Sadly, many professional aikido instructors are without health insurance coverage.  Speaking from personal experience, just keeping the doors of an aikido school open is financially challenging.  Making an adequate living is extremely difficult.  As you all know, health insurance is not cheap and as a person moves into their senior years, the cost continues to climb.  An internationally respected aikido instructor, Mary Heiny Sensei, is without health coverage and in serious need of a hip replacement.  She is a gifted instructor who has devoted her life to the art and to spreading the "path of peace" wherever she ventures.  She is currently walking with a cane and without this operation her days on the mat are drawing to an end.

‘Friends of Mary Heiny’ stepped forward to mobilize the aikido community in financially assisting Heiny Sensei in her time of need.  And I enthusiastically sing their praise.  Through their efforts over $23,000 has been collected.  Beyond the ‘cash’ that has been generously gifted, a surgeon at the University of Northern Illinois has donated his time.  Mary will have her hip replacement on June 3^rd!  Miracles do happen when communities share a vision.

Woohoo!  Last weekend's seminar with Tres Hofmeister Sensei was awesome.  On Saturday afternoon Peter navigated a fifty minute exam.  Had it gone a few minutes longer, the minutes would have matched his age !  After many, many years of training, interupted by many, many life challenges, Peter stepped on to the mat ready to face whatever Hofmeister Sensei would conjure up to check out his skill level.  He paced himself, moved through the material and finished up with a surprisingly lively randori (defense against multiple attackers).  We are proud of his accomplishment!  Enjoy the photos ! 

I'll share more about the seminar in future postings. 

Posted by SkysSensei. 

Our teens did a wonderful job on their belt reviews.  Jason Kertayasa moved from our Children's Program into our Teens Program receiving the rank of 'teen green belt_high'.  Evan Chan was advanced to 'teen green belt_high' and Tiffany Trieu to 'teen red belt_ low.

Art Rokin, also known as Not-Ray, was promoted to yonkyu.  The "big guy" managed all of his ukes with strong technique and appropriateness.  Check out the photo of Art and Jason K., who is just about 1/2 as tall, and "appropriateness" will have greater meaning.  If my memory serves me, Art did all of his 'free-technique' with teen ukes all of which were much shorter. 

The thumbnails are links to the galleries... enjoy!

Posted By Skys Sensei.