On Friday, April 11, two prominent martial arts teachers joined Max Roach Sensei, SMAA certified iaido and aikido teacher, at the Wasatch Academy Dojo for an all-weekend martial arts seminar. This was the first event in the SMAA 15th Anniversary Seminar Series, and it was sold out and incredibly successful.
“We had two of the most famous martial arts teachers in the country here... at our little school in the mountains,” says Mr. Roach. “It was great!”
SMAA members, as well as Utah and Colorado martial arts students of all ages, converged on the Wasatch Academy campus to learn from Ms. Cynthia “Cyndy” Hayashi, a sixth dan (degree) black belt in aikido, and Mr. Nicklaus Suino, a seventh dan in iaido and sixth dan in judo. Ms. Hayashi is the Administrator for the California Aikido Association (CAA), one of the largest aikido affiliates outside of Japan. She is also Mr. Roach’s teacher. “More accurately,” Mr. Roach humbly notes, “she accepted me as her student.”
Mr. Suino is the founder of the Japanese Martial Arts Center in Michigan and serves as a Division Director in Iaido and Judo for the Shudokan Martial Arts Association (SMAA). Wasatch Academy martial arts students eagerly participated in the seminar.
“We offered lessons in aikido, iaido, and judo, and we had a lot of fun,” says Mr. Roach. The success of this weekend’s seminar opened the possibility for a longer week long SMAA seminar on the Wasatch Academy campus in the summer of 2010, with intensive daily training and open to students from around the world.
“Because of this,” explains Mr. Roach, “Wasatch Academy is on the martial arts map. I anticipate students applying to Wasatch Academy because we offer world-class instruction here in the middle of Utah.”
Suino Sensei, Hayashi Sensei, and Roach Sensei received special certificates of appreciation from the SMAA. The SMAA would like to acknowledge their efforts in making the SMAA Utah Seminar another successful SMAA event. We're looking forward to seeing many of you at the second event in our 15th Anniversary Seminar Series:
SMAA California Seminar (1)—Dates: June 27 and 28. Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Albany, California). Featured Instructor: H. E. Davey (SMAA Primary Director and jujutsu Shihan/seventh dan). Attending Instructors: Kevin Heard Sensei (SMAA Senior Advisor), Ohsaki Jun Sensei (SMAA Senior Advisor), and Ann Kameoka Sensei (SMAA Senior Advisor). Subjects: Japanese yoga/meditation and Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu. Theme: “Unification of Mind & Body in the Martial Arts.” Contact: H. E. Davey (Telephone: 510-526-7518, E-mail: hedavey@aol.com).
