Tres Hofmeister Sensei, Rokudan / Boulder Aikikai will be rescheduled

Due to the seminar with Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan at Alamo City Aikido in February, we will be rescheduling our seminar with Tres Hofmeister Sensei for later in 2006. Check our EVENTS page for more details.

Aikido Weekend Celebration and Kyu Tests - Saturday, December 3rd and Sunday, December 4th, 2005

It was a big aikido weekend! We had a pot luck Saturday night at the Kammerer family home to celebrate recent shodan promotions for Todd and Tommy Kammerer and Shawn Young from San Antonio. The party featured lots of good food and Pamela's special pineapple upside down cake. I managed to scarf a piece down as well as make off with some of the left-overs. We watched the videos of several shodan tests as well as a couple of other aikido videos. In addition to the members from our dojo, several friends from San Antonio including Michael and Shawn Young along with Emmanuel and Kendra Jesters. It was truly an enjoyable gathering with friends.

Sunday proved to be a fun aikido day for our friends from San Antonio, who stayed the night and participated in the test activities. Michael Young taught the first class, which included some interesting similarities to Systemma exercises, focusing on relaxation of the body, particularly the shoulders. This was very enjoyable, though it put my brain into overload. The class went by quickly and before we knew it, it was time for the kyu test.

Brian Kammerer tested for nikyu and actually broke a sweat. The test was fast paced but Brian moved well and displayed a lot of good aikido in his techniques. The randori was incredibly quick in pace but Brian handled it very well. Brian kept the ukes spread out very well, changing the pace of techniques throughout the randori. Overall, Brian did great on his test. Way to go young man!!

Pamela Tovar tested for sankyu, displaying great control and connection in her aikido. She moved with purpose and in a very relaxed manner. The randori and jiyuwaza techniques were awesome! Pamela's performance during her test clearly demonstrates the value of regular practice. Way to go Pamela on a great test effort!!

Following the kyu tests, we had quite a gathering at La Feria for dinner with 22 dojo/family members attend the post-kyu test dinner. All were pretty hungry by the time we got to La Feria, enjoying a nice dinner and lots of wonderful conversation. All in all, it was a fun weekend of hanging out with some very special people from San Antonio and the members of our dojo.

Thanks to everyone who came to support the party and kyu testing this weekend. Special thanks to Mike, Shawn, Emmanuel, and Kendra for taking time out of their lives and spend time with us. Thanks to Mike Young for teaching and sharing his aikido spirit with us.

Reminder... Kevin Choate Sensei, Rokudan / Chicago Aikikai will be at Alamo City Aikido in San Antonio - Friday, January 6th through Sunday, January 8th, 2006

Alamo City Aikido is proud to host a Kagami Biraki (new year dojo opening celebration) seminar with Kevin Choate Sensei of the Chicago Aikikai. Choate Sensei has been practicing Aikido for over 30 years under the guaidance of Mitsugi Soatome Sensei.

Alamo City Aikido's website has been updated and we now has the ability to accept pre-payment for this seminar online via paypal or credit card. If you pre-register for the seminar before January 1st, the cost is reduced by $10.

Here is the link: Alamo City Aikido Online Pre-Registration

Alamo City Aikido

Chicago Aikikai

Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan Seminar pictures are all posted

The pictures taken by Barbara & Brenda Kammerer of this awesome weekend (seminar and shodan tests) are now posted. Just click on PICTURES & MPEGS to check them out.

Video Clips are now available on our website

Thanks to the help from our friends at Alamo City Aikido, we have added video clips to our website. Just click on PICTURES & MPEGS on the menu bar.

Mark your calendars........

Thanksgiving holiday weekend schedule: The dojo will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th. All other classes will meet as usual on Sunday, November 27th. Have a wonderful holiday.

Shodan test celebration party: We will be having a celebration party for Shawn Young, Todd Kammerer and Tommy Kammerer at the Kammerer's home on Saturday, December 3rd. Please contact Jay sensei or Todd Kammerer for more information.

Kyu testing: We have two students who will be testing on Sunday, December 4th at 2:30PM. Please come and support them on their tests.

Birthday Rolls - Sunday, November 20th, 2005

We celebrated Jeanne's birthday with rolling practice this past Sunday, with Jeanne performing 100 rolls with the many energetic dojo members. Great job and happy birthday Jeanne!

Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan Seminar at Aiki Zenshin Dojo, November 4th - 6th, 2005

This past weekend Tommy, Todd, Leslie Sensei and I traveled to Aiki Zenshin Dojo in Fremont, CA for a seminar with Ikeda Sensei. What a humbling and awesome experience to watch and attempt to perform the principles demonstrated by such an accomplished aikidoka, Ikeda Sensei. My eyes are still spinning from this awesome seminar. We have much to practice in the near future, especially in understanding how to incorporate the mental aspect into our training. Each technique has both a physical and mental connection. This is important to understand and incorporate into our regular practice.

It is clear to see the influence of Ushiro Sensei on our training in the mental aspects of connection. It is very challenging to actually accomplish this, since it takes confidence and understanding to make it work. Ikeda Sensei worked constantly on connection by entering your partner both physically and mentally. We went through many exercises from tsuki, katatedori, shomenuchi, kosa dori and kata dori rote mochi. All were very challenging to accomplish, especially with many different ukes. We will work to add this to our training in the near future.

