Save Aikido in SD - Serving Community for 30 Years
Donation protected
Our story, our journey is Aikido. The Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, hoped for it to become “a bridge ... to unite people of the world.”
Aikido (eye-kee-doe), which can be translated as “the way of peace and harmony,” is the study of neutralizing an attack, whether physical, verbal or mental, without the use of force or resistance. Yes, it is a martial art, but it is also a philosophy and a way of life that focuses on bringing together all aspects of life, in body, mind and spirit. It teaches practitioners not to engage in competition with others, which could lead to conflict, but to work with the challenges within by practicing humility through introspection and self-improvement. This is obtained through a dynamic, physically demanding training.
North County Aikikai (eye-kee-kye) dojo (school), was established in 1991 by our teacher, Coryl Crane Sensei (7th degree Shihan, recognized through Birankai North America and the Aikikai Foundation, Japan). The school has been operating out of Solana Beach, serving the San Diego North County community for nearly 30 years. During these years, Crane Sensei has touched many lives: adults, teenagers, and children alike. It’s the children and teenagers who we consider to be our most precious gems because they can learn Aikido’s philosophy and build character early in life, then spend their lifetime honing those skills and being an example to others.
The year 2020 has brought many challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is leaving an enormous impact on the world,affecting every walk of life and creating a sense of uncertainty and unease. Furthermore, certain events have led to nation-wide unrest and an increase in consciousness for social justice. We believe it’s more important now than ever to communicate the message of living in peace and harmony and learning how to deal with conflict by facing our inner struggles and outward challenges.
Aikido (eye-kee-doe), which can be translated as “the way of peace and harmony,” is the study of neutralizing an attack, whether physical, verbal or mental, without the use of force or resistance. Yes, it is a martial art, but it is also a philosophy and a way of life that focuses on bringing together all aspects of life, in body, mind and spirit. It teaches practitioners not to engage in competition with others, which could lead to conflict, but to work with the challenges within by practicing humility through introspection and self-improvement. This is obtained through a dynamic, physically demanding training.
North County Aikikai (eye-kee-kye) dojo (school), was established in 1991 by our teacher, Coryl Crane Sensei (7th degree Shihan, recognized through Birankai North America and the Aikikai Foundation, Japan). The school has been operating out of Solana Beach, serving the San Diego North County community for nearly 30 years. During these years, Crane Sensei has touched many lives: adults, teenagers, and children alike. It’s the children and teenagers who we consider to be our most precious gems because they can learn Aikido’s philosophy and build character early in life, then spend their lifetime honing those skills and being an example to others.
The year 2020 has brought many challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is leaving an enormous impact on the world,affecting every walk of life and creating a sense of uncertainty and unease. Furthermore, certain events have led to nation-wide unrest and an increase in consciousness for social justice. We believe it’s more important now than ever to communicate the message of living in peace and harmony and learning how to deal with conflict by facing our inner struggles and outward challenges.
We are facing the very imminent risk of losing our training facility, which is the vehicle in which we can drive our message along this journey. Multiple events have compounded to make this risk a reality, including a significant increase in rent and a hardship in recruiting new members, especially during national restrictions brought on by the pandemic. We are humbly asking for donations to assist in keeping our facility open by helping fund efforts to continue to get our message of peace and harmony to those who may now be very interested in this way of life.
North County Aikikai has operated essentially as a not-for-profit organization since its foundation, with all the instructors volunteering their time. We are now in the process of actively seeking an official non-profit status.
Despite the fact that all membership dues are used for rent and facility upkeep only, our teacher has had to contribute substantial personal funds to keep our dojo open for some time now. This hardship is unsustainable.
Any donations that we receive will be used for keeping the current lease or the cost of relocation. We will also use the donations for efforts to increase our membership so we can better sustain our school in the future and continue to impart the virtues of Aikido.
North County Aikikai has operated essentially as a not-for-profit organization since its foundation, with all the instructors volunteering their time. We are now in the process of actively seeking an official non-profit status.
Despite the fact that all membership dues are used for rent and facility upkeep only, our teacher has had to contribute substantial personal funds to keep our dojo open for some time now. This hardship is unsustainable.
Any donations that we receive will be used for keeping the current lease or the cost of relocation. We will also use the donations for efforts to increase our membership so we can better sustain our school in the future and continue to impart the virtues of Aikido.
Co-organizers (2)
Tim Reynolds
Organizer
Solana Beach, CA
North County Aikikai
Beneficiary
Sara Nishi
Co-organizer