Hello from Newcastle Australia

Hello all,

My name is Daniel - i started Aikido halfway through last year and have since obtained 6th Kyu. I would be looking at grading for 5th if my hours had not suffered over this semester of university due to awkward hours. Hopefully i can get lots of training in with my new timetable over the next semester and grade for 5th later this year.

Despite only being able to get to one or two classes a week (and no weapons unfortunately) my interest has remained strong and im pretty sure i think about Aikido more than i should.

I train at Saku Shin Kan Aikikai Dojo in Newcastle under Sensei Darius Wingate-Pearse (Nindan So Hombu) who trained under Sensei Colin Hackett and Sensei Chiba-san for some time i believe.

I have been reading on tis site for a little while and decided i would like to get more involved with such an active community. I am primarily interested in Aikido (duh), japan and japanese language and martial arts in more general terms (i am pretty interested JiuJitsu and Judo) i think i just want to learn more about Budo.

Anyway hello and sorry for the long intro.

-Daniel Coutts-Smith

Hello Daniel and welcome!

Hi Daniel,

Welcome to AikiWeb and thank you for your introduction.

-- Jun

thanks guys, hopefully i will post something interesting soon! at the moment i am mostly reading through all the interesting threads.

Welcome. Don't worry about missing time. Altough it sucks, aikido will always be there for you when you can come back.

Hi Daniel

I'm just down the road, on the Central Coast.

Scott Gledden wrote: Hi Daniel I'm just down the road, on the Central Coast.

Cool, is that Sensei Hacketts Dojo? and did you happen to go to the seminar this weekend. I was such an idiot and forgot, i was thinking it was next weekend. My sensei was grading this weekend too, so i am not expecting a very warm welcome back

Daniel Coutts-Smith wrote: Cool, is that Sensei Hacketts Dojo? and did you happen to go to the seminar this weekend. I was such an idiot and forgot, i was thinking it was next weekend. My sensei was grading this weekend too, so i am not expecting a very warm welcome back

Hi Daniel

Yes I train with Sensei Colin.

Forgetting a seminar with your technical director is probably not the best thing you could have done, But I am sure sensei Darius will be understanding .

Darius did a fine job on Saturday(More than I can say for myself) and you now have a Third Dan Shidoin for a sensei.

You can make amends by attending tonights class on the Coast with Sensei Gordon, I'm sure someone from NC will be happy to give you a lift.