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Old 03-10-2013, 11:09 AM   #1
Sonja2012
 
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Dojo: Aikido Verein Esslingen
Location: Duisburg
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 193
Germany
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Please help us in saving our dojo!

Dear all,

I am the dojo cho of a little aikido club in Esslingen, Germany (near Stuttgart) and I am writing to you because we need help in saving our beloved dojo! Our club is an open style dojo with teachers from differents styles teaching and working together and currently we have about 150 members (about 50 kids).

Our dojo is located in all old, historic hall in Berkheim, near Stuttgart (Germany). Unfortunately, the city of Esslingen is about to sell this hall to a big company, who wants to tear it down and build a paking lot instead.

Our club is now trying to save our beloved hall and dojo by buying the premises ourselves. The decision as to who gets it in the end will be a political one and we are hoping to get your support in our cause!

If you would like to help us in saving our place, you can do one (or all ) of the following:

- Go to our facebook page and like the page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-...52859674851218). Here you can also see pictures of our beautiful dojo.

- Sign our online petition (on the starting page of our dojos website: http://www.aikido-esslingen.de/) and maybe even leave a comment as to why an aikido dojo has more value for the community than a parking lot
(the petition is in German, but it is very easy to fill in, the boxes are first name, last name, city, country, email address).

We need as many votes as possible, so we would be really grateful for everyone who is willing to spend two minutes to help us!

Domo arigato gozaimashita!!!

Best regards from Germany,
Sonja

Last edited by Sonja2012 : 03-10-2013 at 11:17 AM.

Minds are like parachutes - they work best when they are open.
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Old 03-10-2013, 12:01 PM   #2
Linda Eskin
 
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Dojo: Aikido of San Diego, San Diego, California
Location: San Diego County, California
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 335
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Ai symbol Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

I just signed the petition, and left this comment:

"The Aikido dojo (school) is a good asset to the community. It is a place for learning to resolve conflict peacefully, for training in a disciplined and culturally rich martial art, for fitness and health, and socializing with other positive, thoughtful people on a path of personal transformation. Please do not destroy such a beautiful place."

Good luck!

Linda Eskin - Facebook | My Aikido blog: Grab My Wrist

"Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train." - Morihei Ueshiba
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Old 03-10-2013, 03:17 PM   #3
ramenboy
Dojo: midwest aikido center
Location: chicago
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 347
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

signed the petition... You hve. Beautiful dojo. Good luck!

practice hard
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Old 03-11-2013, 03:09 AM   #4
Eva Antonia
Dojo: CERIA
Location: Brussels
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 211
Belgium
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Hello,

I just signed, too.
wish you much luck with your endeavour to save the dojo!

Eva
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Old 03-11-2013, 04:08 AM   #5
Sonja2012
 
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Dojo: Aikido Verein Esslingen
Location: Duisburg
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 193
Germany
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Thank you so much!

Minds are like parachutes - they work best when they are open.
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Old 03-11-2013, 09:40 AM   #6
JJF
 
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Dojo: Vestfyn Aikikai Denmark
Location: Vissenbjerg
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 803
Denmark
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Would be a crying shame if such a lovely building was torn down in favor of a parking lot.
Having such a great place for a dojo of this size and with such an open idealistic approach is something that no politician or businessman should be allowed to destroy.

If you decide to hold a protest seminar I will be happy to attend - either to practice or to teach a lesson on Nishio Aikido.

Best wishes

JJ

- Jørgen Jakob Friis

Inspiration - Aspiration - Perspiration
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Old 03-11-2013, 04:09 PM   #7
Sonja2012
 
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Dojo: Aikido Verein Esslingen
Location: Duisburg
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 193
Germany
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Wow, the support we are getting from all over the world is truely moving, we have letters from two shihan now and almost 500 people have signed the petition so far Thank you all for this!

Minds are like parachutes - they work best when they are open.
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Old 03-12-2013, 05:03 AM   #8
SteliosPapadakis
Dojo: aikido-dojo-nippos
Location: Crete
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 97
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

+1 from here

All the best
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Old 03-13-2013, 02:43 PM   #9
Sonja2012
 
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Dojo: Aikido Verein Esslingen
Location: Duisburg
Join Date: Mar 2005
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Germany
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Two German newspapers printed articles about our dojo situation today (in German):

http://aikido-esslingen.de/images/stories/pdf/ez.pdf

http://aikido-esslingen.de/images/stories/pdf/stz.pdf

:-)

Minds are like parachutes - they work best when they are open.
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Old 03-13-2013, 07:15 PM   #10
T-S
Location: Perth, W.A
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 13
Australia
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Just signed your petition - Best of luck with this
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Old 03-19-2013, 03:29 PM   #11
Sonja2012
 
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Dojo: Aikido Verein Esslingen
Location: Duisburg
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 193
Germany
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

The citiy made their decision yesterday - for the company and against us :-(

A big thank you to everyone who helped - the worldwide support was really phantastic!

