Dragon and Crane Dojo

Dojo Pizza Party and Chess Workshop
Sat 3/28 2-4pm
guests welcome!

Bonus for parents (optional):
12:30pm yoga with Anita Pressman
(kids can practice chess on side of the mat)

signup and survey:
https://forms.gle/WVdZFrkat9MAyGJa8

congratulations to all competitors at the KNMA Tournament!
please share additional photos with the dojo for an upcoming jigsaw puzzle

reminder: Dojo Chess Workshop this Sat Jan 31st, 2-4pm @ the dojo

guest Coach Moe started learning chess at age 3, and will share his family teaching method and mini-games for deep and engaging learning

Students will also go through the exact steps to earn their Off-the-Mat Chess patch - see you then!

My best friend from middle school (also named Dave) trained with me at KNMA Burbank for years to red belt level. He lived about a mile from me so I'd often walk over to his house after school and we'd drive to karate together.

His mom Sita had a background in dance so was a very astute observer of our training, and made a comment that stuck with me through the decades:

It's common to see men who are physically strong.

Far less common to see ones who are strong and graceful.

She cited the actor Patrick Swayze as an example: the way he carries himself, his movements flow like water. It's common among men to who study dance, since that's one of the few activities that prioritize grace.

Athleticism asks how high can you jump, grace asks how quietly can you land.

The funny thing about grace, she further commented, is that it often comes with a cost of naturalism. That's most apparent when you watch dancers just walk. They can soar through the air, but for something as mundane as walking down the street, it just looks odd.

Her final comment was that Master Nagayama posses that rarest capability to have movements that are graceful yet remain grounded and natural. On the street, he walks like a normal person. But on the mat, he kicks and steps like water.

Those comments were the driving principle behind today's Sat Mobility for Health class - thanks for the lesson Sita!

To the rest of the dojo community, I hope the dojo serves as a conduit for connections that remain meaningful to you through the years like Dave and Sita's family were for me. One thing I've learned as an instructor is that while specifics fade from memory, the general principles remain

Have a great weekend!

Highlights from the park class - thanks to all who attended, special shout out to our guest instructors from KNMA:
- Mr. Lopez
- Mr. Hofmann
- Ms. Jeanne
and our team of volunteers:
- Diana (Fernando)
- Gaby (Gabriel)
- Danny (Jonah)
- Alicia (Alice)
- Michael
- John

Starting next week
Sat 12:30pm Adults class restructured into "Mobility for Health"
open to adults and parents of all levels activity
https://dragonandcranedojo.com/sat-mobility-for-health/

Japanese Obon Festival coming up this weekend at SFV JACC!

Meeting point: Sat 6pm at the judo dojo (no affiliation with D&C Dojo)
https://www.sfvhbt.org/obon-festival/

reminder: Japanese culture and movie event at the dojo tomorrow 2-4:30pm!
$10 for first child - $5 per sibling - parents free
trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=fDUFP7EeXLE

Dojo afternoon movie!
Sat April 5th 2-4:30pm
Rocky (1976)
dragonandcranedojo.com/movie-and-testing-april-2025/

family pricing:
- $10 for first student
- $9 early bird by Wed April 2nd
- $5 for additional siblings
- parents and grandparents free

Parent volunteers needed!
$5 discount - see signup sheet on bulletin board for details

congrats to everyone who participated in the KNMA tournament over the weekend!