~~THIS WAS THE MOST AWWESOME EVENT EVER~~

OVER THE TOP IN EVERY WAY!!

Great news the newly formed IBDA Shidoshi Master Council will take over and produce the annual Tai Kai event!
And they will work towards having more than one each year in different parts of the USA so more people can attend. There is talk that they will do it in Middletown, CA again next year 2013 as it worked out so great here (I think they just want me to have no excuse to attend. hahahaha ) 2014 will be in Denver Colorado hosted mostly by Charles Benham. There is talk of a Canada Tai Kai.

Many thanks to everyone who came, helped and supported this absolutely fabulous event.

You are invited to our

From "Ninpo Taijutsu to Budo Taijutsu"

Exploring the evolution of the Bujinkan training during the last 25 years

MARCH 22nd-25th, 2012

held in the California Napa wine country.

- Summation -

Training- 3 1/2 days 9am to 10pm   Shihan Van Donk assited by 10 instructors
Great Hotel at $79 special rate

Banquet and Party - Award winning Bands, Great meal, Suprises, $1,000 in prizes

Enlightened WarriorTM Training by Richard Van Donk

Rank Testing - IBDA stduents only

Join us for 3 1/2 days doing exciting, informative Budo training
and a great party with old or new friends!
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We live in extraordinary times and the skills that you learn here could someday save your life or someone's you love.

Mark down these dates -March 22nd-25th, 2012 (Thursday night to Sunday eve) in Middletown, California (a small mountain village in the Napa Wine country north of San Francisco) for an exciting special Tai Kai.

Everyone is welcome to train! No rank requirements! No Experience Necessary! Come if you are a brand new beginner (we will take care of you) or a vary experienced Master. Come if you train with me or you don't train with me. It would be cool to have some old students that have moved on come to this event and share their stories and knowledge. We respect all affiliations or arts at this event.

Just come, learn some cool stuff, meet some new lifelong friends and have a really great time. Ask anyone who has been to our events and they will tell you why they keep coming back all time. Our events are special and are way beyond a normal seminar. Very few organizations ever have a 25th year event - that alone should tell you something.

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This is my LAST Tai Kai.... After 25 I quit... I am hoping IBDA instructors will take it over.... we'll find out.

I started training in the Bujinkan with Soke Hatsumi in the 1980's. At that time we diligently studied the Ninja arts, we practiced it no actually we lived it and then started sharing it with friends and family. We all LOVED this training. We trained in the woods. We trained in the parks. We trained at the beach. We trained in secret warehouses. We trained ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE! In those days Soke Hatsumi called the art "Ninpo Taijutsu" and Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu.

There was NO Budo Taijutsu then! It was the idea of the Ninja arts that got me excited about the training. The roots of the Nina arts are deep in my blood. It is exciting to learn and useful to live. Maybe that is what inspired you as well to get into these studies. When I started studying Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu the highest rank below Soke was 9th dan and no one had reached that level yet. Imagine that! I love these teachings and in 1994 I was awarded my 9th dan in Ninpo Taijutsu.

I mention it as only a handful of people ever obtained that grade as soon after that Soke Hatsumi started what he now calls Budo Taijutsu and as you know I have separate ranking in that at the JuGodan level. Over the years we all in the Bujinkan got away from the Ninja teachings that I loved so much. In honesty I have never left these teachings and a lot of it is included in my Shodan material.

Many instructors faded this training out and focused only on the Budo Taijutsu that is taught today. In fact many high ranked Bujinkan instructors NEVER learned this from Soke Hatsumi.

It all has value. And the ride has been fun and full spectrum. At this years special event we are going to explore the the training From "Ninpo Taijutsu to Budo Taijutsu". This seems real logical as it is our 25TH Tai Kai event. It is about my 30th year in the Bujinkan studies... wow! That is about 50% of my life.

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YOUR TAI KAI TEACHERS

I am going to bring in some of the original students that made this journey with me that I also taught this stuff too to assist me. I plan on condensing 25 years of events and training into the 3 and 1/2 days we will share At our events you never miss anything being taught. We do not make you choose who to train with or what class to go to unlike other Bujinkan events that I have gone to. We stick together, and train together. Everyone is in the same experience creating a great bonding experience. We study, learn, practice and play as group and family at our events. . We are all very excited about doing our 25th Annual Tai Kai and we will have many special surprises. Many of these teachers started their Bujinkan Ninjutsu training with me at these events as far back as 20 years ago and they will tell you that those where some of the best times ever.

We will explore the path from basics to advanced during the journey from Ninpo Taijutsu to Budo Taijutsu and from Budo Taijutsu to Ninpo Taijutsu. So you will firmly understand it.

Things like :

The Art of Winning - Perseverance - Ninpo Way of thinking - Strategy in Combat - Inner Arts - Philosophy - Junan Taiso/Body conditioning- Stealth - Survival - Exotic Weapons - Tai Jutsu - Kihon Happo - Meditation - - Gun retention, disarms and survival use - Ten Chi Jin - Sword - Weapon vs. Weapon - How to survive a Real knife attack - ETC.....

which will of course include weapons training!! - so bring your toys.

Here is who is teaching:

Shihan Richard Van Donk will be the main instructor teaching and interjecting throughout this special 25th Anniversary event.

In the early days (1986) and until about 3 years ago Shihan taught everything. Then to give other great students a chance he limited his teachings and gave most all his time to senior instructors. Many students loved this change and Shihan enjoyed watching the great growth in the students and the art. Others really missed Shihans advanced teachings. We really need a week long event so everyone can share. Interested?

