up and promote this event which will have a Halloween theme.

the format of the Open House will be informal, we will not have regular classes that day but instead have an Open Mat like we do on Sundays.

please be sure to invite all your friends, relatives and acquaintances.

light refreshments will be served and we are planning to have a massage therapist present to help work the kinks out

additional details to follow.

Bar Fight!

By request, barstool Aikido will be Monday's 8pm class topic.

BYO Stool (I'll have one)

Get in the mood:
Watch

Thank You Cecelia!

We had a great weekend with Cecelia Sensei, Philadelphia Aikido. Here is some of the group that attended the Saturday morning session.
More photos available on Flickr.

Kool Katas

This Monday night's 8pm class will be on weapons katas. We will work on the two-person bokken demo katas and start developing the two-person Jo kata.

Let's play!

Come Fall with Me

Monday is Uke class. We will work on all levels of falls as well as determining what level of resistance should be given. Each partner is different both in experience and physical ability, why would you always attack the same way? Have you considered that though uke is the one who receives the technique they are regarded as the teaching side of the uke/nage pair?

See you at 8!

Cecelia Sensei Seminar Details!

SEMINAR

WITH

CECELIA RICCIOTTI SENSEI, 7th Dan

Head Instructor, Philadelphia Aikido

Saturday, September 20, 2008

at Our Very Own Rochester Dojo

Tentative Schedule:

TWO SESSIONS

First Class: 10:15 am – 12:30 pm

Lunch: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Catered Lunch at Dojo. Soft Drinks to be provided.

Second Class: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Dinner with Cecelia Sensei : 7:00 pm

Restaurant to be determined.

Fees: Includes Lunch, $25 per session or $40 for both (Best Value).

Spouse, additional family member or student: Only $15 per session.

No splitting or sharing of classes.

PRE-REGISTER using Sign-Up Form by Attendance Sheet.

Make checks Payable to Aikido Kokikai of Rochester. CASH accepted. Please pay Bob Martini directly.

Check your email or come back to this blog for UPDATES

Cecelia Sensei Coming to Rochester!!!

Just a reminder to save Saturday, September 20 for aikido. Cecelia Ricciotti Sensei, 7th dan, will be giving a one day workshop then. She will also work with Kokikai black belts on Sunday morning. Watch for signs in the dojo and please plan to attend.

Congratulations

Congrats to Rich Savacool, our prodigal blue belt, on his 3rd kyu test at Eastern Skies Aikido!

All the regional Dojos (Rochester, UofR, RIT) were well represented for Paul Gardner Sensei's first testing at his new Dojo. It was a pleasure to share in the growth of Kokikai.

Reminder!

There will be no classes on Monday, September 1, Labor Day. Have a great day.

Fun in the dojo

Ray Easton has been kind enough to take some photos of aikido in action. Here is Dave Laber's favorite - that's Marcella grinning in the midst of a roll.

Weapons of Opportunity (Updated)

Next Monday's 8pm advanced class will be on weapons of opportunity. Feel free to drop me an email if you have any requests.

-brian

Update!

We've been garage sale-ing and have a big bag full of fun for Monday!

4!

September Excitement

Among our special events in September will be:

• September 13, Saturday, 9am - Testing in Kids Class. A group of about 12 children will be testing. We need both ukes and loud cheering from the audience. Please plan to attend.
• September 18, Thursday, 7 pm - Andrew Sackett will be testing for 3rd kyu. Please come uke and cheer for Andrew.
• September 20 - Cecelia Ricciotti Sensei of Philadelphia Aikido will give a special workshop in our dojo that everyone is welcome to attend. Watch this blog and our dojo bulletin board for more information.
  

Multiple Attackers, Monday at 8pm.

One of the basic assumptions in Aikido technique is the ubiquity of multiple attackers. Humans, like many animals, hunt in packs. It is one of those like-it-or-not realties of life. Even in partnered practice we should be aware of this element of our technique. Posture, one-point, along with an almost dis-interest in uke, and a host of other finer points, all provide a tool set for dealing with this reality.

Monday (8/18) night's 8pm class will focus on dealing with multiple attackers.

Got GRRR?

Monday's 8pm class will focus on giving your nage focused, energetic attacks. Eat your Wheaties and bring your inner GRRRR!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to those who tested last night in the dojo!

