Kiryu Aikido Central Coast Tests First Student, November 1, 2015

John-san doing suwari waza for his Sankyu test.

On Sunday, November 1, 2015, Kiryu Aikido, Central Coast branch, reached a big milestone: testing our first student.

John-san, who initially began practicing with Kiryu Aikido in Colorado in 2010, tested for his Sankyu rank. Our Sunday morning Sunahama classes (practice on the beach) over the past few months helped prepare John-san for a strong, solid test. Kara Stewart was his Uke.

We’re building relationships with the California Aikido community, and that led to the kind offer by Aikido Central Coast in San Luis Obispo to host the test at their dojo. Larry Bardach Sensei, who’s part of the California Aikido Association, was an observer for the test.

After John-san’s test, Andrew Blevins Sensei taught an energetic class. Testing is great a milestone: something to work hard for and then enjoy the results of the effort. And, then, it’s time to get right back to the secret of learning Aikido: practice, practice, practice. 🙂