Dec 19th -21st, 2014 After visiting the AHAN Myanmar Learning Center in Yangon, I traveled north to Pyn Oo Rwin, about a two hour drive outside of Mandalay in the Shan state. Pyin Oo Rwin is a beautiful town surrounded by mountain peaks and is the new home of Myanmar Aikikai New Organization Renbu Kan dojo. http://www.myanmaraikikai.com/ I had come …
Dec 16th -18th, 2014 It has been a while since Homma Kancho has visited the AHAN Myanmar Learning Center. Many of our students have been accepted into the universities and some have already graduated and found a good job. Many of the children from the Yadanapon Monastery Orphanage have also grown enough to start their high school studies at the …
December 12th -15th, 2014 The Chiang Mai University Aikido Instructors are all current or retired professors, doctors or high level professionals, rendering the academic level of understanding of budo and their practice level of the Japanese martial art of Aikido at Chiang Mai University very high. My new relationship with the Chiang Mai University Aikido Club began when I found …
December 11th -16th, 2014 The AHAN Nippon Kan Bilay House is doing well. Our operations are growing, filling everyone with new motivation. The new Bilay House Heritage Center is now complete and after study time, the kids are learning new skills at the heritage center. It is gratifying to see them learn the weaving and bamboo basket crafts that are …
Dec 7th, 2014 January is always the best time for enrollment in our new Beginner’s Aikido classes, so this year in December, we held an open house. Envesco Field stadium where the Denver Broncos play their home football games is very near Nippon Kan. From our parking lot it is about a 15 minute walk to the stadium. For home …
Dec 5th -25th, 2014 Four Asian countries on this trip and so many different experiences. On this trip, I visited Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to research future projects for AHAN. What kind of project will be selected by AHAN is not an easy decision and not an easy process. There are many factors that have to be weighed carefully before …
November 20th, 2014 There are two famous Buddhist festivals for the people of Myanmar called the Songkran and Khahtain festivals. Domo Restaurant has about 10 people from Myanmar working at the restaurant and every year Nippon Kan supports the celebration of these festivals in Denver. At the Khantain festival, elaborately decorated “trees” are made from money to take to the …
November 19th, 2014 Every year for the last 24 years, in both the spring and the fall, Nippon Kan has volunteered in partnership with the Denver Parks Department to work on projects to beautify Denver parks all over the city and front range areas. Over the years Nippon Kan volunteers have helped turn flower beds, created bike and hiking …
November 5th -10th , 2014 Serious practice at the seminar in Parma Homma Kancho traveled to Italy in November 2014 to teach a seminar hosted by Aikido Insieme, Michele Nehme Sensei. http://www.aikidoinsieme.it/ The purpose of this seminar was to raise funds for the new Ospedale Dei Bambini Children’s hospital in Parma and over 150 …
October 16th, 2014 Nippon Kan General Headquarters has been located at its current facility for almost 20 years. In 2014 over 700 elementary and middle school students and their parents and teachers have come to Nippon Kan for a cultural fieldtrip tour. These tours are usually set up in the spring but this year …
Oct 4th, 2014 “Putting the Beds to Bed” is a funny name for a project but every year the flower beds in the Denver city parks must be turned for winter. In the fall, if the plants go to seed it will affect the blooming arrangement of the flowers in the beds the following …
Sept 30th -Oct 9th, 2014 Thailand After the Bilay House Heritage Center opening, Homma Kancho traveled to the Thailand-Myanmar border are for research for future AHAN projects. Japan Domo Japanese Country Foods Restaurant partners with AHAN and supports many AHAN projects with its ongoing “Dine at Domo and Feed the World” campaign. The foods used in Domo’s traditional Japanese country …
Sept 30th, 2014 With AHAN support, the construction of the new Bilay House Heritage Center which began in early summer was completed by September 2014. On September 30th, I was able to attend the opening ceremony for the new Bilay House Heritage Center. My dream for the children of Bilay House was to have a place for them to learn …
For the uchideshi (live-in students) who graduated from the 2014 Nippon Kan Summer Marathon or their 3-month summer uchideshi program, life was not easy. All of these uchideshi graduates practiced for up to 7 hours a day, 6 days a week. Dealing with jetlag, different foods, living conditions, customs and a variety of ages and physical conditions added to this …
August 1st- Sept 9th, 2014 The annual Nippon Kan General Headquarters Summer Marathon this year consisted of 40 days of continuous practice. The marathon seminar is part of Nippon Kan’s 3 month summer uchideshiprogram that is attended by young Aikidoka from all over the world. A total of well over 900 hours of practice were completed at this seminar by …
