11/7/05 We have made it to shingu and have settled in.  We had our first training this morning with Anno Sensei, Susuki Sensei, and Nakaguchi Sensei.  It was fun and hard and all in Japanese (the kids description).  We have come up with a phrase that we just say every now and then.  "Were in Japan and everything's hard"  Usually followed by the list: the stairs are too steep, you have to walk everywhere, the mat is concrete, you have to clean the dojo, you have to clean up after yourself etc etc.  It is usually said with a fake whine so you all know this is not that serious.  All in all I see eyes popping open and sharp intaking of breath just about every hour.  This trip is so good for them.

Tuesday (here) we will be visiting the kids from a local high school Aikido club and I am trying to get the kids some time on the computer at a local computer school all at once so they can tell some of their stories thus far.  We will just have to see.

  Thats all for now, time to walk the 20 mins back to the dojo so we can walk them to the store so they can walk back and cook their next meal.

In Japan and walkin hard,  

Dan

11/9/05 We are very close to our last class in the Aiki Misogi (purification) portion of our trip.  The students have adapted to the intensity very well and are having a blast.  The Aikido teachers in Shingu have been delighted with our students and have treated them excellently.  We have made big news by visiting the local school and were interviewed by a prefecture wide newspaper (I have addresses to get copies of the article) I am ecstatic with the response and changes the students have made in our short but very intense stay in this ancient region.  I have included some impressions from the participants below.  

We spent the day at a Japanese bath house that was built in an Oceanic cave.  Sitting in a hot bath staring out at the open ocean was wonderful.  The next leg will be the cultural portion and will see us in Kyoto after about 4 hours of train rides (this will include the bullet train).  

------Gabe (One. Teacher)

The students are definitely out of their element. They have experienced things in 5 days that some will not ever experience in a lifetime.  

Gabriel  

-----------Susan (One. Teacher)

There is an obvious change in the students, both physically and 
emotionally. What they have experienced thus far on the trip has made a 
huge impact on their lives. I see a stronger sense of responsibility and 
accountability. They have been touched in so many ways with the 
activities they have participated in, and the people they have met. I believe they 
truly understand that many people prepared for their visit, and that 
many people were very excited about their arrival and stay in Japan. The 
expression on the student's faces is one of awareness, and inspiration. 
I have every confidence that they will take with them many new ideas that 
they would like to incorporate in their lives.



 Susan  

-------Nancy (One. Teacher)

Everything is wonderfu‚Œ here in Shingu. The students are having an experience that they could never have dreamed of without this opportunity. They have trained for hours, climbed mountains, eaten sushi, learned to live and  clean as the Japanese do, all with smiles on their faces .Everyday is an adventure from figuring out how to buy food to what food to buy. They keep asking if they can do everything again.  They have become residents of our little community of travelers as well as the dojo and the community of Shingu. Yesterday was my favorite when we met and trained with a local high school. The kids all found someone talk to and later we were treated to a traditional Japanese sushi dinner. The three girls gave a spontaneous and heartfelt speech that showed how much they are learning and how this experience is helping them grow. As for Susan, Gabe and I we are students ourselves as we fumble along trying to do the right thing while being bombarded with new experiences every minute. This trip is the essence of what the one program is. It's a true quest as we all push ourselves to try new things and learn to persevere no matter what the challenge. Everyday we use the "concept of one" with our host country and our little aikido group. I get chills when I think of that moment on the mat when I  realized that we were in Japan learning aikido from the very source. Only in the one program could this crazy adventure happen and only with the  hard work and dedication of many people who believed in it did it become a reality. My sincere thanks to you and everyone involved for helping me realize again that when we work together we can make miracles happen

Nancy  

-----------Ramon

Well this is day 6 and I am still in japan as I type this. I love it here, it's been a memorable experiance thus far. It was last thursday that we landed in Osaka and settled in the quaint town of Shingu.. We have trained day in and day out with some of Aikido's best. We trained with Nagaguchi-sensei, Anno, Suzuki, and Tasaka. We have stretched as an opening for both day and night classes and mainly trained doing Shi-ho nagi, Arimi-nagi, Tenshi-nagi and a couple others that I canot recall. The main focal points was posture and foot work. After that we have climbed Mt. Kamikura as a part of our daily regimine. We have learned to fend for ourselves on a budget of some of our per-daium, but Dan has ben kind enough to cover a good portion of our bills.

