Here’s a short video by Mark De Souza (who I finally got to meet here!) that’s a very representative bit of the 3-day seminar with Dan Messisco Sensei at Two Rivers Budo in Sacramento, California. When I signed up, I had no idea who Messisco Sensei was, or what his seminar might be like. I really enjoyed it, especially because the pace was very slow. By that I mean there was a lot of vigorous training, but plenty of time to absorb the information presented. Some seminars are very interesting, but there’s so much thrown at you that it’s hard to retain any of it. Here I felt I actually was able to experience, and experiment with, what we were working on, not just get a quick look and move on. I’ll definitely be looking for more opportunities to train with Dan Messisco Sensei.

This was the first seminar held at Geoff Yudien and Adam Fong’s new dojo. Three of us from Aikido of San Diego drove up, picking up a fourth friend along the way. We had a great time, start to finish. A classic road trip, with great truck stop food, long conversations, and amazing scenery. The whole Central Valley was in bloom (almonds, mostly). If you are planning to visit this dojo we would all highly recommend the Residence Inn, Cal Expo as a place to stay. They have big suites that are perfect for 3-5 people. Also, be sure to eat at Thai Chef’s House, near the dojo, and the Mongolian BBQ across from the Inn.

I’ll be going back to Two Rivers Budo when George Ledyard Sensei visits in September. Already looking forward to it.