This was an absolutely great weekend and awesome seminar!

Click here for the seminar pictures - Pictures taken by Jason Tsuyemura

Click here for the seminar pictures - Pictures taken by Barbara & Brenda Kammerer

Aiki Zenshin Dojo

Shodan Tests - Saturday, November 5th, 2005

Ok, where does one begin on a story like this one? Six years ago Todd and Tommy Kammerer began training at Aiki Zenshin Dojo with Sunny Skys Sensei in Fremont, California. When they first started, they set a goal to someday test for their shodan together (father and son). Work changes brought them to Austin, Texas in 2002, where they began training with us at Hill Country Aikido / Chiisai Aikikai. Since their move to Austin, the entire Kammerer family has become the backbone of our dojo, training regularly and contributing so much to the organization of our Aikido community.

The shodan exam can be a challenging experience. First, you have to travel to a foreign dojo, usually far from home. Then you get to test in front of a Shihan, which can be a little intimidating. I do not know about everyone, but I get nervous going to a new dojo just to train at a seminar, much less get up and perform for a test. Then you get paired with members from other dojos, many you may have never met before. Everyone trains a little differently which can make it more challenging to properly blend during the test, while at the same time your knees are shaking and your mind is spinning. Not to mention the weight of your home dojo on your back, wanting to make the home crowd proud. However, despite these obstacles both Tommy and Todd performed beautifully during their shodan tests.

The tests were conducted at the Aiki Zenshin Dojo in Fremont, during a seminar with Ikeda Sensei. Tommy got to go first (Todd's greatest fear that he would have to follow Tommy) and he performed very well, remaining relaxed throughout the test. He moved well, with some of Tommy's jo dori being the best I have seen. Todd looked the best I have ever seen him, maintaining excellent posture and control. Todd's tachi dori were excellent and demonstrated how much effort he has put into his training. Both were excellent tests that we are all very proud of. Way to go Tommy and Todd!

Click here for Shodan test pictures - Pictures taken by Jason Tsuyemura

Click here for Shodan test pictures - Pictures taken by Barbara Kammerer

Visit to Aiki Zenshin Dojo - Thursday, November 3rd, 2005

On Thursday of last week, Todd, Tommy, Brian, Brenda and I trained with our friends at Aiki Zenshin Dojo in Fremont. Brenda had warned me that I might be a little jealous of Sunny Sensei's dojo, but that was an understatement.

Sunny Sensei had spent several busy weeks preparing for the upcoming seminar with Ikeda Sensei and the dojo looked spectacular! The mat was the best surface I have trained on to date. It was firm on the surface, but felt incredible when you landed on it during a fall.

Sunny Sensei taught the class Thursday evening and we worked on several techniques from tsuki practicing blending. It was a real joy to train with the dojo members at Aiki Zenshin Dojo. We were welcomed in like family and made to feel right at home. Thanks to Sunny Sensei and all the members at the Aiki Zenshin Dojo for the wonderful experience. We hope to return soon.

Click here for pictures - Pictures taken by Barbara Kammerer

Aiki Zenshin Dojo

Halloween Seminar with Mitsugi Saotome Shihan at Boulder Aikikai, October 28th - 30th, 2005

Tommy, Todd and I traveled to Boulder Aikikai in Boulder, Colorado for the Halloween Seminar with Saotome Sensei. I actually went up on Wednesday to train a couple of days with some of my friends from the Boulder dojo. It is always a humbling experience to train with so many good aikidoka. It was also very apparent that I am in no condition to train at altitude. I was huffing from the start and had to just hold on during each class.

On Friday the seminar started and moved very quickly. Sensei went into a discussion about "aiki" and how it exists in all martial arts, but especially must be present in aikido. Without aiki you are just performing techniques. We went through many non-standard exercises attempting to utilize "aiki" connection instead of focusing on making our partners fall.

On Saturday we did two hours of kicking techniques to make our feet more like hands. This made my leg muscles incredibly sore. It is challenging for an old guy to do unfamiliar exercises, but it was a lot of fun to practice. We will work to incorporate this into our normal practice.

On Sunday the training focused on aiki utilizing jiyuwasa from many attacks. This was pretty aerobic training and I was pretty much spent after the first hour. I was sure the training would slow down for the second hour, but instead we went into koshinage. I somehow survived the seminar, although now it is pretty much a blur.

The annual Halloween seminar at Boulder Aikikai is one that should not be missed. It was so amazing to see Saotome Sensei demonstrate the "aiki" principles throughout the seminar as well participate in the awesome training with so many wonderful aikidoka. Special thanks to Ron Santichen for being such a gracious host and putting up with us over the seminar weekend.

Kyu Tests - Sunday, October 23rd, 2005

On Sunday October 23rd, 2005 we had two Kyu tests, with Alina Bushong testing for Sankyu and Charles Pummill testing for Rokyu.

Charles did a great job, showing a good understanding of aikido in the short time he has been training. He easily went through the required techniques for Rokyu and a few additional ones including a jiyuwasa from katate dori rote mochi. Great job Charles!