Some of my most memorable times consist of the daily training, our trip to the Shingu High School. Wednsday's evening training and of course our staying at the dojo as a cohisive unit. We learned to work together while training in class as well as sometimes having to use our daily money to put togeather a meal while we were having a money crisis so we could survive. Ontop of this we learned to be self sufficiant by sometimes cooking our own meals with the food we bought at a local grocery store. In all we I would like to think we all have become much closer friends because of it.

Wednsday to me was one of the best days to me. We went to the local high school to meet the members of the school's Aikido club. There we were greeted by some of the most sweetest students you could ever meet. They gave hand made cards with a little origami crane to us as gifts and in return I gave a few of the members a couple wrist bands and this one girl  my "Aussa the Earth Charmer" card since I ran out of things to give and she seemed so nice. We then proceeded to train with eachother, both one. and Newschool Aikidoists with the school's Aikido club. We all had fun. trained with a couple of the guys there and did like shi-ho nagi until our sensei Dan took over. Then I worked on as he termed it "more fun and creative" style of Aikido with this girl by doing a modified tenshi-nagi which was a sort of a around the back in which the person who was the uke would reach around to grab the other hand of the person doing the technique then as the reach for it pull that hand away while twisting them around with the hand they hold and having them fall. We then took pictures after the class was over and associated with some of the school's Aikidoists, then after we were done we left the school feeling like we should be creative with a return gift to them all and headed to dinner. Then after we headed back for our evening training.

We got back to the dojo after a delicious sushi dinner, I slipped back into my gi and headed downstairs where we began some pre-stretching before class. We did our normal bow in and started and mostley we worked on shi-ho nagi in which my partener was my sensei Dan. At first I was messing up before I worked with him and this kind girl who's name was Ai and she helped me with my stance when exicuting the last part of the technique. I then worked with dan from there on. He showed me how I should step so I don:t end up hurting my opponent or allowing an opening where I could get hurt myself. In all it was a good night. After word I slept.

I deffenatly loved that I was selected to go to Japan. I feel honored to be here, to being able to be trained by the best as well as descover how differant we live, yet how much we all are alike. I really hope I can do this again some day. ^-^

                                                                      Thank you SOOO much sensei!!!

  ---------------Sierra

So far this trip is awesome. Every moment is a growing experience. We have gone from Osaka to Rinku Town, to Shingu. Right now we are in Shingu at Tim Denton`s school of english. The first time I really realized we were in Japan was when we got to the hotel in Rinku Town.  When we got to the hotel and in our rooms were 2 beds that were small they were probably like a little smaller than twin beds in America, and not only were the beds tiny the room only had like a foot between them and 2 feet from wal;ll at the end of the bed, i just kept on thinking that this couldn`t be our rooms..?Have i been Punk`d? When we checked out the hotel really early the next morning we had to take  abunch of trains to go to Osensei`s Grave.... When we got there the whole area felt calm, I was aware of everything around me... more than i have ever been in my whole life.  After we left there we caught another train to Shingu... there we settled?in to the Dojo. Since we`ve settled into the dojo everyday has pretty much been, Wake up at 5 do chores, train at 630, after that clean the sleeping area, then climb kamikura... then after that we have a little free time then at 730 we train again. Yesturday we went to a local high school and met with the Aikido club from the high school. That was an amazing experience. Those students were so nice.. they gave us little postcards that they made that said Welcome to Shingu High school. With a little origami ornament on them. This trip has been such a good opurtunity. I never knew how this trip would change the way i think. This really puts alot of things into perspective. Experiencing this culture with such an open mind has really been a priviledge. I know that when i get home everything will seem so different. Everytime the people here in this small town treat us with so much respect and ..... just pure nice/ness ( if thats a word) i feel so privelged just be in there company. I cannot wait to experience the rest of this country.  