Graham Lynch - 6th kyu
Darrell King - 5th kyu
Dan Rozman - 4th kyu
Andrew Cutter - 3rd kyu

Congratulations!

Summer Camp is over and a number of students from Rochester tested. We were all very proud of our students and their performance.

Congratulations to:
Brian Martens - Sandan
Candace Martens - Nidan
Robert Martini - Nidan
David Laber - Shodan (Eastern Skies Dojo)
Anne Marshall - 2nd kyu
Robert Cotter - 2nd kyu
Brad Dingman - 2nd kyu

Testing in the Dojo

Our next dojo testing will be on July 31, Thursday, at 7:00 pm.

Invited to test are:

Graham Lynch - 6th kyu
Darrell King - 5th kyu
Dan Rozman - 4th kyu
Andrew Cutter - 3rd kyu

Please plan on attending!

Leaving Thursday for summer camp?

It looks like I will not be able to leave for camp until Thursday afternoon. Is anyone else leaving this late and want to share a ride?

Jim Austin

Teen Program A Reality

This week marks the beginning of a teen program for our dojo. Classes will include an 11:30 am class on Saturdays and a 7:00 pm class on Wednesdays. The7 pm class will run in conjunction with our Beginner Series.

Please see Rick Packard for more details on the program.

Congratuations!

A HUGE congratulations and thank you to everyone who came to the Monroe County Fair last night for our demo. It was wonderful.

Special thanks to Bob Martini for making it possible and Brian Martens for taking charge of the idea of a demo team and organizing everyone.

Demo at the County Fair

Next Thursday, July 10th, is our next demo. We will be at the Monroe County Fair at the dome center from 6-8pm

Aikidoka: Demo participants see Brian for the Fair admission and parking passes. Practice will be this Thursday night. There will be changing rooms, but there is also plenty of space behind the curtains in our area.


All:
Fair schedule for Thursday
http://www.mcfair.com/seniorday.html

Where to go:
Parking will be tough, try carpooling and getting there early.

Dojo Closings

Our dojo will be closed twice during July.

• Friday, July 4

• Thursday, July 10

On Thursday, July 10, we will be doing a demo at the dome for the Monroe County Fair. EVERYONE should attend - whether or not you are participating in the demo. Please see Brian or signs in the dojo or posts in this blog for more information.

Thanks!

Details for Saturday Seminar with Gary Snyder

This is for everyone else who did not get the e-mail or did not see this posted in the dojo:

SEMINAR WITH GARY SNYDER SENSEI,
6th Dan Head Instructor, Aikido Kokikai of NYC

Saturday, June 28, 2008 at Our Very Own Rochester Dojo


TWO SESSIONS

First Class: 10:15 am – 12:30 pm
Lunch: 1:00 pm – 2:00/3:00 pm
Options: Brown Bag it at Dojo. Soft Drinks to be provided.
Or eat out @ Village Gate Square, 274 N Goodman St, Rochester
Open Mat: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Second Class: 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Pot Luck Dinner: 7:00 pm til ?? at the home of Paul Gardner and Rosemary Pleninger


If you will be attending the Pot Luck Dinner, please contact Alan Tamayo to confirm head count and please bring a dish (vegetarian or non-vegetarian) or beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) to share.


Fees: $20 per session or $30 for both (Best Value).
No Fee for Open Mat
Spouse, additional family member or student: Only $10 per session.
No splitting or sharing of classes.

PRE-REGISTER with Alan Tamayo or Bob Martini or use Sign-Up Form by Attendance Sheet.

Make checks Payable to Aikido Kokikai of Rochester (CASH also accepted.)

Demo Practice Thursday at 8pm in the Dojo

Demo Practice Thursday at 8pm in the Dojo. Please come if you can.

Thanks to Bob an Mark for donating the class time!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Reid Ockerman and Mark Panek on their very successful 5th kyu tests last night!

Aikido Kokikai of Rochester on RocWiki

Hello Again! I just listed our awesome dojo on RocWiki. If any of our fellow Aikidoka are familiar with HTML, please have at it. This really is a Work-In-Progress so any creative contributions you can make are greatly appreciated. RocWiki works like Wikipedia but is primarily focused on all things Rochester. Please check it out by clicking here.