Alina looked like she has been studying aikido all her life, with outstanding posture and soft arm connection. Her randori was absolutely beautiful, utilizing every element we have been practicing. After my jaw quit hanging, I remembered to tell her what a great job she had done. Awesome job Alina (aka Aiki Princess)!

Shawn and Michael Young from San Antonio dropped in to support the test effort as well. It is always great to train with our friends from San Antonio. Thank you for coming and we look forward to seeing you guys again soon. Thanks to everyone who provided ukemi for the kyu tests, including Chad, Luar, Ryan, Michael, Shawn, Tommy and Todd.

Click here for pictures of the Aikido Demo

Aikido Demo for Local Karate Group - Friday, October 21st, 2005

On Friday night we made a return visit to the Austin Recreation Center to train with our Karate friends. We covered some of the same techniques in review and then moved on to ikkyo, jujinage and a reversal from ikkyo which looks a lot like a backwards shihonage (although I do not know the name of this technique).

Once again it was a valuable experience to work with the karate group and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thanks to Brenda, Brian, Barbara, Tommy, Todd, Alina, Luar, Jesse, Ryan, Tim, Pamela and Chad for coming to assist with the teaching. This was an enjoyable experience for all!

All-American Society of Karate

Mark your calendars - Aikido Demo for Local Karate Group this Friday, October 21st, 2005

We will be meeting at the Austin Recreation Center this Friday 10/21/05 at 7:00PM. The Aikido demo for the Karate School (All-American Society of Karate) starts at 7:30PM. Hope to see you there...

George Ledyard Sensei Seminar - Friday, October 14th through Sunday, October 16th, 2005

This past weekend a number of us traveled to San Antonio for a seminar with George Ledyard Sensei. The seminar focused on "aiki" found in all techniques and how to manifest this feeling in basic techniques. We got a little insight into what "aiki" should be and how it changes the feeling of the technique. The training was a lot of fun and extremely insightful. Thank you Ledyard Sensei for an incredible Aikido weekend!

On Saturday, Shawn Young tested for her shodan. It was a wonderful experience to be there and support Shawn during her test. Shawn did and awesome job, especially in koshinage and randori. Tommy, Todd, and I were thankful for the privilege to participate in Shawn's test and we all enjoyed the celebration that followed. Great Job Shawn!!

We had a potluck party sponsored by the Young family, which featured a lot of food and great conversation. The party lasted into the wee hours of the morning, making it challenging to get up bright and early Sunday morning. What a great aikido weekend!

Special thanks to Shawn and Michael Young for putting us up for the weekend. In addition, thanks to Kendra for also putting a number of us up in her home as well. Thanks to our HCA members Tim, Chad, Tommy, Alina, Pamela, Ryan, Mark, Charles, Todd, Barbara, Brian, and Brenda for taking time out of their lives to support this wonderful seminar.

Click here for pictures of the seminar

Click here for pictures of Shawn Young's Shodan Test

Aikido Demo for Local Karate Group - Friday, September 30th, 2005

On Friday we went to the Austin Recreation Center, where we shared our Aikido with the Karate School (All-American Society of Karate) that trains on Friday evenings in ARC. As with last June, everyone was open to the principles and techniques that where shown, providing an enjoyable experience for all who participated. The class was well attended, with about 25 Karate and 10 Aikido students. Our dojo members included Todd, Tommy, Alina, Chad, Jesse, Luar, Hiroaki, Leslie Sensei, Barbara (Dojo mom), Brenda and Jay Sensei.

Once again, this reinforced the importance of hamni (proper stance) and how one's stance, as well as foot movement, influences hip rotation. It also reinforced the limits of resistance and arm strength with absorbing energy and protecting one's joints during ukemi.

These classes are extremely beneficial for us as part of our training. It is a real challenge to adjust one's response of strength and aggression to one of relaxed and accepting. We applaud the Karate students for approaching this experience with an open mind and for being so receptive to Aikido techniques that were shown.

Thanks to all our students who came to assist in the instruction as well as the Karate students that attended this wonderful event. We look forward to doing this again!

Click here for pictures of the Aikido Demo

All-American Society of Karate

Picture links have been fixed

A few of the 2004 picture links were broken and have now been repaired.

New Mats Arrived on Thursday, September 1st, 2005

After six years we have replaced all of the non-sticky type mats with sticky mats from Zebra. The new flooring should help keep the mats from shifting so much during training. So far (2 training days) this has been pretty awesome. I look forward to many years of wear from the new mats. It is much easier to setup the mat space since all the mats are now the same.

Birthday Rolls.....

Two of our dojo members celebrated their birthdays this past week by participating in the Hill Country Aikido tradition of birthday rolls. First with Tom, followed by Alina. Both did very well with the high level of energy from the many dojo members helping with the birthday rolls. Congratulations and Happy Birthday to Tom and Alina on their birthday rolls!

Thursday 8/25/05: Tom Giebink rolled 128 times for his birthday. Tom is less than young just like me but made it look pretty easy. I may have to get into better shape to keep up with everyone at the dojo. Way to go Tom!!

Thursday 9/1/05: Alina Bushong rolled 150 times for her 17th birthday. I am always jealous of those younger people because rolling comes so easy for them. Alina made 150 look pretty easy, although she almost perspired. I got tired just watching her. Great job Alina!!

