Arizona Budokan's Blog

Annual Food Drive Tournament

2012-01-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the winter holiday season, the Arizona Budokan always participates in the Annual Food Drive Tournament hosted by Sensei Ted Rabino and his wife Sara. The kids get a chance to shine and we all get an opportunity to represent the Arizona Budokan in one of the biggest traditional martial arts tournaments in the Phoenix area. We always do well, and this year was no exception. Congratulations to everyone who trained hard and gave their best effort in a challenging environment. We're proud of you!

The AZB kids getting ready to rumble...

The very serious and mature AZB adults ponder the competition...

Karate and kobudo--kids

Aunchele Taylor

This was Aunchele's first time out as part of our AZB family and we were so proud of her! Nothing is more difficult than competing as a white belt and she did an incredible job.

With clean stances and focus, Aunchele performed some of the best kata in her huge division.
We can't wait to see what she'll do in her next tournament!

Allen Thomas
THIRD in kumite
THIRD in long weapons

Shihan coaches Allen and Aunchele before their kumite matches.

Allen was a little firecracker in his difficult kumite division and took a well-deserved third place!

Ricky Canas
SECOND in kata
SECOND in kumite
THIRD in long weapons

Ricky and Tristan were like twins, neck in neck throughout the competition and showing incredible sportsmanship and support for each other the entire day.

Both put on a strong performance, placed well, and made us proud!

Tristan Blick
FIRST in kata
FIRST in kumite
SECOND in long weapons
FIRST in short weapons

Tristan did a great job and gave us the focus and precision we've been looking for! The judges thought so too, and awarded him three first place medals and a second place. Way to go, Tristan!

Sarah Craver
THIRD in kata
FIRST in kumite
THIRD in long weapons
SECOND in short weapons

Tough and fearless as always, Sarah gave a strong performance in both kata and sparring.

Sarah's dojomates congratulate her after a tough battle for first place in
a kumite match that went into double overtime.

Shihan with his decorated and hardworking kids' team.

Sarah and Ricky smile between kumite matches.

Brianna Hutchinson
FIRST in kata
THIRD in long weapons
FIRST in short weapons

Brianna's intensity and focus beat out the black belts in her division.

As always, she represented the dojo well and served as an
incredible role model for the younger kids.

Karate and kobudo--adults

Milan Trifkovic
THIRD in kata
THIRD in kumite
FIRST in long weapons
FIRST in short weapons

Milan did a fantastic job in his first tournament. THOSE are the stances we want to see!

Rick Canas
SECOND in kata
SECOND in kumite
SECOND in long weapons
SECOND in short weapons

It was great to have Rick competing again--and stomping out an awesome nitambo kata. Watch out!

Dawn Croft
FIRST in kata
FIRST in kumite

Charged up from her trip to Japan, Sempai Dawn took first place
in both black belt kata and black belt kumite.

Congratulations again to all the competitors, and a big thank you to Shihan, Sensei Ed, and Sempai John for working so hard to prepare us. We are proud to represent the Arizona Budokan and are looking forward to our next chance to shine!

Japan Trip 2011 (Part III: Toyama-ryu)

2012-01-18T12:55:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about Shihan's trip to Japan was the discovery of a wonderful group of Toyama-ryu Iaido practitioners led by Hanshi Takashi Ishikawa, a highly accomplished swordsman and president of the prestigious Zen Nihon Sogo Budo Renmei, a multi-art umbrella federation of over twenty martial arts groups.

Toyama-ryu Iaido is different from many other forms of Iaido in that it was developed specifically for practical combat by the Japanese Imperial Army. Though it has a lot of similarities to the Shinkendo practiced by Shihan for many years, it also complements and adds to our already strong Japanese sword program.

A Japanese soldier practices cutting techniques during WWII

Our first encounter with Toyama-ryu Iaido was actually in a town called Seki, which has been famous for its swordsmiths for nearly a thousand years. Every fall, the town holds the Seki Sword Festival to showcase the history, artisans, culture, and treasures of the region.

