Mission Accomplished

I just want to let everybody know that our Fundraiser was a success. We have managed to pay the power bill. It was a very good turn out for training, both from within the dojo and from other dojos. It was heartening to see some of the newer members of Aikido of San Jose on the mat, doing their first Aikido event.

I would like to thank both Rober Frager and Robert Nadeau sensei's for coming. They formed the duo that was my original contact to Osensei's aikido. I would like to thank Linda Holiday, Betsy Hill, Robert Noha, Lou Bermingham, Frank Silvey, Mary McLean, and Harry Concepcion senseis for teaching wonderful classes.Special thanks to an old student and friend, Ed Rathman of Willow St Wood-fired Pizza for donating the gourmet pizzas, to Maurice Gregoire who chipped in to cater the sandwiches and salad, To Frank Silvey and Mike Brown who helped co-ordinate the action on the "playing field". And there were so many people who served as "guardian angels", helping out with the cleaning, the setting up of the food, and other tasks that might be left unnoticed.

Old personal friends who dropped by: Peter Ralls, Sandy Olliges, Nick and Marianne de la Torre, Mariko Tamura, I would like to thank you all. I re-connected with Lenny Pollak, an aikido student who was active more in my Santa Cruz days. More on that as I get photos and videos from people who were shooting. But thank you all for your support and love.

I just put an Osensei video on youtube. It is in the late '60's and shot at the Hongu Grand Shrine. Seeing Hikitsuchi sensei as uke is very interesting: