Happy New Year 2025!
Part 1 - 2024 Retrospective
If 2024 could be summarized in 1 word, it would be community.
First, there was a stream of events in and out of the dojo:
- blue belts traditional Lion Dance for Lunar New Year
- volunteer classes at LA Mid Valley Library
- annual KNMA Park Testing at Valley Village
- Obon Festival at the Japanese American Culture Center (SFVJACC)
- Dodgers game outing organized by KNMA
- back-to-school supply contest courtesy of Mr. Hofmann from KNMA
- Mr. Lopez and his students from KNMA San Fernando joining us at Dearborn Park
- Gabriel, father of Leonardo from beginner belts, contributing his sketches of classes
This year also saw the introduction of the jigsaw puzzles. Beyond novelty factor, these symbolize what the dojo is and aspires to be:
- entertaining while intellectual
- individual while communal
- for students while enjoyed by parents (perhaps even more tbh)
- present-focused problem solving while maintaining long-term goal orientation
- recalling past experiences while creating new memories
Finally, I’d like to give a special shout out to our senior adult student Osvaldo-senpai (Japanese for elder peer), who truly stepped up his contribution to the dojo this past year:
- assisting with teaching
- piloting new extensions to the dojo internship program including Japanese, statistics, and computing
- helping learn Judo and Jiujitsu to eventually incorporate into our training program
- helping out with procurement, planning, and executing the remodeling over winter break
He has been an exemplary role model of how far above and beyond mere punches and kicks a dojo education can go. He has already left his imprint on the dojo (literally), and let him know your appreciation if you like the new changes.
Thank you all for your continued belief in what this dojo is and can be for its students, families, and the broader community.
Coming soon: What’s Coming up for 2025?