This is a photo of my students, plus my two sons and four of my fellow yudansha from my previous dojo who visit from time to time. it was taken right after the workout at our dojo picnic. 

My sons and I opened the doors in April, thinking we’d be lucky to have half a dozen or so students training with us. As of this weekend, we have over 30. We have great participation when we have an event like this, and we just got into an expanded space within the facility we rent dojo space from. I had a lot of concerns when we first got rolling, but now I’m glad we took a chance and moved forward. 

We're big believers in the benefits of martial arts training for the mind, but don't just take our word for it! Here's neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki explaining how physical exercise benefits two key areas of the brain which are the first to suffer from things like dementia.

The short version is physical exercise has immediate, long-lasting effects on the brain which improve both mental ability and mood. We've felt these benefits both in the dojo and after solo training sessions at home.