We would like to invite you to join us in supporting a good cause! We have been in the process of rebuilding our Los Angeles dojo’s membership after the COVID lockdowns. An essential part of a dojo is a Kamiza, and our dojo has not had one yet.
The Kamiza is a place of honor, and in the context of an Aikido dojo it is the place in a dojo to honor O Sensei or Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. If you are not familiar with the martial art of Aikido, in a transcribed excerpt from the writings of O Sensei it states, "one must be able to deal with any and all situations in the Great Spirit of Loving Protection toward all things."
So far, our dojo in LA had to place a portrait of O Sensei on a little worn out coffee table at the end of the mat. We have recently gotten permission from the landlord of the building where our dojo is, to build a beautiful Kamiza structure to appropriately honor O Sensei, and to contribute to the training atmosphere that even more honors "the Great Spirit of Loving Protection toward all things."
We hope the Kamiza will convey that spirit not only to us, as the dojo members, but also to every newcomer to the dojo. Imagine walking in, and experiencing a felt sense of what Aikido is about. We’ve also included information about Aikido Kenkyukai International USA below.
Again, we invite you to join us in supporting our Kamiza-fundraiser. Any amount will help so please give what you can.
With gratitude in advance!
The students of AKI’s Los Angeles dojo.
Aikido Kenkyukai International, USA ("AKI USA") is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Every year we work to raise money so we can continue our important work in the community. This work includes, but is not limited to:
Giving back wherever we can, such as our support of the Fundraiser Seminar to benefit Ukrainian refugees in Poland April 30, 2022.
Making online resources and events available for practitioners and instructors.
Providing opportunities for young people to accompany Lia Suzuki Sensei on training trips to Japan, such as 16-year old Kevin in 2019.
Creating new relationships with overseas dojo, thus enriching the experiences of our young members. A couple years ago, one of our 17-year-old members accompanied Lia Suzuki Sensei on her European Tour, co-teaching youth classes there and participating fully (most times being her main "uke") in adults classes.
Providing scholarships to those in need. With your help, we have provided over $50,000 worth of scholarships! Recipients include low-income youth, military veterans with PTSD, and other underserved populations.
Offering Aikido seminars with world renowned instructors. Each year we host at least two seminars, attracting practitioners of all skill levels from around the globe. We have recently had our New Year’s Seminar which was a big success, and will have two more seminars in May and August. Scholarships are also available to those in need for these seminars.
As mentioned above, currently our biggest project is simply rebuilding our Los Angeles dojo after the COVID lockdowns and an essential part of that is a Kamiza.
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1st David Baar $500 raised 2 donations
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2nd Rae Dawn Chong $280 raised 8 donations
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3rd Karin V $150 raised 2 donations