Archived News

Last Friday there were no tests. However, we had a great class followed by a delightful dinner at Wild Wasabe. Our next testing date will be Friday, January 15, 2010. Class will start at 6:30 with dinner to follow.

Tom and Mary Sensei send their thanks to everyone for the donations to FAM. We collected $275 in cash along with several bags/boxes of toys, household goods and clothing.

Nashville Aikikai sends our condolences to Jay Barnet and his family on the death of his wife, Elizabeth. Jay asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the ACLU. Contributions to the dojo donation may be given to Tom or Mary Sensei.

Our holiday charity this year is Family Affair Ministries. The organization sponsors a Christmas store at which low income families can purchase gifts at reduced cost. Tom and Mary Sensei will be collecting monetary donations. Donations of new toys, new or gently used clothing (particulary menswear), household goods, or wrapping paper may be left in the dojo next to the coat rack. All donated items should be in good condition. Please do not giftwrap your donations. Toys should be appropriate to a religious organization. The deadline for donations is December 15, 2009. We thank everyone in advance for their contributions. Please see www.familyaffairministries.com for additional information about this organization.

After testing, dojo members enjoyed dinner together at Fiesta Mexicana. The next testing date will be December 18, 2009. Class will start at 6:30 PM with dinner to follow.

-December 4-6, 2009 Kevin Choate Sensei at Aikido-Louisville Aikikai in Louisville, KY

-February 26-28, 2010 Ikeda Shihan at Aikido-Louisville Aikikai in Louisville, KY

Congratulations to Steve and Mr. Wang on being invited to train with Saotome Sensei at the Aiki Shrine Dojo in Myakka City, FL this weekend.

Many thanks to Ikeda Shihan, Ken McGrew Sensei, and our hosts at Utsusemi Aikikai in Birmingham for a wonderful seminar. Tom and Mary Sensei were pleased that so many Nashville Aikikai members were able to attend. With apologies to Tom Sensei, much doing was done by all. The next seminar in our area will be Choate Sensei at Aikido-Louisville Aikikai in Louisville, KY to be held December 4-6, 2009.

After testing, dojo members enjoyed dinner together at Blackstone. The next testing date will be November 20, 2009. Class will start at 6:30 PM with dinner to follow.

Happy Birthday to Tom Sensei. We look forward to your aikido blog. Watch the home page for a link, coming soon! Also, check out the link to our Facebook page. Thanks to Cassandra, The RF, for maintaining this page. Check the Gallery Page periodically for updates there, as well.

As you will recall, the RW does not have any idea how to run a website and is flying by the seat of her perverbial pants. Basically, if it doesn't involve a computer program that works intuitively, I can't do it. However, after much trial and error, I have finally figured out a mechanism (I didn't say it was the best one) to post pictures to the web. Please check out the new link on the Gallery page to see pictures from the recent seminar with Wendy Whited Sensei that have been posted to jalbum. Let me know what you think.

Thanks to Robert McHugh and Alexandria Mueller of Birmingham, AL for generously allowing us to use their pictures from Whited Sensei's seminar.

Names and promotions from last Friday's tests will be posted later this week. Thanks for your patience. We all enjoyed dinner at Fiesta Mexicana afterwards. Next testing date will be Friday, October 16, 2009 with class starting at 6:30 PM and dinner afterwards.

Afterwards, dojo members enjoyed dinner together at Blackstone. The next testing date will be September 18, 2009. Class will start at 6:30 PM with dinner afterwards.

We enjoyed a great seminar with Wendy Whited Sensei last weekend. We send our thanks to her and all of our visitors from other dojos. Also, many, many thanks to all the dojo members who worked so hard to make the seminar a success.

Thanks to everyone who helped out with our annual dojo deep cleaning and maintainance. Now, let's work hard to keep the dojo clean throughout the year.

Congratulations to Mike O on passing his Gokyu test. The dojo sends him best wishes for a speedy recovery from his upcoming surgery. After testing, we enjoyed dinner together at Fiesta Mexicana. The next testing date will be August 21, 2009. Class will start at 6:30 PM with dinner to follow.

