Sunday, December 24 marked the end of training at Fukagawa Dojo, where Christmas presents were handed out to the children on December 22 to celebrate their hard work over the past year. Many new students joined Fukagawa Dojo this year, and many of them took their first promotion exams and matches, gaining experience that they had never had before.

We learn from our past selves and apply those lessons to the present. It was a year of learning from the past and applying those lessons to the present, and it was a year of seeing them continue to grow and develop. I can truly say that 2023 was a year of leaps and bounds.

I would like to start the New Year with a renewed spirit so that 2024 will be an even more fulfilling year. Thank you very much for your support this year. I look forward to working with you again next year.

 Shozen Arakaki