Mr. Jim Lincoln Sempai Shodan-1st Degree Black Belt
Sempai Lincoln My story is probably a little different than most of the other black belts, as i did not find the dojo the dojo found me. I was living on highland drive in Grass Valley, California when Grandmaster Crimi moved his Dojo next door to my house. The Dojo was open about a year before I met the Grandmaster. The meeting between the Grandmaster and myself took place on February 2nd 1979. I remember the exact day because it was on that day at 2:00 am my daughter was born. It was around 8:00 am that morning (I hadn't been home long from the hospital and without sleep) the Grandmaster got his car stuck in the snow between the Dojo and my house. He walked over knocked on the door and asked if he could use my phone to call home and let his family know what was going on. He dug his car out and then thanked me once again. From that meeting on we became life long friends. Actually there is quite a long history between the Grandmaster and my family. The Grandmaster met and knew my wife and her family back in the mid 60's when she was a child. In the capacity of being a doctor he has treated my father for back problems and as a teacher has taught my mother meditation and yoga some 25 years ago. The Grandmaster's daughter was born that same year and our daughters have been best friends since birth, and now my grandchildren and the Grandmasters grandchildren are friend. So as you can see our history is quite extensive. Grandmaster Crimi and I were actually friends a few years before I started classes. I began as a private student of Grandmaster Crimi in 1980 and studied with him for 5 years when as fate would have it our lives took different roads. The Grandmaster informed me that I was within months of my Black Belt exam. We never lost contact of each other due largely to our daughters and the fact that my son became a student of the Grandmasters and is to this day. My son is now serving in the US Army Special Forces stationed overseas and is working on his Black Belt in Hikari Ryuza Ryu Jujutsu® directly under the Grandmaster. Two of my grandsons and my son-in-law are also studying Hikari Ryuza Ryu Jujutsu® Though I have not attended many open classes and only a few special classes and seminars, I have been a private student of Grandmaster Crimi's for these many years. Hence on the 5th of September 2009 the Grandmaster and the Hikari Ryuza Ryu Yudansha Kai® presented me with my Shodan in Hikari Ryuza Ryu Jujutsu®. I was born January 25th 1958
in Grass Valley, California. I am a life long resident as is my father who worked
in the mines here and also my grandfather. My daughter and son are fourth generation
here and my three grandsons are fifth generation! I graduated from Nevada Union
High School in 1976 and married my wife Vicky in 1979. We run our own freight
brokerage business in Grass Valley and are blessed with the friendship of Grandmaster
Crimi and Professor Geary. © 2002-2010 Dr. Crimi |
