ANIME CONJI 2011 - March 25-27, "Be there, Konnichiwa."

One of San Diego’s smallest big secrets is the city’s ANIME CONJI, an annual anime and manga convention. Its inaugural gathering of all things anime was held last year, over a 3-day period at San Diego’s Doubletree Club Hotel. In 2010, the convention attracted 700+ far-out dudes and dudettes dressed in a wild menagerie of cosplay and abie-normal wear that made Anime Conji 2010 a wild and wacky success.

So look out, here she comes again, a year older, a year wilder, and undoubtedly a year more psychotic as ANIME CONJI 2011’s three-day run begins this weekend, Friday March 25 - March 27 at a much manga-mightier coliseum of crash and bash, one of San Diego’s premier resorts, The Town & Country Hotel and Resort (500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108; 619-291-7131; www.towncountry.com).

Yet there is one extremely unique event that has never been done at any other anime convention in the world...the power/force of Qi energy. No this is not about breaking bricks, or doing the lying on the bed of nails and sledge hammering concrete slabs on the gut or head tricks, or a spear point to throat bending demo that can be repeated by all who know the secrets…but something completely different.

And it's being put on by two folks that you've seen around the San Diego Asian Film Festival for five years...me and my wife Silvia. I'm one of the bloggers and if you've attended the last two SDAFFs, then you've seen us doing free Qi Readings and healing at our booth in the Ultrastar lobby. (www.vivalachi.com) We've been using Qi energy healing for 23 years, and currently work with Olympic medallists and world champion athletes, and teach them how to use their body’s energy to instantly make their bodies 20% stronger and their minds more focused. We'll share this secret with the audience.

You've seen the chakra of Naruto, the energy balls of Dragon Ball Z and Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the reiatsu in Bleach. Saturday afternoon, March 26th, 2011, this event will clarify many aspects of these energies, as you will walk away from this presentation realizing just how real these things are.

Furthermore, this event will also feature several people who practice the 1300 year-old original martial art of the samurai, Bujinkan (San Diego's Taka-Seigi Dojo headed by William and Laura Stegner), the samurai art that became the forerunner for the ninja of Japan.

This year’s special guest is actor, producer, director and stuntman, Reuben Langdon. Reuben was a major player in James Cameron’s blockbuster movie Avatar as the stunt double for the movie’s main character, Jake Sully. Reuben’s career began in Japan as a series regular on the Japanese superhero TV series B-Fighter Kabuto (aka Beetleborgs Metallix). Apart from working with Jackie Chan in Jackie Chan: My Stunts, Gen Y-Cops, and The Medallion, Reuben was a regular in The Power Rangers and appeared alongside Sammo Hung in CBS’ hit TV show Martial Law.

Anime Conji is run by a group of local San Diego fans that have volunteered their time and effort toward putting together a cool and cracking convention. They’ve an interest in providing entertainment for like-minded individuals. Who better to bring the fun than the fans themselves? Their goal is to promote fandom culture as a whole and to foster the subculture of anime fandom in San Diego and beyond.

Beside having the expectations what anime fans want (nay often times live for) at anime conventions such as an AMV contest, panels, anime screenings, art (art show, artist alley, artist events), music/dance/parties, cosplay to the hilt, gaming to the tilt, dealers to the lilt, fashion show and masquerade that are well built and karaoke, there’s a few unexpected programs like the Last Comic Standing, the Pirate Rum Party, Mochi Maid Café and the last year’s overwhelmingly successful Swap Meet.

For more information please visit http://www.animeconji.org

May the chi and anime be with you.