Goin` with the Flow,
 Sierra C.

------------Chaprice

I'm so thrilled that I was choosen to attend this trip.  It has been a wonderful experience and I truly feel blessed. We had the chance to climb Kamiaura, which is a mountain where human life began, and also where the Gods first landed.( Well that`s whats believed.)  Being that I`m terrified of heights, I really didn`t believe I could do it, but with the help of Sensei, he stuck with me and told me to find a focus on one step at a time, and climb. Low and behold I reached the top.  The view was so amazing, and I`m so happy that I kept climbing instead of giving up. The Sensei`s have been more than wonderful with us, and I`m pleasured to be training with them.  I`m truly thankful for all the people who made this possible for me to attend this trip.  I know the other students are as greatful as I am.  My most memorable moment was when we went to visit Shingu High School.  The students were so welcoming.  It really was an important moment for them too, and that was really a touching moment for me.  The local newspaper was there, and they took pictures of us.  I`m happy that total opposite`s can get together and still have plenty in common.  There so much like us, even though we both came from totally different backrounds.  I`m truly thankful for Tim for translating, because unfortunaltey our translater wasn`t able to attend this trip.    I really which he could`ve came, because he help out with so much.  This is a trip I would NEVER Forget.  

-------------Karissa

Well,the japan trip is soon coming to an end. I can:t believe it. this trip has been excellent. i believe the most memorable moment so far was when we went to the high school. to me it was beautiful, and i didn:t really realize how beautiful it was until we were departing the school through the driveway. when we got there i knew that this was a revolutiona‚’y MOMENT.ˆÓ felt a lot of LOVE in the room. they did a shwo for us with their aikido sticks and they presented us with gift cards welcoming us. we tried to give them gifts back but they were kind of inadequate, like candies and little bracelets, which we didn:t have enough of. ‚”his made me feel bad little bracelets, which we didn:t have enough of. this made me feel bad, but they received them well ENOUGH. then we all practiced aikido together. that day was very amazing though. i just loved to see us cross boundaries together, as young people. the differentces bvetween the japanese and america us cross boundaries together, as young people. the differentces bvetween the japanese and american youth is indeed profound but we were connected by the spirits of love, curiousity, aikido. we were bonded together, w egrew, we discvoered eachother. it was such an honor to get to represent like that, to see their laughter, their focus, their excitement, their youth. we were them and they were us. that day was all love though, all love. elders were there too, everyone was so excited and proud of the profundity of the moment. we took pictures and talked. then all the girls, us american girls and the japanese girls, came together@and we talked, as much as we could at least. itwas beautiful to see the bond of feminimity, THE giggls, the niceness, the friendliness, the playfulness, the common denominator that all women share no matter our race. we were from different cultures but TOGETHER we were all yong high school girls. it was a very touching moment to me. they ebcame my new friends, they were all so warm and courteous, it was all love. that:s what ‡T feel describes the moment the most.ALL love. this love is WHATconnects humans to one another, what we can share what we need to understand and connect. i reallyAPPRECIATED the opportunity to allow THE spirit of youth cross oceans, continents, time zones,AND boundaries. despite all the chaos, hatred,MISUNDERSTANDING,and segregation of our world...at least in those moments,at that school, with those people, together, there was peace and love. it was enough peace and love to share with the rest of the globe, to make everything alright.  

