promotions and year end stuff

 It is getting close to year end time. Since our dojo has been closed due to coronavirus precautions since early March, we have not been able to hold our usual year end exams. But we do have promotions to announce. Mike Brown has been promoted to the rank of 5th dan. Mike has tirelessly supervised the teen program and actually started at San Jose State University decades ago.

From our extended dojo family, Shin Tsurushima has received the rank of 3rd dan. I am so happy he has been able to continue his training abroad. Those of you on Facebook have probably read how many trials he faced to be able to test for his rank amid this year of the pandemic. Here he is pictured as uke for Linda Holiday sensei.

And I want to thank David Eves for getting us started with our online Zoom classes. David has behind the scenes tirelessly guided and supervised our online efforts. We could not have done this without him. So thank you again.

And I would like to thank Elle for learning some of the ropes from David and behind the scenes helping with the online classes and videos. A short while ago I had lunch with Robert Frager sensei. He came over and we met at a French Restaurant in Santana Row. It was the first time either of us had been out to eat. We did outdoors dining with social distancing and masks, except when eating. And we came to the conclusion that both of us were lucky to find someone who could put up with us.

Friday is New Year's Day. We have had a tradition to do a class late morning which I would like to continue.I've held it 11am to 12:30pm in the past due to family stuff in San Francisco. But since gatherings are not to be encouraged during these times, I'd like to push it to our normal Saturday morming time of 11:30am to 1pm. We train at Bestor Park (on Bestor St) just around the corner from the Martha St dojo. It would be in masks, social distancing, primarily weapons work. So please try to attend, start the new year with good energy, and bring staff and bokken. We will also be doing some of the misogi movements.

Just going over the promotions one thing we have not been able to have is kyu exams and dan exams. In addition to helping learn the techniques, they build community because senior teachers and students train with those preparing for exams and are able to pass on their knowledge and their love for aikido. So one thing I am proposing in place of the exams is a certification program. We have a 30 movement form(which I call a misogi/gyo) as opposed to a kata) that contain the basic hand changes(ikkyo nikkyo sankyo yonkyo gokyo) in addition to the fire/water center/circle body changes. I would like to institute a certification program to give us all something to shoot for in place of exams. Those earning the certifications could help those who want to take an exam and that would promote community. Going through the material for certification could be a major part of the Saturday outdoor classes. This would give the classes more structure and continuity. The certification would come in levels.

Level 1. Learn the movements in sequence. This would include demonstrating a checkdown including feet(basse) hands(proper grip) closing motion(rebound/echo)

Level 2 Be able to do the entire set of 30 moves as 1 movement

Level 3 Do the movements in sequence each with the closing movement(rebound/echo}

Level 4.Do entire set of moves as one with one sustained rebound/echo(very challenging).

Level 5 What I would call Takemusu. Be able to create movements off these basics in the moment. To wield the staff spear in a fashion as to use it like Osensei. Going from classical to pop to jazz. 

. Nadeau sensei has a very strong connection to Osensei, and through Nadeau sensei I was able to get his permission.The following video is from the December 16th online class and gives a rough outline for the first 4 levels  You may need to cut and paste this link:

 30 movement misogi