To the American Zen Judo Yudansha (and our friends overseas)

Folks, as you can see from my correspondence with Chris Sensei below (withheld-webmaster note), American Zen Judo in its present form is coming to an end. It has become impossible for us to maintain the organization in the US with my absence due to the job here in Harrisonburg and to our Yudansha's other many other duties.

more.......>>>>

Our existence in the United States has always depended on the goodwill and hard work of many volunteer Sensei (each one of you). But it's harder to keep judo clubs going in the US than in the UK where every town has civic space available for local organizations. Between the commercial space lease costs and the funding of mats for the clubs, it becomes too much to ask of any one single Sensei to carry the whole burden of a club.

In fact, that impossibility has become clearer to me along the way. Our Tennessee clubs have been inactive for a while now. So have our DC and Charlottesville clubs (although I do thank Mark Sensei for trying to teach a couple of students at the moment despite our lack of club space). With the closing of the Richmond club we come to the end of the road for now.

With this email I am authorizing Chris Sensei to deactivate the American Zen Judo website and to close whatever financial accounts our organization may still have, including our status with the IRS.

On a personal level, I want to thank each and every one of you for enriching my life so much during the past 15 years. I close my eyes and remember how our annual Asageikos gave us all a wonderful opportunity to work together and to visit with the UK Judoka. And our trips to England only solidified our ties to our dear friends "across the pond." Our daily workouts at the Wadokan and the creation of each dan grade on American soil gave me pleasure beyond expectation.

Walking the path with you has been one of the most rewarding things I've experienced in life. I have learned much, not only about martial arts, but about the nature of friendship and of growing together in grace. That part of our experience will never cease to be. And you will always have my complete gratitude for it.

In Budo,
Sensei Keo Cavalcanti -----------------------------------------------------