Dear parents and students,

I trust the summer is going well for you so far.
We are looking forward to our first VIA Rail ride across Canada to Toronto over the next two weeks. It'll be such a wonderful experience, especially travelling through some of the most beautiful scenary in the world. It will be a time for family, bonding, and reflecting/meditating to the rhythm of the chugging and wheels on rails.

As mentioned, this summer is one of the odd years we are not offering weekly classes. There will only be the Aikido Warriors' Camp from Monday 17 August to Friday 21 August. At the last count, there are already 32 registrants, for a maximum of 34 students. I hope to see you then.

Photos from the Annual Aikido Demonstration and Potluck 2015 are already on our website. Thank you, once again, for making the end-of-year event such a success. It is always endearing and a thrill to see the younger students progressing and performing so well. These are the future and the next generation of aikido practitioners.

Information for the Autumn classes are already up on our website under "Notices". Registration for the coming 2015/16 year will probably begin on the first week of August.  Please remember to register ahead as under Saanich policy, students who are not registered are not allowed to attend classes due to insurance liabilities. Perhaps consider signing up for the year-long programme. 

This coming year, advanced classes for 3rd kyu brown belt and above will be on Tuesdays at 6pm.  Unfortunately, that only leaves one class for adults: on Thursdays at 6pm.  However, I look forward to the coming year with more practice; especially preparing and working toward May 2016 when we will once again embark on another visit to the Aikido World Headquarters; our second for the dojo. Only advanced students will be invited for this trip as it will be solely for the purpose of practice, meeting other aikidoists, and possibly participating in the Annual All Japan Aikido Demonstration at the Budokan. We are looking forward to making that trip again.

As always, do visit our website (or FaceBook pages) and check our Notices for information and updates. To keep our database current, please inform us if you have a change of address, new email, or new contact numbers. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Be safe, enjoy the sun, get a tan... and we'll see you in the Dojo in September!
Have a most enjoyable Summer.

With peace and harmony,
Rafael Oei Sensei
Ueshiba Aikido Victoria
© Ueshiba Aikido Victoria – OWH Industries: July 2015.