Everyone please try to come out to our annual cleaning at 11:15 AM on Saturday, August 1st.

Nashville Aikikai members have recently attended several seminars. Mary Sensei, Steve, Kitten, Mike, and Marta attended a seminar with Choate Sensei at Aikido of Louisville on June 26-28. We thank the Aikido of Louisville members for their hospitality. Steve, Mark, and Marta attended DC Summer Camp last week. Both seminars provided excellent instruction and comaraderie. Mary Sensei encourages each dojo member to attend seminars whenever possible.

Please note that testing this month has been moved to the 4th Friday of the month - July 24, 2009. Class will start at 6:30 PM with dinner to follow.

Utsusemi Aikikai in Birmingham will be sponsoring a seminar with Ikeda Shihan November 6-8, 2009. Space is limited, so preregistration is required. Cost is $120 for the full seminar, $45 per class. I will post a few registration forms on the bulletin board. They are also available on the Utsusemi Aikikai website. The deadline for preregistration is November 1, 2009.

Congratulations to Stephanie for passing her Yonkyu test and Kitten for passing her Rokyu test yesterday. After class and testing, dojo members enjoyed dinner together at Blackstone. The next testing date will be Friday, July 17, 2009. Class will start at 6:30 PM with dinner to follow.

Choate Sensei will be in Louisville next weekend. Several dojo members are planning to attend. If you would like to ride with someone, contact Steve or Marta. Also, several dojo members will be attending DC Weapons Camp over the July 4th weekend. Mark C. is looking for someone to drive up with. If you are interested, please give him a call.

Congratulations to all the dojo members who passed kyu tests in March, April, and May:

If there is anyone that I have left out, please let me know. The next testing date will be Friday, June 19, 2009. Class starts at 6:30 PM with dinner to follow.

I have attached a PDF of the updated test requirements to the Classes Page for your convenience.

The RW is pleased to announce that we have finally recovered from the crash of our PC and loss of all of our files and programs in April. I will update the testing results from March, April, and May soon. I am also working on updating the Gallery with the photos that my fellow dojo members have graciously provided. Finally, look for information soon regarding our August seminar with Wendy Whited Sensei. We look forward to her visit.

Many thanks to Ikeda Shihan for giving a wonderful seminar last weekend. We had a great turnout and enjoyed training with Aikidoka from as far away as Florida and Texas. Mary and Tom Sensei would like to thank all of the dojo members for their hard work in making this another successful seminar. For pictures, see the link on the Gallery page. Thanks to Matthew for the pictures.

Steve, Mark C, Marta, Mike, and Kitten enjoyed a great seminar with Ikeda Shihan in Louisville this past weekend. We thank the Louisville Aikikai dojo members for their hospitality. We look forward to seeing Ikeda Sensei here in Nashville in a few weeks.

Congratulations to Mike on passing his Rokkyu test. We enjoyed having Eric Umstead Sensei and his students from Murray State join us for class. We look forward to seeing them again soon. After class, we enjoyed a good dinner at Blackstone. Our next testing date will be March 20, 2009. Class will start at 6:30 PM with dinner to follow.

Aikido - Louisville Aikikai will be hosting a seminar with Ikeda Shihan on February 27 to March 1, 2009. Mary Sensei encorages all dojo members to attend. A sign-up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board next week.

Congratulations to Pete on passing his Rokkyu test. We had a good dinner afterwards at Rosarios. Our next testing date will be February 20, 2009. Class will start at 6:30 PM with dinner to follow.

Happy New Year to all! Tom and Mary Sensei would like to thank everyone for their generosity this year in donating to the Second Harvest Food Bank. We collected $750.00, which is about twice what we collected last year. This will go a long way toward feeding the hungry in middle Tennessee. Don't forget, Second Harvest is also in need of volunteers to box food donations. Check the Second Harvest web site for times.

November 22, 2008-
Congratulations to John and Lindsey on passing their Rokkyu tests. After the testing, we had an excellent dinner at Blackstone. There will be no testing in December. The next testing date will be January 16, 2009. Class starts at 6:30 PM with dinner afterward.

