For 2010...

So, it's about 3 hours and 16 minutes after the New Year has finally arrived when I started writing this entry. All the New Years parties are just about done and 90% of the New Years resolution that we've made have probably already been broken. Oh, and let's not forget that this means we only have 2 more years before all life on Earth as we know it will come to an end. Whether it'll be by an Ice Age freezing the entirety of the planet, a solar flare burning up all the oceans of the world, aliens coming to the Earth to invade and enslave the entirety of the human populous or a world-wide earthquake will swallow the world whole like in the the movie 2012. (I still need to watch that.)

All joking aside, as I look back on 2009 I find that we've accomplished quite a bit and have grown a little more into the dojo we are today. Check the bullet points (I apologize ahead of time for any mistakes or omissions.) :

• Demonstration @ Monclair State University in New Jersey. Not much to note... Sang-sensei enjoyed his post-demo interview. Red Robin...'nuff said.
  

• Dan, Sang and I went to Japan. Much fun was had with all the things we've accomplished there. Sight-seeing, shopping, playing and, most importantly, training & participating in the Toyama Tai-Kai in Machida, Japan. We won some and lost some. We will get revenge for the TENNIS GRIP when we go to Japan again in 2010. Here's to having done our best to representing the Byakkokan Dojo properly in 2009 and to doing so again in 2010.

• Byakkokan Dojo hosting seminars @ the Hilton in Newark, NJ. One thing to note: Worst calamari I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing...

• Doing our best to show Hataya-sensei and co. around New York City pre-Tai-Kai.

• Sang, Kyle, Andy, Ron and I participating in the Toyama Tai-Kai in Florida of 2009 during the summer. We did pretty well, I think? Ron rocked it in Tameshigiri as usual.

• Doing our best to show Mukai-sensei, Sando-san, Sumida-san around NYC post-Tai-Kai. Hope we did our best to represent the hospitality of the Byakkokan Dojo to all the visitors from Japan and returned all the hospitality they showed us while we were in Japan. We'd do no less for those who we consider family.

• Demonstration performed at NY Anime Festival '09. Thanks to everyone that showed up and supported us!
  

• Unfortunately, our Thunder @ NY Anime Festival '09 was stolen by AKB48 who performed on the very same stage right after us. Those Jpop-schoolgirl-outfit-clad-girl-group will rue the day they crossed us! Damn, I just can't stay mad at them though...
  

• Batto-camp. As always, thanks to Ron for his hospitality and wonderful food. What would we do without you, Ron?

• Cross-training with the Western Sword Group in Brooklyn. Somehow, we managed to survive the Staten Island Incident and enjoyed BBQ Smoked Ribs afterwards.
  

• The crew from D.C./Virginia came up and we did our best to show them around NYC. First the MET, then driving around most of Manhattan and nearly scaring most of them half to death with the driving skills required that of a New Yorker, enjoyed Korean BBQ, and finally, a friendly game of pool. Thanks to Kyle for coming out on top in pool @ the Holiday Inn. Family! =D
  

• New additions to the Byakkokan Dojo this year. Welcome Jason. Hopefully, you'll be fully recovered and back with us early in 2010. Welcome to Rondell. About damn time you became one of us and joined our group... MWAHAHAHA!
  

Things to do in 2010:

• Japan in 2010. Will We Make It?

• Tai-Kai in Florida and California. Will We Represent?

• NY Anime Festival/New York Comic-Con 2010. What can we do to be even more awesome this year? Let's not have our Thunder stolen by another JPop group...
  

• Find some more places to do demos....
  

• Train more, harder and better!
  

• Also, even more important:
  

Name: Daiki Wakabayashi
Status: M.I.A.
Mission Statement: Find out what has happened to Daiki!!!! Where are you???? ;_; Any information regarding this person will be appreciated...

-Henry