Summer Camp 2009

Chiba Sensei, Miyamoto Sensei to Teach in the Midwest

Summer Camp only Six Days This Year

By Rodger Park, Huron Valley Aikikai

I am pleased to announce that after many years of residence on the West Coast, the 2009 Birankai North America Summer Camp will be finding its home in the heart of flyover country. Not that that's how we refer to ourselves here, mind you.

Next year's camp will be held at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Mich., from June 5 to 10, 2009. Note that this is only six days. Our hosts of recent years in San Diego and San Francisco have set a high bar for the camp experience, and we're looking forward to continuing this longstanding tradition in a new setting.

As in the past, the key feature of camp will be high-quality instruction by Chiba Sensei, Miyamoto Sensei, our own Birankai Shihan and senior instructors, as well as a guest or two from Hombu Dojo. We'll keep you posted on the details as they are finalized.

Given the challenging and uncertain economic times we all are facing, we'll be doing our best to keep camp as affordable as possible for all involved, and we anticipate that camp fees will be significantly lower. We've accomplished this in part by reducing the length of camp to 4 full days from the 5 full days we have done in the past.

But we won't be asking participants to bring their own tents and sleeping bags, or to wash their gis in the Huron River (which runs right past the Concordia Campus). And if you are fortunate enough to not be on a particularly tight budget, Ann Arbor has lots of great places to spend too much money on food, drink and what-not.

For those of you wondering "where is Ann Arbor?" and without the patience to head over to Google Maps, Michigan is the state that looks like an oven mitt. Hold up your right hand with your palm facing you; Ann Arbor is a bit to the left of the base of your thumb. We're served by the Detroit Wayne County Airport, which is a hub for Northwest/Delta Airlines with lots of direct flights to/from just about anywhere, including Tokyo and various European cities. There are also several lower-fare carriers that fly to Detroit. If you've got lots of time on your hands Ann Arbor is also served by Amtrak.

Watch these pages for further updates, and we'll look forward to seeing you next June!