Intensive Training Weekend - Friday, August 19th - Sunday, August 21st, 2005

Once again we have survived an intensive training weekend in San Antonio. I say survived only because it was quite exhausting. It was an aikido packed weekend in which we covered a lot of ground in preparation of several shodan tests. This included suwari waza to koshinage and jiyuwaza. We also spent some time on tantodori and the kumitachi.

The training began on Friday night followed by a full day of training on Saturday. Saturday's classes were followed by a pizza dinner, compliments of Michael and Shawn Young. On Sunday, we returned to Austin for our regular scheduled class along with Michael and Shawn Young from San Antonio. Since it was Shawn's birthday (I am sure she said she was 29), Shawn Sensei taught the all levels class, going over several exercises explaining the importance of connection and uke's role in making the connection happen. Leslie Sensei taught the advanced class, covering suwari waza, hamni handachi and tachi waza from katadori. By the end of class on Sunday, I was completely spent.

Barbara and Todd Kammerer prepared a Barbeque at their house in honor of the anniversary of Shawn's birthday. As it has been explained to me, once you reach a certain age you no longer have birthdays but just anniversaries of a birthday. It all makes sense to me cause I have just had my 29th for the 22 time. Pamela and Barbara had also prepared pies and cheesecake for Shawn as part of the celebration. I would like to note that I only had small portions of the lemon meringue and apple pies (Just in case the wife reads this).

Thanks to Everyone at Alamo City Aikido in San Antonio for sponsoring the intensive training and to Craig Slack Sensei and Mike Young Sensei for sharing their aikido with us. These sessions add so much to our regular practice. Special thanks to Michael and Shawn for putting us up for the weekend and to Todd, Barbara and Brenda for preparing a great barbeque on Sunday!

Birthday Rolls - Tuesday, August 9th, 2005

Jesse had been waiting a few weeks for his birthday rolls due to the busy schedule in July. We celebrated Jesse's birthday with rolling practice this past Tuesday, with Jesse performing 120 rolls with the many energetic dojo members. Great job and happy birthday Jesse!

Mark your calendars... ACA/HCA Intensive - Saturday, August 20th, 2005

Alamo City Aikido and Hill Country Aikido will be holding another one day Aikido Intensive on Saturday, August 20th. There will be no cost for the intensive. Feel free to call or e-mail with any questions.

Sunny Skys Sensei Seminar Pictures......

The pictures are finally posted from the seminar. Click on the link below to check them out.

Click here for pictures of the seminar

Click here for pictures of the seminar Pot Luck Saturday night

Summer Camp in the Rockies - Sunday, July 24th through Saturday, July 30th, 2005

Saturday five of us from Hill Country Aikido, including Pamela Tovar, Alina Bushong, Todd and Tommy Kammerer and myself, returned from a week of aikido training at Summer Camp in the Rockies sponsored by the Boulder Aikikai. This year was the 25th anniversary of this awesome camp and what a special week it was for all! As usual, my head is still spinning from so much information.

Kenji Ushiro sensei from Japan was this year's special guest instructor, sharing his martial training and principles, which were very similar to aikido. His ideas were inspirational and thought provoking, as we all worked on how to incorporate these ideas into our aikido techniques. It apparent that we need to work more on our punching and kicking attacks in order to make our practice better. Saotome Sensei mixed some karate-like exercises into the practice as well. This was an interesting challenge for some of us old guys who cannot kick higher than the knee :-)

The weather was unbelievable, staying cool and clear for most of the week. It was an incredible experience to share the mat with 240 aikidoka from all over the world. The sense of community at this camp is awesome and is a must see for anyone who enjoys aikido. We also discovered that Ikeda Sensei is a natural Barista making a pretty good latte each morning.

On Wednesday, Alina, Pamela and myself went for a horseback ride through the mountains, which was absolutely spectacular. I was able to survive the ride with only slightly bruised parts. My horse was certain that he knew where we were going better than I did so I did not argue with him and we got along fine. I now consider myself an experienced rider having ridden a horse for two whole hours. Pamela and Alina were obviously experienced horse people, looking pretty comfortable on their horses. Pamela is an experienced cattle herder, who has spent many days riding on her grandfather's ranch. I think the ride was a little tame for her, but she stayed close and tried to keep me calm.

On Friday night we went to a big party at the local hotel, with good food, wonderful music and much fun enjoyed by all. The party was still going strong at 12:30 am when the wimpy Texans called it a night. It is rumored that Tommy was a dancing fool along with Pamela.

This camp was certainly a memorable experience for me, as many ideas are still spinning in my mind. Congratulations to Boulder Aikikai on the best summer camp yet! Way to go Alina, Pamela, Tommy and Todd for training so diligently during the week.

Click here for pictures of summer camp

Tommy Kammerer Breaks Rolling Record during Summer Camp - Thursday, July 28th, 2005

Tommy Kammerer rolled 300 times during summer camp, with Ian Starr of the Boulder Aikikai providing all the throws. Pretty impressive in its own right, however, at 7000 feet and following 5 hours of training, makes this even more impressive!

