COSTA MESA - The Shuyokan Dojo will celebrate its 20th year of
serving Costa Mesa with martial arts instruction at a ceremony to be held
at the Mesa Verde Country Club Friday at 6:30 p.m.
The Chief Instructor, Sensei David Dye, a retired 34-year veteran police
officer of the Costa Mesa Police Department, will be celebrating his 38th
year in martial arts training.
Special guest Olohe Solomon Kaihewalu, founder and headmaster of the
World Professional Martial Arts Black Belt Organization and Ohole of the
Lua Halau O Kaihewalu, will present Sensei Dye with official
documentation naming him as the Founder of Shuyokan Ryu.
A live martial arts self defense demonstration will be performed by
Katlyn Cho, Shuyokan's first female Black Belt, along with other students
from the Dojo.
Guests from as far as Mexico, Oklahoma, Reno, Nevada and Sacramento will
be attending the ceremony.
Various martial arts film celebrities will be present as well as Chief of
Police David Snowden and Council Member Heather Somers to present Sensei
Dye with a Proclamation from the City of Costa Mesa.
For information, call the Shuyokan Dojo at (714) 557-6372.
Dye began his study of the martial arts at a small dojo in Inglewood in
1962. He paid for his lessons by cleaning the dojo after school. He
assisted his instructor in teaching classes and doing public
demonstrations each year at the teenage fair in Pasadena.
In 1964, Dye moved to moved to Costa Mesa where he began his study with
his second Judo instructor, Robbie Robbins. Within two years, Robbins
asked Dye to teach at the Costa Mesa Boys' Club.
Dye joined the CMPD in 1966 and was first introduced to Aikido by Sensei
Ernie High of the Westminster Police Department in 1968.
In 1980, Dye established the Aikido Federation of California, in Costa
Mesa and from 1980-84, he taught classes through the Costa Mesa Parks and
Recreation Department.
The Aikido Federation moved in 1985 to its current location and in 1990,
the Dojo was given its official name of Shuyokan by Soke Gozo Shioda,
Sensei of the International Yoshinkan Aikido Federation.
Shuyokan was the first Aikido Yoshinkan dojo to be registered in the
United States and the second in the world outside of Japan.
Dye was inducted in the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 1993 and
received the Live Achievement Award. He was appointed the position of
Executive West Coast Regional Director for the World Martial Arts Hall of
Fame in 1995 and hosted the West Coast Regional World Martial Arts Hall
of Fame ceremony in Costa Mesa in 1997.
