A Dojo Timeline

September 9th, 2010

1992

  • School founded. Sand Drift Aikikai, United States Aikido Federation.
  • Curtis Rosiek, first chief instructor. Student of Tom “Doc” Walker Sensei.
  • Training at Mark Spivak’s Institute and Dance Extension.

1994

  • Curtis Rosiek relocates, after completing work on the Acosta Bridge.
  • Chris Rozett, second chief instructor. Student at Aikido Center of Atlanta.
  • Seminar, October 1994, Peter Bernath Shihan.
  • Chris Rozett awarded shodan.

1995

  • Buck Pittman joins school.
  • School renamed, Aikido Center of Jacksonville.

1996

  • Dee Seabolt joins school.
  • Seminar, March 1996, Peter Bernath Shihan.
  • Seminar, July 1996, Peter Bernath Shihan.

1997

  • Seminar, September 1997, Peter Bernath Shihan.
  • Chris Rozett awarded nidan.

1998

  • Mike Sands joins school.
  • Chris Rozett relocates to Singapore.
  • Mike Sands, third chief instructor.
  • Dee Seabolt, dojo-cho.
  • Seminar, May 1998, Jason Wilhide Sensei.
  • Brett Jackson joins school. Student of George Chang Sensei.
  • School relocated, Jewish Community Alliance.

1999

  • Brett Jackson relocates to California. Joins Aikido of San Leandro.

2000

  • New Year’s cleansing classes begin.

2001

  • School relocated, University of North Florida.
  • Dee Seabolt, fourth chief instructor.
  • Seminar, July 2001, Grady Lane Shidoin.
  • Jerry Akel joins school.

2002

  • Seminar, April 2002, Nobu  Arakawa Shidoin.
  • Seminar, November 2002, Penny Bernath Shidoin.
  • Dee Seabolt awarded shodan.

2003

  • Seminar, April 2003, Nobu Arakawa Shidoin.
  • John Miller joins school.

2004

  • Seminar, January 2004, Richard Wagener Shidoin.
  • Seminar, December 2004, Grady Lane Shidoin.

2005

  • Seminar, February 2005, Donovan Waite Shihan.
  • Seminar, October 2005, Peter Bernath Shihan.

2006

  • Joel Miller joins school.
  • Seminar, April 2006, Grady Lane Shidoin.
  • Seminar, October 2006, Peter Bernath Shihan.
  • Dee Seabolt awarded nidan.
  • Dee Seabolt awarded fukushidoin license.

2007

  • Seminar, April 2007, Grady Lane Shidoin.
  • Seminar, April 2007, Ed Di Marco Shidoin.
  • Tonya’s Training Diary publishes.
  • Seminar, October 2007, Luis Sabater Sensei.
  • Joel Miller awarded shodan. Returns to Austin Aikikai.

2008

  • Dojo Newsletter publishes.
  • Camping Trip, March 2008, Huguenot Memorial Park.
  • School relocated, Dupont Dojo.
  • John Miller awarded nidan.
  • Buck Pittman awarded shodan.
  • Jerry Akel awarded shodan.

2009

  • Children’s classes begin.
  • Seminar, January 2009, Peter Bernath Shihan.
  • Camping Trip, March 2009, Gold Head Branch State Park.
  • Seminar, July 2009, Grady Lane Shidoin.
  • Learning To Be Silent publishes.
  • Seminar, September 2009, Friendship Seminar.

2010

  • Dee Seabolt awarded sandan.
  • Camping Trip, April 2010, Gold Head Branch State Park.
  • Nafudakake installed.
  • Seminar, June 2010, Richard Wagener Shidoin.
  • Tonya Mochocki awarded shodan.

2011

  • John Miller relocates to New Mexico.
  • Camping Trip, March 2011, Fort Clinch State Park.
  • Seminar, May 2011, Summer Seminar.
  • Seminar, September 2011, Peter Bernath Shihan.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 9th, 2010 at 8:35 pm and is filed under Conversation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

35 Responses to “A Dojo Timeline”

Jerry Says:

Please email us with any corrections or additions. This will be a reference post, to be modified as I receive more information.

To learn more about the timeline, please see the addendum.

September 9th, 2010 at 8:38 pm

Jerry Says:

Added Joel Miller information.

