Dan Promotions
We’re pleased to announce that three of our instructors have been promoted to the rank of yondan (4th degree black belt). I consider Wes Watkins, James Young, and Chris Jones as founding members of Ikazuchi Dojo. All three of them began training with Haruo Matsuoka Sensei and I in a local community center before Ikazuchi Dojo was founded in 2002. They were present for our first class and have been an integral part of the history and evolution of our dojo since. We’ve included some pictures and words from each of them below.
Feel free to leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate them or just say hello.
Josh Gold, Chief Instructor
Chris Jones
I began my Aikido training in 1989 at the University of Kansas. When I moved to Orange County in 2000, I was fortunate to meet Matsuoka Sensei when he took over the UC Irvine Aikido club in 2001. In addition to over 30 years of Aikido, I’ve had the opportunity to train in Karate and Judo over the years. I’ve also been practicing gymnastics since 1992, which I believe has greatly benefited my abilities as a martial artist.
Like everyone else, last year was undeniably a training challenge for me. I was fortunate to be able to outfit my garage gym early on before weights and other equipment became much harder to come by. Being unable to train normally, I’ve focused on refining my solo movements, improving my cardio by riding my bike and running frequently, working out in my garage, brushing up on my karate skills with a heavy bag, and practicing gymnastics. I’ve also been teaching an online Aikido class on Thursdays. I’m fortunate to be married to the amazing Rose (a nidan) so I’ve been able to train with a partner on a frequent basis. Perhaps counterintuitively, I feel like I’ve made great strides in the theoretical aspects of my practice last year and I’m eager to integrate those ideas more completely into the physical and sharing them with everyone later this year.
I’m looking forward to transitioning back into in-person training in the coming months. Under Josh Gold’s direction and leadership, the Ikazuchi instructors have spent this last year focusing on important pedagogical questions and developing updated teaching methods that I think are highly effective in cutting to the heart of some of the fundamental concepts that make Aikido distinct as a martial art. We’ve seen swift and solid improvement among not only the small cadre of students we’ve introduced this to, but also among some higher-ranking practitioners who’ve been helping with this exploration, both in their physical movements and their conceptual understanding of the Aikido system.
Wes Watkins
I started training in Aiki-jujitsu and Yoshinkan Aikido in 1996 at the Shuyokan Dojo in Costa Mesa, CA and was hooked from Day 1. At the start of 2000, I learned that Haruo Matsuoka Sensei was teaching at a community center in Aliso Viejo, CA. I couldn’t pass up the chance to train with him. That started an Aikido journey that’s lasted over 20 years. I was just happy to be able to train with Matsuoka Sensei, never imagining I would have the opportunity to become a senior student, travel overseas with him and take ukemi for him at the 52nd All Japan Aikido Demonstration in 2014.
I had some really bad hip issues over the past several years but in late 2019, my problems were solved thanks to modern technology, a great orthopedic surgeon, and titanium. After that experience, I was ready to start 2020 at the dojo pain free for the first time in a long time; then… GLOBAL PANDEMIC!!! I’ve been using the mandatory “me” time to work on getting my body back into shape and increasing my flexibility and mobility. I didn’t realize how much I had missed Aikido now that I’m actually able to do it. By the time lockdown is over, I’ll be in my best condition to train and teach.
I’ve been super excited to be back on the mat and am looking forward to teaching again in the coming months - especially teaching the updated curriculum Ikazuchi Dojo is implementing. With our new approach, I feel we’ll be able transmit the basics to students faster and with better understanding.
James Young
I started my Aikido journey in 1994 while in college. After moving to Orange County California in 2001, I began training with the group that would later become Ikazuchi Dojo. In addition to my Aikido training, I’ve also had the benefit of learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and bit of Muay Thai.
Although the pandemic has prevented us from engaging in normal class practice with our dojo partners, I’ve continued to train and develop myself in lockdown through solo weapons work as well as working on general cardio and strength training through hiking and kettlebell training, which I was fortunate enough to have acquired before the pandemic.
Looking at the year ahead, I’m excited for the updated curriculum we are implementing at the dojo. While in lockdown, the instructor team has put a lot of thought, research, and experimentation into designing a new structure and selecting specific technical forms that will more quickly develop the basic technical aptitude of students in the dojo. Although I still believe adopting a budo is a journey that requires patience with continual practice and refinement, I expect practitioners at the dojo will be able to get up to speed quicker under this new approach and I’m excited to see those results.
I’m very much looking forward to training with everyone again as we emerge from lockdown later this year.