Thursday, September 20, 2012

SMAA Workshop for Children

H. E. Davey and SMAA member Martha Gayton
 
The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts will host the first SMAA Workshop for Children in November. The instructor will be H. E. Davey, a Director for the SMAA Jujutsu Division and a seventh-degree black belt. The workshop will be open to children age five and above, and instruction will be offered in Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu, a traditional Japanese martial art.  
 
Here’s all you need to know to have your child participate the SMAA Workshop for Children: 
 
What: Traditional Japanese martial arts for children age five and above
When: Sunday, November 18, 2012 from 10:45 AM to 12:15 PM
Where: The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts
1053 San Pablo Ave.
Albany, CA 94706
USA
Who: The workshop will be taught by H. E. Davey, one of the founding members of the SMAA and Shihan/shichidan in the SMAA Jujutsu Division
Cost: Children, who are current SMAA members, can participate for just $15 using their SMAA member discount
Contact Information: Participants must be registered two weeks before the date of the workshop. Parents can contact the Sennin Foundation Center for registration forms and additional details. E-mail: hedavey@aol.com. Telephone: 510-526-7518. 
 
About the Workshop
The SMAA Workshop for Children will present training in Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu, a traditional martial art. While many Westerners use "jujutsu, jujitsu, or jiu-jitsu" to describe their art of self-defense, most of these methods bear little resemblance to the original Japanese jujutsu, Japan's oldest martial art. Both aikido and judo stem from jujutsu, and the SMAA is one of few associations outside of Japan to offer authentic Japanese jujutsu.
 
Saigo Ryu features a wide variety of powerful throwing, pinning, and grappling techniques stemming from older methods originating in the Aizu-Wakamatsu area of Japan. Saigo Ryu also features advanced training in the sword, spear, staff, short stick, iron fan, and other weapons. It is unique and distinct from many more well-known martial disciplines. While training is dynamic, and the practiced self-defense techniques effective, the emphasis is on subduing an opponent without unnecessary injury. Workshop participants will learn to improve their health while studying martial arts as meditation. Children will receive valuable training that can help them to remain calm under pressure, a skill that they can use at home and at school. 
 
About the Instructor
H. E. Davey began studying Japanese martial arts as a child, and he is one of the highest ranking traditional jujutsu teachers outside of Japan. This background made him ideally suited for creating the program for children at the Sennin Foundation Center, a program that has been offered since 1981. Under his guidance, and with the help of his staff of expert teachers, young people from the San Francisco Bay Area have discovered their true potential and hidden talents for many years. He is now offering the same instruction to SMAA members at the first SMAA Workshop for Children. Contact the Sennin Foundation Center soon to register for an event that can help your son or daughter to become healthier, safer, and more confident.