About Yamaji Dojo

Yamaji Kyudo Dojo began as a class at the Black Mountain Recreation Center in 2005, with only a few students at the time. Kaicho Don Wudarski, a student of Takako Matsui Swain in Indiana, was eager to spread the art of kyudo in Henderson, Nevada. That spring, he met Chris, who saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn kyudo. It marked the beginning of an incredible journey.

Over the years, students came and went, with some staying longer than others. Seminars were attended, shinsa were undergone, and ranks were occasionally awarded. In the mid-2010s, the group transitioned out of the recreation center and began practicing privately in a student’s warehouse. During this period, longtime students Sergio Molina, Sammi Lee, Gene Ostrowski, and Carrie Higa became part of the dojo.

In October 2017, Kaicho, Chris, Sergio, Sammi, and out-of-town student Dr. Galen Eversole traveled to Kikuchi, Japan, for an unforgettable experience training with Takako-sensei at her dojo. Later that week, they tested in Kumamoto, where all of them passed and earned ranks. Among them, Chris was the only one to pass out of eight others testing for sandan. Kaicho was immensely proud of his students.

Training continued into the 2020s at the dojo’s current location at Dance Addiction. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, neither Kaicho nor his students wavered in their pursuit of kyudo, though seminars and shinsa became heavily restricted, with shodan and nidan tests conducted virtually. During this time, Michiko Takagi, Amy Morgan, and Alena Delena also joined the dojo. Eventually, a shinsa was scheduled for November 2024, an event the group eagerly prepared for. However, none of them could have foreseen that this would be Kaicho’s final journey, as he sadly passed away in January 2025.

Today, Yamaji Kyudo Dojo continues with numerous ranked students and several new members carrying on the tradition. Kaicho Don Wudarski’s legacy in the martial art of kyudo remains strong. May his students continue to spread the art, just as he had envisioned so many years ago when he first started a small class at a Henderson recreation center.