Sensei_Days

Mr. Adam Days

Professor -- Renshi

Godan - 5th Degree Black Belt

-Hikari Ryuza Ryu®-Danzan Ryu Jujutsu-

Hikari Ryuza Ryu Do Kan®

Council Member Hikari Ryuza Ryu Yudansha Kai®

Renshi Days

My life's journey began in New York City in the late 60's. Always wanting to make a grand entrance, I arrived several weeks early to the consternation of my mother, her friends, and several diners at a Chinese restaurant. What was initially taken as indigestion, was in fact my "boy howdy" moment. Fortunately, I was safely delivered by taxi (rather than in the taxi) to a fine hospital on the Upper East Side. I spent the next several years exploring the United States. We ended up living in Morongo Valley, Ca; Chico, Ca; Ann Arbor, Mi, Chicago, Il; back to Chico; and finally moved to Grass Valley in 1978. We rented a house on Depot Street for several months until we found a house in Penn Valley. It was on five acres and having lived mainly in cities for my long life, the country was the place for me.

There weren't as many people living in Penn Valley/Lake Wildwood back then. My dog Allen and I would spend endless hours exploring nature. Getting around invariably involved my bike or walking. This experience would come in handy later when getting to Grandmaster's classes in Grass Valley. I attended Ready Springs Elementary and graduated from Nevada Union High School before leaving to attend college at U C Berkeley. After graduating from college I studied as a private student under grandmaster while working in Washington, Southern California, Texas, Louisiana, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

I am extremely privileged and fortunate to have had Grandmaster Crimi come into my life in 1983. My family had recently moved to Grass Valley from Chico where my mother had been under the care of Professor Estes (Grandmaster's teacher) for her back pain. Grandmaster took over treatment of my mother and this lead to me to begin my incredible journey with Grandmaster. I still remember very clearly first crossing the threshold of the old Dojo off of Rattlesnake Road on a cold, wet Saturday and smelling the musk of sweat, moxa, and canvas. The work out made me feel electric and sparked my soul. I felt truly alive! Of course, the next day I was so sore I could barely move and felt like I had been run over by a truck. Thus began my journey toward self-discipline and self-improvement. It also began my transformation into a stronger person, spiritually, mentally, and physically. It is though Grandmaster's teachings that I found my spirit.

When first asked why I wanted to study martial arts I said I wanted to protect myself. Self-defense teachings came in spades from Grandmaster's seemingly endless source of techniques, styles, and variations, but most importantly I learned (and continue to learn) much, much more about life from Grandmaster's unwavering example.

I have studied under Grandmaster virtually my entire life, as both a Dojo student and a private student. I received my Shodan from Grandmaster in 1993 and currently hold the rank of Godan - 5th degree Black Belt / Professor and the title of Renshi - Hikari Ryuza Ryu Jujutsu® and Danzan Ryu Jujutsu, which were awarded to me by Grandmaster Crimi in 2010. In 2009 my wife and I became the extremely proud parents of twin boys, Max and Sam! I also hold a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and am licensed as a professional engineer.

This journey has taken me to places internally and externally that I could never have imagined. It has also shown me what it truly means to be of good character, to give selflessly, to be honorable, and ultimately, to love unconditionally.

I owe all of this to my teacher and father, Grandmaster Crimi.