|
|
Volume 4 Issue 12 |
Editor: Dave Christman |
December 2002 |
|
All Photos by D. Christman, unless noted |
I like this Holiday cozy cottage picture so much I decided to use it again this month. Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year !
|
| Dojo News. Kata practice in November was a private lesson for Shoosh this time. We were a bit discouraged by the turn out. We ran once through the kata, then I took him to a real Mexican food taqueria and we hung out eating rice & beans. |
Photo by Sheri Melchi |
The Big 5-0 for comes for Dave! My 50th birthday was celebrated right at the Christmas party. The surprise was a nice big cake when my wife showed up. Also, thanks for the gifts, Bob & Yuti. |
Photo by Dana Christman |
| Holiday
Party We held
our annual Christmas potluck on December 15th. We practiced from 3:00 to
5:30 p.m. and then had a open house for family and friends from 6:00 to
10:00 p.m.
Attending the practice was Matsuura and myself, along with Bob Mack, Craig Dieringer, Atsushi Ikenobu, Jason Mills, Scott Melchi, Bob Covill, Dave Brackmeyer, and a new youngster- Jeff Gwillim. |
|
Photo by Sheri Melch |
We first put in quite a long time doing our basics actions like footwork, suburi, and ichi kome. |
| We work with our beginners as long as possible in 2 1/2 hour practice each
week. They usually only sit down to watch only the last 30 to 45 minutes,
when we are "free-sparring".
We spent some time with them practicing kiri kaeshi also. |
Photo by Sheri Melchi |
 |
We enjoyed a exercise we like to call a "Brawl" A popular summer camp drill, where everyone forms a circle, and two people begin to spar in the middle, everyone around the outside act as referees. When a point is scored, you point at the winner, he stays, loser joins the circle and immediately someone else can attack the winner. Obviously someone tries to take him by surprise, and it becomes a kind of wild and high spirited exercise, that is exhausting, yet fun. |
| Here is Matsuura sensei demonstrated the incredible David Blaine levitation effect after scoring on Ikenobu, don't try this at home kids. | 
Photo by Sheri Melchi |
 |
Showing up also to party with us was Noriko Mack, Sonia Matsuura, Sheri Melchi, Kendra Covill, Becky Brackmeyer, my wife Dana, Jeff's Dad, and even my son Chase, and his girlfriend. |
| Amazing what a few shots of "Jack" will do to help make friends. |
Photo by Sheri Melchi |
|
|
This is the amazing " baby hog". Imagine a black hole in space.....if a baby comes near him, Matsuura sensei absorbs him for 30 to 60 minutes....no one can get him to give him up. That is Sam Melchi |
Photo by Sheri Melchi |
Matsuura also has to give the kids their annual chance to beat him up. This year they darn near killed him. Sonia checked his pulse at least twice. |
|
|
Upcoming Events...... "OUR" Kata Seminar.....This monthly event is now on hold, there will be none unless students begin to show an interest in extra time devoted to learning the kendo kata. CHICAGO: Instructor Seminar.....Postponed until March, '03 TBA DETROIT: Taikai: Feb 8 - 9th Any kendoka in the know has heard of these two brothers: Masahiro & Fumihiro Miyazaki. Between them they have seven 1st place trophies and two 2nd places trophies in the All Japan Emperor's Cup annual event. They will be there, so must you! for info click here. KALAMAZOO: MWKF Summer Camp.....TBA CHARLESTON: AUSKF National Summer Camp......Oct. 11-12 Being held at Citadel University in S. Carolina. Top instructors from Japan and the U.S. be be there.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Each month I'll have a quote from Golf and Sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotello. Notice its similarities to kendo. GOLFER'S CORNER " Try not to let your vision of yourself as a fine golfer, a scratch golfer, slip away. " Dr. Bob Rotello has numerous books on improving your golf game available. Check it out at Amazon.com |
e-mail the editor: let me know your comments at: dtc12@attbi.com
Freddie the Bungler