OKAMOTO SHIHAN SEMINAR 2025

Okamoto sensei was in San Francisco for the January seminar which, historically, was the time Yamada sensei made his annual visit. It was a well-attended seminar with instructors from Mexico City and Montreal in attendance. Mike Napoli, Russ Gorman, Oscar Johnson and I represented Portland Aikikai. Okamoto sensei focused on connection and presented very fewContinue reading “OKAMOTO SHIHAN SEMINAR 2025”

The Barker Surname

My Uncle Tony recalled that his grandmother, Lucy Burr Wadhams, thought of her husband, Dr. Abram Barker, as a “Johnny-come-lately,” a man without the deep historical connection to America (and Goshen specifically) of her lineage. She was not wrong. The Wadhams had been in Connecticut for generations. Abram Barker had been born in Maine asContinue reading “The Barker Surname”

Sons of the American Revolution

Joseph Eggleston was a soldier in the American Revolution who appears to have served for a total of nine days from September 6, 1781 only to be discharged on September 15, 1781. His mustering onto the roll is recorded as starting in 1774 in Rev. Samule Orcutt’s (1878) History of Torrington, Connecticut from Its FirstContinue reading “Sons of the American Revolution”