In August of
2015 the Annex Judo Academy hosted 27 guests from Japan
including, Toshiaki Hashimoto (Tokai University) and Katsuhiko
Kashiwazaki (International Budo University) as part of a five day of judo study and
friendship exchange camp. The event was a very unique study opportunity with over 120 participants from three countries and 15 dojos represented. The project was almost 2 years in the planning starting with its conception between Teruyoshi Yamaguchi and David Miller as a next step type project welling up from the culmination of the collective experiences of these two long time judo friends. In every aspect the camp was an incredible success. However it was really the effort and support of Hashimoto sensei, that made it come true.
The Matsumae Bosei Gaku Juku in Tokyo Japan is the founding school of the world famous Tokai University and has had judo based friendship exchanges with sensei David Miller since 1997. As part of the celebrations of their 80th anniversary the Matsumae Bosei Gaku Juku choose to visit Toronto, Canada and co-hosted CAMP BOSEI/Camp of Dreams (Bosei is Japanese for dreams) along with the Annex Judo Academy, Royal St. George's College and the JCCC Judo Kai. Seven Japanese guests instructors collaborated with a number of local guest instructors for the event. Feature instructors included, Toshiaki Hashimoto, Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki, Teruyoshi Yamaguchi David Miller, Yumi Asaka and Naoya Haraguchi. It was such a great honor to have some alumni from my classes of 20years at Matsumae Bosei Gaku Juku come and see me and participate in this event.
This was a multilevel judo friendship exchange camp and not a high performance training camp. In additional to the on mat instruction and joint practices there was also lectures given by a number of guest speakers from around the judo world. Additional opportunities for building new friendships with our Japanese guests were created through a number of social activities, including walking tours of Toronto and a joint excursion to Niagara Falls.
This camp was so successful that many people are already asking us to do it again. I would like to thank my Mentor Hashimoto sensei and my best friend in judo Yamaguchi sensei for helping me to realize so many of my dreams including this one!