As most of you already know, our long-time office manager, Linda Nikaya, retired on January 31st. We’re sorry to see her go, but we can’t begrudge her the chance to travel the world and pursue her dreams in retirement.
As she managed the dojo office, Linda was also a calm, friendly, welcoming presence for everyone who entered the dojo – students, family members and vistors. On top of that, she used her professional-level photography skills to document Rohai Dojo events, and created over 200 illustrations for Sensei Didi’s books, The Kids’ Karate Workbook, and its predecessor, the sold-out Cuong Nhu Training Manual for Kids (and Their Parents).
More than sixty people attended a farewell dinner at Hot Italian in Emeryville last Sunday, and many more sent their regrets. The venue – picked by Linda – handled the crowd smoothly, and everyone enjoyed some great pizza and camaraderie before saying farewell. Sensei John made a speech thanking and praising Linda’s contributions to Rohai Dojo, and all raised their drinks in a toast.
One tiny person in attendance was Linda’s brand new granddaughter – who, we hope, will be joining her two older siblings as a member of the dojo before too long. Meanwhile, we’ll still be seeing Linda around from time to time, as she brings her grandchildren to class.
Here are a few pictures from Sunday… If they seem out of focus, well, that’s what happens when Linda’s not taking our pictures any more! 😦
Rohai Dojo 