A Message from Yamada Sensei

It is always my pleasure to extend my greetings for a good and happy New Year.

Obviously, 2004 will be a very special year for me. In fact, I am expecting to have one of the best years of my life. While planning the New York Aikikai's 40th Anniversary Summer Camp, I am very excited about all the people from all over the world who will be coming, and the great opportunity it will be to have Doshu and the Shihan we have invited all there to celebrate our special event. You can see our New York Aikikai's 40th Anniversary Seminar Poster and visit our website for more information at www.NYAikikai.com.

In working on the details for this upcoming event, I am constantly being reminded about memories from the past 4 decades. It is hard to believe that it has been that long, and I look around and see so many of the same faces. We all have worked very hard keeping aikido in our lives, and helping it grow all over the country and the world.

The New York Aikikai's 2003 Christmas Seminar was a big success, with a very crowded mat and a great party to celebrate the holiday season. I hope you all will have a chance to participate in our seminar one year. It is a great time and place to see old friends and make new ones.

One last thing. We have received many compliments and thanks for starting this newsletter. We need your support and help to keep it a success. So as you attend seminars, or classes at your own dojo, keep in mind different ways you may be able to share your experiences with everyone. I enjoyed answering the questions you sent to the Q&A section so please feel free to send them to the editor.

Once again I would like to thank you for your support of the USAF.

Yoshimitsu Yamada