August 6, 2018
Five Black Belts from Foothill Dojo head to Nisei festivities in LA and then to Sensei Oshima’s birthday party in Santa Barbara.
July 30, 2018
TORITE!
June 6, 2018
Demonstrating good form…..
June 5, 2018
Heian Godan
May 30, 2018
ippon gumite from zenkutsu-dachi
May 23, 2018
Michael…Fierce!
May 16, 2018
Heian Godon
May 14, 2018
Practice with a bag
May 8, 2018
Mark making Haien Godan
May 5, 2018
Dan demonstrates age-uke at dojo practice.
April 30, 2018
Dojo leader, Sandan Michael Sipe
April 28, 2o18
More Spring Kyu Test Pictures! Thank you, Karen.
Walt leads practice before testing.
Mark demonstrates shuto-uke in Bassai Kata
April 21, 2018
Combined dojo kyu spring testing
Jay performs ude-uke in Bassai Kata
Roger does oi-zuki in Bassai Kata
March 2018
Foothill Dojo is pleased to host the Spring Kyu Test for all dojos in our area. This combined dojo testing allows for greater input and focus resulting in a better quality experience for those being tested.
LOCATION: 3770 Richardson Drive, Auburn CA
TIME: April 21, 2018 starting at 9am. Please show up early to set up the gym. There will be a general practice before testing with a voluntary donation towards SOD Capital Fund for participants.
Please RSVP by April 15 so we can accomodate all registrants
Foothill Shotokan was honored as the 2017 Dojo of the Year at the annual black belt convention. Michael Sipe received the certificate from Mr. Oshima and then presented copies of the certificate to members at the board meeting held on February 21. The dojo was chosen for working with other dojos in SKA-West in organizing the annual KarateFest as well as spring and fall kyu testing.
February 2018
Michael Sipe and Roger Lloyd headed down to Los Angeles for the annual Black Belt Convention, held at Maryknoll. The location change was necesssitated by the recent fires and flooding in the Santa Barbara Area. The Santa Barbara dojo came out unscathed and was actually used as a staging area for the local first responders. Much was discussed at the meeting, but most noteworthy is the announcement that Oshima Sensei will be retiring on his 88th birthday. He will be suceeded by Mr. Sagawa at a ceremony at the dojo this August.
November 2017
Foothill dojo will again host the Fall Kyu test with all local Shotokan dojos invited to participate. The kyu tests occur twice a year, commemorating founder Master Funakoshi’s birth on November 10, 1868 and his death on April 26, 1957. Students advance through ranks, or kyus, by demonstarting their proficiency in kata, kihon, and kumite in front of the black belt seniors. This Fall, Foothill dojo has invited Nevada and Northern CA dojos to send their students to 3770 Richardson Drive on November 11, 2017 for a combined practice and kyu test starting at 9:00am. Participants are asked to arrive 30 minutes early to help prepare the gym.
October 2017
The 2017 Karatefest was held on the weekend of October 14 and 15 with almost 30 participants. James Uyeda led the Saturday practice, emphasizing ude uke technique . Everyone enjoyed a casual BBQ dinner that evening. On Sunday, there was a round table discussion over breakfast. James fielded questions and urged dojo participation in the Capital Fund. Sunday’s practice for black belts focused on combinations and James stressed the need to attend special training. The weekend was quite informative and all left the event already looking forward to next year’s training.
September 2017
Foothill Shotokan students are preparing to host the annual Karatefest to be held October 14 and 15 at Lakeside Room on Richardson Drive in Auburn. This popular event features 2 days of training with senior black belt James Uyeda with a BBQ Saturday evening and group breakfast on Sunday. There is an open practice for all SKA students on Saturday with special training for brown and black belts on Sunday.
Holiday Practice
Monday, October 9, 2017 is a holiday for ARD so the regular gym is closed to us. We will practice in the Lakeside Room on Richardson Drive at 5:30 as usual.
Change for practice schedule
ARD is resurfacing the gym so practice on Monday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 30 will be held at the gym on Richardson Drive off of Dry Creek at the usual time, 5:30-7pm. There is no practice on Labor Day, September 4.
