Year end schedule

With only a few weeks left till the end of 2009, I just wanted to let everyone know we will have class through Dec. 22, and then resume classes on Jan. 5, 2010. Thanks to everyone who has made the transition to our new space a success (hard to believe it will be a year in January!)

I wish you all a very merry Christmas, and happy 2010.

Frank

Aikido BBQ

So Brandon, whats the plan, is this still going to happen?

New Class Schedule Starts Sep. 8

A reminder for current students, and information for new/prospective students: our class schedule will be changing from Monday/Wednesday 7:30-9:00, to Tue/Thu 7:15-8:45. This will allow the Idaho Falls School of Ballet to accomodate additional dance classes, and may help us to attract new students. I'm hoping this will work for all existing students, and appreciate everyone's willingness to give this a try.

Summer Aikido BBQ [Cancelled]

Due to scheduling conflicts the BBQ for this weekend has been either cancelled or postponed. We will revisit it mid-August.

Summer Aikido BBQ

We are once again having a summer Aikido BBQ!

We will be having it the last weekend of July, so either July 31st or August 1st based on what works best for everyone. As we get closer to the date we can coordinate any food or drinks that people would like. I'll be providing enough burgers and beer brats/hot dogs for everyone along with chips, soda, etc. Spouses and children are welcome. I'll need to get a head count a few days early to get appropriate supplies. There is also a large park next to my house with playground equipment if your interested.

4170 Morning Mist Dr, Idaho Falls, ID 83406
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=4170+Morning+Mist+Dr,+Idaho+Falls,+ID+83406&sll=37.579413,-95.712891&sspn=53.265092,79.013672&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=A

Summer Aikido Workshops and Camps

Just a reminder to everyone that there are several opportunities for advanced training with outstanding senseis this summer. Bill Plank Sensei, godan and dojo cho at Jackson Hole Aikikai (also chief instructor at Capital Aikikai in Washington DC) is scheduled to return for the summer later this month. You can find the dojo training schedule at jacksonholeaikido.com. You'll also find a flyer for the August 22-23 seminar presenting Francis Takahashi Shihan. See the flyer for more details.

Boulder Aikikai is hosting the 29th annual Aikido Summer Camp in the Rockies, to be held in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, from July 19-26. It's too late to register, but Sensei, Mike, and Brandon will be attending (this may be an opening for the first all-women classes at Snake River Aikido!) The instructors this year include Mitsugi Saotome Shihan, head of Aikido Schools of Ueshiba, and direct student of O Sensei, Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan, dojo cho of Boulder Aikikai, Frank Doran Shihan, dojo cho of Aikido West and Division II head (our division) of the California Aikido Association. Guest instructor is Morihiko Murashige Shihan, dojo cho of Jiai Aikido in San Diego.

Finally, Doran Shihan celebrates his 50th year of Aikido this November! See the following link for more details:
http://aikido-west.org/anniversary/anniversary.html

Women outnumber men for first time at SRA

It was a memorable class this past Wednesday, as women outnumbered men on the mat for the first time in Idaho Falls! Heather, Angie, Mary, and Alicia trained with Mike and Sensei for this historic class.

Upcoming Seminars and Summer Camps

The weekend of Apr. 24-26 is busy with two great seminars in the Northwest:

Bob Nadeau Shihan, CAA Division 3 head, will be at 3 Shapes Aikido in Boise - http://www.3shapesaikido.com/index.php?page=home

and Jerry has sent along the information for Doran Shihan's seminar in Seattle that same weekend -http://twocranesaikido.com/html/Seminars/Doran%2709.html

I'm also posting links to the CAA summer camp in June, and Colorado summer camp in July:
http://cityaikido.com/summer09/retreat/index.html

http://www.boulderaikikai.org/content/view/170/1/

Frank

No class March 23 and 25

The studio at the IF School of Ballet will be closed for spring break this week. Make-up classes are scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 21 (this past Saturday) and Apr. 4. Classes resume Monday, Mar. 30.

Happy New Year/New Dojo!

Happy new year to all current and prospective students of Snake River Aikido. 2008 was an exciting year for me personally, and for our dojo. I was promoted to 4th dan after giving a comprehensive demonstration at Aikido West in Redwood City (home dojo of Doran Shihan, head of our division in the California Aikido Association). Many thanks to all the students who helped me prepare as I worked through material the past few months, and particularly to Michael Cardwell and Heather Peterson for traveling with me to Aikido West and playing a large role in my demonstration. I received several very nice compliments about their performance, which makes me proud to be their sensei. A special thanks to Cyndy Hayashi sensei as well, who gave me advice, moral support, reviewed my demo during her vacation in Idaho, and recruited uke for my randori the day of my demonstration at Aikido West!

The big news for everyone is that we are moving from EITC after 18 years. We will be renting space/time at the Idaho Falls School of Ballet, 410 W. 16th Street in Idaho Falls. They have a nice link that provides directions (http://www.ifballet.com/web/) You can also learn more about their instructors. Over the holidays I purchased enough foldout mats to cover a 20'x40' section of the main dance studio floor. I encourage anyone interested, and current/former students who might not be ready to train yet, to come and see the new facilities. We'll be conducting classes at the same time they were held at EITC, Mon-Wed 7:30-9pm. We will also have the flexibility of rescheduling classes when I'm gone for work, and also having additional classes. Right now I'm planning a women's self defense class for teenage girls that will be held the last weekend in January, and Cyndy Hayashi sensei has also volunteered to conduct her well-respected self defense workshop as a fundraiser for the dojo sometime later this year.

Speaking of Hayashi sensei, she and her husband have a condo on Ski Hill Road going up to Targhee, and we were very fortunate to have her be the first high-ranked sensei from our organization to visit this past November. Now that she's broken the ice, we hope to have her back during her visits to Idaho in the future, and have also planted the seed hoping to have Doran Shihan visit us (at least to fish the Idaho rivers!) this coming summer.

Thank you all for your continued support and commitment to Aikido. I hope that this move will help us all to train harder and reach new heights in our Aikido training!

Frank