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To The Updated News Page |
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@14th Street Y will start soon!! Yoshi Amao's Samurai class has been growing as one of the most popular classes at the 14th street Y. The adult summer session, where we could use the whole gym space, finished in the end of August. The long vacation for kids finally finished, and they have now gone back to school. It's September now! The fall session for adults and kids will start soon! The schedule is: Kids Class (6-11 year olds) Fall Session 9/19 to 1/16 Total 15 classes (No class on 10/10, 12/26, 1/2) Every Monday, 4:15-5:15pm Members $240, Non-members $270, After School $210 Registration/inquiry 212-780-0800 ext:229 (Athletic Office: Julie Blankstein) julie_blankstein@14streety.org Adult Class Fall Session 9/13 to 12/20 Total 12 classes (No class on 10/4, 10/18, 10/25) Every Tuesday , 8-9:30pm Members $165, Non-members $240 *Bokken Sword with Case $20 Registration/inquiry 212-780-0800 ext:256 (Fitness Director:Michael Meehan) michael_meehan@edalliance.org   |
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   Japan Festival was held in East Village for the first time in ten years, which was part of the HOWL! Festival on Sunday, August 28th. The festival was full of Japanese and American New Yorkers who were wearing Yukata and Happi. They made a special stage at the corner of Avenue A and St. Marks Place, and they had a performance of Soh Taiko, demonstration of Kyokushin Karate, and finally Samurai Sword Soul appeared on the stage. The story was about two samurai who have a rivalry over a princess, including the Bad Boys Gang who kidnap the princess. The play was mixed with the serious sword fighting scenes and comedy, which fascinated the big audience on the street. The cast included Yoshi Amao, Yoshihisa Bob Kuwayama, Ai Ikeda, Brian Coffey, Max Piltenko, Peter Lopez, Tomas Trinidad. Shamisen guitar: Yumi Shindo Tsukeita Board: Tina Tiongson, Hair: Takahide Tokuyama Choreographed by Yoshihisa Bob Kuwayama, Directed by Yoshi Amao |
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  There is a village called Kalani, 45 minutes drive from the Hilo airport on Hawaii Island. They have been producing super high energy with native residents who moved from the mainland; volunteers gathered from all over the world; tourists who are not satisfied with Oahu and Maui islands any more; and people who came to take a seminar at Kalani. A variety of workshops such as Yoga, Ecstatic dance, Trapeze, Salsa, Hula Dance, are scheduled in studios with names like "Rainbow Room" and "Blue Moon Room", which were handmade by Kalani people. Yoshi offered to have Samurai Workshop in Kalani. Unfortunately, the schedule of the studio was very tight, so he decided to make it outdoors on the wide-open beautiful green grass under the Hawaiian sunshine. Many people were just from a distance at the beginning, but when they were handed Bokkens (wooden swords), they started to shout and swing them. The yoga teacher and dance teacher are now Yoshi's students, and swinging the sword innocently. Everyone is very serious. What a great view! The number of students was close to 20 by the end of the class, so they had to share the swords. It looked so peaceful. Yoshi wants to come back next year to have the Samurai workshop longer and bigger! |
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   Yoshi was cast for the short film, "A Samurai Story", produced by New York Film Academy, and they finished the location shooting in the mountains ofPennsylvania and on the beach in New Jersey on July 26. The shooting was held from sunrise through sunset with higher than 85 degree temperatures everyday. In addition to the sword fights, they had to fight with thousands of mosquitoes and black flies. It was really an exciting but tough shoot. So we can say it was a gateway for the real samurai! Yoshi's roll is Genzo who wants to be a master of Samurai, but there is an unexpected accident along the way...The director is Ittisac from Thailand, the producer is Saori Abe from Japan, and she is also an actress. Co-stars include Yoshihisa Kuwayama from Samurai Sword Soul, Toru Ohno from Suiyokai, Sam Aoyama from YagyuShinkage Ryu, and Saori Abe. The screening will be held on Saturday, September 17th, at NYFA. |
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Yoshi visited and joined the practice session for "Sazen", which is being produced by Keihei Wakisaka, Yoshi's Samurai Master in Tokyo. The story is based on "Tange Sazen", which is the story of a samurai who has one eye and one hand, but regardless is still very strong. Wakisaka put his original including samurai fight choreography, dance, singing and comedy into the production. The show will be held from September 7th through the 11th at Tokyo Ginza Hakuhinkan theater. |