Aikido Kokikai of Rochester on FACEBOOK

Hello everyone, In an effort to make our fabulous dojo aware to more people, I have set up a Group page on FACEBOOK. If you are already a member, please join. If you are not a member, please register. Its fairly easy and if it is a concern for you, privacy settings are at your disposal. As a member you will be able to address questions raised by those interested in training at our school. Check it out by clicking here.

July Demo Call for Participants

This is for the Monroe County Fair Demo on July 10th.


Click Here to take survey

Thanks,
-brian

Test Prep Tonight

Reminder Test Prep class tonight!

And it's cooling off, nice breeze...

Remember Summer Camp

June is just about here and it will be July in no time. Our annual Kokikai Summer Camp takes place July 17-20 at Villanova, PA. Founder and president, Maruyama Sensei, will be here from Nagoya Japan to teach. We will have a number of students testing at Camp. It is an important camp to attend and we hope that you can make it.

Registration forms are in the dojo. We can also email you a form. There is a discount on registration if you send in your deposit before June 20.

If you have any questions, just ask any instructor. They have all attended camp many times and can help you.

Reminders

June is a busy month in the dojo:

• Tuesday, June 10, there will be a black belt meeting at 8 pm.
• Thursday, June 19, there will be testing at 7 pm.
• Saturday, June 28, Gary Snyder will be in Rochester and will teach in the morning and afternoon.

In addition, there is test prep and rehearsals for the demo at the Rochester dome in July.

Be sure to watch the bulletin boards at the dojo as well as this blog in the coming month for more information.

June Testing in the Dojo

Our next dojo testing will be on Thursday, June 19 during 7 pm class.

Invited to test are:
Andrew Cutter - 3rd kyu
Alex Sarkozy - 3rd kyu
Darrell King - 5th kyu
Reid Ockerman - 5th kyu
Mark Panek - 5th kyu

Please plan to attend to uke and cheer!

Reminder - No Classes Monday

The dojo will be closed on Memorial Day. Please have a safe and joyful holiday.

Dome center demo question

Please take a moment to answer the following:

Click Here to take survey

Test Prep Mondays - Coming Soon!

Please join us for 6 weeks of test prep beginning Monday, June 2 at 7:00 pm.

All students are welcome to participate in test prep; however focus will be on the test candidates.

Test prep is not mandatory but it’s a good challenge whether you are testing or not and most importantly it does take a village/dojo to raise a brown/black belt.

Come uke, run a video camera/stop watch or simply cheer from the sidelines.

• Week 1 – Set the baseline for fitness and technique – Class will be co-taught by Marcella and Brian and will run from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm, more details to follow.
• Week 2-Week 5 – 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm classes will focus on various aspects of testing: goal setting, techniques-quality v. quantity, presence, signature throws, etc.
• Week 6 – Re-visit the baseline for fitness and technique – Class will be co-taught by Marcella and Brian and will run from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm, more details to follow.

Questions, see Marcella or Brian.

Morning Class Excitment

Do you have questions? Would you like individual attention to help with a technique? Then mornings are for you! Our small classes allow us the flexibility to adjust to what you need. The 6:30(or 7) to 8 am classes provide the time and allow for individual attention difficult to obtain in a large class.

Our Monday and Friday classes focus on a chosen ki exercise or attack and applying it to various techniques while exploring how this can benefit you.

This Friday, May 16th we will explore ude furi undo (airplane spin).
On Monday, May 19th we will play with yokomen hantai (backhand)
and what opportunities this attack presents.
Then on Friday, May 23rd we will examine tenkan and its various
uses throughout several techniques.

Special Saturday Class

Everyone, please mark your calendars!

On Saturday, May 17, we will be having another regional practice. Eastern Sky Dojo and RIT will be joining us for a special expanded Saturday class. Class will begin at 10:15 and go until noon.

It is YOUR participation that makes these regional practices work. Please come!

New Class Start Times in June

Beginning in June, or earlier if your instructor indicates, our first evening class on M-Th will begin at 6 pm.

Black Belt Class Saturday

Reminder for all black belts - Saturday, May 10, there will be a black belt practice immediately following the 10 am general class.

May is Uke Month

Monday 8pm classes in May will be Uke classes.

Better your attacks, falls, break falls. Get in shape for Summer!