Tommy was inspired to break the previous record (273 birthday rolls set in March) held by his sister, Brenda Kammerer. You just can't slow down these young people. Rumor has it Tommy could have gone longer if he pushed it to a point where he blacked out completely. Great job Tommy on a new dojo rolling record!! Thanks for not passing out. That would have freaked me out completely.

Sunny Skys Sensei Seminar - Friday, July 15th through Sunday, July 17th, 2005

Sunny Skys Sensei from Aiki Zenshin Dojo in Fremont came to Austin this past weekend for his third annual seminar at Hill Country Aikido. The seminar weekend was a complete success! We had a wonderful turn out from our dojo and from our friends at Alamo City Aikido in San Antonio.

The training was awesome! Sunny Sensei has a wonderful style of relating everyday life experiences into his training, focusing this weekend on being in the moment. We worked a lot on movement from center to make the connection with our partners. At one point we all pretended to be from a short arm tribe to allow our centers to connect and lose the necessity of extending arms to compensate for our normal lack of movement. Pamela turned into a Tyrannosaurus Rex and got very aggressive when attacked. AHHH! Fortunately we all evolved back into our normal selves by the end of the exercise. What a fun and exciting training weekend.

The Kammerer family hosted a potluck dinner on Saturday night that was absolutely enjoyable. It gave us an opportunity to sit down and visit while enjoying the many delicious dishes brought by all. We have several really good cooks in the dojo and the food was incredible. Pamela made her grandmothers pineapple upside down cake recipe, which was so good that I made off with extra for breakfast on Sunday. Charles made au-gratin potatoes that were awesome and list just goes on… Everyone brought something that I ate and really enjoyed, contributing to a very successful party.

Thank you Sunny Skys Sensei for taking time out of your life to share your aikido with us. Thank you to all of the participants for supporting our seminar this weekend and making it a great success! Special thanks to our friends from Alamo City Aikido for making the drive to Austin and contributing to the wonderful seminar weekend.

Click here for pictures of the seminar

Click here for pictures of the seminar Pot Luck Saturday night

Kyu Tests - Sunday, July 10th, 2005

On Sunday July 10, 2005 we had two tests, with Brenda Kammerer testing for Gokyu and Chad Leath testing for Sankyu.

Brenda hasn't tested for some time but you couldn't tell by her technique. Her posture and arm tension were awesome. She also made us old guys look silly when it came to shikko. Those young people can make the painful stuff look pretty easy.

Chad also did an awesome job with his display of aikido skill. His randori used all of the mat, moving well and blending with the ukes. His arm tension during shihonage was a thing of beauty. I think his best stuff was during the several jiyuwaza. He blended with nice touch and tension and varied his movement and technique well.

Great job Chad and Brenda!! Special thanks to Hiroaki, Chadwick, Jesse, Pamela, Brian and Todd who provided the ukemi during the test. Following the test we adjourned to Buffet Palace for a nice meal. We once again got our training schedule in line with the “Eat, Train, Eat” mentality. Just in time for the upcoming seminar with Sunny Skys Sensei.

Click here for Washington DC sightseeing pictures

Jay Sensei and Brian Attend Summer Camp in Washington DC

It wasn't that it was so incredibly hot, however, I don't remember sweating so much ever in my aikido training. The humidity in the gym was unbelievable. Absolutely nothing would evaporate. That said it was an incredible experience.

The training was outstanding. We covered every conceivable type of weapons training from two sword forms to iaido forms to tachi dori and open hand training. We also did lots of paired kumi tachi and kumi jo exercises. This year guest instructors included Patty Saotome Sensei, Tres Hoffmeister Sensei, George Ledyard Sensei, Chuck Webber Sensei, and Kevin Choate Sensei, who also taught during the early morning class. This added a lot of variety to the camp from previous years and a lot more exercises to remember.

After 30 hours of weapons training last week it was really strange to train today without some kind of stick in my hand. My mind is still spinning from the training. I hope to include many of these exercises in our weapons training over the next year. DC is an expensive town but a great experience. Between training, Brian and I went to a lot of the area sites including the Smithsonian, natural history museums and monuments including the Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and FDR. We also toured the National Cathedral, which is a pretty incredible place on its own. It was a fun place to visit with lots of outstanding training.

New Dojo Schedule Starting in July 2005 - Additional 60 minutes per week

Beginning in July, we will have an additional 30 minutes on Thursday and Sunday (see schedule below). We have many new students and additional time will provide the necessary focus as they begin their Aikido training. Senior students will also attend these classes to help with the newer students, while refining their understanding of basic principles at the same time.

The first class with the new schedule will be on Sunday, July 3rd, 2005. Come check it out.....

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
	5:45PM to 7:00PM Basics Jay Sensei		5:45PM to 6:30PM Basics Senior Student			1:00PM to 1:30PM Basics Senior Student
	7:00PM to 8:00PM Advanced Leslie Sensei		6:30PM to 7:30PM All Levels Leslie Sensei			1:30PM to 2:30PM All Levels Jay Sensei
			7:30PM to 8:30PM Weapons Jay Sensei			2:30PM to 3:30PM Advanced Leslie Sensei

Brian Kammerer Receives Attendance Award - Thursday, June 23rd, 2005

This is the first time we have had this award at Hill Country Aikido, but anytime someone trains more days in our dojo than Jay Sensei, an award is certainly in order. It has been six months since we started the new year, but it took a little time to decide on the appropriate award.