Swordsmiths demonstrating traditional forging practices at the Seki Sword Festival

In addition to swordmaking, the festival also features cutting demonstrations by experienced Iaido practitioners from all over the region. Though Ishikawa-sensei's direct students were not performing this year, we did see some rather stunning feats of tameshigiri from other Toyama-ryu practitioners.

Clips from the Seki Sword Festival cutting demonstration

Once we got to Kyoto, we were able to spend two full evenings training with Ishikawa-sensei under his top student, Terakawa-sensei. The members of the dojo were warm, friendly, and serious about their training. As the guest of honor, Shihan got plenty of personal instruction--and even got to do some free sparring with the other students.

Bowing in for sword class in Uji, Kyoto city

One of the fun and challenging warm-up exercises done at the Toyama-ryu dojo involved using logs to practice swinging. Much heavier than a bokken or iaito, the logs helped the sword students develop strength, speed, and control. Once they switched back to their bokken, of course, the wooden swords felt lighter and easier to maneuver.

Swinging heavy logs to develop strength and control

After practicing with logs and bokken, Terakawa-sensei worked closely with Shihan to go over the details of the Toyama-ryu basic kata sequences. He was a detailed, patient, and kind instructor--obviously loved and respected by his students. All of the kata were carefully filmed for later reference at the Arizona Budokan.

Practicing basic kata with Terakawa-sensei

Shihan had the most fun at the Toyama-ryu dojo doing free sparring with one of Terakawa-sensei's advanced students. This is a difficult and potentially dangerous exercise, but the students practice almost daily to ensure they can do it safely. Terakawa-sensei supervised the match while Ishikawa-sensei looked on from the sidelines with delight, watching his new American student confidently handle his weapon.

Shihan practicing bokken free sparring at Ishikawa-sensei's dojo

Ishikawa-sensei happily looks on during the match

Training with the friendly and dedicated sword practitioners at Ishikawa-sensei's Toyama-ryu dojo was a breath of fresh air. Ishikawa-sensei himself is a warm and generous man, and even stepped beyond Japanese custom to invite us to stay in his home for an evening. He also went out of his way to take us to a gorgeous temple and the famous Phoenix Pavilion in Uji, where they also make some of the finest green tea in the world. We are truly indebted to his generosity and kindness.

Ishikawa-sensei explains some of the inscriptions on his favorite temple in Uji

Shihan and Sempai Dawn at Byodoin, one of the most beautiful buildings in Kyoto

Ishikawa-sensei and Shihan at Byodoin

In addition to being a fantastic host, Ishikawa-sensei surprised Shihan by awarding him a fifth-degree black belt certificate and a request that the Arizona Budokan join him as the newest member of his Toyama-ryu Iaido organization. We are excited at this honor and dedicated to practicing and propagating Toyama-ryu sword techniques in our own dojo. If you haven't taken a sword class in awhile, this is a great time to get back into it!

A special thanks to Ishikawa-sensei and all of the instructors and students at his Uji dojo!

Japan Trip 2011 (Part II: Old Friends)

2011-12-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

In addition to getting to spend a lot of time with Hashimoto-sensei and all the wonderful people at Linden both on and off the mat, Shihan was delighted to meet up with two other great friends and training partners from his days in Japan: Kobayashi-sensei and Uemura-sensei.

Shihan has known Kobayashi-sensei since he first went to Japan. The two of them trained under Kuniba-sensei together.

Shihan and Kobayashi-sensei in 1969

Over the years, they stayed in touch--sometimes meeting in Japan and sometimes in the States when Kobayashi-sensei would visit to train and give seminars.

(Top) Shihan and Kobayashi-sensei at the Hayashi-ha championships in 1980
(Bottom) In South Carolina after a seminar in 2003

On this trip, Kobayashi-sensei was an amazing host, taking us on a whirlwind tour of some of the coolest tourist sites in Osaka--including Osaka castle, a riverboat tour, and a fun and funky shopping street in downtown Osaka.

