The initial meeting with Geovanny Castro sensei on June 15th expanded my horizon to a wider exposure of his teachings roots that initially started in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic while serving the Air Force with the rank of Sergeant.

Thanks to Geovanny's cordial invitation, I had the pleasure to visit one of his Clubs in Santo Domingo where I spent a week running several Clinics for his senior ranks as well as some of their students.

My first encounter with Geovanny's roots was meeting some of his senior students, Zoilo Miguel Vargas Nuņez, 2nd Dan, Manuel Emilio Santos Mella, 2nd Dan, Antonio Cruz Reyes, 1st Dan and Jaime Antonio Ferrel Santana, 1st Dan at my arrival in August 5th at the airport in the Romana, a city two (2) hours by car from Santo Domingo. During our trip from the Romana to Santo Domingo the welcome committee and I had a chance to get to know each other better and without a doubt it was a pleasant two hour ride. Later on the week I got the chance to meet with two other of Geovanny's instructors, Reyes Hidalgo, 1st Dan and Leonardo Reyes.

During my week of staying in Santo Domingo, not only I enjoyed the response from the students to the various Clinics I gave but also the wonderful hospitality that my wife and I received from everybody we met. Right from the first day on our arrival Antonio Cruz Reyes and Jaime Antonio Ferrel Santana welcomed us in their home and made us feel as comfortable as if we were in our own house. Also, I would like to thank Zoilo Miguel Vargas Nuņez for his touring of the City and Manuel Emilio Santos Mella for his invitation to the restaurant where he worked.

On the following day after our arrival, I had the chance to visit the grounds of a tournament ran by the Karate Federation of the Dominican Republic that nurtures the four traditional styles of Karate. It was a warm feeling that made me feel relaxed and welcome to their event. Later on in the week, I had the pleasure of watching Jose A. Ubri sensei, 5th Dan teach a class to his Shotokan students and he made me realize how close we all are in the basic concept of karate even though as a communicating tool we are using different styles.

By the time the week was over and after Antonio Cruz Reyes and Jaime Antonio Ferrel Santana drove my wife and I back to the airport in La Romana, we realized how fast everything went and how much we are going to miss these warm and wonderful people.

THANK YOU ALL FOR A WONDERFUL VISIT TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.