The annual Nashville Aikikai charity drive is underway. Each year during the holiday season we take up a collection for those less fortunate than ourselves. This year, for the second year in a row, we will be collecting for Second Harvest Food Bank. Most of us forget that hunger is a problem affecting people of all ages in our country. Second Harvest has a virtual food drive designed to encourage donations of the most needed items, while purchasing those items at decreased cost and making the donation process easier. Last year we participated in this food drive and helped to provide 1,095 meals. We can do even better this year. Mary Sensei would like to encourage everyone to participate in the food drive. Remember that every dollar makes a difference, so no donation is too small (or too big). Tom Sensei, Mary Sensei, Jacques, Gene and Steve will be collecting donations until December 20, 2008. Tom and Mary Sensei thank everyone for your generosity now and throughout the years. They want you to know that they consider themselves fortunate to be associated with such a wonderful group of people.

November 14, 2008-
Choate Sensei will be giving a seminar in Louisville on December 12-14, 2008. If you are interested in carpooling, please see the sign-up sheet on the dojo bulletin board. There will be no evening class on Thanksgiving Day. Please check with Steve Sensei regarding morning class. There will be no testing in December. The next testing date will be January 16, 2009 with class starting at 6:30 PM and dinner afterward.

October 19, 1008-
Congratulations to Matthew on passing his Gokyu test and to Cassandra for passing her Rokyu test on Friday. Once again, we had a great turnout for class, and a delicious dinner following at Sonobona. Our next testing date will be November 21 with class starting at 6:30 and dinner to follow.

September 17, 2008-
We had a great turnout for testing and a nice dinner together at Noshville afterwards. Congratulations to Jesse on passing his Rokkyu test. Next testing date will be October 17 with class starting at 6:30 and dinner to follow.

September 7, 2008-
Thank you to Choate Sensei for an excellent seminar. And congratulations to Rick on passing his Shodan test.

August 16, 2008-
Thanks to everyone who helped out with the dojo cleaning! We got alot done in a short period of time, and the dojo looks great. We are all looking forward to Choate Sensei's seminar in three weeks.

June 22, 2008-
Mary Sensei encourages all dojo members to train with weapons at least two hours per week for the next six months, which may include time both in class and on your own. We want to be well prepared for our next seminar with Saotome Sensei.

June 2, 2008-
The dojo sends Stewart its best wishes for a speedy recovery after his recent surgery.

April 20, 2008-
Congratulations to Lara on passing her Shodon test. She did a great job! And thank you to Eric and Steve for giving ukemi for her test. Choate Sensei gave a wonderful seminar. We look forward to possibly having him visit our dojo in August.

April 6, 2008-
The 11:15 Weapons Class on Saturday, April 19, 2008 will be cancelled due to many dojo members being in Louisville for Choate Sensei's seminar.

March 28, 2008-
-Congratulations to James on his recent wedding. We wish him and his new bride many wonderful years together.
-As we all know, Lara will be testing for Shodon at the Kevin Choate Sensei Seminar at Aikido of Louisville, April 18-20, 2008. Many dojo members will be going to the seminar. A sign-up sheet has been posted on the bulletin board in the dojo.

March 16, 2008-
We are all very excited about next weekend's seminar with Saotome Shihan. We will need everyone's help to prepare. Thursday night class (March 20) will end a little early at 7:30 PM to allow us to roll up the mats. Even if you are unable to come to class that night, we would appreciate people coming in to help with the mats. On Friday, we will meet at the dojo at noon to pack up and move. We can get into the Joe C. Davis Center at 4 PM and have to have everything ready by 6 PM (class is at 6:30 that night). Throughout the seminar, we will need everyone's help to make our guests feel welcome and keep the site clean. If you have any questions about how you can help, please ask one of the senior students. This will be a wonderful event with outstanding training.

March 8, 2008-
-The Tuesday night adult class will no longer be strictly a weapons class, but will go back to being a more general Intermediate Class.

February 24, 2008-
-The Instructors' Class on the third Sunday of each month is cancelled until further notice.