A nostalgic trip back to Osaka Castle

Kobayashi-sensei on the riverboat enjoying being a tourist in his own city

Having fun in wacky and fabulous downtown Osaka

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to train with Kobayashi-sensei, but the two definitely enjoyed connecting and catching up during our day together. As Kobayashi-sensei said, there are very few people left who have firsthand memories of training with Kuniba-sensei in Japan, giving these two old masters a very special and lasting bond.

Another dear friend and kohai that Shihan was able to visit in Osaka was Shigeki Uemura-sensei. Uemura-sensei was just a boy when Shihan first came to Japan, but his father was also an outstanding martial artist who had already trained closely with Hayashi-sensei for years when Shihan arrived. Shihan was lucky enough to train under Uemura-sensei's father, and he also served as a special sempai for the young Shigeki as he grew up surrounded by the world of Hayashi-ha karate.

Shihan with Uemura-sensei Sr. in 1969 (top) and 1980 (bottom)

Sadly, Uemura-sensei Sr. died just before Shihan's trip to Japan. However, he was honored to have an opportunity to speak to him during his final hours and tell him how much he meant to him as a sensei and a friend. In addition, Shihan was also able to pay his final respects to him at a beautiful altar that Shigeki-sensei had set up in his dojo to honor his father's passing.

Like with Kobayashi-sensei, time constraints did not allow Shihan to train with Uemura-sensei while we were in Osaka, but the two spent a wonderful day together catching up, reconnecting, and reliving old memories. One of Shihan's favorite memories of Uemura-sensei is teaching him kobudo in the street outside his house back in 1979.

Shihan and Uemura-sensei practice kobudo in the street as passersby look on at the sight

Shihan also brought with him a photobook commemorating Hayashi-sensei's life, and the two spent hours poring over it and talking about the past and future of Hayashi-ha karate. Uemura-sensei and Shihan share a special bond in that they were both taken under Hayashi-sensei's wing not just as students, but almost as sons. If Hashimoto-sensei and Shihan are like brothers in their philosophy and approach to budo, it was clear that Uemura-sensei and Shihan are brothers in their feelings of love, respect, and gratitude towards the great Teruo Hayashi.

Shihan and Uemura-sensei pore over photographs and share stories of their late teachers

Uemura-sensei toasts his beloved sempai and brother in Hayashi-ha karate

Today, Uemura-sensei has taken his place as an outstanding and internationally known martial artist in his own right. In addition to running his own dojo in Osaka, he serves as the head of the World Karate Federation referee committee and has traveled to nearly 100 countries promoting traditional martial arts. It was an honor and a privilege to be able to get to know this kind, fun-loving, and incredibly accomplished martial artist, and to watch the two masters share both the present moment and their treasured past.

Japan Trip 2011 (Part I: Linden Dojo)

2011-12-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that Shihan first starting learning Shito-ryu in Japan in 1968 when he traveled there on an assignment for the US Air Force. At the time, his main teachers were Kuniba-sensei and Hayashi-sensei.

Shihan with Hayashi Sensei and Kuniba-Sensei in 1968

This was Shihan's first trip to Japan, and he stayed for three years. He kept training after he returned to the US, and invited Hayashi-sensei over many times. In 1979, he finally got a chance to go back to Japan himself and train.

Shihan training with Hayashi-sensei in Japan in 1979

In 1980, Shihan took a team from the Arizona Budokan to compete in the Hayashi-ha World Championships in Osaka. Even in Japan, the Arizona Budokan kids and adults came home with tons of medals--and one of his brown belt kids even took first place in the black belt division for his age group.

Shihan with the winning AZB team in Japan, 1980

Shihan traveled to Japan many more times throughout the 1980s, but stopped going in 1988. When he went again in October of this year, it was his first time back in 23 years, and 43 years since he first arrived. It was still Japan, but a lot of things had changed.

(Left) The bullet train had just appeared when Shihan arrived in 1968 and could travel at 130 mph. (Right) Today, it looks more like a spaceship than a train, and can go nearly 200 mph.

(Left) Shihan at Osaka castle in 1968 (Right) Shihan at Osaka castle in 2011

Unfortunately, Hayashi-sensei and Kuniba-sensei are no longer alive. But Shihan was excited to train with one of Hayashi-sensei's top students, Hashimoto-sensei, who is now considered the leading technical specialist in the Hayashi-ha organization.