Minds are like parachutes - they work best when they are open.
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Old 03-19-2013, 03:32 PM   #12
George S. Ledyard
 
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Dojo: Aikido Eastside
Location: Bellevue, WA
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Quote:
Sonja Sauer wrote: View Post
The citiy made their decision yesterday - for the company and against us :-(

A big thank you to everyone who helped - the worldwide support was really phantastic!
Of course they did...

George S. Ledyard
Aikido Eastside
Bellevue, WA
Aikido Eastside
AikidoDvds.Com
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Old 03-19-2013, 03:33 PM   #13
Mary Eastland
 
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Dojo: Berkshire Hills Aikido
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Posts: 1,476
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

I bet you will find a better place.

Mary Eastland

Dare to Tenkan
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Old 03-19-2013, 04:03 PM   #14
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Dojo: Team Combat USA
Location: Olympia, Washington
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,376
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Sonja, I had no idea. I am sorry to hear this. I have gone there with Jason before and it is a wonderful dojo. I wish there was something we could do!

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Old 03-19-2013, 04:07 PM   #15
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Dojo: Team Combat USA
Location: Olympia, Washington
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

oh...btw, I am Miles' Dad Sonja! I had no idea you were on Aikiweb!

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Old 03-20-2013, 07:22 AM   #16
lbb
Location: Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,202
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Sonja, I'm so sorry that you've lost your beautiful space. That's got to be a major blow to your martial arts community. I hope that your dojo will remain as a strong and committed dojo, wherever you find yourselves training.
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Old 03-20-2013, 07:45 AM   #17
Basia Halliop
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 711
Canada
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

I'm really sorry to hear about the building; it sounds like such a shame. I hope you don't get too discouraged, though - in the end it's the teachers and students that make a dojo, not the space.

Not that any of us wouldn't rather have the teachers and students in a nice big space in a convenient location, of course .
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Old 03-20-2013, 12:29 PM   #18
akiy
 
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Hi Sonja,

I'm really sorry to hear about losing your dojo's building. I wish you the best for you and everyone else there in your future endeavor.

Best,

-- Jun

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Old 03-24-2013, 08:45 AM   #19
JJF
 
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Dojo: Vestfyn Aikikai Denmark
Location: Vissenbjerg
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 803
Denmark
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Not a big suprise that they decide this solution.

I hope you can find the energy to find a new and better place so that this will be more of a transition than a setback.

At least you have the size as a dojo to rent a decent place.

My best wishes for you all

JJ

- Jørgen Jakob Friis

Inspiration - Aspiration - Perspiration
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Old 03-25-2013, 03:13 AM   #20
Eva Antonia
Dojo: CERIA
Location: Brussels
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 211
Belgium
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Dear Sonja,

I'm really sorry to read that!
Some years ago I remember there was a lead article in DER SPIEGEL on conservation of historical substance in Germany, and the essence of the article was that investment in new construction projects (= demolition of historical buildings) after the second world war led to more destruction than all bombs of WWII together. So there's a new contribution to destruction by the city of Esslingen :-(

Wish you all the best for finding an equally beautiful dojo!

Eva
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Old 03-25-2013, 02:12 PM   #21
Hellis
Dojo: Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido
Location: Bracknell
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 657
England
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

Dear Sonja
So sorry to see that you lost your beautful dojo - it may not all be bad.

Some years back I had a very good dojo - 30/40 adults and about 40 kids. The facility employed a new manager who turned the place upside down - we were a casualty and had to leave.
My students spent money in the bar after training, so they did rather well out of us.
A month later the `new super manager ` stole £48,000 - emptied the bar slot machines and took all the champagne and spirits from the celler.

We received a call from the manager of another centre offering us a much better hall and we have been there until last November when we moved to a newly built facility.
Have faith.

Henry Ellis
Co-author of `Positive Aikido`
http://britishaikido.blogspot.com/
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Old 03-26-2013, 01:06 AM   #22
SteliosPapadakis
Dojo: aikido-dojo-nippos
Location: Crete
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 97
Greece
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Re: Please help us in saving our dojo!

As everything happens for (whatever) a reason, do not worry. You will find a better place, i am sure.
Chin up
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