September 10th, 2010 at 7:53 am

Buck Says:

When I joined in May 1995, I’m pretty sure the listing in the phone book was still Sand Drift Aikido, not Aikikai. Curtis had left and Chris had recently tested for shodan. Like Curtis, he was chief instructor as a 1st Kyu when he started.

I guess 1998 was the year Chris left the dojo and moved to Singapore, never to return. I know Mike Sands trained with us for quite a while with Chris still in charge. It was when Chris left that Mike took over –thankfully, or the dojo would have closed.

It looks like you have listed the seminars that we hosted. But we also travelled to other dojos during Chris’s tenure. My first seminar was at Grady Lane sensei’s dojo, when he was at the civic center in Melbourne. We had to put mats up and down there too! My fourth kyu test was also at Grady’s dojo in December of 1997, also at the civic center.

Incicentally, Chris spelled his last name Rozett–no e on the end.

September 10th, 2010 at 10:34 am

Jerry Says:

Thanks, Buck.

The certificate I examined from 1993 identifies the school as Sand Drift Aikikai. Presumably that’s the record with the Federation.

Since this is a history of the dojo, I’m only including seminars hosted at the school. Maybe in a future post we can talk about these experiences.

I’ll update Chris’ information later today.

Thanks again. I think this is a worthwhile project.

September 10th, 2010 at 10:50 am

Jerry Says:

Added Chris Rozett information.
Corrected date of fukushidoin license.

September 10th, 2010 at 1:25 pm

Jerry Says:

Added Brett Jackson.

September 10th, 2010 at 2:41 pm

Jerry Says:

It’s funny how these things turn out.

Brett Jackson was before my time, so I never knew him. As it happens, though, he is still very much active in Aikido, and in fact is a senior instructor in the California Aikido Association, Division 1, under Pat Hendricks Sensei.

And I never would have known this had I not started this little project.

What was it that I said about connections…

September 10th, 2010 at 2:49 pm

Jerry Says:

Corrected Chris Rozett information.

September 10th, 2010 at 6:24 pm

Jerry Says:

Added Chris Rozett information.

September 11th, 2010 at 10:37 am

Jerry Says:

Corrected Brett Jackson information.

September 12th, 2010 at 2:51 pm

Jerry Says:

Added Jason Wilhide seminar.

September 12th, 2010 at 5:14 pm

Buck Says:

I read Brett Jackson’s bio via your link and it was good to reconnect. I had forgotten about his Singapore time. Strange that he basically traded places with Chris. I was disappointed he didn’t mention his time with our dojo. Maybe it wasn’t one of his fonder memories!

I would love to see Sterling added to our timeline. He tested 1st kyu with us and I think it was at the same seminar I tested 2nd kyu. His time with us was short, but he had a significant influence on me, and I think Dee as well. Certainly some of his techniques survive through us. I know he changed our sankyo forever!

Since he taught gymnastics for a living, he could rarely train with us at night, so Dee and I, and sometimes one or two others like Mike Forster, would meet at the gymnastics studio at 6 am to train for an hour. I think Dee was 1st kyu then and I 3rd kyu when we started training with Sterling, who was 2nd kyu. Then we tested and he was 1st kyu with Dee, and I was 2nd kyu.

Sterling usually taught class and his style having trained under Paul Chang sensei (a former student of Kanai sensei) was different but powerful. He also had a great sense of humor. He struggled with work and family here and finally resolved to move back to Missouri and resumed training with Chang Sensei.

September 13th, 2010 at 9:07 am

Jerry Says:

Buck, did you test for 2nd kyu in Jacksonville? Was that at the July 2001 seminar with Lane Sensei? If so, do you recall whether that was at UNF or at the JCA?

Regarding Sterling Belknap, and other former students, these comments are also part of the permanent record of this post. If anyone has any recollections about the school, (including past students), I invite you to share them.

My only request: that they be about the dojo in Jacksonville. (We all have stories about seminars and influences elsewhere, but I’d like this to be a record of Aikido here locally).

On a related matter, I’m pleased as punch at how this post is turning out. As far as I’m concerned, this is becoming the definitive history of Aikikai Aikido here in Jacksonville.

Thanks for helping me make this happen.

September 13th, 2010 at 11:50 am

Jerry Says:

Added Curtis Rosiek information.

September 15th, 2010 at 10:58 am

John Says:

I think I joined in 2003.

September 15th, 2010 at 11:33 am

Jerry Says:

I’m using the 2002 date from the biography you gave me for the instructor’s page.

