*** Save Yoshi Shibata Sensei’s employment at UCSC ! ***

*** Save the UCSC Aikido Dojo! ***

Yoshi’s classes, like all PE and in-person classes at UCSC, have been cancelled since March 2020 due to this year’s COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting social distancing orders. Since then, Yoshi has been laid off by the university. We believe that this is a huge loss for the UCSC community and we are petitioning for Yoshi to be hired back to his previous position of Chief Aikido and Self-Defense Instructor for the benefit of the UCSC community.

Yoshi takes his training and teaching very seriously, creating an environment that is empowering for his students. Anybody who has attended his classes knows that Yoshi is passionate about sharing his training. Yoshi helps students to improve their physical and mental health while creating a positive, joyful, and supportive environment for his students. The techniques that he teaches have wide application that go beyond the gross physical movements involved. Many of his students have found that his techniques are applicable for meeting challenges in their lives outside of the physical training. Indeed, many students attribute their success at the university to their participation in Yoshi’s classes.

The UCSC Aikido dojo/ Martial Arts Room is an important place of cultural heritage because it was a pioneering location of Aikido in not only Santa Cruz, but also in California and the whole United States. This upcoming year will be it's 50th anniversary and we Aikido students are hoping that Aikido will still exist at UCSC in 2021. In addition, Santa Cruz, CA is a sister city with Shingu, Japan due to this Aikido connection. 

Yoshi is uniquely qualified to teach at UCSC, as he was a student at the university many years ago. He has trained in Japan and has been practicing Aikido for 30 years and Yoshi has been teaching Aikido at UCSC for 20 years. 

Although PE classes are not currently offered, UCSC students continue to pay a $12.50 per quarter fee for PE courses. These funds were approved by the passing of referendum measures 64 and 32 for the purpose of providing “equitable salary and benefit costs for PE instructors.” We petition that these funds should be used to pay the salaries for Yoshi Shibata and other PE instructors in order to keep them from being laid off during these most challenging times. 

In addition, we ask that the university consider offering social distanced Aikido classes. For example, outdoor Japanese sword and staff classes and other classes on breathing and rolling that do not require partnering. 

Finally, we petition that UCSC continue to participate in the tradition of Kangeiko, a week long intensive training in the Winter where UCSC Aikido students train at Aikido of Santa Cruz for free and in exchange Aikido of Santa Cruz students are allowed to train at UCSC for free for that one week. Kangeiko is a traditional part of Aikido that has connected UCSC and Aikido of Santa Cruz for 50 years and is an important part of the cultural heritage of UCSC.

*** UPDATE 1:

Yoshi's current and former students are encouraged to also complete a testimonial form to express why we think the Aikido program (and PE programs in general) is valuable to UCSC. Access the form using THIS LINK. The form can be used in reference to each of the following people that are in danger of permanent lay-off:

- 3 PE Supervisors

• Cecilia Shin - Scuba
• Vicki Bergland – Dance, Pilates
• Yoshi Shibata - Martial Arts

- 2 Recreation Supervisors

• Cindy Pierce – Kayak, Outdoor Rental, Drop-in Bike Maintenance
• Danielle Lewis - First Aid, CPR/First Aid, Wilderness Medicine, Banff Film Festival, Cooking

*** UPDATE 2:

Our efforts to keep UCSC PE programs alive has been featured in the UCSC student-run newspaper. Read about it HERE.