June 19th, 2005 Written by Gaku Homma Nippon Kan Kancho Nippon Kan has been serving monthly meals to the homeless at the Denver Rescue Mission since 1991. On July 19th, 2005 a milestone was reached with the 40,000th meal served. To mark this special occasion, Nippon Kan volunteers were joined at the Mission by honored guests, Consul General of Japan, …
Nippon Kan Office Topics
June 18, 2005
Answering the Mail June 18th, 2005 Written by So Yoda Nippon Kan and Homma Kancho receive many letters, phone calls and emails every week. Most are questions about Aikido such as; When do beginners’ classes start?, Where can I buy a keiko gi (practice uniform)?, What is a kototama?, How do I learn ukemi?, or my personal favorite; How long …
Nippon Kan in the News!
June 9, 2005
June 9th, 2005 On June 9th, 2005, Nippon Kan was in the news with a five-page center-section article written about Homma Kancho, Nippon Kan, Domo Restaurant and the Nippon Kan uchideshi (live-in student) program in Denver’s Westword Newspaper. The article seemed to have received a positive reaction with the Denver community, as the attendance in our recent beginning classes was …
2nd Shipment of Thirty Computers Arrive Safely in Mongolia
June 4, 2005
June 4th, 2005 Written by Emily Busch Nippon Kan Vice President The shipment of thirty computers that were shipped to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia last April arrived safely on June 4th. Fifteen computers in this shipment went to the Gandan Temple in Ulaanbaatar to be used in the temple’s educational facilities. Ten more computers were also donated to the Zorig Foundation, …
Cold Weather and Warm Hearts
June 1, 2005
June 1st, 2005 By Chris Abeyta Nippon Kan Student Nippon-Kan is more than a martial arts dojo. When I began my practice, I never would have guessed I would learn so much off the mat. As a participant in Nippon-Kan’s cross cultural exchange program, I spent three months in a Japanese village called Higashi Naruse. For the first time in …
Japan Cross-Cultural Exchange Report
June 1, 2005
June 1st, 2005 Cold Weather and Warm Hearts Written by Chris Abeyta Nippon Kan student Nippon Kan student Chris Abeyta has returned from a successful extended four month study over the New Year in AHAN’s cross-cultural program in Higashi Naruse Village of Northern Honshu, Japan. Since 1990 Nippon Kan has sent special students to participate in this long-term live-in study …
Homma Kancho Attends the Aiki Expo 2005
May 27, 2005
May 27-29, 2005 Written by Rick Thompson Nippon Kan Instructor, Yama Dojo Homma Kancho attended the Aikido Journal sponsored Aiki Expo 2005 this past May 27-29th, 2005 as an instructor accompanied by Nippon Kan Instructor Rick Thompson and Assistant Instructor Michael Barerra. Homma Kancho and assistants introduced Nippon Kan’s method of teaching to attending Aikidoka at the Expo held this …
AHAN Nepal Report
May 25, 2005
May 25th, 2005 Written by Puja Rai AHAN Nepal staff coordinator Puja Rai sent us word that the school supplies donated by Homma Kancho on his visit to Nepal in January of this year had been distributed to the Drubgon Jangchup Choeling Monastery. The supplies were received by Senne Missi Lama who sent a personal thank you letter, receipt and …
A Friend for Life; Women I met in Morocco
April 2, 2005
By Kazumi Yoshimura April 2nd, 2005 Why do people want to travel? To visit spectacular places? Enjoy exotic cuisine? Escape their own reality? Everyone can agree that these are legitimate reasons and I would like to add one more of my own; to immerse oneself in an unfamiliar surrounding. Doing this definitely forces us to think about our own lives …
Aikido, a New Wind in Morocco; a Woman’s Perspective.
March 27, 2005
By Emily Busch AHAN President March 27th, 2005 The town of Fez, has a history of over 1000 years. Today the hustle and bustle of life in Fez remains a living testament to its long and colorful past. Fez, the Arabic name for “the town of profits”, is divided into sections, the oldest of which are the medinas or walled …
Nippon Kan Vice President, AHAN President Visits Morocco
March 15, 2005
March 15-21, 2005 Written by Kazumi Yoshimura Nippon Kan staff Emily Busch, President of AHAN and I traveled to North Africa this past March for a cross-cultural visit to learn about women and Aikido in Morocco. The trip was short, but in one weeks time we were able to visit the cities of Fez, Rabat and Casablanca. We met up …
Homma Kancho Visits Nepal and Mongolia January 26th February 12th, 2005
January 26, 2005
Nepal Report Written by Nepal coordinator Puja Rai After finishing up the busy New Year’s schedule of events at Nippon Kan headquarters in Denver, Homma Kancho took off for his first visit abroad for 2005. This trip was to take Homma Kancho to Nepal to do preliminary research for AHAN project development through Nippon Kan. The trip, January 26th-Feb 3rd, …
Nippon Kan AHAN Mongolia
June 22, 2004
New Project Begins A new project has taken shape in Mongolia for Nippon Kan and AHAN with Homma Kancho’s visit. For the past three years, AHAN has been supporting an orphanage in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Upon recent evaluation, it has been determined that the Mongolian government and other foreign aid agencies have been able to provide enough support for the orphanage …
Just Wait Little Children, Just Wait a Little Longer…
December 1, 2003
By Emily Busch Nippon Kan Vice President Our bus dipped and swayed as we made our way slowly through a maze of tenement apartment blocks. The paint, blistered by years of exposure to the elements, was peeling badly from the endless rows of buildings. There were no curbs, sidewalks or gardens, only barren patches of earth where children played between …
Aikido for a Cause
November 30, 2003
by Jorge Gibbons 11-30-03 For three days in Mexico City, from November 7-9, 2003, I had the opportunity to participate in an Aikido seminar whose purpose and direction embodied many of the tenets that practitioners in general usually neglect: community, service and interdependence. The spirit of Aikido was masterfully displayed in the concrete acts of the event’s organization, the compassion …