Aikido News:

4 July 2011 AFSA GRADING PROMOTIONS!

The following members were graded to the mentioned grades during AFSA`s Aikido Winterschool 2011: YONDAN (4th Dan) Denzil Beukes (Rhodes Aikido Club, Grahamstown) Atif Amin (Dubai) SANDAN (3rd Dan) Umesh Bodalina (Wits Aikido, Johannesburg) NIDAN (2nd Dan) Rudi Becker (Hiroshi Aikikai, Pretoria) SHODAN (1st Dan) Chris Singmin (Port Elizabeth Aikido Club) 1st KYU Kylee Nel (Port Elizabeth Aikido Club) Amit Prag (UCT Aikido Club, Cape Town) Thembisile Gunuza (Mushindo School, Cape Town Central) Dave Rix (Mushindo School, Cape Town Central) 2nd KYU Timothy Kidson (Port Elizabeth Aikido Club) Peter-Ben Johnson (Port Elizabeth Aikido Club) Ivo Huisman (Port Elizabeth Aikido Club) Derrick Caird (Port Elizabeth Aikido Club) 4th KYU Roxanne Morrison (Rhodes Aikido Club, Grahamstown) 5th KYU Kyle McLachlan (Port Elizabeth Aikido Club) 6th KYU Paramesh Reshalin (Port Elizabeth Aikido Club) Congratulations to all!

4 July 2011 AFSA Executive

Congratulations to the following 3 AFSA members who have been chosen to lead the way for AFSA for the next term of office: AFSA CHAIRPERSON Mr. Colin Beyers (Port Elizabeth Aikido Club) AFSA 1ST VICE-CHAIRPERSON Mr. Bryan McMahon (Mushindo School of Aikido, Cape Town Central) AFSA 2ND VICE-CHAIRPERSON Mr. Giuseppe Soffietti (Shizentai Aikido Dojo, Johannesburg) Be assured that you have the fullest support from each member in AFSA for the task ahead!

4 July 2011 AFSA technical officials for 2011-2012

The following members have been charged by Franco Martufi Sensei ( AFSA Chief Instructor) to serve AFSA in the mentioned capacity from July 2011 until the end of June 2012: TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Paul de Beer (Pretoria Aikikai) - Chairperson Bruce Allemann (Fishhoek Aikido Club) Corrie Human (Heidelberg Aikido) Craig Borman (Shizentai Aikido Club, Bryanpark, Johannesburg) Denzil Beukes (Rhodes University Aikido Club, Grahamstown) AFSA SHIDOIN Paul de Beer Sensei (Godan) - Pretoria Aikikai Bruce Allemann (Yondan) - Fishhoek Aikido Club Craig Borman (Yondan) - Shizentai Aikido Dojo, Johannesburg AFSA FUKUSHIDOIN Corrie Human (Yondan) - Heidelberg Aikido Denzil Beukes (Yondan) - Rhodes University Aikido Club, Grahamstown Sam Olivier (Sandan) - Seiko-no-Tanden, Centurion, Pretoria Colin Beyers (Sandan) - Port Elizabeth Aikido Club Saud Anderson (Sandan) – Mushindo School of Aikido, Cape Town Central The grading powers of these instructors have been set as follows: Godan can grade up to Nidan Yondan can grade up to Shodan Sandan can grade up to 2nd kyu Nidan can grade up to 4th kyu

11 January 2010 MUTSUKO MINEGISHI SENSEI PROMOTED TO 7TH DAN IN AIKIDO

AFSA wishes to congratulate its Honorary President, Ms. Mutsuko Minegishi from Guam, with her promotion to 7th Dan in Aikido by the Aikido Doshu during the Kagami Biraki ceremony held at Hombu Dojo in Japan on 10 January 2010. Mutsuko Sensei has been involved in development of Aikido in South Africa since 1997 and has specifically concerned herself with the upliftment and development of the women and children within the South African Aikido community. Well done Mutsuko san! AFSA salutes you!!