Great warm up for test prep classes (coming soon)

Reminder: Weapons of Opportunity Monday at 8pm

A class on Weapons of Opportunity will be held Monday night at 8pm. This will be a working class, a few examples will be shown, but students are encouraged to bring common place items that could be used by an attacker. We will work through applying principles and adapting existing techniques.

Please try to find a clean item, for example, wash the dirt off the shovel before bringing it in. Lets keep the mat clean (and intact).

Asian Heritage Demo a great success!

On Sunday, April 20, 2008, our dojo put on its first demo in quite some time. The occasion was Asian Heritage Family Day and it took place in the Bausch and Lomb Room of the Memorial Art Gallery in front of a full house, standing room only audience. The demo was led and coordinated by Brian Martens. Participants included a wide cross section of fellow members, Alex and Karl Sarkozy, Bobby Stearns, Ana Ka, Andrew Sackett, Marcella Mosher, Bob Martini, Bob Cotter, Candy Martens, Brett Porter, Steve Perino, Rick Packard, Ann Marshall and Dana Essom.

Highlights of the demo included a Jo Kata, a Two-Person against One attack/Randori, and Nikyo throws. The demo was also interactive, giving the audience a chance to test the Unbendable Arm Ki exercise The demo was both entertaining and informative.The demo performance showed that Aikido can be practiced by people of all types: Men and women, big and small, young and old.

I look forward to the next demo which is scheduled during the Monroe County Fair - July 9-13, 2008. If you are interested in participating , please see Brian or Bob Martini.

Alan Tamayo

Mark Your Calendars - June 28

Gary Snyder will tentatively be in Rochester on Saturday, June 28 and will teach two classes for us - an extended morning class and a late afternoon class. More info on the schedule, etc. as we get closer.

Gary is a sixth dan and head instructor of Aikido Kokikai of NYC. Our dojo has a special relationship with Gary's dojo. Some of our students have continued their practice with Gary upon moving to NYC or commuting there for work. Gary has visited us in the past when business has brought him near Rochester.

We are excited that an opportunity has presented itself again for Gary to teach in our dojo.

No Sunday Open Mat

Open mat is canceled for this Sunday. Please come to our demo (see note below) instead.

Thanks

Our Next Regional Practice

Everyone, please mark your calendars! On Saturday, May 17, we will be having another regional practice. Eastern Sky Dojo and RIT will be joining us for a special expanded Saturday class. Class will begin at 10:15 and go until noon.

It is YOUR participation that makes these regional practices work. Please come!

Reminders

• Demo team practice tonight at 8pm (all welcome)
  
• Demo Sunday at 2:30pm at the MAG
• May will be Uke Month
• June/July is Test Prep Season - Send me you availability (you know who you are)
• 
  
• Requests for special topics classes welcome
  

Morning Classes

Starting Monday, April 14th, the Monday and Friday morning classes will be starting at 6:30am. This will be done on a trial basis to reach out to those who have to be to work by 8am and any other early birds. The classes will still run till 8am for those who can't get there that early but will allow a full practice for those who must leave at 7:30am.

If you have any questions please see Candy or reply to this post.

April 20th Demo

We're looking for volunteers for the demo team for the MAG Asian Family Day on April 20th. The demo will be at 2:30pm so you'll need to be there ~2:00 to 3:30pm. We'll need plain clothes (ringers) and people in Gi's.

Please see Brian Martens or Bob Martini, or reply to this post.

April Monday 8pm Classes

April 7th: Initiative

April 14th: Demo Training

April 21st: Uke Class

April 28th: Weapons (of opportunity?)

Beware the loganberry!

Reminder!

Saturday, April 5 at 10am will be testing for our two RIT students, Adam Bosen and John Hawley, for 2nd kyu. Please come and cheer them on!!! (And, there will be refreshments after.)

Question/Comment for the dojo?

If you have any questions/comments for us, please ask them as a comment on this post. We will post an answer quickly.

Spring Cleaning

Please join in a general cleaning of the dojo on Saturday, April 12 after 10 am class. Watch for more information on the dojo bulletin board or ask Brad Dingman any questions.

