Message from Yamada sensei – May 2020

Dear USAF and Sansuikai members:

It’s hard to believe that almost 2 months have gone by since we were in our dojos on the mat together. Sometimes it feels like just yesterday, and sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago. I am still receiving so many messages from my students around the world, and it brings me much happiness to hear from you and know you are doing okay. As for me, I am healthy and well, but missing my old life very much. I am just waiting for the day when I can be in my office speaking with people face-to-face, and being on the mat with everyone again. I never realized how much I would miss all the noise and commotion from the construction outside my NY Aikido office window!

Well, we all must be patient and do what is best of our health and each other. This is my busy seminar season, and unfortunately I will not be traveling for many months. It is also with a sad heart that I must announce that the USAF summer camp is now officially canceled. The hotel is in complete agreement and understanding about the situation, and the they are not even open for business yet. As I’m sure you can imagine, it will not be possible to keep everyone safe and enjoy our time doing aikido. This is very hard for me, there are so many of you I see each summer and it brings me great joy to have the USAF host this camp. It is one of my favorite weeks each year. The good news however is that we already have our contract to return to the hotel in 2021, and will extend our invitation to Osawa Sensei and Jikou Sugano Sensei to join us next year.

Please stay healthy and take care. I will be in touch again soon, hopefully it will be with good news with a positive forecast for dojos and the aikido world.

Sincerely,

Y. Yamada

P.S. Summer camp in Germany in August is also canceled. I’m very sorry and very sad.