---------Chris Ward (Teen student from New School Aikido Stockton)

this trip to japan has been a wonderful experience for me. i have never 
traveled outside of my country before, or even my state. this trip has 
given me a taste in foreign culture, language, and the most kindest and warm 
hearted people that you could meet. i hope to make this trip again, and 
i hope to be able to come back here for highschool as a ryugakusei, or 
foreign exchange student. this trip has been incredably fun and exciting, and i 
hope

Back at the Airport after Kyoto 11/11/05

We are at the airport right now, preparing to leave Japan. i have no idea how to prepare to leave this wonderful place, the wonderful people, and the wonderful experiences i:ve had. how can i leave this all behind? through out the trip i have been thinking alot,about my life, about my circumstances, about the people in my life, and who i am and the changes i am going to make when i get back to the states. something i:m not looking forward to is heading back to the same people in same circumstances, when i know that the person i am has c hanged so much. how can i go back to the same routines, the same redundancy, the same complacency that i left behind? i feel like i am too big of a person now to even acknowledge my prior circumstances. I keep telling myself though, it:s not WHAT i come home to, it:s WHO i come home as. thats what matters. i am determined to never allow the rich lessons and experiences i have absorbed in this country to deteriorate from my heart and soul, i am going ot retain all the beauty this country has given to me for a lifetime. is it not destiny? if it is, then that comes along witha responsibility to honor what destiny has given to you,and this is indeed a part of my destiny. the people, the fashion, the culture, the respect, the lifestyle..these are all things i have picked up in japan. and i am looking forward to coming home as a new person. i believe in the person i am coming home as. .words cannot even dignify how beautiful this trip has been to me. which is why all i can really do is implement the lessons learned from this trip into my life, and then hopefully other people can see how much this trip has meant to be, when they see how beauiful a person i have become.  

Rai Man well this is it, in six hours we leave back for the states. It was a hell of a trip I tell you!I loved every minute of it. I'm gonna miss Japan alot. I did a lot here, I trained, I went to a spa, explored a lot of new methods went to a spa, explored a lot of new methods of transportation and I made a few new friends. I loved the train rides and the training with the senseis and other black belts. They worked us hard, but we ‚Œ‚…‚‚’‚Ž‚…‚„@‚†‚’‚‚@‚”‚ˆ‚…@‚‚‚…‚“‚”DI'm gonna miss Ayane, Sensei Sezuki and others. I really loved this@tripD I:m sad and happy to go. I wanna see Meghan and others again, but I wanna stay here since people are so damn I wanna stay here ‚“‚‰‚Ž‚ƒ‚… people are so@damn nice to me. I'm glad I came with the people I did. I'm glad I@came period. Thank you sensei dan and all those who put in money to this trip. I thank@you all!!

Subject: Chaprice
To: darthsensei@yahoo.com

Well overall the trip was amazing.  I`m really not ready to leave.  I`m going to miss everything about Japan.  Especially the people.  They are so nice and sweet down here.  I miss my family and friends a lot, but Japan became my home for two weeks, and I`m kinda use to it now.  In Japan they made me feel like I was a part of their country.  The natives welcomed me with opening arms.  This was the best learning experience for me ever.  I would love to come back in a couple of years to be a counselor.  I truly thank everyone who made this possible for me, this was one of the best moments in my life.  It would have never been possible if it weren`t for your help.  I wish you could have been here to experience it, because its hard to explain what a wonderful time I had.  Thank you again!!!!!!  

  this trip was awesome. there were so many life changing moments that all of them are really hard to put down on .... well type on the screen. This whole entire trip has opened my eyes to so many things. like my whole life i always knew that i wanted to travel the world, but i never got off my butt to do anything about my dreamx, i guesss theres one thing thats having a dream, and theres another that is trying to accomplish your dream. this trip makes me want to go out there and make things happen, not wait for them to come to me. because so far thats not working out for me. People in this country make things happen, they don`t wait for someone else to do the work for them. I hope that i can be that way. because that is how i would like to be. I want to make oppurtunities come to me. As i write this i`m counting the seconds until i have to leave. because i really do want to go home, i loved this counrty bnut i love mine more............................  

Goin with the Flow, Sierra C.