Hashimoto Sensei and Shihan catching up over coffee in Osaka

Both Shihan and Hashimoto Sensei are known for their insistence on correct performance of technical details. We all know what it feels like to be on the other end of Shihan's endless corrections--it's the best and most difficult thing about training in our dojo. It was amazing to see Shihan finally meet his match in Hashimoto-sensei!!

(Above) Hashimoto Sensei fixing Shihan's kata in 1988
(Below) Hashimoto Sensei fixing Shihan's kata in 2011

Of course, Shihan wasn't the only one to get the benefits of Hashimoto-sensei's passion for precision and detail. Sempai Dawn also went with him to train at Linden Dojo in the heart of Osaka. Actually, by day, Linden "dojo" is a place where people come to bet on horses, but Hayashi-ha students have been training there in the evenings since the 1970s.

Linden Dojo 1980

Linden Dojo 2011

Like a lot of things in Japan, Linden dojo has changed a lot on the surface, but is still the same at heart: THE place to go in Osaka for quality karate. Shihan and Sempai Dawn spent hours and hours on the mat getting tons of personal instruction from some of the best karateka in the world.

Sempai Dawn learning how to punch, strike, step,
and do Pinan Nidan all over again

Shihan discussing the finer points of Seipai with
Hashimoto-sensei, Brian-sensei, and Michael-sensei

The training was difficult and fantastic, and all the sensei at Linden were as patient and funny as they were demanding and strict. While we were there, we also got to see Hashimoto-sensei's star student Yoshiaki-san give some amazing kata and kobudo performances.

Yoshiaki-san performing a stunning Kosokun (Kusanku) family kata

Of course, all of this hard training deserved some good times afterwards, and there were plenty of those as well, complete with tons of great food and laughter. Still, the training never stopped, and Hashimoto-sensei and Hayashi-sensei's son were as strict about how we held our cups as they were about how we threw our reverse punches.

Drinking sake, eating miso soup, or defending against a
surprise attack--the training continued on into the night.

The company was fantastic...

...and the food, needless to say, was delicious.

A warm and respectful thank you to Hashimoto-sensei, Hayashi-soke #2, Brian-Sensei, Michael-sensei, Yamaguchi-sensei, Chiba-sensei, Yoshiaki-san, and all of the amazing people at Linden. We can't wait to come back next year, and we hope that more AZB students will be able to benefit from your amazing knowledge and friendship.

Hanshi Merriman Seminar

2011-09-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

On September 22, the Arizona Budokan was proud to host Hanshi Chuck Merriman for an exclusive kata bunkai clinic.

Hanshi Chuck Merriman

Hanshi Merriman is a second-generation student of the founder of Goju-ryu, Chojun Miyagi. Chojun Miyagi was best friends with the founder of our style, Kenwa Mabuni. Kenwa Mabuni got a lot of information for his Shito-ryu syllabus from Chojun Miyagi's teacher, Kanryo Higaonna, and the two spent many years training together.

Kenwa Mabuni and Chojun Miyagi

Since we share these common roots with traditional Goju-ryu practitioners, some of our kata look very similar to Goju-ryu kata--even though they might have different names.

Hanshi Merriman DVDs on Goju-ryu kata

Hanshi Merriman is a modern-day master of Goju-ryu karate, and he has been studying it for half a century. In addition to spending decades training closely with Okinawan Goju-ryu masters, he has had an illustrious coaching career leading martial artists to winning performances at multiple World Championship events.

Hanshi Chuck Merriman

Black Belt Magazine named Hanshi Merriman Instructor of the Year way back in 1980 and put him in their hall of fame after he became the first US coach to win his competitors the Gold, Sliver, and Bronze medals at the World Championships. Since then he has earned a host of other lifetime achievement awards and served as the head referee for many prominent international karate events.

