[Aikido] Aikido for the Fall!

[Sean Flynn]

Dear Everybody,

   I hope you all had good summers and are looking forward to doing a lot 
of good aikido this year.

   I am planning on making some changes in our curriculum after having 
watch the US performance at last month's Aikido World Championships.  The 
US had some very good performances from some of its young players, with 
Josh Ramey of the University of Dayton taking first place in the Men's 
Toshu Randori sparring championship and our own Janine Parziale taking 
second place in the Women's Toshu Randori sparring championship.

   However, the US didn't have a single man who could make the round of 8 
in the Men's Tanto Randori championship and our performance in Kata was 
notably unnotable.

   Our club is going to fix this, with the goal of doing superb aikido at 
the next Aikido World Championships, which will be hosted by the Japanese 
in Kyoto in 2009.

   I am going to be making some curricular changes to aid this effort, and 
I think you will find them both fun and refreshing.  Plan to work out hard 
while having a ton of fun.

   As for this week, the gym is back on normal hours as of Thursday.  So I 
am hoping that practice will begin on Thursday evening and then continue on 
our normal schedule for the rest of the semester (Tue, Thurs, Sun at 8 p.m. 
and Sat afternoon at 2 p.m.).

   Unfortunately, I have to go out of town this weekend and in fact fly out 
on Thursday and fly back on Tuesday.  So I am hoping that Jeff, Jun, and 
Alan can lead practices this holiday weekend till I get back.  If my flight 
is not delayed getting back, I should be able to make Tuesday night 
practice the day after Labor Day.  Otherwise you will see me two days later 
on Thursday evening.

   In the more medium term, our annual fall tournament will be held this 
year on the weekend of November 3-4.  So plan on being here that weekend 
and having a lot of fun.

Your sensei who is very happy to have you all back,

Sean




Yours truly,

Sean Flynn
Assistant Professor of Economics
Vassar College
124 Raymond Ave #424
Poughkeepsie NY 12604-0424
USA

Telephone:      845-437-5209
FAX:            845-437-7576
E-mail: flynn at vassar.edu

My Academic Website is http://irving.vassar.edu/faculty/sf/sf.htm
My Aikido Website is http://vassar-aikido-club.com