February 17, 2008-
-Tom and Mary Sensei will be teaching a one day seminar at Aikido at UAB in Birmingham, AL on Saturday, March 1, 2008. Any dojo member interested in attending should contact Mary Sensei for details.
-Congratulations to the members of the Smyrna dojo who passed kyu tests on January 26, 2008:
5th Kyu (Gokyu)
Jim
Tony
Terry
6th Kyu (Rokyu)
Dan
Bridgette

January 20, 2008 -
Three members of the Youth Class, Josh, Kai, and Holden, are members of Nashville's new eclectic youth orchestra. Their first concert will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, February 9, 2008. Attached is a link to the event poster. I know that they would appreciate the support of anyone who can attend.

January 19, 2008 -
- Tom and Mary Sensei will be at the Smyrna dojo on January 26 to conduct testing. The 9:30 class will be held, as usual. The 11:15 weapons class will be cancelled that day.
- Ikeda Sensei will be giving a seminar hosted by St. Louis Aikikai on February 8-10. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for dojo members who are interested in attending.

January 5, 2008 -
Many thanks to Tom and Mary Sensei for hosting the New Year's party. We had good food from Qdoba and good fellowship. Jacques-san, the RW is holding you to your promise to send me pictures to add to the gallery. At the party, Mary Sensei gave us an update on our contribuation to the Second Harvest Food Bank.
NASHVILLE AIKIKAI
DONATION TO SECOND HARVEST
January 5, 2008
Thank you to all the people who contributed to this year’s charity drive. Your generosity will help serve 1,095 meals. Here’s the list of what we donated:
72 cans of green beans
36 cans of fruit cocktail
15 pounds of ground beef
36 jars of peanut butter
72 cans of beef stew
96 boxes of macaroni and cheese
48 cans of chicken noodle soup
80 juice boxes

Below is a summary of all the promotions for 2007 - congratulations to all the dojo members who passed their tests and thanks to all the dojo members who helped them to prepare.

Several dojo members have traveled to seminars this fall and winter, studying with Saotome Sensei, Ikeda Sensei, Choate Sensei, and Wendy Whited Sensei. We encourage all dojo members to attend seminars whenever possible. Watch the bulletin board and ASU website for seminar schedules. Also remember our seminar with Saotome Sensei in March. We will need everyone's help to prepare and encourage all members of our dojo to come and learn, no matter how long you have been training.

August 02, 2007 -
Congratulations to Carol and Ricky Taylor on their (semi) recent marriage. It's great to have both of these terrific people in the dojo. We hope they'll have many happy years together.

May 16, 2007 -
Congratulations to Brian Akins and his wife on the birth of their third child. Elizabeth Alexandria Akins was born Friday evening May 11th. Both mother and daughter are doing fine.

MAY 14, 2007 -
Congratulations to Jacques Crist are long passed due. Last fall Jacques not only did a great job on his Shodan test, but also got married the very next week-end. He and his lovely wife Trish quickly disappeared on their honeymoon, but eventually returned and are settling into married life. Sorry for the delay, Jacques. Both the Shodan test and the wedding were great.

May 1, 2007 -
Ikeda Sensei taught a wonderful seminar at the beautiful Joe C. Davis Outdoor Center April 27 - 29. The seminar focused not only on using your center to gain control of your partner's center the instant of contact, but also on being able to do this while using minimal external movement. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make the seminar a great success!

March 20, 2007 -
It's a girl! Congratulations to Jay Barnet and Elizabeth Paris on the birth of their daughter. Elysha Paris Barnet was born on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, weighing 8 lbs 12 oz. The whole family is doing great and big brother Zach is ready to start teaching her Aikido.
For those who also know Rob and Karen Gallegly in Carbondale, it was definitely a baby weekend. Brenden Douglas Gallegly was born on March 16th, weighing 7 lbs 9 oz. Brenden is currently an only child and ready to take charge of the family.

