Aikido Center of Jacksonville
Dojo Newsletter December 2009

New Arrivals
We've had an influx of new students this month.  In the adult class, please welcome Julian, Carmelo, Sharae, Lawrence, Steve and Jorge.  In the children's class, a warm welcome to Terrence, Tomas and Tiffany.

Kid's Movie Night!
Our first movie night for 2010 is scheduled for Saturday, January 23.  These nights are always great fun for our kids, and give our parents a night off.  We usually start with games, followed by pizza and a family friendly movie.  We'll start the evening at 5:30, and begin the movie at 6:30 p.m. 

If you haven't been to movie night, it's also a great way for parents to meet outside of class.  As always, we encourage your children to bring a friend (or two!)  Please let Dee know if you plan to attend.

Kyu Tests
Our next test date is Saturday, January 9, for both adults and children.  If you missed the last test, or have now accumulated the hours for your next rank, please let Sensei or Jerry know so we can check on your progress.

As always, Friday open mat is the best time to work on test techniques, outside of regular classes.

Student Referrals
For those who may not know, our school offers a new student promotion.  In a nutshell, the promotion can help you save money while also growing the school.

Here's how it works: For every new student you refer, we will credit your tuition by the amount of the new student's first tuition payment, up to your monthly rate.  Our promotion applies to both adults and children (including family members), and can be combined with our family and quarterly payment plan discounts.

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Christmas Social
Our annual Christmas social was great fun.  Along with holiday cheer, we partook of somemistletoe excellent food and drink.  Most importantly, we enjoyed each other's company, either around the chess set, the Christmas tree, or on the mat (ouch!).  Santa's elves also made an appearance, and took the following holiday pictures.  Enjoy!

Christmas Party Christmas Party Christmas Party Christmas Party

New T-Shirts!
We're pleased to announce the availability of our new t-shirts, designedt-shirt design especially for our younger students.  The shirts are available in a variety of colors and sizes, and make a great gift.  All proceeds are used to support the dojo.

If you'd rather something a bit warmer, no problem.  We also offer baseball jerseys and sweatshirts, with the same great design, in the children's section of our online store.

Of course, a very special thanks to Kevin Johnston, who created the graphic.  Kevin is one of our rising Aikido stars, and is the husband of Amanda Grae Johnston, a gifted artist.  You can see her portfolio online at Grae Art.

New Years Cleansing Class
Keeping with tradition, on Saturday, January 2, our cleansing class, or misogi, will be held at 4 p.m.  Following class we will hold our New Year's party.  (Are you sensing a theme here?  We love parties!)  All students, regardless of rank, are encouraged to participate.  We promise an exhilarating experience and the perfect start to the new year.

We will still hold our regularly scheduled classes that Saturday, including our children's class, for those who cannot make the afternoon session.  If you plan on cleansing, or plan to bring a dish to the party, please let Sensei know.

Brevard Aikikai Christmas Seminar
On Saturday, December 5, Brevard Aikikai hosted their Christmas seminar.  Lane Sensei taught, along with guest instructors Richard Wagener of Palm Beach Aikikai, Eliot Rifkin of Miami Aikikai, and Dee from our school.  The seminar was great fun and well attended by Aikidoka from Miami, and central and north Florida.

We welcome your feedback, comments, and questions regarding our newsletter.  You can post your thoughts on our blog.  We'll do our best to reply.