January 28/29, 2000. The 21st annual Kangeiko was held at the Yoseikan hombu dojo in Covington, KY. This years training was lead by Renshi James Davenport. Participants attended from Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Indiana the last two hours of the intense training was led by Hanshi Dometrich.
February 26th, Hanshi and Okusan drove to West Palm Beach and met up with Hanshi Masami Tsuruoka and Renshi Davenport to hold a seminar at Shihan James Matthew’s dojo, students from Shihan art Rott's dojo in Orlando participated in the seminar along with Renshi Hawkins and Shihan Byers from Ohio. Dianne Brown from Renshi Hawkins’ dojo also participated. A celebration was held for Shihan Rott’s 82nd birthday. On Sunday, after the seminar a group of us attended a martial arts demonstration being held by George Alexander at the Morakami gardens in West Palm Beach area.
March 18th, the Hombu dojo sponsored a seminar with Sensei Takayuki Mikami of Shotokan and Hanshi Dometrich. 144 participants attended this four-hour clinic. A reception was held at the dojo in honor of Hanshi Dometrich's 64th birthday and a late dinner was held at a local Chinese restaurant for the senior students and instructors. Promotions were announced at the dinner. Three instructors were awarded the title of Shihan: Terry Valentino of Pittsburgh, Jerome Wellbrock DMD from Covington, KY, Manuel Byers from Cincinnati Ohio. Jerry Beshears was promoted to roku-dan and awarded the title of Renshi, Renshi Beshears is from Indiana and is an instructor at the Hombu dojo in KY.
March 24th 2000, Harold Kembre husband of Sherry Lynn (Dometrich) Kembre, father of Kira and Dylan Kembre son- in-law of Hanshi and Okusan passed away at the age of 52.
April saw twelve students from the Hombu and Frankfort, KY Yoseikan attending the Ozawa memorial in Las Vegas with Hanshi and Okusan. It was the first time for several of the students and they were all impressed with the seminars that were held in conjunction with the Tournament. Clinics were held by Sensei Mikami of Shotokan, Stan Schmidt of S. Africa, Mubuni Sensei of Shito-ryu, Demura Sensei of Shito-ryu, and Merikami sensei. It was good to meet with old friends such as John Sells, Sensei Miki, Dan Ivan and many more.
May 13th, Renshi Davenport hosted a seminar in Frankfort, KY, with Hanshi Dometrich and Renshi Van Horne as instructors. Several students from the Hombu and Louisville dojos attended, Stan and Matthew Swihart came from Tampa, Florida to attend. A dinner was held at a local restaurant following the seminar.
June 10th, Sensei David Tollis hosted Hanshi Dometrich in Rochester New York for a seminar. Renshi Davenport and his son Daniel and Willie Elliott also accompanied Hanshi and Okusan and their daughter Sherry and grandchildren Dylan and Kira to Rochester. A birthday celebration for David’s 30th birthday was held by his wife Amanda at their new home in Lyons New York.
The week of June 26 thru 30, Hanshi and Okusan traveled to Richmond Virginia to attend the AAU nationals. Chito-ryu had several students competing in the nationals from the Hombu and Manuel Byers’ dojo in Woodlawn, Ohio. While in Virginia Hanshi, Okusan and Ronnie Kluger from Israel, drove to Virginia beach to attend a luncheon with Hanshi Hamada , director of the Dai Nippon Butoku-kai International Division.
July 15th Shochogeiko (summer training) was held at Big Bone Park in KY. 101 students from Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Indiana and Florida attended the daylong training. Shihan Patrick McCarthy from Australia was the guest instructor along with Hanshi Dometrich and Renshi Davenport. A picnic was held following the training for friends and families.
During the month of August, the Hombu had two guests staying and training. Gavin Shutte from North Hampton England, a police officer. Gavin has a class at the police dept in England and is a member of the United States Chito-kai. Nakagawa Osamu from Kyushu, Japan, is a student of Kazanori Kawakita. Kawakita is a long time friend of Hanshi and Okusan Dometrich. Gavin and Osamu stayed at the dojo and trained. They took a trip to the Smokey Mountains. and St. Louis. Gavin did a free fall parachute jump on his 30th birthday while he was here. These two strangers from two different parts of the world established a friendship that they will never forget.
October 7th 2000. The Hombu was honored to have as our guest instructor at the annual black belt testing and seminar, Fumio Demura. From California, Demura Sensei is a Shito-ryu stylist well known for his stunt work on the Karate Kid movies as well as many martial arts movies. Sensei Demura is well known throughout the world for his stunt work on movies and his excellent demonstrations and seminars. The United States Chito-kai annual banquet was held at the Hombu dojo a record number of families and friends attended. There was standing room only.
October 26th, Ken Sakamoto ex son-in-law of Hanshi and Okusan Dometrich visited the Hombu dojo and taught a class. Sakamoto had not been to the Hombu or visited Kentucky for 22 years. Ken was on his way to Toronto Canada to teach a seminar and demonstrate his style of Chito-ryu. Hanshi Dometrich and Mark Chisenhall attended the seminar in Toronto.
November 11 Shihan Miki came to Cincinnati Ohio along with Maritani sensei and held two clinics at the West Chester JKA dojo. Several of the Hombu students attended. One clinic taught by Shihan Miki was kata and the second by Miratani sensei was on kumite drills and strategy.
November 17/18 , 2000 Chito- kai students, Jerry Wellbrock, go-dan, Johanna Willis, yon-dan, Don Schmidt, sho-dan Teresa Sein, sho-dan, Eva Dupuis Nouille, green belt, and Kathy Webster traveled to Chicago to attend the windy city VIII karate tournament which is held each year, by Joe Gonzalez Shotokan stylist. Hanshi Dometrich was unable to attend and officiate at this year’s Windy City due to a severe knee injury.
The year 2000 has been a very busy year for the Hombu and Chito-ryu students throughout the United States. The year 2001 one will be equally busy if not more. Hanshi Dometrich will start the year off with a knee replacement on January 4th.