Brian trained 148 days at Hill Country Aikido during 2004, with Jay Sensei coming in a distant second with 143 days. For his consistent training, Brian received a new hakama from Bujin design. Brian sure looks sharp in his new hakama....

Of course next year is wide open since Brian will be away for 10 days at summer camp in DC. Congratulations to Brian for his training effort and setting a good example for the rest of us to follow.

Birthday Rolls - Sunday, June 19th, 2005

Leslie Sensei celebrated her birthday this past week and was treated to Hill Country Aikido's tradition of birthday rolls. Even though it has been a little while since her twenty hours per week training at Hombu Dojo, she can certainly still roll.

We did not have many beginners present for the birthday rolls, leading to the fast pace from the many energetic senior students. Before we knew it Leslie Sensei completed her 100 rolls, red faced and smiling all the way. Happy Birthday Leslie Sensei!!

Alamo City Aikido Intensive - Saturday, June 18th, 2005

The Alamo City Aikido group sponsored a special intensive training session, with ten of us from Hill Country Aikido traveling to San Antonio to see what Craig Sensei and Mike Sensei had in store for us. This included Tommy, Brian, Brenda, Todd, Evan, Ross, Trevor, Pamela, Chad and Jay Sensei.

We started working on connection and kokyunage, then working our way into koshinage loading, which literally kicked my butt. Craig Sensei showed two major types of koshinage and how they relate from various attacks. Then we shifted gears into how uke dictates jiyawaza techniques and the importance of keeping your mind open during techniques. When time for lunch finally came, I don't think I had anything left in the tank.

In the afternoon, we continued with a class on ukemi lead by Michael Young Sensei, followed by some paired bokken practice. Finally, Craig Sensei lead us in an open hand class to finish off a pretty full and intense day. This was definitely hot weather training as the temperature went over 90°F while training. We were all pretty red faced and drenched by the end of class.

Thanks to Alamo City Aikido for sharing their aikido with us during this training day, as well as the many Aikido members (both Alamo City Aikido and Hill Country Aikido) who joined in on this special training event.

Kyu Tests - Sunday, June 5th, 2005

On Sunday June 5, 2005 we had four tests. Whew!! That was a lot to keep up with at one time. Luar Martinez tested for Rokyu, Mark McDonald tested for Gokyu, Brian Kammerer tested for Sankyu and Tom Giebink tested for Nikyu.

Luar looked like he was having fun, which is really the way tests should be. He displayed a lot of good aikido principles for a rokyu test.

Mark had the most amazing randori by switching to hamni handachi for about six throws during the exercise. Are you sure this was a Gokyu test? Mark also displayed a lot of improvement from his previous test, by relaxing his movement and overall posture.

Brian was simply awesome, with beautiful posture and decisive but unforced movement. His randori displayed a wonderful use of the mat space and flowing movement.

Tom Giebink displayed a lot of growth in his aikido since his last test as well, which shows a lot of dedicated training over the past year.

Congratulations to all test candidates on a job well done! Thank you to the many students who provided ukemi for this big test day. Following the test, a large group descended into Buffet Palace for a bulk feeding; after all, the training motto is "eat, train, eat". We at least got the last two thirds right….

Birthday Roll Mania.....

WOW. This is the week for birthday rolls! First with Chadwick and Tim on Tuesday, followed by Jay sensei and Laurie on Thursday. All did very well with the high energy nage's who were all happy to help with this Hill Country Aikido tradition. Congratulations and Happy Birthday to all on their birthday rolls!

Tuesday 5/31/05: Chadwick did 150 birthday rolls and Tim did 75 birthday rolls.

Thursday 6/2/05: Jay sensei did 98 birthday rolls and Laurie did 36 birthday rolls.

George Meyer Sensei Seminar at Alamo City Aikido in San Antonio - Friday, May 27th through Sunday, May 29th, 2005

Several of us spent the Memorial Day Weekend at a seminar hosted by Alamo City Aikido in San Antonio. Once again Shawn and Michael Young went out of their way to put up with seven demanding aikidoka from Austin. It was like a homecoming of the Waltons as we all crashed at their home taking up most of the available floor space. But it was worth the trip just to hang out with everyone and share our aikido stories.

In addition, we got to train a lot as well. George Meyer Sensei was kind enough to share his aikido with us as we got pretty rambunctious finding out that having a middle aged fat guy roll up your back may not be the most intelligent way to practice aikido. We did get the aikido seminar training strategy going by always sandwiching the training sessions between meals. We ate a lot of Mexican and Chinese food. Then went to Shawn and Michaels and pretty much ate all they had in the house as well. What a blast!

Thanks to San Antonio Aikido for sharing their training with us. Special thanks to Shawn and Michael for welcoming us into their home once again. Thanks to Todd, Barbara, Brenda, Brian, Tommy, Alina, Pamela, and Chad for supporting our friends in San Antonio over the holiday weekend.