The Dark Side

3/24, 8pm (brown belts & up)

The Homework Assignment
http://www.bugei.com/virtue.html

April 5

Please mark your calendars for April 5 with a big star! We will be hosting brown belt testing in our dojo for two RIT students. This is a very special event. Please plan to attend - both to uke and to cheer these students as they demonstrate their technique.

Rob Jacob Success

Congrats to Rob Jacob. He has qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:30:14. It sounds like it was a heroic effort as he reported he had to stop a mile 23 for a bit with a stitch in his side. But he made the finish line with 45 seconds to spare on a qualifying time.

Way to go Rob!!!

March 22 Mind/Body Class

Mike Hillenbrand will be teaching our first mind/body class of the new year on Saturday, March 22 at 11 am. Members and family/significant others are invited to attend.

Mike's mind body will cover some basic Shiatsu technique and simple applications for the head and shoulder region as well as some self shiatsu (no partner needed).

Congratulations!

Winter Camp 2008 is complete. A good group of people from Rochester attended and Sensei was at his best. On Saturday, March 15, we will have a special focus in the 10 am class on material from Camp.

Congratulations to all who tested:

Nidan
Steve Perino

1st Kyu
Anna Ka

2nd Kyu
Alan Tamayo
Karl Sarkozy

Question/Comment for the dojo?

If you have any questions/comments for us, please ask them as a comment on this post. We will post an answer quickly.

Going to winter camp but have not registered yet?

I have pre-registered for winter camp but will not be able to make it :-(

If anyone is going that has not registered, contact me about using my pre-registration.

Jim Austin
244-7314

Our newest orange belts

As just mentioned, we did some testing last week in the dojo. Here are our latest orange belts - Darrell King, Zach Keep, and Mark Panek.

Be sure to congratulate them when you see them!

Congratulations in Order

Eight people tested on February 28 and 29. Great demonstrations, everyone!

6th kyu
Zach Keep
Darrell King
Mark Panek

5th kyu
Maria Kanakis
Yukiko Maezawa
Dan Rozman

3rd kyu
Ray Easton
Craig Steinberger

A Great Send Off

February 28 was Jim Lahue's last evening class in the dojo. So many students and instructors showed up to wish him off that we had to splice together two photos to get everyone. Jim has decided to stop aikido practice to pursue a personal journey. We all deeply appreciate his many years of service as co-chief instructor and wish him the best.

Welcome to the dark side.

An advanced class covering the often unspoken options during technique and the reality of executing on the street.

Black, Brown, and Summer Camp Brown belt candidates only.

Monday March 24th at 8pm

(Bonus trivia: learn the link to the evil bunny!)

Test Prep -Monday March 3rd, 8pm

Monday 3/3 is camp test prep. Come support our test candidates before they head off to camp this weekend.

Remember our February Testing

Just a reminder that we will be having testing on Feb. 28 and 29 in the dojo. On the 28th, it will be a testing night with people testing in all three classes - be sure to come and uke and cheer!

Follow Carroll Wilcox Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb

Carroll Wilcox leaves this Friday for his climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. You can follow his adventures if you go to www.JourneysOfInspiration.com. He will be with a team of 40 climbers.

Here is some info that will help you follow the updates:
The team will divide and take three routes Two will start on Feb. 25 (Rongai from the North side led by Gary Fallesen of Climbing for Christ, Lemosho from the West led by Rick French of Pack Paddle Ski) and Carroll will be in the third group that will take Macheme from the South . Macheme will merge with Lemosho after about the 3rd day. All 3 reach the summit on dawn of Mar 2nd and finish the descent on Mar 3rd.

Reminder Camp Test Prep

Remember Monday the 18th at 8pm is Camp Test Prep

Sensei Workshops in USA

As always there will be many opportunities while Sensei is in the U.S. to practice with him in addition to Winter Camp. Here are the events that have been planned so far. You can be sure that more classes will be added as we get closer to Sensei's arrival.

Princeton Y March 19 - for more information contact Dan McDougall: DMCD1629@aol.com

Aikido Kokikai of NYC March 20 - for more information contact Gary Snyder: gary@garysnyderfineart.com

White through Blue Belt Seminars March 22, 23 for more information contact Nancy Demasi: Nancy.Demasi@ironmountain.com

Rutgers March 26 for more information contact Judy Minot: wala@optonline.net

Senior Seminars March 29, 30 for more information contact Nancy Demasi: Nancy.Demasi@ironmountain.com

WINTER CAMP TEST PREP

February is time for preparing our winter camp test candidates. Please come and help them and the whole Rochester Dojo shine.

