2015: A New Year of Training

2014 was our first full calendar year at Kinjo Aikido Dojo. We're off to a great start and have had a steady stream of interest and new students on the mat. Thank you to everyone who has supported the dojo!

We're making a couple of minor changes that will hopefully simplify dues/donations and our free trial period.

Free Trial Period
Since we started, the trial period has been a free month of training, or 30 days from the time a new student starts at the dojo. Rather than use a period of time, we're changing it to 8 practice days.

Dues/Donations
Since forming the dojo, we wanted to have donations rather than dues since we are a non-profit and those of you that wished to work that into your taxes would be able to. However, since we are providing a service of aikido instruction, we'll have to just call monthly (or class by class mat fees) dues.

If you wish to make a donation in addition to monthly dues, please tell us that is the case and we'll write or e-mail you a receipt for your taxes. Donations made on their own are tax deductible.

Minimum Payment
We have always been flexible with dues and that will not change. Pay when you can, what you can. However, if you can't afford the $60/month dues, we ask that you pay a minimum of $20/month if that is what your finances will allow.

If the $20 minimum is still too much let us know. We don't want anyone staying home from class because they can't pay for practice!

Thank you again to everyone who comes out every week to train aikido and support the dojo. We could not do it without you!

See you on the mat!

Charles

2014 Embu Kai

Join us for our one year anniversary Embu-Kai (demonstrations)!

We will have the demos at the dojo and add two more rows of mats for some extra room to spread out.

We're still a small group so it shouldn't take long for all of our regular members to show what they have been working on.

schedule update 8/7

Shortened schedule this week and next week. JM sempai will be teaching class while Charles sensei, Tyffany, and Evan are on vacation in NC.

We will have class Thursday (8/7), Tuesday (8/12), and Thursday (8/14).

No class Friday and Monday. Charles sensei should be back for Thursday class (8/14).

Yasuhiro & Mitsuyoshi Saito - Ken Tai Jo Demo

In this video, Yasuhiro and Mitsuyoshi Saito demonstrate Ken Tai Jo which we are working on this week at the dojo. We've been doing the basic endings, but notice in the video he does the advanced endings and extra moves at the end which we will focus more on Thursday and Friday in class.



Enjoy the video and we'll see you on the mat!

Advanced Keiko Thursday

image from aikidojournal.com

Last Thursday before the long weekend we had an impromptu advanced class. Since we have a few sempai going to re-test into CAA/Aikikai from other styles we worked on the basics of irimi-nage and koshi-nage, then did some tachi-dori (sword taking) and kumi-tachi.

The Aikido of San Leandro sho-dan test requirements (PDF) are a great template for advanced students whether they are getting ready for sho-dan or san-dan.

Thanks to the sempai for coming out and training before the holiday weekend!

This week (7/7) is kata-dori (shoulder grab) and the 31 kumi-jo. Today is the first Monday so we'll work on weapons and wash the mat after class.

See you on the mat!

Charles

Image: Saito Sensei showing koshi-nage; from aikidojournal

Three New 6th Kyu Students

Eight months ago when we started Kinjo Dojo in November of 2013, I set a modest goal: Test three new students for 6th kyu. I hoped to have at least three new beginners start from scratch and stay with us long enough to take their 6th kyu test.

Last night (2014-6-26), I handed out the third 6th kyu certificate to one of our new beginners. Congratulations to Jared, Kim, and Nathan on their accomplishment; thank you for coming out and supporting the dojo!

And of course congratulations goes to my son Evan for his 6th and 5th kyu promotions since we started the dojo. I didn't count him as one of the 3 because he's been training with us since we were down south with Blevins-sensei and Kiryu Aikido. Also he's family and often gets dragged into class whether he feels like it or not!

We still have 4 more months to go before our first year anniversary. I hope to see a few more interested students walk through the door to begin their path in aikido.

See you on the mat!

Charles

Workshop Series

We are beginning our workshop series this week with shodan review. This training is open to anyone 3rd kyu and above and will focus on requirements for the Aikido of San Leandro sho-dan test.

This workshop is only open to students 3rd kyu and above because we have a very limited amount of time to cover a large amount of material! Even with 3rd kyu and up it will be a challenge to get through everything and still have time to do practice tests at the end. Anyone is welcome to drop by at any time during the training and observe. Please do so! It's a great time to see advanced practice and get a better idea of what's to come in your training.

These workshops are meant to help students prepare for their next rank, or provide an opportunity for some extra training and ukemi (falling) practice. Each workshop will cost $20 for the day.

I'm hoping to have these every month at least, and typically on Saturday. The next workshop will focus on 4th kyu and will be open to everyone. The 4th kyu test includes techniques from both 6th and 5th kyu, so students working on those tests will benefit as well.

Here are the workshop levels planned so far:

• 6th - 4th kyu: 
• open to everyone
• focus is on the 4th kyu test which includes techniques from 6th and 5th kyu
• 3rd - 1st kyu
• open to 5th kyu and up
• focus on 2nd kyu test, 31 jo kata, kumitachi
• Sho-dan
• open to 3rd kyu and up
• faster pace, advanced ukemi
• Weapons: 5 kumi-tachi, 5 kumi-jo, 5 ken-tai-jo
• Ni-dan and up
• open to 3rd kyu and up
• faster pace, advanced ukemi
• Weapons: kumi-tachi, kumi-jo, ken-tai-jo; all with variations
• kaeshi-waza
• henka-waza

Hope to see everyone at the upcoming workshops, gambatte (do your best)!