Special Practice
Foothill Dojo welcomed back a friend and student, Tim Yamauchi, who led practice for the dojo. Tim now lives in Grass Valley and had practiced with Foothill in the past. His focus was “pushing hands” practice. Welcome back anytime, Tim!
August 2017
On Friday, August 18, Foothill dojo provided security for the Auburn Recreation Department Food Truck Festival. Mike Sipe, Roger Lloyd, Brent Sanders and Mark Longpre represented the dojo, also providing information to participants in hopes of recruiting more students. The event was held at the Rec Park from 5-7pm with proceeds benefitting the new Bike Park.
June 2017
The annual Shotokan Summer Training was held at Cal State University in Camarillo the weekend of June 15-18. This is 4 days of intensive drills and rigorous traing that enables the student to face himself. It is a demanding program that pushes each participant to their physical and mental limits. At the end of the traing, students may test to advance. This year’s training was led by John Teramoto and Foothill SKA members Mark Longpre and Mark Hadad attended.
Foothill SKA black belts Roger Lloyd and Jay Alling headed down to Maryknoll dojo in Los Angeles to attend a traing session with Ken Teramoto and James Uyeda. They gained insights into bassai and knowledge along with their sore muscles.
May 2017
Mark Longpre attended the Ten No Mon (Gate of Heaven) special clinic at the Santa Barbara dojo on May 6. The clinic was led by senior black belts Kei Teramoto, Jose Rivera, James Uyeda and Frank Lee.
March 2017
Foothill dojo will again host the Spring Kyu test with all local Shotokan dojos invited to participate. The kyu tests occur twice a year, commemorating founder Master Funakoshi’s birth on November 10, 1868 and his death on April 26, 1957. Students advance through ranks, or kyus, by demonstarting their proficiency in kata, kihon, and kumite in front of the black belt seniors. This Spring, Foothill dojo has invited Nevada and Northern CA dojos to send their students to 3770 Richardson on April 22, 2017 for a combined practice and kyu test starting at 9:30am.
February 2017
Roger Lloyd represented the Foothill dojo at the annual Black Belt Convention held in Santa Barbara the weekend of February 18 and 19. The weather was horrendous on Friday, but cleared on Saturday for the meeting at the Shotokan Oshima dojo. With representatives from all over the US as well as Canada, the meeting addressed a number of issues. With true transparency, the financials indicate a strong capital base. Membership is consistent throughout the organization and the seniors are planning to develop a dojo guide for the affiliates. There was a helpful discussion of the challenges of handling medical limitations of students. Following the meeting, a great dinner was hosted at Mr. Oshima’s residence. There was a black belt practice led by Sensei Oshima on Sunday.
January 2017
Happy New Year!! A reminder to all to pay your dues.
Planning for the annual Black Belt Convention is in the works. If you are planning on attending, please let Mike know, so we can plan accordingly.
BLACK BELT CONVENTION Saturday, February 18, 2017 at Shotokan Ohshima Dojo in Santa Barbara, California.
We encourage all Black Belts to attend this important event. It is critical that all Black Belts stay informed, first hand, of all SKA/BBC Matters.
Friendship Hour: Noon-1pm at Shotokan Ohshima Dojo
Convention: 1pm-6pm at Shotokan Ohshima Dojo
Dinner (for all attendees): 6pm at Ohshima Residence
SKA/BBC dues must be current to attend and vote at the Convention
There will be a Black Belt Practice held on Sunday at the Oshima Dojo from 11:00-12:30 so plan to spend the night.
December 2016
On December 3, Mike and Debbie Sipe hosted an appreciation dinner for the dojo with a dinner in their lovely home in Auburn. Seven students and their spouses enjoyed a Mexican dinner and an evening of conversation. The meal was a thank you to the dojo for all of the work done putting on the recent Karatefest but was also an opportunity for the students to interact in a social atmosphere. The evening was a resounding success with requests for such events to occur more often.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:
NO PRACTICE on Dec 24, Dec 26 and Dec 31
DEC 28: If you plan to practice on Dec 28, please contact Jay. Practice will occur if there are students who want to attend.
