Rising Sun Martial Arts

Traditional Okinawan Karate

Author: Hanshi Brent Baker

  • 34th Annual ShidokanUSA Tournament

    Let is Let it be known that the following students represented our dojo well at the annual Shidokan tournament on Saturday, May 2, 2015. They all performed well, and each was a credit to our school. I am proud of each and every one of them.
    -Hanshi

    Calla B.
    Evan M.
    Fran R.
    George D.
    Jacob R.
    Joseph R.
    Karrie W.
    Kendra B.
    Walter A.
    Zach B.

    Altogether, our dojo brought home…
    • 3 First Place Medals
    • 4 Second Place Medals
    • 2 Third Place Medals
    • 3 Fourth Place Medals

  • Rank Test Weekend!

    This weekend saw some great performances on the dojo floor.  Friday night was the Kyu-Rank (below Black Belt) Test.  Everyone did well; all present passed their tests.  Beth and Fran Renaud were awarded their Rokyu level (Green Belt) in a special ceremony at the end of the night.  Other kyu-rank levels will be awarded in class this week.

    Saturday afternoon was the semi-annual Black Belt Test.  We had three individuals test: Zach Belisle and Evan Miller tested for the level of Joshu-Shoban (1st Degree Junior Black Belt).  Tim Cunningham is in the process of transitioning from Junior Black Belt to Adult Black Belt, and tested for the levels of Shodan, Nidan, and Sandan-ho (1st, 2nd and probationary 3rd Degree Black Belt).  All three gave impressive performances – most notably on their kata bunkai (analysis of selected forms) – and passed with flying colors.

    The Black Belt promotion ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 4th, at 10am.  Families and friends are most welcome to come and be part of the celebration, as this event is open to the public.

  • Green Mountain Open – Tournament Champion

    Congratulations to Sensei Jill Chastenay, who took two first place trophies and won the Female Black Belt Grand Championship at the Green Mountain Open in Rutland, VT, on Saturday, March 28th.

    For a complete list of our dojo’s tournament champions, click on the “Trainers of Champions!” link on the front page of our website.

  • Spring Little Ninjas Program

    Little Ninjas will be starting up for this Spring!

    Classes will run on Saturdays, from 9 to 9:45am, starting on March 14th.

    Registrations can be taken before or after the class session on this day.  Students should wear comfortable clothes that they can move in.

    To ensure program quality, class size is limited to ten students.

  • Summer Class Hours

    Starting in July, we will be moving to Summer Class Hours. This will affect some classes, but not all, and will run through the end of August.

    Summer hours will run as follows…

    • Mondays
    o 5:05 – 5:35pm Junior Beginner
    o 5:40 – 6:40pm Junior Novice/Intermediate
    o 6:45 – 7:45pm Teen/Adult Novice/Intermediate
    • Tuesdays
    o 5:30 – 6:45pm Kobudo
    o 6:45 – 7:15pm Teen/Adult Beginner
    o 7:15 – 8:30pm Advanced
    • Wednesdays
    o 5:05 – 5:35pm Junior Beginner
    o 5:40 – 6:40pm Junior Novice/Intermediate
    o 6:45 – 7:45pm Teen/Adult Novice/Intermediate
    • Thursdays
    o 5:30 – 6:45pm Advanced
    o 6:45 – 7:15pm Teen/Adult Beginner
    • Fridays
    o 5:05 – 5:35pm Junior Beginner
    o 5:40 – 6:40pm Junior Novice/Intermediate
    • Saturdays
    o 10:00 – 11:00am Kobudo
    o 11:05 – 12:05pm All Ages, Purple Belt & Above

  • Student Resource Pages Launched

    Rising Sun Martial Arts has launched a series of student resource pages aimed at giving students a better handle on the terminology, protocols, and philosophies of karate.  The White Belt page began distribution tonight (2/6/14) in classes, with other levels to follow in successive months.

    The White Belt pages features information such as…

    • The name of our style and the English translation.
    • Procedures for the opening and closing of class.
    • Selected Japanese terminology (with pronunciations).
    • The belt color sequence.
    • Instructions for folding your gi.
    • And more!

    New students entering the dojo will be given a folder containing the White Belt page and a copy of the Dojo Rules.  As they progress through the ranks, more pages will be added.

    To bring current students up to speed, Hanshi will be distributing folders (containing the White Belt page and a copy of the Dojo Rules) to Junior students.  Adults students will receive the White Belt page, with the thought that they can supply their own folders as they desire.

    The Purple Belt page is scheduled to be distributed in March.

  • New England Classic Tournament Results

    Congratulations to all who participated in the New England Classic tournament (2/1/14) at Franklin Pierce University.  Results from our dojo are as follows…

    • Sensei Amelia Gallup – 1st Place Kata / 1st Place Kobudo / Grand Champion Kata
    • Sensei Jill Chastenay – 2nd Place Kata / 2nd Place Kumite.
    • Michael H. – 4th Place Kata.
    • Aiden K. – 5th Place Kata / 5th Place Kumite.

    You have represented our dojo well, and we are proud of you all!

  • Recent Promotions

    Congratulations to those students who tested for and earned their next level of rank this month at the dojo…

    Bill and Hayden were promoted to the level of Rokyu (1st Degree Green Belt) at a ceremony immediately following the test on Friday night (1/24/14).
    Beth and Fran received their Blue Belts (Shichikyu level) in class on Saturday morning (1/25/14).

    Rank testing is conducted once per month at the dojo.  A promotion ceremony is held after the test for those students moving up to their Green Belt or Brown Belt.  All other promotions are awarded at the student’s next class.

  • Congratulations!

    Congratulations to Sensei Bob Cote, who recently passed his LPN Board Exam and earned his LPN certification!  We are all proud of you, Sensei!

  • 2014 Goals

    At the First Night of Training 2014, Hanshi Baker challenged the students to set goals for what they want to accomplish this year.  Students and instructors wrote (and are still writing) their goals on the dojo whiteboard.  Here are some examples…

    • I will do each of my kata at least once per week.  [Black Belt]
    • I want to be a Sankyu (1st Degree Brown Belt).  [Green Belt]
    • I want to do Tae Kiyoko Gedan 200 times in a year.  [Green Belt]
    • To DO more and try less.  [Green Belt]
    • I want to learn 10 more Tae Kiyoko.  [Green Belt]
    • To be healthier & to learn & be wiser.  [Blue Belt]
    • To do my very best in every class.  [Black Belt]
    • I want to do 10,000 sit-ups in 2014.  [Blue Belt]
    • I want to be a Green Belt by the end of the year.  [Purple Belt]
    • To earn my Black Belt this year.  [Brown Belt]
    • I want to learn all the Tae Kiyokos.  [Green Belt]
    • I want to do a ten-by-ten this year.  [Brown Belt]
    • I wish to become a Brown Belt.  [Green Belt]
    • I want to be a Nikyu (2nd Degree Brown Belt) by the end of 2014.  I also want to do 15 of each Tae Kiyoko daily.  [Green Belt]
    • Shiko Dachi will become my favorite stance.  [Blue Belt]
    • 100 classes by Oct. 1, 2014.  [Black Belt]
    • Make Gokyu (2nd Degree Green Belt) in Kobudo.  [Black Belt]
    • To be a white-yellow belt in weapons.  [Blue Belt]
    • To be invited to join the weapons class.  [Brown Belt]
    • I want to be an orange belt by the end of the year.  [Yellow Belt]
    • I want to be a Brown Belt before my brother comes back.  [Green Belt]
    If you haven’t set a goal for yourself for this year, what are you waiting for?  What do you want to accomplish this year?  Add your goal to the board!