Jaunary 16, 2007 -
ASU (Aikido Schools of Ueshiba) dues are due the beginning of each year. The dues are $35 for kyu ranks and $75 for yudansha. I know this comes at a time when many of us are strapped for money, but we're fortunate that ASU is so much more reasonable than many Martial Arts organizations. You're welcome to include your ASU dues on a check with dojo dues or other payments; just be sure you clearly indicate what the check is for.
Please give your dues to Steve by the end of the month or see Mary Sensei if this is a problem for you. Thanks

Jaunary 12, 2007 -
Steve Matthews has been extremely diligent about keeping the Cool Springs dojo open for over a year and a half. Although it's been a very good dojo, it has stayed small in numbers. Tom and Mary recently agreed with Steve that it was time for the Cool Springs location to close. The advantage to this is that we'll be seeing more of Steve, and the students who trained in Cool Springs, at the Nashville location. With all of us working together in Nashville we'll become a better, stronger dojo.

In other news. . . it recently came to our attention that Brian Akins who teaches Aikido in Symrna would like to be affiliated with an ASU dojo. After talking it over with Patty Saotome, it was decided that Brian will affiliate with Nashville Aikikai. We'll have more news on this as the situation develops.

Jaunary 09, 2007 -
On Saturday, Jan. 20th, there'll be a dojo party at the McIntires. Family and friends are welcome. Check with Tom and Mary for more information.

November 13, 2006 -
Recently Steve Matthews attended a seminar at Saotome Sensei's Ranch in Sarasota, Florida. Being invited to the Ranch is a privilege and an honor bestowed upon three groups of people: 1) Shodan's who are serious about continuing their study of the art, 2) dojo head instructors, and 3) other instructors who have worked for years to promote Aikido while increasing their own abilities and level of understanding in the art. Steve is the first student/instructor from Nashville Aikikai to attend a seminar at the Ranch as a member of this third group. We were proud to have Steve represent our dojo and grateful that Sensei choose to honor him with an invitation.

October 19, 2006 -
Congratulations to the Ellin Varvarusis (Rokyu), Marta Crispens (Yonkyu), and Brian Rabinovitz (Sankyu) on their resent promotions. As each person progresses he/she helps to make us a better and stronger dojo.

October 02, 2006 -
The seminar with Patty Saotome Sensei was wonderful. She worked primarily on the principle that all techniques are basically one. Patty Sensei was very impressed with the dojo, particularly with everyone's technique.

September 22, 2006 -
Ikeda Sensei will return to Nashville for a seminar at the Joe C. Davis Outdoor Center April 27 - 29, 2007. We're extremely fortunate to have him back next year!

September 18, 2006 -
Congratulations to James Wilson who was promoted to Rokyu last month. Sorry for the delay in getting the news out.

July 20, 2006 -
The seminar this past weekend was great. We had several opportunities to explore interesting and helpful ideas. In addition to benefitting from the Choate Sensei's instruction, everyone had a wonderful time.

June 28, 2006 -
July 4th class - If you're interested in attending the 6:30 PM class on July 4th please let Stuart know you'll be there.

June 27, 2006 -
Mr. Wang and his wife are both healing from their car accident. They'd like to thank everyone for the card, kind thoughts, concern, and well wishes.

I ran into Fadi Mallak at the airport. Said to tell everyone 'hi'. He's thinking of selling the restaurant. That will give him more time for other things, such as returning to the dojo.

June 06, 2006 -
Congratulations to the following people on their recent promotions!
Nobe Aleman - Gokyu
Ken Lewis - Sankyu
Lara Bratlien - Nikyu
Ricky Taylor - Ikkyu

June 01, 2006 -
An article featuring Mr. Wang recently appeared in the Tennessean. The article was about the many benefits of Tai Chi and coincided with the World Tai Chi and Qigong Day late last month. Please see the dojo bulletin board for the full article.

Shortly after the World Tai Chi Day and our seminar with Ikeda Sensei, Mr. Wang was injured in an automobile accident. I'm not certain of all the details, but my understanding is that he had his upper front teeth knocked out, received several stitches in his right cheek and stitches on the right side of his head. His wife may have also been in the wreck and may have been injured more severely than he was. I'll try to find out more information. In the meantime, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

May 18, 2006 -
Mark your calendar for two more great seminars this year. July 14 - 16 Kevin Choate will be here. Due to the fact that our 8th Ave. dojo can be very hot in July, the seminar will be held at MET Sports in Cool Springs. Then Sept. 22 - 24 Patty Saotome will be here. Current plans are to have the September Seminar in our 8th Ave. dojo.

