After-School Care, New Phone Number, Bay Area Judo Championships and More!
After-School Care at Hanabi Judo
Beginning in August Hanabi will offer after-school care and pick up for students from TK to 5 at Albany’s Marin, Cornell and Ocean View Elementary schools. In our after-school care program the kids will have study time, physical activities and cultural experiences all with Hanabi’s emphasis on respect, discipline and fun!
New Phone Number
Hanabi has a new phone number: 510-604-6640. We are using this right now.
Bay Area Judo Championships
On Saturday, August 3, at Pinole Valley High School, 510 Judo will be hosting the Bay Area Judo Championships. For more information and to register go to smoothcomp.com and search for 2nd Bay Area Judo Championships. This is open to our Honto students of all ages. There will be divisions for adults and women as well as children and men. Honto sempais we also want you to help as score keepers and referees!
Learning to Referee at Hanabi
Hanabi sempai will be training to referee at July’s in-class shiai (tournament) on July 26. We will follow up on August 2 by having Minobu Shibuya Sensei, a nationally certified referee, offer us a seminar during the Honto class.
Hanabi Summer Camp!
This week is more camp fun at Hanabi as we are Painting like Pikachu in our Albany and Alameda camps. Next week we learn the Japanese tradition of making folded creations with Evee’s Origami. Remember: all Hanabi Judo members get 1/2 off of their monthly tuition if they enroll in a week of Hanabi’s Pokemon Summer Camp during any summer month this year.
I will be heading off to France for the Olympics on July 19.
I’ll be heading off to France for the Olympics in a few weeks. I will first visit our Belgium judo friend, and Olympic medalist, Dirk Van Tichelt, who spent time with us at Hanabi last September. I will then head to Paris to watch the opening ceremonies and meet Larbi Benboudaoud. Larbi Sensei is a coach with the French Judo Federation, a former world champion, and Olympic silver medalist. Watching Olympic judo will be fun but spending time with my Olympian friends will also be a great experience.
