Thank you for looking after us in Australia aikido camp. Our senior students say Bob made great effort developing aikido in Australia. I respectfully express my condlence at the end of his manifestation. Please look after us from the Spirit world for aikido development and world peace.
Kazuo Chokoji

It came as a real shock to hear that we had lost Budo Bob and even as I type this, it still makes no sense. I didn't know Bob nearly as well as I wish had but even so he made a profound impression on me. What struck me most about Bob was the warmth of his smile and the way you'd feel like he totally accepted you for who you were and where you were at. Bob gave so much of himself to his Art and to the people around him. He was always striving for Aiki and challenging us to look for real reasons and purpose in what we do. He was such a genuine, unique and inspiring person that never gave less than 110%. What a precious gift to have known him, albeit far too briefly.
Being over here and away from you all at this time makes it even harder to comprehend the loss and it really reminds me just how blessed we all are to have our "Aikido family". So tomorrow morning while you're all gathering in Australia to send Bob off, a few of us here in Kamakura will be heading down to the beach to throw some petals into the sea. And who knows....we might even to lob a can of "Kirin" in too!
May the Force be with you always... Budo Bob
Berin

I'll miss Bob doing early morning meditation in an empty dojo at aikido camps. I'll miss him cornering me at bbq parties to muse about the hidden significance of basic stances. I'll miss the way he looked off in the distance like he was looking at something none of the rest of us could see. I'll miss his constant presence at the heart of our aikido group and his generosity of spirit. He extended his whole self when he trained and taught and talked. He was inspiring and funny and passionate. I'll miss Bob but I'm sure now he has found what he was looking for, and his spirit will live on in each of us.
Tasha
Kamakura

Remembering Bob,
I didn't know Bob in the way most of you all did. I knew him best as a house guest as he stayed with me on three different occasions here in Kamakura. Of course we would go to the dojo and train together and then go out for substance to a place or two with the dojo diehards, but then we would return home and stay up into the wee hours and Bob would share his ideas and feelings about aikido, zen, aikido, relationships, aikido, life, and of course aikido. It is suprising how many stories I have about Bob considering how little time we actually spent together. The last couple of weeks, however, I have not been able to share too many of them. It seems everyone has too many to share. Since we have heard of his passing there have been several gatherings in which all expressed their feeling for Bob and shared their memories. Of course after keiko at Takeda Dojo we got together with Yamamoto-san, and Chris Guthrie, Berin Mackenzie, and Tasha and everyone shared their stories of Bob. On Sunday, Seino Sensei, Takahashi, Sensei, Yasu Sensei, Kirisawa-san and a number of others got together to remember Bob. Yasu Sensei brought pictures of Bob from some twenty years ago. Now everyone here will only drink Kirin beer because it was Bob's favorite. Then again this evening, after keiko at Takahashi Sensei's dojo in Kanazawa Hakkei, one of Bob's favorite places to practice when he was here, Shriaki-san brought along his photos of Bob, Ashizawa-san, a student of O-sensei, shared her memories of Bob. He was a fellow that truely cut a wide swath; he touched so many lives.
I remember one of the times he stayed with me, he went up to Tokyo on one of his mystrious outings, I don't remember if it was for zen or kyudo or what, anyway. He met a European woman on the train who just happened to be an aikido teacher in Europe. Of course Bob wanted to dive to the bottom of the matter immediatly and posed to her a number of questions of philosphical and spiritual import to all of which she could only reply, "I don't know, it is just a job." The response dumbfounded Bob. I beleive he challenged her for the rest of the hour of teir train ride together with the same question he asked me for the next three day in exasperation and pique "How can anyone think that teaching aikido is 'just a job'?" To this day I feel sorry for that poor woman. Bob could put one on the spot and there was no escape.
Although he is gone he will remain an inspiration, and a challange. He could inspire the complex, disparate emotions of compassion and anoyance.
Bob, god damn it!
Kenneth Schulz

There are no words to adequately describe the sadness I felt upon hearing of the sudden passing of Bob Gibbon.
It was in 1996 that I visited Australia with Aikido members. At that time, we had a pleasant time with Bob-san. We had a good keiko, nice party, and Bob-san took care of all these events for us with Steward Ledford-san and other AKI members in Australia. I remember that hi could speak Japanese a little so he took an important role in the mutual understanding between Australian and Japanese members. At the end of this trip, they kindly organized a farewell party at the hotel. At that time, Bob-san talked to me about his dream, that is, he would like to concentrate more on Aikido practice and he would like to have his own dojo in Brisbane in the future. And he asked me "What is your dream?" I could not answer him because I had no idea of my future at that time. Since then, I have been searching for my own dream but still I can not find it. Bob-san's works are, however, remain in my mind like as a precious stone. It is so sad that we miss Bob-san, but I will never forget him. I also pray that Bob-san's family can find the strength to endure this tragic burden.
Naoko Shoji
Zushi Aikido Renmei (Zushi Aikido Association) of Shonan Aikido Renmei

We praise his great effort in this life and pray for his Spiritual practice for the next life.
Yasumitsu & Kyoko Kadoya