PRACTICE AS USUAL all other scheduled days
November 2016
October 2016
On October 15, 50 Shotokan members joined Foothill SKA dojo for a stimulating weekend with Kei Teramoto, godan black belt and senior leader in SKA. Participants came from most of the SKA dojos in Northern CA. Training in the morning focused on correct stance and structure with correct use of hips. After a strenuous 2 hour practice, members were treated to a BBQ potluck followed by a relaxing evening at Mike and Debbie Sipe’s home.
On Sunday, 35 brown belt and black belt members returned for another training with Kei. Foothill dojo hosted a continental breakfast at 8am featuring an open question and answer forum with Kei. Training followed at 10 with emphasis on Empi, finishing up with jiyu ippon gumite.
The weekend was a resounding success with participants eager to go back and work on the new learning at their own dojos.
September 2016
Foothill Shotokan Karate is preparing to host their third annual Karatefest to be held the weekend of October 15-16 at Auburn Regional Park Gym at 3770 Richardson Drive. Foothill Shotokan is affiliated with SKA, Shotokan Karate of America, which was founded in 1956 by Tsutomu Ohshima in Santa Barbara and has now grown to include 18 countries and over 140 dojos. Sensei Ohshima trained in Japan under Master Funakoshi, considered the “father of modern karate”.
Kei Teramoto, fifth degree black belt and trainer for the past 2 year Karatefest weekends will again provide the training for the event. Students of karate are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn insights on kata and kumite from one of SKA’s leaders. Kei is executive vice president of SKA, member of the SKA Board of Directors and one of Mr. Ohshima’s original pupils. He began training with Sensei in the 1960s as an elementary student at Maryknoll School of Los Angeles. Kei’s unwavering dedication to karate practice and SKA in particular have helped it grow into an international organization. We are honored to have his leadership for Karatefest 2016.
Previous events have drawn participants from Alta, Carson City, Chico, San Francisco, Tahoe, Redding and the Sacramento region. Alex Guillen, godan from Switzerland, assisted last year with the event.
Karatefest 2016 is open to all SKA members and Kei looks forward to practicing with serious karate students requesting attendance of juniors from SKA dojos. Anyone not currently in SKA is welcome to attend as an observer on Saturday. Please join Kei Teramoto for Karatefest 2016, Oct. 15-16, at Foothill Dojo.
Saturday, Oct. 15, noon
- Open practice (all levels)
- Followed by BBQ & potluck at 3 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m.
- Black belt/Brown belt practice
- Continental breakfast with Kei at 8 a.m.
Donation: $25 requested at door (includes one or both practices)
For questions or responses please contact Jay Alling at (916) 879-3779 via text or phone or by email at . Let us know your dojo name and number of members planning to attend.
August 2016
Four members of the Foothill Shotokan Karate of America Dojo attended the 60th Anniversary Celebration in Santa Barbara, California August 19-21. Founded by Tsutoma Ohshima in 1956, SKA is the oldest karate organization in the United States with affiliated dojos in 18 countries.
The weekend’s agenda included a training led by Ohshima Sensei, a kata demonstration by each country and a tournament highlighting skills and techniques. Over 800 attendees from around the world gathered at the central dojo in the hills of Santa Barbara with a view of the Pacific to honor their Sensei, now 86 years old.
Mr. Ohshima was trained by Master Funikoshi in Japan and brought the art of karate to the US. He settled in Southern California and started his first dojo in 1956, formally establishing Shotokan Karate of America. SKA is a strict traditional system that pushes the individual to “face himself and his mind honestly and strictly.”
The Shotokan Dojo was the first karate group in Auburn and currently operates out of the Auburn Recreation District. The four seniors who traveled to Santa Barbara included dojo leader Michael Sipe, and black belts Dave Rose, Roger Lloyd and Jay Alling. That same weekend, the remaining members of the dojo provided security for the Food Truck Fiesta at ARD.