May 10, 2006 -
Congratulations to Gene Senibaldi and Stuart Jones on their recent promotions to Shodan! Good test guys!!

May 09, 2006 -
The seminar with Ikeda Sensei was fantastic. Sensei has even agreed to come back next year. My thanks to the many people who worked had to make it such a great seminar.

Jaunary 17, 2006 -
I just want to remind everyone to use careful judgement about whether or not to attend class when the whether is bad. Depending on where you live it will be easier for some people to get to the dojo than for others. If the whether is questionable, you may want to contact someone who has a key and see if he/she will be there before you make the trip. If the instructor for the class is unable to get to the dojo and another official Nashville Aikikai instructor is there, that person should go ahead and teach the class. If no Nashville Aikikai instructors are present there should be an open class. Just be careful, so that no one gets hurt.

Thanks,
Mary Sensei

January 14, 2006 -
Wow, it's been a busy year. . . and I really fell down on posting news items. We need some volunteers from the dojo to help keep the news up to date. Please see Mary Sensei if you're interested.

Here's a brief recap of some Nashville Aikikai highlights from the last few months:

Eric Hopper went to Bloomington, Indiana and did a fantastic job on his Nidan test. Congratulations Eric.

We finished renovating the dojo and it looks great. Saotome Sensei checked it out during his visit and marveled at what a wonderful space we have. Thanks to everyone for all your work.

Saotome Sensei's visit was a huge success. The Joe C. Davis Center was a perfect location. It set a relaxed and peaceful tone. Sensei was very impressed with both our technique and all we did to make the seminar a pleasant experience for everyone. He even agreed to return in a couple of years.

During Saotome Sensei's visit both Steve Matthews and Tom Wang were promoted to Sandan. This is a major accomplishment for each of them and the dojo as a whole.

Once again we provided stockings for the East Nashville Head Start Center. Everything went smoother than ever this year, thanks largely to Steve and Jean's efforts to continually improve the process.

I haven't listed promotions since February of last year. Here's a list of the kyu promotions since then. A few people have even been promoted twice.

January 07, 2006 -
As many of you are aware, we've been able to keep the dojo dues at the same rate for many years. (Our dojo dues were $60 a month in 1990. Eventually we were able to reduce it to $40 for a few years and then went back to $60 about 10 years ago.) Rent, utilities, etc. have increased over the years and now we're finally forced to raise the dojo dues. I'm glad to say that even with the increase we're less expensive than the average dojo. However, if this increase means you can no longer afford to train, please see me and we'll see if we can work something out. Effective January 1, 2006 the new rates for Nashville Aikikai dojo dues are:

December 12, 2005 -
Ikeda Sensei has agreed to return to Nashville Aikikai in the Spring of 2006. The current dates for the seminar are April 28-30, 2006. We are in the process of reserving the Joe C. Davis Center for this seminar and the seminar web page will be updated once we have more information.

August 25, 2005 -
The next beginners class has been postponed from August 29 to September 12, as the dojo is still undergoing renovations this week.

July 25, 2005 -
Website updates and a new location to train are just a couple of the things going on at Nashville Aikikai this month. We have recently opened up a satillite dojo in the Cool Springs area of Nashville with Steve Mathews leading classes. Classes are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 to 8:30 pm and 7:00 to 8:30 pm respectively. The website has also had a few minor changes on the Classes and Locations Pages. An update for the upcoming Mitsugi Saotome Shihan Seminar is in progress and should be available to the public no later than July 31, 2005.

May 31, 2005 -
Nashville Aikikai recently donated $500 to assist Kevin Sparkman with his medical cost. The majority of the money came from the generosity of individual dojo members. Kevin called to thank us and let us know how much everyone's thoughtfulness is appreciated. It's always good to see a dojo consisting if people willing to help others.