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The main theme during this period was KATA (form) including Tsurugi no KATA, Happou GIRI, Kaiten GIRI. |
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After this season, a long summer vacation was waiting for the kids. Yoshi was afraid that the kids would lose their interest in the Samurai class after a long break. Then he got an idea to keep the kids' interested in Samurai over the summer. This is it! Samurai Sword Toy!!! He gave them to the kids as a special summer gift! The kids were happy and Yoshi and Jun were pleased as well. Now, let's see how they worked out for them. The class will start again in September!!! Okay, kids? |
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"Samurai Sword Workshop" was chosen as one of the programs of the "Summer Art Workshop 2005" at the Bronx Community College this summer. This Summer Art Workshop is made up of over 15 different workshop including yoga, martial arts, and acting, and is being held from July 13 to August 30. The "Samurai Workshop" is an intensive training made up of 3-hour classes for 4 days. Can Yoshi make another Samurai boom in Bronx this summer? |
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There were two big events Yoshi Amao was involved in at the end of April. Tickets for "Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon!" at the Japan Society were sold out on both April 29th and 30th, so there was a long line to get tickets in front of Japan Society on the day of the performances. Fred Ho's Group's Jazz music, Sonoko Kawahara's sharp direction, and Tsuyoshi Kaseda's quick and varied choreography joined together to create their own unique world on the stage. It was only a 30-minute performance as it is still a "work in progress". However, by the high acclaim the show received, it seems that they will have a full length performance in the near future. Yoshi also emceed the Sakura Matsuri Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for the third year in a row. Despite the rain, the festival saw 38,000 visitors for two days, April 30th and May 1st. With three years of experience now, Yoshi seemed a more powerful and sophisticated emcee this time around and got the audience involved in the event. "The Way of Samurai", which was written and directed by Jun Suenaga, and performed by Samurai Sword Soul Special, asked the audience what Bushido was, what family was, what love, betrayal, forgiveness was... and the play combined a variety of exciting samurai fighting scenes. The audience treated the group to a standing ovation after Atsuki "Key" Suzuki sang the closing number. Both of these events were so successful, we can say that the big fight between Wolf and Sakura finished with an exciting draw. |
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Yoshi will perform as the assassin of "Deadly she-wolf, assassin at armagedon"at Japan Society at 8pm on Friday, April 29th and Saturday, April 30th. Also Yoshi will perform and produce "The way of Samurai" at 2:15pm, and do MC for "Cherry Blossom Festival" at Brooklyn Botanic Garden... What a hectic schedule! However, he is the man who can do it! The rehearsals are the final step. No more excuse! Which will be more exciting show!? Yoshi said, "To see is to believe. Come to see both shows!!" Oh, he is not only a great actor but he is a great businessman!! http://www.bbg.org/exp/cherrywatch/sakura.html http://www.japansociety.org/ |
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Even though SSS have a lot of experience to perform for TV show both live and taping in New York, it was the first experience for them to perform for the LIVE TV show in Japan. Yoshi felt more pressure than others (honestly), but they enjoyed the shooting eventually. How was it, everyone? |
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It was the second year for SSS to perform for "Spring Festival", which was the event hundreds of boys and girls gathered as usual. They mixed different type of music from Japanese traditional taiko and shamisen such as ballad and meringue for the performance, and also put a lot of comedy elements into the show. How was that? Yes, they got big applause and laughter from younger generation. That was fun time! |
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The concept of the event was the mixture of Japanese and French art. SSS combined the dynamic samurai action and comedy, and brought a lot of excitement to the event. |
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They traveled for two hours from Manhattan to school. They appealed the demonstration and choreography, and entertained school kids. |
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