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Jamie Hagiya's Summer Update |
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JAMIE HAGIYA's Summer Update: November 9, 2011
Welcome to the Budokan website! I'm so excited for this facility to get up and running so we can finally have a gym of our OWN!!! It's been long overdue and I can't wait for the day where everyone can gather together for activities, practices, competitions, and games at the Budokan & then enjoy the streets of Lil Tokyo after. It'll be so great for all generations to have a reason to come to J-town so we can kill two birds with one stone... play sports & learn about the JA history, arts, and culture (maybe check out the JANM museum & eat at one of the many Japanese restaurants...that's a must!).
This past summer has been an extremely busy but AMAZING one for me. I ran my basketball camps in Maui, Seattle, San Jose, Torrance and the San Fernando Valley, as well as finished my 2010 Nisei Week Court reign as Miss Tomodachi in August. I know...being a ball player and princess at the same time seems a little odd, but my experience with Nisei Week really opened my eyes to learn and appreciate the JA community and culture. And this is why it's so important for me to give back to my community. For all that the community has done for me I hope to inspire younger generations (as well as people of all ages) to believe in themselves, set their goals high, and GO FOR BROKE!!!
 
For this very reason, I'm giving it my all and will be trying out for the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks next season! In fact, we put together the very first "Asian American Night" for the Sparks on August 30th where I hosted a pre-game clinic. It was a HUGE success with close to 300 kids who came out and filled the entire Staples Center Floor! At the end of the clinic, Sparks Head Coach Joe "Jellybean" Bryant (aka Kobe's dad who has also coached in Japan) came out as a special guest and talked to all of the kids and parents in the stands. The Sparks organization was very impressed with the clinic as well as the close to 1000 tickets sold for the game. This truly showed them how strong & supportive our community is & if I were to make the team... how BIG this could be for our community and their organization. So thank you to everyone who came out to the game or showed their support in other ways, you made a huge impact on the night!
 
The tryouts will not be held until the end of April so for the next 6 months you can find me either in the gym working on my game, LAX CrossFit working on my strength, conditioning & explosiveness (if you haven't heard of crossfit, this is the REAL deal. It will help you shed weight and get you in the best shape of your life FAST), and in my spare time training kids, putting on clinics and running team practices. I'd be MORE than happy to come out and work with your kids or their teams. If you're interested you can email me at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Thanks again for taking the time to stop by. I'm so excited for this Budokan project to start breaking ground & hopefully the next time you hear from me, I'll be the newest member of the Los Angeles Sparks!
Check out Jamie Hagiya's Basketball Clinic - LA Sparks Asian American Night on YouTube. Created by Dan Uyemura
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoqNc6QIRK4
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These events are hosted by our partner organizations, that are relevant to the overall goal and vision for the Budokan of Los Angeles.
United States Martial Arts Festival 2011
The 2nd Annual United States Martial Arts Festival 2011 was held on November 5, 2011 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in Redondo Beach, CA. It featured an array of types of Martial Arts from all over the world, including Brazil, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Japan, China, Korea, and the United States. Along with the various Martial Arts demonstrations, there were also art exhibits being displayed in the lobby area such as SADO: Japanese Tea Ceremony, KADO: Japanese Flower Arrangement, and SHODO: Japanese Calligraphy. The event was graciously co-sponsored by the Shin Koyamada Foundation and The Japan Foundation.
 
This festival's purpose is to introduce worldwide martial arts to people in the very diverse community of Los Angeles area, to promote the arts and celebrate the international cultural community for peace. Their mission is to preserve, promote, and exchange cultures from around the world.
Photographed: Left: Sponsor and Actor, Shin Koyamada (The Last Samurai), and Right: Actor Brian Tee (Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift)
These types of events amongst many others are what we hope to one day host at the Budokan of Los Angeles, displaying the art and values of Martial Arts.
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Capital Campaign Kick Off |
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Capital Campaign Kick-off
On August 10, 2011, LTSC hosted a reception at the Toyota USA Automobile Musuem
in Torrance to officially launch its capital campaign for the Budokan of Los Angeles
project.
The evening, which was graciously sponsored by Sansei Legacy, began with a preview
of potential programming at the facility-kendo demonstrations by Venice Kendo Club
and a taiko performance by Kishin Daiko from East San Gabriel Valley Japanese
Community Center. Emcee Tamlyn Tomita began the program by acknowledging many
important guests in the audience including Councilwoman Jan Perry, Chris Espinosa
from the Mayor’s office, plus many others.
Some highlights from the evening included a check presentation from the Aratani
Foundation which pledged $1 million to the Budokan capital campaign. In addition, Mr.
Ansho Uchima, who made a $50,000 pledge to the project, spoke on the importance of
having a home for martial arts. Jaime Hagiya, a former player for the USC Women’s
basketball team, spoke on the significance of sports on her life and how she is now
making a push to try out for the LA Sparks!
In the coming months, LTSC will move forward to begin raising the $22 million
which will include costs for the facility, pre-development and a parking structure. It is
anticipated that the campaign will last 2-3 years and LTSC will be targeting an array
of funding sources including public sector funding, foundations, corporations and
individuals for major naming opportunities.
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May 17, 2011 marked the end of a 17 year journey for the Little Tokyo Service Center in
obtaining a permanent home for its much anticipated Budokan of Los Angeles project.
On this landmark date, LTSC received approval from the City of Los Angeles for a site to
build the Budokan of Los Angeles in Little Tokyo, just east of Downtown Los Angeles.
The Budokan of Los Angeles project received a 25-year lease, with an option to renew
for another 25 years on city-owned land located at 237-249 Los Angeles Street, between
2nd and 3rd Street, just south of the Little Tokyo Branch Library.
“Creating a gymnasium and community space in Little Tokyo is a longtime dream that I
have shared with the Little Tokyo Service Center and the entire Little Tokyo community.
Today, we have taken a definitive step forward and moved closer to realizing the
potential of the Budokan Recreation Center. From creating 130 new jobs to generating
millions in tax revenues to support tourism, Budokan will be great for our city, “ said
Council President Pro Tempore Jan Perry.
Photo caption: Council President Pro Tempore Jan Perry (center) seen here withmembers of
the Little Tokyo community, held a celebration in the press room immediately after the council
vote.
With the long awaited approval of the groundlease, LTSC can finally now move forward
and begin the next phase of the project, which is to launch a major capital campaign. |
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