Mark your calendars... Kevin Choate Sensei, Rokudan / Chicago Aikikai comes Alamo City Aikido in San Antonio - Friday, January 6th through Sunday, January 8th, 2006

Kevin Choate Sensei is Chief Instructor at Chicago Aikikai. Choate Sensei began studying Aikido in Chicago in 1976 with Shigeru Suzuki Sensei, a student of Mitsugi Saotome Sensei. When Suzuki Sensei returned to Japan in 1980, Choate Sensei took over responsibility for Chicago Aikikai and continued to train under Saotome Sensei and Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei.

All Aikido Dojos and Affiliations are invited. See Alamo City Aikido's website for more information.

Alamo City Aikido

Chicago Aikikai

Mark your calendars... ACA/HCA Intensive - Saturday, June 18th, 2005

Right on the heels of Alamo City Aikido's seminar with Meyer Sensei, Alamo City Aikido and Hill Country Aikido will be holding a one day Aikido Intensive on Saturday, June 18th. There will be no cost for the intensive, which will start at 11:30am at ACA's dojo and continue into the afternoon until about 5:30pm. There be an hour and half break for lunch, as well as short breaks in between each hour.

This will be the second intensive put on by ACA/HCA, and like the last one where we focused on ukeme, some weapons, and randori; we will again pick a few specific things to work on. As the date gets closer we'll decide on and announce what the theme will be. It would be best if you can make the entire day as we will most likely be building on the theme throughout the day. However, if your schedule does not allow for this, feel free to make what you classes you can.

Feel free to call or e-mail with any questions.

More Birthday Rolls - Tuesday, May 24th, 2005

As is our tradition at Hill Country Aikido, we celebrated Luar's birthday with rolling practice this past Tuesday. This was Luar's first experience with birthday rolls, performing 75 rolls with several energetic nage's. Great job and happy birthday Luar!

Kyu Test - Sunday, May 15th, 2005

Tim Schmelter tested on Sunday for Yonkyu. What a great test! Tim had great posture and a great sense of connection through all of his techniques. The randori was especially nice with an awesome opening that scattered the 5 attackers across the mat. He moved very well and did a really nice job overall. Way to go Tim! Thanks to Jesse, Hiroaki, Chad, Tommy, and Brian for providing ukemi for the test.

Following the test, several of us went to Buffet Palace to celebrate and overeat. Ok, so I was the one who was eating too much. Food is good, especially following a test. At least that is our tradition. Train, eat, train, eat, train, eat!!

More Birthday Rolls - Sunday, May 1st, 2005

Sunday was Brian Kammerer's 16th birthday and as is our tradition at Hill Country Aikido, we celebrated Brian's birthday with rolling practice. Brian did an wonderful job, performing a total of 160 rolls. Happy birthday Brian!

Kyu Tests - Sunday, April 24th, 2005

On Sunday we had three tests which included a third kyu (sankyu), and two fourth kyu (yonkyu) tests. Jesse Spears tested for sankyu, while Christopher Fitzgerald and Jeanne Martin tested for yonkyu.

Once again the tests showed regular practice is the key. Jeanne had one of the most inspirational randori, which included a lot of relaxed movement and relaxed arms. She often was able to spin out of problem spots by turning and moving. Christopher displayed many improved aspects of his aikido and showed good understanding of the techniques. Jesse has also come a long way since he began his training and continues to improve each day.

Thanks to everyone who stayed to support the testing and for providing ukemi for the tests. Great job Jeanne, Christopher and Jesse!!

Kyu Tests - Sunday, April 10th, 2005

On Sunday we had three tests which included a sixth kyu (rokyu), and two fourth kyu (yonkyu) tests. Ryan Ugland tested for rokyu while Alina Bushong and Pamela Tovar tested for yonkyu. The tests were long. I cannot remember a rokyu test or even a yonkyu test which lasted for almost one hour. The test candidates all performed in a manner consistent with someone who has diligently trained as was exemplified in all the techniques performed. Although I made a few notes on things to work on in the future months, the tests were all outstanding. Great job everyone!!

Special thanks to Tommy Kammerer and Chad Leath for preparing the test candidates for this test. Thanks to everyone who stayed to support the test and those who provided ukemi for the test. It is truly enjoyable to watch the kyu tests and recognize how much everyone is improving. Keep up the good work.

Brenda Sets New Dojo Rolling Record - Thursday, March 24th, 2005

Thursday was a celebration of Brenda Kammerer's 17th Birthday. For her birthday rolls, Brenda set a new record with 276 rolls, surpassing the previous record of 270 held by her brother Tommy. Although she does not train all the time, she did show that she knows how to roll and really stuck with it. Rumor has it that she was heard humming during her rolls because it was too easy for her. Way to go Brenda and Happy Birthday!!

Michael Young Test for Nidan

We are very proud to announce that Michael Young of Alamo City Aikido in San Antonio traveled to Seattle Washington where he tested for nidan with Ikeda Sensei. Rumor has it that the test was outstanding! I have no doubt that it went pretty well. This was a very well deserved promotion and we would like to congratulate Michael on all the hard work he put in to prepare for the test. Congratulations and way to go Michael!!

Mark your calendars... Sunny Skys Sensei seminar July 15th - 17th, 2005

Sunny Skys Sensei, Sandan from Aiki Zenshin Dojo, is scheduled to return to Hill Country Aikido / Chiisai Aikikai in July for our third annual summer seminar, July 15th - 17th, 2005. Check our EVENTS page for more details.

