Day 1794: It's time ...

Socal, collages, photo & digital

Want music?

 

Click here for Yo Yo Ma, Japanese melody

then click back on this blog tab or here to listen as you browse, or not?

* Please note: I have asked permission to borrow 
from Bob Cherone's FB post, he said yes.

. . .

Demura sensei just painted one eye of the Daruma doll.

A hollow, round, Japanese traditional doll, but more than a toy,

it is regarded as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese. 

photo by Bob Cherone

So starting Monday, all classes will be held at 

the new Genbu-kai Honbu dojo!
848 N. Parton Street, Santa Ana, CA 90701

  Monday, June 26, 2017 

the new dojo will be OPEN for classes!
Our old tatami ... patched & worn after years of training ...

now replaced with beautiful new traditional tatami from Japan.
I love that they saved some of the very worn wood panels
from the old honbu dojo, to frame the new shinzen.

photo by Bob Cherone

I'd be remiss not to mention the many who volunteered, 

worked, spent their time to make this new home possible.

• First and most important, Demura sensei 

who wanted a permanent home for his students.
• Daryoush Shahidzadeh who scoured Santa Ana properties
to find a potential "honbu dojo" that met Demura sensei's list.

• Bob Cherone, Remodeling Contractor at Primoremodel

who donated countless hours rebuilding our new dojo.

• Dave Hines, Industrial Designer, Product Development

for his stellar design expertise and renderings.
• And an army of dojo volunteers, too many to name all, 
but I am going to try to mention as many as I can, 
please forgive any omissions. 

Bob Cherone, Jess Seiffert, Bill Bessert, Roy Center,

Daryoush Shahidzadeh, Jesse Cemme, Michael Keating, 

Michael Cavanaugh, Robert Vasquez, Javier Toledo, 
Jared Stanton, Tina Forsythe,  Sean Demura

On behalf of all of us ... Arigatou gozaimasu.

See you at the dojo!

This tradition of painting the Daruma eyes ...

is symbolic in Japanese culture. 

The doll is a representation of Daruma (Bodhidharma) 

provided by Bob Cherone

who founded the Zen Buddhism around the 5th century.
The story goes, Daruma meditated against a wall for 9 years 

and as a result his arms and legs fell off from atrophy. 

This is why the doll does not have arms and legs.

There is a weight placed in the bottom of the doll 
so when it falls over it stands right back up every time. 
This is symbolic of the saying  ...

 Nana Karobi Ya Oki  (Fall down 7 times, get up 8).
The facial hair is typically in the form of crane and tortoise 
which represents longevity. and the proverb: 
"Crane lives 1,000 years, tortoise 10,000 years".
A new Daruma doll comes without the eyes painted 

Daruma doll (達磨 daruma)

as legend holds that Daruma meditated for those 9 years 
with his eyes open. When starting a new goal, 
one eye is painted in while making a wish. 
By looking at only the one eye painted, 

one is reminded of the goal they wished for. 
Once that goal is realized, 

 

the second eye is painted in to represent the accomplishment. 
This tradition led to the Japanese phrase for 
"Both Eyes Open" representing realization. 

Susanoo slaying Yamato-no-Orochi

A smile for Saturday ...