If you’re certain that 2003 is the correct date, let me know and I’ll change it on both pages.

I can’t say this enough – thank you everyone for all your help. And a special thanks to Herve, our earliest student, who got the ball rolling for me.

September 15th, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Jerry Says:

John, check your yudansha book for your first seminar with us. Did you attend Penny Bernath’s seminar in November 2002? Or April 2003 with Arakawa Sensei?

Hopefully that should answer the question.

Thanks!

September 15th, 2010 at 12:24 pm

John Says:

Neither, but I’ll check my records. In any event, my time at the Aikido Center of Jacksonville is my longest tenure at any dojo!

September 15th, 2010 at 2:56 pm

Jerry Says:

Great, let me know when you have a chance.

I think the timeline is just about completed. I’m very happy with it.

September 15th, 2010 at 3:52 pm

Learning To Be Silent » Blog Archive » Yamada Sensei in Jacksonville Says:

[...] recent examination of local history wouldn’t be complete unless I mentioned that Yamada Sensei also spent time in Jacksonville. [...]

September 15th, 2010 at 4:43 pm

Jerry Says:

Added Peter Bernath seminar.

Credit for this goes to Autrelle Holland, another of our early students. Thank you!

September 16th, 2010 at 10:56 am

Learning To Be Silent » Blog Archive » A Timeline Addendum Says:

[...] quick note and a warm thank you to everyone who participated in my little project. It’s important that we remember our own history. Our timeline, I think, does just [...]

September 16th, 2010 at 12:07 pm

Jerry Says:

Added camping trip information.

September 17th, 2010 at 8:09 am

Jerry Says:

Added children’s class information.

September 17th, 2010 at 9:33 am

Buck Says:

The July 2001 seminar with Lane Sensei was at UNF.

This timeline project has prompted me to dig into my video archives in search of my kyu tests. I tested 2nd kyu at that seminar, as mentioned previously. What I had forgotten was that Sterling was my uke, along with Dee. I had to take ukemi for the test also and Sterling was nage.

I have successfully located 1st, 2nd, and 3rd kyu so far. My 4th kyu was at Lane sensei’s dojo in Melbourne on December 13, 1997. I’m not sure if I taped that one. My 5th kyu, at the July 1996 Bernath seminar, I shared with Dee, so if I can’t find that one, I know I can get a copy from her. Right, Mary?

September 20th, 2010 at 1:19 pm

Buck Says:

Oh, and I found one jewel from the vault: a short taping of Wintercamp 1998, showing footage of Shibata sensei, Yamada Sensei, and perhaps most nostalgic, the late Kanai sensei. In his memory, this morning’s class featured a couple of his techniques from the tape, and only Herve was the beneficiary.

September 20th, 2010 at 1:24 pm

Buck Says:

I’m looking to digitally archive my archive. Anyone know the best way to transfer VHS to DVD?

September 20th, 2010 at 1:25 pm

Jerry Says:

Thanks, Buck.

I’ll correct the July 2001 seminar.

September 20th, 2010 at 3:23 pm

Jerry Says:

Corrected John Miller information.

September 24th, 2010 at 11:34 am

Jerry Says:

Added Tonya Mochocki information.

January 14th, 2011 at 4:55 pm

Jerry Says:

Added cleansing class information.

Credit goes to Dee, Jose, Autrelle, and Brett Jackson, who provided information, and to Oscar, who confirmed the date. Also thanks to Chris Pasley for his assistance.

Some background: Dee first introduced the idea of a cleansing class after speaking with Bob Zimmerman Sensei. She then approached Mike Sands, who had in the past participated in this type of training.

The first cleansing class was organized by Dee and taught by Mike, then chief instructor of the school.

January 16th, 2011 at 9:28 pm

Jerry Says:

Briefly, regarding Buck’s comment.

I just connected with Mr. Jackson and he wrote fondly about his experiences in Jacksonville. He asked that I pass along his best wishes to Dee and Buck.

I hope to meet him in person someday, so I can learn more about his time with us.

January 18th, 2011 at 10:06 am

Jerry Says:

Added John Miller information.

Added 2011 camping trip information.

Added nafudakake information.

Added weblog information.

Added dojo newsletter information.

April 7th, 2011 at 12:23 pm

Jerry Says:

Added 2011 summer seminar.

May 18th, 2011 at 3:52 pm

Jerry Says:

Added September 2011 seminar.

September 13th, 2011 at 8:56 am