Hanshi Merriman on the cover of martial arts magazines over the years

Luckily for us, Hanshi Merriman now makes his home in Phoenix, Arizona and was kind enough to stop by our dojo to teach us some continuous bunkai concepts using the Goju-ryu kata Geki Sai Dai Ichi, which is very similar to our Chi no kata.

Hanshi Merriman at the Arizona Budokan

We started by doing some three-step partner application sequences that were very similar to what we would be doing later during the actual kata bunkai. These gave us a feel for the major blocking and movement concepts first.

Learning the initial sequence as a group

Practicing with partners

Next, we went over the sequence for Geki Sai Dai Ichi. Hanshi Merriman gave us plenty of time to practice the kata so that we would be familiar with it when it was time to move to bunkai application.

Practicing Geki Sai Dai Ichi

Finally, it was time for the in-line renzoku (continuous) bunkai application. Though we typically limit our bunkai practice to one opponent (direction) at a time, Hanshi Merriman taught us how to perform the entire kata in a straight line so that we could bunkai the entire thing without stopping using only one partner. It was definitely challenging, but a whole lot of fun!

Sensei Jerry and Sempai Dawn work renzoku bunkai
with guidance from Hanshi Merriman

Sensei DeNado (far right) also helped us with the new exercise

Everyone came away from the seminar energized and full of new knowledge. We can't wait to practice these concepts further and try to apply them to some of our other kata as well. A huge thanks to Hanshi Merriman for coming by to teach us and to Sensei DeNado for helping out with the big turnout. We look forward to having you back soon!

Summer kobudo promotions

2011-09-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Arizona Budokan students who received
kobudo promotions over the summer. We are proud of you!!

Kids, kyu ranks

Sarah: 4th kyu green

Tristan: 6th kyu purple

Ricky: 7th kyu yellow

Alan: 10th kyu white

Adults, kyu ranks

Brianna: 1st kyu brown

Rick: 6th kyu purple

Adults, dan ranks (black belt)

Dawn: 1st dan apprentice

John: 1st dan

Everyone studied and practiced hard to earn their ranks under tough testing conditions. We appreciate your dedication and look forward to seeing your future progress!!

Grand Canyon State Summer Games

2011-06-16T10:03:00.001-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again--time for the summer edition of the Grand Canyon State Games. The summer games are usually smaller than the winter games, and this year was no exception. Still, we had few troopers who went out and did a great job representing Shihan and the Arizona Budokan again this year. As always, the instructor team worked hard to get us ready for the tournament as well.

We're especially proud of Alan, who went out and competed in long weapons and in a huge kata division after only having trained with us for a couple of months. He took third place with his bo kata, and we can't wait to see how well he does at the next tournament!

Alan competing with Kihon Ichi no Kata

Alan competing in long weapons with Sunakake no Kon

Ricky did an awesome job in both kobudo and karate, earning a medal in all four divisions. His ni-tambo kata was as solid as ever, rightfully earning him the gold. He got second place in bo and third place in both karate kata and kumite.

Ricky during his winning ni-tanbo kata

Ricky being presented with a silver medal in long weapons

Sarah was her usual unflappable self, presenting solid kata and kumite performances and earning medals in the weapons division as well. She placed first in short weapons, second in long weapons, and did a great job performing the kata Ji-in. We're proud of her!

Sarah mixing it up in kumite

Sempai Dawn also competed in the adult divisions, getting second-place medals in weapons and kata and a first-place medal in adult women's black belt kumite. The black belts fought under the new kumite rules, which require eight points to win the match instead of three. Whew!

Sempai Dawn performed Seipai in adult women's black belt kata

It took a lot of reverse punches to make it to eight points!

Congratulations again to all of the competitors, and a special thanks to Shihan, Sensei Ed, and Sempai John for coming out to support us and helping us perform at our best. We'll see you at the food drive tournament in December!!

Sensei Murayama Seminar

2011-06-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember that Shihan Kunio Murayama, an 8th dan in Shito-ryu karate, came from Mexico City to Phoenix for a training session last April. Like our Shihan, Shihan Murayama is a second-generation student to the founder of Shito-ryu, Kenwa Mabuni, and he is famous as one of the top Shito-ryu practitioners in the world.

