Arizona Budokan

Three timeless legends, now reunited in the great dojo in the sky. May we strive to carry your legacy to the next generation and beyond 🙇

In Soke's last months, I was able to record some of our conversations as he shared his insights and stories about the martial arts and life in general. Here is a short clip where he discusses PERSEVERANCE, and it could not be more relevant to what we are going through today--whether in our training or life in general.

I added historical photos as well. To all who loved and respected this man, thank you. His magic lives on, and we will persevere❤️

Success in the Sandbox: Soke Crosswell on Perseverence This is "Success in the Sandbox: Soke Crosswell on Perseverence" by Arizona Budokan on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

We have been through so much, but we are ready. The new Arizona Budokan officially opens its doors on January 4.

Come see us at Tatum and Thunderbird in the New Year! We are bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than ever.

SO INCREDIBLY PROUD of these passionate, dedicated warriors. Our dojo family has been through a lot in the last six months, but everyone's steadfast commitment to their training and to each other through all the ups and downs has been inspiring, healing, motivating, and humbling. Promotions well-earned for outstanding technique and fierce, loving hearts. Your future is so very bright, and we are honored to be a part of it. Keep walking the path and the rewards will be immeasurable. Soke is surely smiling down on us all.

I COULD NOT be more humbled, proud, and honored to lead this little band of ronin on the intense and bittersweet journey that the last six months has been in the wake of our beloved sensei’s passing. The outpouring of support from Sensei Demura and the entire Iaido community this weekend was deeply touching, while my crew’s emotional and stellar performances brought me to tears again and again. It has been such a hard road but I am honored to have been chosen to walk it with these stellar men. Thank you, gentlemen. You are true warriors and I am honored to train alongside you.

Our beloved and respected Sensei, Shihan, and Soke--Rudy Crosswell--passed away peacefully, at home and surrounded by family, on September 25, 2018.

Allow me to start by apologizing for the piecemeal way in which information of his passing got out, particularly on Facebook. This was the result of unintended leaks, and I can only try to make it right from where we stand.

Many of you did not even know (or were not sure) that he was ill, and for that I extend my heartfelt apologies. A proud warrior until the very end, his wishes were that almost nobody be informed of his condition, and it was the duty of his inner circle to respect them.

That said, I hope people will take comfort in the fact that for Soke and those closest to him, this was not a sudden passing--and he had lots of time (though never enough) to fully enjoy life--to travel, to teach, to be with family and friends, and to do everything that he truly loved and wanted to do in the two years that he lived, nearly without symptoms, after his very serious diagnosis. He fought until the last, pushed himself to get to the dojo just days before leaving us, and will forever be an example of fortitude, courage, and strength to us all.

As his wife, closest confidant, dedicated student, and co-keeper of his legacy, let me assure you that the Arizona Budokan and the dojo family will go on, heartbroken and feeling our way through the dark a bit at first, but ultimately tighter, stronger, and more fiercely committed to his teachings than ever. Like the man who dedicated his life to it, the Arizona Budokan is unlike any other. It is a sacred place for those who have made it a part of their lives, and it must be preserved for our own sakes as well as for that of future generations.

Many of you will ask what you can do, and the answer is simple: Train. Train with heart, train with passion, train with fortitude, and train with dedication. If there is any quality that you admired in Soke (and I'm sure there are many), do everything you can to embody and develop it in order to honor his legacy and the inspiration he brought to your life. Here at AZB, I and the other instructors are even more galvanized than ever to ensure a vibrant and bright future for our tribe. I hope you will see him forever shining bright through our ongoing evolution as a center and a sanctuary for authentic martial arts traditions.

Whether you knew Soke as a lifelong friend or passing face, I thank you on his behalf for the kindness and respect that you showed him during his lifetime. He was a complex man, but there was not a soul on earth who questioned his dedication to his art and his life’s purpose. He has now taken his rightful place among the great departed masters, and those of us he has left behind as keepers of his legacy are honored to follow humbly in his footsteps.

With love and in budo,
Dawn

CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER!!! 🎉🎉🎉
AZB had some landmark promotions this week. Rose, who has been training with us since she was six years old, delivered a fantastic performance that earned her a 1st kyu brown and an apprentice black belt test date 😎; Sarah (also a lifelong AZB student) moved solidly and confidently into first-degree black belt from apprentice black belt 😎; and Dawn became the first female student ever to reach 4th degree black belt under Soké Crosswell 😎. To top it all off, Sensei Jerry celebrated a lifetime of achievement by earning a rare 5th degree black belt from Soké--only the second 5th degree black belt he has ever awarded in half a century of teaching martial arts 😎.

If there's one thing AZB is known for, it's our MASSIVELY BROAD, in-depth curriculum and exceedingly high standards. Promotions do not come easily or frequently, and promotions at this level are virtually unheard of in our dojo. Wear those ranks with pride, AZB seniors! They are world-class quality and so are you 💕🥋🥋🥋🥋 💕

THESE AZB GIRLS ROCK!!! CHECK OUT OUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!

REPORT FROM THE EVENT: Rose and Leeza competed at the USA National Championship in Reno, NV. Both managed to earn simultaneous NATIONAL medals for the first time. Leeza’s bo and tonfa techniques earned her two bronze medals. Rose’s sai gained her a silver medal. They both were eliminated in the kata divisions, but came back on the final day of the competition ready to fight. It was a tournament of state champions. Leeza got all the way into the semi-final eliminating champs, then suffered a split decision defeat with 4-4. Because it was a semi-final defeat, she got an opportunity to battle for the bronze medal. This time, she was solid - with a beautifully timed 2-1 victory. She takes the USA bronze medal for Arizona. In Rose’s division, the competition was tough. This didn’t slow Rose down as she defeated her 1/8 and quarterfinal champs from California (8-0) and New York (6-1). In the semi-final, she was defeated 2-4 by the Illinois champ. She also got a chance to compete for the bronze. The match started out with Rose losing. She kept a cool head though and came back winning 5-4. It was quite dramatic. She too received the USA bronze medal.

BREAKING BOARDS is tons of fun, but it's also an incredible way to test the accuracy of your technique, the depth of your control, and the purity of your mental game. Everyone had some fantastic successes--but it was the failures that taught us the most and will push us to be even better next time. Thanks to everyone who came out for an awesome breaking session! 💥👊😎💥

STATE CHAMPIONS!!
Despite our tiny team, AZB placed third in gold medals out of 37 participating dojo and about sixth in overall medal count at this year's Arizona State Championships, which had a record 348 contestants--most of them from much bigger dojo with an almost exclusive focus on sport karate. We're so proud of our versatile, hardworking students and so very thankful for the parents who support them!! 💕