Shuyokan Dojo turns 20 as Costa Mesa celebrates

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.