Usaf Summer Camp 2006 - The 40th Anniversary of New England Aikikai

David Farrell (Chief Instructor, New England Aikikai)
david.farrell3@verizon.net

New England Aikikai hosted the 2006 USAF Summer Camp at Colgate University in the rolling hills of upstate New York from July 31 through August 6. Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan, the Chairman of the Board of the USAF, presided over the camp. We were also honored to host Hayato Osawa Shihan again this year as our featured Hombu Instructor, as well as Morihiko Murashige Shihan from San Diego Aikikai. Other instructors included Harvey Konigsberg Shihan, Claude Berthiaume Shihan, Peter Bernath Shihan, Donovan Waite Shihan, Andy Demko Shidoin, Robert Zimmermann Shidoin, David Halprin Shidoin, and Barbara Britton Shidoin. Camp was well attended by more than 200 aikidoka from North and South America. I think most of them would agree that the very hot summer weather in Hamilton, NY led to some intense training and rewarding classes.

Personally, I had a few conflicting emotions about this year's summer camp. On the one hand, this USAF Summer Camp was a happy milestone for New England Aikikai; we celebrated the fortieth anniversary of Mitsunari Kanai Shihan's dojo - his life's work. On the other hand, we all were a little sad because he was not there to celebrate with us, having passed away in March 2004.

But summer camp can be good therapy for any sadness. The vigorous classes, coupled with new and renewed friendships, quickly reminded us how lucky we are to have been Kanai Sensei's students. We are also grateful for the work Kanai Sensei and Yamada Sensei did in developing aikido in North America. Because of that, we are all part of a much larger and expanding community.

Although Kanai Sensei is no longer with us, I am happy to report that he left a strong dojo with a determined core dedicated to keeping it vibrant and true to his guidelines. What Kanai Sensei taught still lives in his students. We caught several glimpses of his life's work on the mat at summer camp, and that made us all very happy.