ASU Handbook, Third Edition

Our website has been updated with the Third Edition of the ASU Handbook in PDF format.

ASU STUDENT HANDBOOK

Jay sensei, Todd & Tommy attend Winter Intensive at Aikido Eastside in Bellevue, WA - Friday, February 18th through Monday, February 21st, 2005

What an awesome seminar / 4-day intensive! George Ledyard sensei and his students welcomed us with open arms and took very good care of us during our visit. Everyone in the dojo was very helpful, both on and off the mat, creating an ideal learning environment. One that was honest, as well as at a pace where we could better understand and improve our technique with weapons and randori.

The detailed focus on weapons was very insightful. Through the explanation of the purpose behind each movement, we were able to better understand the correct intent (whether nage or uke), and thereby improve both our weapons and open-hand work. This knowledge carried over into randori.

The instruction on randori was outstanding. George Ledyard sensei's approach of teaching how to better control a randori, with the focus of one nage attacking three ukes; nage working the edges, the centers and/or using the space to better control the situation, all made a HUGE difference in our understanding of randori.

It was good that we had a full four days to experience this level of focus on weapons and randori. The amount of training hours and days were perfect, allowing us the time to apply the newly learned principles. There was/is so much to learn and we will be reflecting on the lessons from this intensive for many months to come.

Thank you George Ledyard sensei for providing such an awesome intensive, and thank you to the members of Aikido Eastside for all of their attention, both on and off the mat. Special thanks to Scott Rodgers for welcoming us into his home and taking such good care of us through out our visit.

Congratulations Chadwick and Wendy on their beautiful baby girl!

Ella Mayfair Chennault was born on February 18th at 11:50PM. Check out their website for pictures (link below).

Todd and Pamela Receive Birthday Rolls - Sunday, February 13th, 2005

As is our tradition at Hill Country Aikido, we celebrated two birthdays with rolling practice this past Sunday. Todd Kammerer and Pamela Tovar both received birthday rolls with Pamela rolling 85 times. Not bad as Pamela has been training for only one year. Todd rolled 110 rolls. Way to go Pamela and Todd!!

Kevin Choate Sensei, Rokudan / Chicago Aikikai comes to Mission, Texas, March 4th - 6th, 2005

Kevin Choate Sensei is Chief Instructor at Chicago Aikikai. Choate Sensei began studying Aikido in Chicago in 1976 with Shigeru Suzuki Sensei, a student of Mitsugi Saotome Sensei. When Suzuki Sensei returned to Japan in 1980, Choate Sensei took over responsibility for Chicago Aikikai. Choate Sensei continued to train under Saotome Sensei and Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei. Choate Sensei has accompanied Saotome Sensei to Japan and Europe.

For more information contact

Francisco Ruiz

phone: 956-844-6356

email: fjrr1@msn.com

Aikido School of Texas

Tres Hofmeister Sensei Seminar - Friday, February 4th through Sunday, February 6th, 2005

Tres Hofmeister Sensei's third annual seminar at our dojo was a great success! The energy in the dojo was amazing; training was fast paced and fun. Many aikidoka were gladly pushed to their limits. Tres Hofmeister Sensei often shares new and interesting ways of relaxing to better connect with uke that can be challenging for all practitioners. We were not to be let down. This year we focused on releasing the tension that often builds in our shoulders when we try to force a technique.

The Saturday evening potluck was fantastic and the food was delicious. There was great conversation and it is safe to say a good time was had by all. Those under the weather were greatly missed. Thank you to the Kammerer family for hosting the potluck.

Special thanks to Tres Hofmeister Sensei, Ron, Ian, and Jack all from Boulder, our friends from San Antonio, Craig, Silvia, Michael, Shawn, Jurgen and Neal, and to Francisco for traveling all the way from Mission, Texas to attend. A big special thanks to Jurgen for recording the seminar and creating DVD's. We cannot wait to see the DVD. Last but not least, thank you to all the members of Hill Country Aikido for helping make the seminar a great success!

Peter Trimmer Sensei Seminar at Alamo City Aikido in San Antonio - Friday, January 28th through Sunday, January 30th, 2005

Over the weekend of January 29-30th a group from Austin traveled to San Antonio for a seminar hosted by Alamo City Aikido. The group consisted of Kaye, Chad, Pamela, Tommy, Todd, Brian, Brenda, Hiroaiki, and myself. We were treated to a blast with our friends from San Antonio.

The seminar was incredibly insightful with Trimmer Sensei explaining many ideas in terms of understanding and technique rather than as magic. While we all got a little tired, it was a very rewarding experience. The weekend was truly exhilarating and we would like to thank Mike and Shawn for putting most of us up in their home.

Kyu Tests - Sunday, January 23rd, 2005

Chad tested for yonkyu on Sunday. WOW!! What a test. Leslie Sensei threw him as many curves as she could think of but couldn't shake him. Chad had a good sense of what the techniques were and performed them very well indeed. Yokomenuchi jujinage, No Problem. Not bad for a 4th kyu test. Way to go Chad!!

Thanks to Brian, Todd, Hiroaiki, Hiro, Christopher, and Mark for providing ukemi during the test. Thanks to everyone who stayed to support Chad's test.