[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16931]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          TAI KAI ATLANTA 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. BOB BARR

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2000

  Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on August 18, 2000 a gathering will 
take place in Atlanta, Georgia of teachers and students of the 
traditional Japanese martial art of Ninjutsu. The International 
Bujinkan Tai Kai, as the gathering is called, will host visitors from 
every corner of the globe. They will be in Georgia to train under the 
guidance of Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, the Grandmaster of Ninjutsu. Dr. 
Hatsumi is the 34th Grandmaster of Ninjutsu, is the founder of the 
Bujinkan Dojo, and is considered a national treasure by the Japanese 
government. Bujinkan, which means ``Divine Warrior Hall,'' was named in 
honor of his teacher, Toshitsugu Takamatsu.
  I am extremely pleased Dr. Hatsumi has chosen Atlanta, Georgia as the 
host city for International Bujinkan Tai Kai 2000. It is my sincere 
hope each participant will benefit from the principles of discipline, 
self respect, and respect for fellow man, at the heart of Bujinkan.
  I submit the following for the Record.

                                                          Tai Kai,


                                                 Atlanta 2000,

                                                     July 1, 2000.

     Re: Request for Proclamation or Special Letter of Welcome
     Congressman Bob Barr,
     c/o Slade Gulledge, Marietta Congressional Office, Marietta, 
         GA.
       Dear Mr. Gulledge: With regard to a conversation you had 
     with a member of my staff, Sean Gerety, and later an e-mail, 
     I am requesting a Proclamation from Bob Barr to Dr. Masaaki 
     Hatsumi. Atlanta has been selected as the site of the 
     International Bujinkan Tai Kai by Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, the 
     24th generation grandmaster of the Bujinkan system. Dr. 
     Hatsumi is the only grandmaster of the traditional Japanese 
     martial art of ninjutsu, and consequently his selection of 
     Atlanta for the Tai Kai constitutes an important event.
       The Bujinkan Atlanta Dojo, America's original school of 
     Japan's oldest martial art will be sponsoring the Tai Kai for 
     the fifth time. Bud Malmstrom is the owner and 11 degree 
     Black Belt instructor of this school. He began his training 
     over 22 years ago. Bud's wife Bonnie, 9th degree Black Belt 
     instructor has been the organizer of all five Tai Kai 
     conventions. She was the first non-oriental and the third 
     woman only in the would to pass the fifth degree black belt 
     test.
       Hatsumi's last visit to Atlanta was during the Olympic 
     year, 1996. He decided in 1996 that he would like to revisit 
     the fair and beautiful city of Atlanta for the Millennium 
     2000 American Tai Kai training celebration. August 18th 600 
     ninja scholars and enthusiasts from every corner of the world 
     will convene in the Grand Ballroom of the OMNI Hotel at CNN 
     Center to begin a four day training event with the 
     grandmaster of ninjutsu. Ninjutsu simply stated; the skill of 
     the ninja is the art of winning . . . ``attaining that which 
     we need while making the world a better place in which to 
     live.''
       Please see the information included and provide us with a 
     Proclamation if at all possible. We will have an opening 
     reception August 18th and plan to bestow this to Dr. Hatsumi 
     as a gesture of welcome. If there is anyone from your office 
     who could present this award to Dr. Hatsumi, it would be 
     wonderful. Please let me know where and when we can pick up 
     the proclamation. Thanking you sincerely,
       With warmest regards,
                                              Bonnie G. Malmstrom,
                                              Secretary/Treasurer.

     

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