Sensei Murayama on the cover of Masters Magazine in 2009

The seminar was a great opportunity to train with some of our martial arts "cousins" in the Shito Kai organization and compare some of the subtle differences between what they do and what we do. Murayama Sensei spent the first half of the seminar going over some interesting and very effective (ouch!!) grappling applications.

Sensei Murayama demonstrating a takedown

Murayama Sensei stressed tight, circular movements as a way to retain control of the opponent and increase the effectiveness of the technique. For example, he showed us how to add a subtle twist to this familiar arm bar in order to make it more powerful.

Sensei Murayama with Shihan, demonstrating an arm bar

As always, we were given the opportunity to work with other karateka outside of our dojo, helping us to broaden our ability to apply different techniques. In this case, almost everyone at the seminar was a Shito-ryu practitioner, but we still saw a lot of small differences, particularly when we did kata during the second half of the seminar.

Sempai Dawn working with a brown belt from another dojo

All in all it was a great experience, and those that attended were able to take home some new information as well as reinforce applications that we often do in our own dojo. A special thanks to Sensei Rabino for hosting Sensei Murayama and allowing us to attend. We had a great time and hope he comes back soon!

Brianna, Sempai Dawn, Sempai John, Shihan, and Sensei Ed with Sensei Murayama

If you want to learn more about Murayama Sensei and our cousins in the Shito-kai, you can visit his website at www.murayamashitokai.org.

Sensei Jerry

2011-04-09T18:15:00.001-07:00

Most of you know that Sensei Jerry recently earned his 3rd dan ranking in Shito-ryu karate and that Shihan also honored him with the rare title of sensei. But did you know that Sensei Jerry started training at the Arizona Budokan before any other student at the dojo?

Actually, Sensei Jerry started training in 1975--before Sempai Dawn or any of the AZB kids were even born!

Sensei Jerry's a yellow belt!

In those days, the Arizona Budokan was located in downtown Phoenix on Thomas Road, and Shihan wasn't even a Shihan yet--he was a yondan, or 4th degree black belt.

Shihan and Soke Hayashi in 1975

Sensei Jerry was lucky enough to actually train with Soke Hayashi, who was Shihan's primary teacher and a direct student of the founder of our style, Kenwa Mabuni. Can you spot both of them in this picture?

Sensei Jerry at a training session with Soke Hayashi

So... if you're wondering where Sensei Jerry got that wicked ridgehand of his, now you know he's been practicing it for longer than many of us have even been alive.

Sensei Jerry developing his signature kumite strike :)

Sensei Jerry left the Arizona Budokan several times over the years, but he always came back eventually. Of course, Shihan made him start back at white belt every time. In 2001 he returned for good, and we've been privileged to have him as a sempai ever since.

In January, Shihan finally awarded his most loyal lifetime student the distinguished title of sensei--making him one of only five of Shihan's hundreds and hundreds of students ever to receive it.

Congratulations, Sensei Jerry! You are an amazing martial artist and an inspiration to us all.

Sensei Demura Seminar

2011-04-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

On March 12, several Arizona Budokan students got a chance to train with Sensei (or Shihan) Fumio Demura. Demura Sensei is a world-renowned Shito-ryu karate and Okinawan weapons master and is also a major name in the movie industry, having performed as Pat Morita's (Mr. Miyagi's) stunt double in the original Karate Kid movies and choreographed martial arts scenes in many other major films.

Pat Morita in the Karate Kid

Demura Sensei covered some interesting bunkai applications as well as introducing a series of fun, fast-paced strength, stamina, and reaction drills.

Practicing bunkai

Hey, Sempai John's getting attacked with his own belt!!

This hand speed training drill was pretty easy...
UNTIL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT!!

Don't be surprised if you see some of these drills appearing in the kids' classes soon--if we make you take your belt off and use it for a training drill, you'll know it probably came from this master of both serious traditional karate and delightful movie magic. Thank you, Shihan Demura!!!

