Traditional Okinawan Karate
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
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.
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.
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.
Happy Summer! I hope this finds you well and in good spirits, and looking forward to Independence Day. Just a note to go along with this month’s dojo calendar, to highlight some of the upcoming events…
Starting this month, we will be moving to Summer Class Hours. This will affect some classes, but not all, and will run during the months of July and August.
• 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
Bring-A-Friend, Break-A-Board Night has been moved to Monday, July 7th. Cost is $5 per board. Each of our students will receive one free board for each non-karate friend whom they bring for this event. Please sign up for boards in advance, so that I can plan how many I need to have ready for you! Proceeds from this event go towards the dojo scholarship fund. (Note: Boards are available for anyone who is planning to bring a friend and break a board on Monday, June 30th, so no need to change plans if you were planning to attend on 6/30.)
Karate Camp will run the week of July 14-18 this year. This is open to kids aged 7 to 14, and runs from 9am until noon each day. As always, no karate experience is needed – camp features sessions for current karate students to work at their level, as well as sessions for new students to learn some basic techniques. (In fact, new students have the opportunity to complete the entire white belt curriculum in one week of camp, and then begin classes at the Purple Belt level.) Cost is $100 for the week; space is limited, and a $25 deposit will reserve your spot. Please note: you will receive a 10% discount for each non-karate friend that you bring to camp!
This month’s Special Topics Class will be held on Saturday, July 19th, from 11:05am to 12:05pm. The class will feature the Kata Ananku-Sho, the first kata of the Shorin Ryu Karate-do system. Participants must have Kata Gekisai Dai Ichi in order to attend. There is no cost for Special Topics sessions.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a great day!
Hanshi
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
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…
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.
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…
You have represented our dojo well, and we are proud of you all!
Congratulations to those students who tested for and earned their next level of rank this month at the dojo…
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 to Sensei Bob Cote, who recently passed his LPN Board Exam and earned his LPN certification! We are all proud of you, Sensei!