September 2008 Newsletter
Dojo Date Book:
Aug 25 – Sept membership dues in.
Sept 1 – Sept membership dues deadline ($10 late fee will apply after this)
Sept 7 – Brushwork $20 Open to the public. 4-5:30pm.
Sept 8 – Evening class at Claremont’s Human Services, 7-8:30pm
Sept 19 - Zen Calligraphy and the Samurai, Stevens sensei talk 7pm- free
Sept 20 – Aikido Keiko with John Stevens, 10:30-12noon - $20
Esoteric Aikido- Kotodama 2:30-4 -$20
Book signing and sneak peek at BZA Artshow 4:30-6pm-FREE
Sept 21 – Zen Calligraphy Workshop and lunch, 9:30am-12noon- $35
Book Signing, 12-1:30pm—FREE
Budo Zen Art Grand Opening, 4-6pm FREE
Sept 22 – Kyu exams, 7pm (adults)
Sept 23 - Kyu exams, 5:30pm (kids)
Sept 28 – Secret Teachings Reading group, 4-5:30pm
Musubi Dojo
October 2009 brings Musubi Dojo to the conclusion of its multi-year lease. Many of you remember the struggles the (completely unexpected) 40% rent increase brought to the dojo in 2006! Our leasing agent waited until the last minute and put the dojo in an impossible position. We won’t go through that again. So, we are beginning now to research the alternatives for the dojo’s continued existence. As we have more than one year, we have some time to see what is available and whether Musubi Dojo has the student body to make the desired changes happen. If you have connections that might enable Musubi Dojo to find something appropriate in this area, or you would like to help us in this process, please email Ron Pendleton at rpen@mac.com. Everyone is hereby invited to participate in this phase of Musubi’s history. There will be plenty for everyone to do as we go along.
Making a smaller footprint
In August’s newsletter I spoke about Musubi Dojo’s relationship to Aiko Institute. I mentioned that Musubi Dojo was built to house an operation on a grand scale: it enjoyed a schedule of no less than 5 major workshops a year by visiting sensei of the highest caliber. Some of these teachers we brought out to interview or film for Aikido Today Magazine; often they would stay and teach a weekend workshop and to share their vision with students in Southern California. Sometimes we brought out interesting people just to teach for the weekend. It was common to find 60-80 students on our mats as students would come from surrounding dojo to participate in these events. The mat space grew, the shomen/shrine was enhanced to provide the proper atmosphere for filming and for guest instructors’ workshops, and these events, in turn, brought in the financial resources to operate and enhance Musubi Dojo.
But times change: as visiting sensei became older, as traveling costs rose, as life for everyone became more demanding, as more dojo offered workshops with other visiting sensei, and as Ron and I became tired of regarding our home as an Aiki Inn for visiting Aikido celebrities, we recognized that, like all golden years, this phase of the dojo was waning.
Aikido provides us with opportunities on the mat to learn how to be aware and alert to new situations, how to adjust to changes in energy, and how to continually keep a strong center in the midst of profound change. We have been given a window to get creative and make some exciting decisions. Do we try to purchase a place so we aren’t forever at the mercy of cut-throat leasing agents? Do we lease a much smaller place?
Ron and I welcome this opportunity to develop a place that better fits our needs. Although it will be difficult to say “good-bye” to our beautiful mat room, we may be able to say “Hello” to something even better. Musubi Dojo could design something stunning but with a “smaller footprint.”
Much of this depends on you. It is time to begin thinking about these matters to enable the continuation of Musubi Dojo. I’m sure we will need help of all kinds -- researching alternative spaces and negotiating with realtors, building and designing the space for our needs, and the moving and cleaning that goes on in transitions. I will keep you informed, but if you would like to make your thoughts, opinions, or offers known to us, please email Ron Pendleton at rpen@mac.com. Thank you for your continued support.
Have this newsletter delivered direct to your e-mailbox!
Save paper and join our Announcement Lists! Just sign your email on the form on our front counter. Musubi Dojo and for Aiko Institute.
Musubi newsletter (www.musubidojo.org) (sent once a month)
If you did not receive this newsletter in your e-mailbox, take a moment to sign up. Just leave your email address on the form on the front counter of the dojo.
Aiko Institute event list (www.aikoinstitute.org) (sent every Tuesday)
Ron and Sue sensei are the founders of Aiko Institute which hosts many worthwhile, Aikido-related events open to the public. Aiko Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational institute. Susan sensei send out a weekly AIKO newsletter of calendar updates every Tuesday.
Membership dues: We offer several methods of payment:
Payment options: Credit Card, Direct Deposit, Paypal, Check, Cash
Credit Card: Some students choose to sign up for a recurring credit card charge. For this option I need a commitment of at least 3 months to take the time to set it up. If, after that time, you agree to an on-going monthly charge, then you notify me one month in advance to make any changes.
Direct Deposit or /Paypal: A direct deposit is something you set up through your bank. Basically you designate an amount and a date for monies to be electronically transferred from your account to the Dojo account. If interested, Sensei Susan can provide you with the routing and account numbers of Musubi Dojo and its bank so that you can instruct your bank.
To make payments through paypal, you must first have a paypal account. This can be set up by going to paypal on the web. Similarly, you would need the dojo’s account information to set up an automatic payment to the dojo. Again, Susan sensei can provide these details.
Check/Cash
Of course, these methods are still fine.