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Sally Joyce K. (rokukyu), Fall ’10. Sally (the current Harvard Aikikai President) started practicing aikido in the spring of 2009 and is serving her second year on the executive board. In the spring of 2010 she tested for the newly established rokukyu.
When not on the mats she is a psychology concentrator with a secondary concentration in Celtic language and literature. She is living off campus for the fall of 2010. Sally also enjoys playing traditional Irish music and just about any kind of partner dancing but depends on aikido to bring her back to her center and remind her of the value of knowing how to fall.
Victor Shnayder (yonkyu) started aikido in 2003. He is serving his third year as a member of the executive board, and is an Aikido junkie, trying to make it to most of the five weekly classes every week. He successfully tested for the rank of yonkyu in May 2009.
Victor is a Graduate Student in Computer Science, a resident tutor in Mather House, and a former Departmental Teaching Fellow for the School of Engineering. He spends a lot of time thinking about teaching. |
Zhe Lu (shodan), '05, started aikido in 2001 as a first-year at Harvard, and later served two years as club President. During his presidency, the club successfully received a $5000 grant for new tatami, and began its search for a new permanent practice space. He was also a driving force behind the club's alignment under the Harvard University Reischauer Institute for Japanese Studies, and was essential to the success of Harvard Aikikai's first spring seminar. He tested for the rank of sankyu in winter 2005. In June of 2005 he graduated from Harvard with an A.B. and M.A. in Chemistry, and is currently a PhD student at MIT, where he practices under the direction of Dick Stroud-sensei. He tested for nikyu in May of 2006. |
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Maciej Godlewski (yonkyu), '07, started aikido in 2003 during his first year at Harvard, began board membership as club Secretary, and served as president for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years. He has also attended seminars at Cornell and MIT, and successfully tested for the rank of gokyu early in 2005. He also participated in 2005's Spring Arts First demonstration, performing techniques from his then-recent gokyu test.
At Harvard, while not at aikido practice, Maciej busied himself with his History and Science concentration classes, and by climbing up to his lonely 4th floor room in Eliot house N Entryway. Since graduating, he has been working for a start-up company in Boston.
Corey Masao Johnson (shodan), '07, started Aikido in 1996 under the direction of Barbara and Robert Klein-sensei of Aikido of Hilo, Hawaii. He entered Harvard in 2003 as an ikkyu, and successfully tested for the rank of shodan under Klein-sensei in 2004. He practiced regularly with the MIT Aikido Club in addition to Harvard Aikikai, and organized Harvard's Spring Seminar in 2006. He served three terms as club vice-president.
Outside of Harvard Aikikai classes, he was active in the Harvard Hawaii Club and the Harvard Advocate. He spent the fall semester of 2003 abroad in Kyoto, where he trained with the Kyoto University Aikido Club and the Kyoto Budo Center Aikido Dojo. Corey just spent this past summer living as an uchideshi of Yasuo Kobayashi-shihan and his son Hiroaki Kobayashi-sensei in Tokyo, Japan. Since graduating, he has returned to Japan to work as a teacher and free-lance photographer.
Kobey Shwayder (gokyu), '07, started Aikido in 2004. He happened to live with Maciej, which made it easy for the club to conduct official business. Toriaizu, Master of Arms, he was in charge of managing and mainting the club's supplies that are stored in the Malkin Athletic Center, the club's primary practice facility.
Outside of Harvard Aikikai, he was involved with the Harvard University Band, which he enjoyed because of the opportunities presented to him to shower fellow band members with carbonated beverages. You can e-mail him for further details.
Shane Trask, a graduate student in GSAS/DMS, Program in Virology, began practicing Aikido in November of 2006. He successfully tested for the rank of goyku in December 2007. Shane served on the executive board as Sergeant at Arms in 2007-2008 before leaving Cambridge to pursue work in Washington D.C. The club heartily thanks him for all his dedication and positive spirits.
In addition to Aikido with the Harvard Aikikai, Shane also studied Iaido, a traditional form of Japanese swordsmanship, under the direction of Don LaLiberty-sensei at nearby Aikido Tekkojuku of Boston dojo.
Jan Ng (yonkyu), ’09, started aikido in 2005 during her freshman year at Harvard. She has since attended seminars at Boston University, Cornell, MIT, and Harvard, served as club secretary (2006-2007), and is now in her second year as club president. In summer 2007 she trained with with Portsmouth Aikido in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and in summer 2008 she trained with Oxford Aikikai in Oxford, UK. She successfully tested for the rank of gokyu in December 2006. She is now working towards her yonkyu test.
Outside of Harvard Aikikai, she represents Harvard as a member of the women’s Track & Field team. She concentrates in Environmental Science & Public Policy, the classes and work for which consume most of her non-practicing, waking hours. Fortunately, involvement in aikido is an avenue that keeps her sane, healthy, and smiling. |
Anthony Vicari (yonkyu), '09, began practicing aikido at Harvard in 2006 at the start of his sophomore year. Despite living in Dunster House, he loved aikido enough to happily make the trek to the QRAC for practice. He attended the 2007 spring seminar at Cornell, and successfully tested for the rank of gokyu in December, 2007. He has participated in multiple demonstrations put on by Harvard Aikikai, including at the campus-wide Arts First festival. He is currently serving his second year as club vice-president. |
Xun Zhou (yonkyu), ’10, started aikido as a freshman in 2006. He served as a member of the executive board for two years, and was a regular at the “family get-togethers” that are Monday practices (also known as “The Monday Club”), courtesy of lower numbers and greater attendance consistency. He successfully tested for the rank of yonkyu in May 2009.
Xun was a chemistry concentrator, which means that academics consumed most of his living hours and aikido demonstrations sometimes reminded him unhappily of his homework on molecular syntheses.
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Yün-ke Chin-Lee (nikyu), ’10, started Aikido in the fall of 2006 during her |