Seminar participants:
Shihan Crosswell, Sensei Jerry, Sempai John, Sempai Dawn, JJ Carwell

Grand Canyon State Winter Games

2011-03-23T14:54:00.002-07:00

Hello all and welcome again to the new AZB website. I hope you've had fun exploring. Remember that more pages are coming, and feedback is always welcome!

I'd like to kick off the blog posts by announcing the results of our last tournament, the Grand Canyon State Winter Games held on Saturday, February 26. Congratulations to all of the winners, and thank you to everyone who came out and showed their support for our dojo.

If you see any omissions or errors, please let me know!

Brianna Hutchison:
SECOND in long weapons
THIRD in short weapons
FIRST in kata
FIRST in kumite

Matt Brock:
THIRD in long weapons
SECOND in short weapons
THIRD in kumite

Brenden Rider:
FIRST in long weapons
FIRST in short weapons
FIRST in kata
SECOND in kumite

Sarah Craver:
FIRST in long weapons
FIRST in short weapons
SECOND in kata
THIRD in kumite

Tristan Blick:
THIRD in long weapons
THIRD in kata
THIRD in kumite

Spencer Eller:
SECOND in short weapons
THIRD in kata

Sabrina Majer:
SECOND in kata

Dawn Croft:
THIRD in long weapons
SECOND in short weapons
SECOND in kata
SECOND in kumite

Congratulations again to everyone for their hard work. We are proud to have you represent our dojo.

More ways to stay In touch

2011-03-04T15:41:00.000-08:00

In addition to this blog, I have also started a twitter account and a facebook page. Anyone using those services, please check us out here:
twitter - twitter.com/AZbudokan
facebook - facebook.com/arizonabudokan

Follow us on twitter and/or become our fan on facebook to stay even more connected to the dojo!

Launch of the new website!!

2011-02-25T18:21:00.000-08:00

Hello AZB students, parents, friends, and potential new members,

I'm excited to announce the unveiling of the new Arizona Budokan website, which is chock-full of information, pictures, schedules, and news to keep you excited and involved with all we're doing at the dojo. I also hope that the redesigned site will give students both old and new a fresh look at our amazingly rich history and tradition--along with all of the other reasons we are considered the premiere traditional martial arts training facility in the Valley.

It has been an honor to train with Shihan Crosswell and our other incredible instructors for the last two and a half years. I believe we have something truly special and unique at our school and it is deeply rewarding to finally be able to shout it out to our dojo family and to the world.

None of this would have been possible without the dedication and design magic of my lifelong friend Kevin Carr at Sideways Eight Productions, who has overseen all of the artistic and technical aspects of the site. The result so far is even more beautiful and functional than I had dared hope--and over the next six months or so, it's only going to get better.

I'd also like to thank Shihan Crosswell and all of the kids, parents, students, and instructors at Arizona Budokan for providing me with great feedback on their experiences as well as ideas and pictures for the website.

Please keep checking back and please do contact me with any feedback or suggestions you might have--either in person or by email. Thanks again for being a part of our amazing dojo family--and if you're new to the Arizona Budokan, please stop by and visit soon. We can't wait to meet you!

Dawn

Welcome to our blog

2011-02-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

A quick hello from the web and social media developer for azbudokan.com! I'm proud to be working with Shihan Crosswell and Dawn Croft to relaunch the website.

A total redesign of the site is under way, both aesthetically and technically. The rich content from the current site will be retained and enhanced - including the addition of videos, lots of photographs and a more detailed look into the arts, their histories and the proud lineage of the Dojo. The header for this blog is a little clue as to how the site is evolving. We will be announcing some launch dates in the next week!

This blog will be the future home of the day to day events of the Dojo. We will be posting announcements for special seminars, demonstrations and promotions. I am hoping that eventually, Shihan Crosswell will be posting as well!

I'm also going to jump the gun and introduce the woman I am proud to call my friend and most likely the primary blogger - Dawn Croft. Dawn posses a rich martial arts background in many arts and has studied around the world. She has been studying at the Arizona Budokan since August of 2008 - if memory serves me. And she's been my friend for over 17 years.