Saito Seminar a Wonderful Gathering

By Hans Goto

If you did not attend Saito Sensei's 1999 visit to Denver, you missed a wonderful gathering of people from all over the United States. Saito Sensei looked thinner, but he was in great humor and spirits. His waza was clean and precise. Our Nippon Kan hosts as usual knocked themselves out providing food, entertainment, and information about Denver to all of us 'tourists'. All in
all I think we all had a great time Those of you who were there, know what I am talking about. I want to thank Aviv Goldsmith and Vince Salvatore especially for coming out to Denver early, meeting Saito Sensei's airplane, and working hard both at the Nippon Kan dojo and at the Buddhist Temple setting up for both the seminar and the elaborate party that our hosts gave.

At our last Division meeting it was decided that we as a Division should communicate better. E-mail seems to be the easiest vehicle. I will send notes out, but when you talk or see each other please have folks contact me with their e-mail address. I will be happy to be a central distribution point of information, but you all are also welcome to send out info to everyone at any time.

As a point of information, I am co-ordinating with Sonoko Tanaka, who wil be flying out from Japan to help do a Peace Pole ceremony at our local grammar school on October 22, 1999. We hope to have music, pictures, flowers, poetry and other gifts of peace presented by the children. All of you aikidoists are welcome! Perhaps we as aikidoists can do something similar? Give me your feedback! Let's promise to keep in touch!