Saito Sensei website=revived at last!

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[pyarrow]

Dear Aikido friends,

www.saitosensei.com
That is the website dedicated to remembering our great sensei with more informal photographs and commentary. After being distracted for the past few years, I am happily revising it. People have very kindly sent me photos and stories and reminiscences that will soon be added. I am rechecking the viability of the links.
The website is hosted by the Takemusu Aikido Association (TAA), my home team. Their website is:
www.takemusu.org

Please feel free to send me your favorite (informal) photograph of Saito Sensei, and any thoughts, stories, or anything else my way for inclusion. I hope everyone will enjoy revisiting those days through this dedication website.

I have one conundrum. Anyone who knows me knows I studied at Aikido Institute for many years under Bruce Klickstein, and was there when it all went down. His fate remains unclear at the moment. However, one thing remains very clear, and that was his tremendous contribution to aikido. I had a page up on the website about Bruce Klickstein, but removed after some people voiced strong antagonisms and distaste to his inclusion in Saito Sensei's memory. Personally, I feel this is a disservice to Saito Sensei's memory and his tremendous steps towards internationalizing Iwama style aikido. However, I removed it.

My question is: should I put up one page at least acknowledging their relationship and co-contribution to the world? Or just adding a few lines to that effect in one of the few photos of the two on the website?

Respectfully,

Patricia Yarrow, in Tokyo

[Ethan Weisgard]

Thanks for reviving the Saito Sensei website, Patricia.

It's very nice taking a walk down the Iwama Memory Lane.

Speaking of which, the good old Iwama Station (which has been allowed to still be called "Iwama" - even though Iwama is now officialy called Kasama!) has a new appearance, with a brand new rear entrance / exit. This new addition to the Iwama station leads almost directly down to the Dojo. There is a bust of O-Sensei right when you step out of the station on this side, and along the road - which is called Ai Road, by the way - you will find small columns on the sidewalk that have pictures of O-Sensei and things related to Aikido and the Dojo. The mayor of Kasama is evidently very pro-Aikido, and has understood that this is an important attraction in Iwama. You may know of this, but I thought that I would mention it here for others who will be reading this thread.

In aiki,
Ethan