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	As the New Year approaches, we look ahead, make resolutions, make plans. In this issue, we will look back at the year which has passed - where we have been and what we have accomplished. The biggest news for 2001, of course, came right at the beginning as we formed Minnesota Itosu-Kai, Inc. and opened our new Dojo. We held our annual inter-dojo tournament at our new Dojo to introduce our students and parents to our new facility. Our desire to maintain a traditional Dojo meant a lot of hard work, but over the course of the year we have seen the results of that work as our facility has improved, our student body has grown and we achieve our goal of making the highest quality education in traditional martial arts available and affordable. As the year ends we can look back and see that we have created a true DOJO.


	This year we began a series of monthly self defense classes which are open to the public. These classes combine lecture presentations on subjects such as the law and self defense, and the mental aspects of self defense, with practical techniques which can be used in common self defense scenarios. These public classes reflect our view that our Dojo is a part of the community. Community service and education are part of the role of our Dojo, and part of our duty as karate-ka.


	Every February, Minnesota instructors and students travel to California to train with Shihan Demura and participate in the annual Itosu-Kai International Goodwill Karate-Do Championships. Mr. Speck, Mr. McCluer, Ms. Johnson, Seth Johnson and Adam Johnson attended the 2001 event. In competition, Gail took 1st in Kobu-Do kumite, 2nd in women's black belt kumite and 4th in women's black belt kata. Seth took 3rd in Kobu-Do kata, 3rd in Kobu-Do kumite and 2nd in brown belt kata. Adam took 1st in Kobu-Do kata, 1st in Kobu-Do kumite and 4th in Brown Belt Kata. The seminars and the training with Shihan Demura at this yearly event provide important continuing education and growth for our instructors and senior students.