May 18 , 2005 -
On May 1, 2005 a celebration was held in Myakka City, Florida to commemorate Saotome Sensei teaching Aikido in the United States for 30 years. The guest list was basically limited to those who were a part of the original Sarasota dojo. Mary and Tom Sensei were among the fortunate people who were a part of that group. The day started with a 10:00 AM work-out; followed by a wonderful barbeque lunch prepared by John Messorees; and conversation — including plenty reminiscing — that lasted into the next morning. Patty Sensei provided a cake with the words "30 Years of Patience — Saotome Sensei's Zoo" (yes, we were called "Saotome Sensei's Zoo") and pictures of zoo animals. She also provided champaign which we eagerly used to toast Sensei, the old gang, etc. Nashville Aikikai presented Sensei with a silver plaque with the inscription,

Nashville Aikikai"

May 3 , 2005 -
There will be a Dojo meeting, this coming Saturday, May 7th, 2005, to discuss the upcoming seminars. Please meet at the dojo after the Saturday class, 11:00 am, and we will be going to the local Mexican resturant to meet.

April 4 , 2005 -
No classes will be held on April 8 - 10 as Ikeda Sensei will conducting a seminar in town at the Goshin Dojo. For more information on this seminar, please check out Goshin Dojo's website.

February 24, 2005 -
An update has been made to the Seminars page. Saotome Sensei's Seminar will be held on October 14-16, NOT the 15-17. *Apologies from the webmaster for the typo.*

We're off to a great start this year. We recently had 8 people test for promotion and all do a great job. Congratulations to:

Lara Bratlien Gokyu

Edison Fernandez Sankyu

Craol Freund Yonkyu

Robert Jackson Sankyu

Tyler Langford Rokyu

Kenneth Lewis Rokyu

Brian D. Rabinovitz Rokyu

James Stacey Rokyu

February 22, 2005 -
Tom and I want to thank you all for the wonderful party and picture. The picture is currently sitting in our living room. It's great! We know we're lucky to have such wonderful dojo. You all are a terrific group!!
Thank you again,
Mary Sensei

January 28, 2005 -
There will be a dojo meeting on Saturday, February 12, after class to discuss Saotome Sensei and Wendy Whited Sensei's seminars which are sneaking up on us. The meeting will be held at the Tazza restaurant which is only about a mile away from the dojo. Even if you can not attend class, please try and come to the meeting. You can meet at the dojo right after class to car pool to Tazza if you'd like.

There has been an update on the SEMINARS page, setting the date for Wendy Whited Sensei's seminar to June 3-5, 2005. An additional page of information will be posted once it has been finalized.

Also, the first of several updates to the LINKS page has been made, so go and take a look!

January 18, 2005 -
The January Newsletter is out! Have you read it yet? Here are a few of the highlights:

- Friday, January 28, 2005 will be a regular, instructor led class instead of our usual open class format for Fridays.
- Attendance it up this year with a total of 3000 ASU hours for adult students!!!
- A list of all the recent promotions has been included. Congradulations to all!

For the full newsletter, you can download it as either a MSWord document, or as an Adobe PDF.

January 7, 2005 -
Happy New Year!!! You might have missed it, but the web site has already been updated with a few corrections (things like misspelled names, etc.) and the like. Hopefully here in the near future, I will be able to finish getting some of the sites artwork done and fill in some of the [put so and so's picture here] items. Keep the comments coming, and if you see anything that needs to be corrected, let me know.

One other note. I worked pretty hard to make sure that our new web site was accessible from as many internet browsers/screen resolutions as possible. If you are having issues with something, try to get a screen shot of the problem and e-mail it to me at Nashville_Aikikai@hotmail.com and I'll do my best to take care of it.

- Mike

December 24, 2004 -
Merry Christmas!!! As you may have noticed, things are looking a little different here on the web site. Many previous release dates have been missed, but I couldn't miss Christmas. I hope that old and new visitors alike, enjoy this new and improved web site.

One thing to note. There are a few items that have not been finished; the logo that should be to the left, the gallery, and instructors pages are not completely finished (mostly because I have gotten the photos ready). As I finish them, they will become available.

In other news, I have set up a new e-mail address, Nashville_Aikikai@hotmail.com, which will keep all of the dojo mail in a separate account (this avoids giving out individuals e-mails on the web site, thus avoiding the potential for spamming).

If you have any questions about the web site or know of any items that may need to be changed, please let me know.

-Mike