So this at year's Tai Kai Shihan is back, no separate individual instructor classes. He will take the lead and have other IBDA instructors sharing their insights to his teachings. Instructors will do special demonstrations of thier skills.

Everything will be presented on the same stage so that you miss nothing!

The Tai Kai Assistant Instructors are: (if they are in black they are confirmed)

So you can see that there is plenty of talent to help me make this a great training event.

Do your best to join us for this Tai Kai - as usual it will be very informative and super fun... and we look forward every year to meeting new students and seeing old friends again!

 
Again, This event will be limited in size due to location - I think that will be around 70 people. Most all of our events sell out so take advantage and sign up now to reserve your place.

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This will be a great event.
See you there.... Sign up right now! Click the button below.

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EVENT - TRAINING SCHEDULE

What is a special 25th Anniversary Tai Kai without a Banquet and Party?

TRAINING FUN WILL BE NON-STOP!

Thursday Night       7pm-10pm
Shihan Richard Van Donk and friends

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Friday Training         9am-9pm     
Shihan Richard Van Donk and friends

9:30 - 11PM Instructors Gathering - Shidoshi meeting

Saturday Training    9am-5pm       
Shihan Richard Van Donk and friends

IBDA Rank testing 1pm

7pm - 11PM    Group Banquet Dinner and Tai Kai Party!
Banquet dinner and entertainment is included in the Tai Kai price (You are responsible for Bar drinks - low prices), Additional Banquet tickets are available by PRE-PURCHASE ONLY at $30 each (our cost). We are bringing in some great Entertainment. A suprise for the a perfect opening.... Don't be late. We hired the best caterers in the Napa valley area. We hired an Award winning band with 2 screaming guitarists (Twice as Good www.twiceasgood.org ) that plays high energy Blues, Soul, and rock n roll. Plus we are giving away $1,000 plus in prizes; sword, courses, books, dvds, and a Hatsumi painting. I have spent thousands on this night as it is our 25th Tai Kai and my last. Then the party moves to the hotel suite until 2am!!
http://store.ninjutsu.com/tai-kai-guest-banquet-ticket/

Sunday Training     9am-4:30pm    
Shihan Richard Van Donk and friends

This will be a certified IBDA Rank testing event. For IBDA students only!!
Please Note: While Shihan Richard Van Donk is authorized to give the Godan test by Soke Hatsumi potential Godan candidates must be pre-approved by Soke Hatsumi and Shihan Van Donk, prior to the event. You must be training directly with IBDA and have hold a valid Japan Hombu issued Yondan certification. We do not rank ANYONE elses students. Do not come and just expect to be tested for Godan- It will not happen.

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INVESTMENT:

Tai Kai starts 7pm Thursday Night and goes until 5pm Sunday. 3 full days and 3 nights of training. PLUS a full Banquet Party on Saturday night - All for $397. Refunds and Cancellations-After January 15th there will be a $125 event cancellation fee applied and after March 1st there will be no refunds made. Any refunds will be made after the tai kai event and before April 15th, 2012

TWIN PINE HOTEL/CASINO
We booked you a special deal!! Only $79 a night!!
We have booked a limited amount of rooms for our event.

To get your discount rate of ONLY $79 tell them that you are with the IBDA Tai Kai group.

TAI KAI T-SHIRT -
These will be a limited edition print so order before the event. We will only make a few extras that will be "ONLY" be available at the event.

The last 3 years they sold out the first day.

The image will be on the back of a dark black shirt.

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TAI KAI LOCATION - Middletown, CA

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The exact training address details will be given to you after you sign up.....

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WHERE TO STAY - Middletown, CA

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#1. TWIN PINE CASINO AND HOTEL  707-987-0297 STAY HERE! 1 mile from training

http://www.twinpine.com/ 

We booked you a special deal!! Only $79 a night
We have booked a limited amount of rooms for our event.

To get your discount rate of ONLY $79 tell them that you are with the IBDA Tai Kai group.

This is a new 40 million dollar Hotel/Casino and the rooms are excellent- close to 4 star new accommodations.

All rooms are non-smoking, have an In-room refrigerator, 42" Flat-screen HDTVs,  Microwaves, safe and even a hair dryer. I must tell you that the room pictures on the website are not a representation of the real room which is awesome for the price.

Their is a bar lounge where many of us will meet after training.
The Van Donk's will be staying here and an evening Tai Kai gathering will also happen at this hotel. The training location is about 1 mile away.

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#2. HARBIN HOT SPRINGS  4 miles from training  

http://www.harbin.org/  Information and Reservations: (707) 987-2477   or   1-800-622-2477
The best time to call for reservations is 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Pacific Time.

Soak away all your pains in their hot pools (Please note that it is Clothing Optional in the pool area ).

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Room & Cottage Rates
Choose from Dorm rooms ($35-50), Camping ($35), Tent Cabins, Cottages, or Hotel rooms ($95-$230).
Rates include use of facilities for a 24-hour visit. On weekends and holidays a two-night-minimum stay is required for rooms and cottages. Room check-in is 3:00 pm; check-out at 12 Noon. Basic rooms & dorms use shared bathrooms. No children under 18 are allowed in rooms. Add 5% county room tax. Also, see details on our seasonal

#3. Eagle And Rose Inn  As a LAST resort - if everything else is full. 1.5 mile from training.

21299 Calistoga St  Middletown, CA  95461

22 Room Inn. Room Rates: $85.00-$125.00   (707) 987-7330

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Note: Do not even think of staying in Santa Rosa!

Go ahead and Sign up by clicking the link below... .