Monday 2/4 at 8pm
Monday 2/18 at 8pm
Sunday open mat will be test centric all month
Mondays at 6pm Judy will be doing weapons kata
Mondays at 7pm Marcella will continue her rondori format and offer extra focus on test candidates.

More details to follow...

Rochester students truly stand out at camp because of you.

Black Belt Practice - February 9

There will be a Black Belt Practice on Saturday, February 9 at 11:00 am (with a brief mini update meeting).

Weapons Kata Review in February

The weapons review will start on Feb 11 instead of Feb 4. Sorry for the delay. A portion of the 6:00 pm class on Mondays will be devoted to the four required weapons katas. Whether you are just learning a kata or wish to brush up your technique, I think you will find these sessions helpful.

Here is the schedule:

• Monday, February 11 - Jo kata I
  
• Monday, February 18 - Jo kata II
  
• Monday, February 25 - Boken kata I
• Monday, March 3 - Boken kata II
  

Schedule Change for Mondays

Beginning in February, the first class of the evening will begin at 6 pm rather than 5:45 pm. There will also be an open mat from 5:30 - 6:00 pm. (Open mats are times for unstructured practice - at least one black belt is always present and you can practice on your own or ask questions, review techniques with the higher ranking belts that are present. There is another open mat on Sundays at 10 am.)

International Convention in Nagoya

Sensei is planning an International Convention in Nagoya at the end of May. If you are a brown or black belt and might be interested in attending, please talk to Judy for more information.

Testing in Kids Class

Congratulations to the following children tested on Saturday morning:

Madeline Sutton - 10b
Sage McDonald - 10a
Victoria Matthews 10a

Everyone did a great job!

Thursday 8pm Topics

This Thursday night (1/24) at the 8pm class, Candy will be focusing on the (in)famous EVIL BUNNY! Straight to you from Caerbannog, Brittain.

Question/Comment for the dojo?

If you have any questions/comments for us, please ask them as a comment on this post. We will post an answer quickly.

New! Business cards and flyers available

We now have business cards and flyers available in the dojo for you to use. Please keep a few business cards in your wallet and share them with friends who might be interested in practicing.

If you know of a place where a flyer about our dojo might draw interest in new members, please take a flyer and ask permission to post it. Be creative - bulletins boards at work, church, and in your community are possibilities.

Look for the business cards and the flyers on the counter where you check in your class attendance.

Much thanks!

Reminder - Feb 18 Deadline for Winter Camp

February 18 is the deadline for pre-registering for Winter Camp in Lawrenceville, NJ. You can find a registration form in an earlier post in this blog. Be aware that if you pre-register by sending the deposit of $25, you will need to bring the rest of the registration fee in cash to Camp. You can, of course, pay the entire fee by check with your registration form. Your form and money should be mailed to the address in New Jersey that is on the registration form. Note that for Winter Camp your registration covers your mat fees and lunches. You need to make your own arrangements for lodging.

Our dojo will have a number of people testing at Camp. Please plan to come down and uke and cheer for them. Also, it is a chance to meet other members of Kokikai from around the world and, most importantly, to see Maruyama Sensei in action.

February Testing in the Dojo

First, congratulations to Andrew Sackett on his test for 4th kyu last week. Great job, Andrew!

In February we will have a 'testing night' on Thursday, February 28. (We will still do a morning test on Friday if needed).

The following students are invited to test that evening at either the 5:45pm, 7pm or 8 pm class.

6th kyu
Mark Panek
Darrell King
Zach Keep

5th kyu
Yukiko Maezawa
Maria Kanakis
Dan Roszman

3rd
Craig Steinberger
Ray Easton

Please mark your calendars and plan to come cheer these students on and help uke for them!

Uke Month Begins

January is Uke Month and Mondays at 8pm, Brian Martens is giving special attention to attacks; rolling; break falls how, why, and when; being a demonstration uke; uke'ing for camp tests; and more... – Blue Belts and above encouraged to attend .

Black Belt Class Scheduled

There will be a Black Belt class on Saturday, January 12 about 11:15 am - after the regular adult class. Please try to attend.