Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Arizona Samurai Celebrates Birthday

Sensei Paula (samurai)
(photo by Bill Borea).
Just before Christmas of 2011, the Hombu Dojo student body celebrated the birthday of our Staff Samurai. Sensei Paula Borea spent her early years in the 'Land of the Sun' and returned to Japan later in life with her husband Bill (retired Air Force pilot). While in Japan they found information showing that Paula has samurai lineage - no wonder why all of the guys at the dojo fear her! On her birthday, and at the Hombu Christmas party, Sensei Paula showed up in one of her kimono and then dissected her birthday cake with katana () (日本刀 samurai sword). For some reason, no one wanted to lick the icing from the katana?

Bill and Paula are two very important members of our martial arts group in Mesa, Arizona. We all take great pride in practicing traditional Okinawan-Japanese-American martial arts and being members of a Ryu () (family).

 Our Arizona members of our Mesa martial arts school include a wide variety of professionals such as geoscientists, biologists, university professors, teachers, engineers, nutritionists, retired military, secretaries, accountants, house wives, students, computer techs, librarians, cooks, etc. In our international organization (Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai) we also have members who include doctors, chemists, lawyers, law enforcement agents, counsellors, biochemists, priests, janitors, etc.  

A birthday cake fit for a samurai!