Happy New Year!!
Belt Promotions: Congratulations to the following people on their
belt promotions: Athena Mouw, orange belt; Tony LaPorte, purple
belt; Murphy Lammon, purple belt; James Haugen, purple belt. The
next testing will be held January 28th, 2006.
We had our Christmas party on December 22nd. We had pizza and
cake and watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Cowabunga!! We'll
have our student appreciation day again probably in July 2006.
Business: McElhone & Co. will be processing all membership dues.
Checks still need to be made payable to Aberdeen Kenpo Karate
Academy. The other thing is that fees need to be paid via check or
money as they have no way to process cash. Again if anyone has any
problems or concerns please let us know.
Just a reminder that the dojo has a new phone number: 229-AKKA
(229-2552). Also if anyone has moved or gotten a new phone number
please see Mr. Lammon to update your student file.
Schedule: There will be NO morning (11:30 AM) open workout on
January 31st or February 2nd. Mr. Lammon will be at a Tactical
Ground Fighting Instructor Course that week. Evening classes will
be the same times as usual.
Upcoming Events: There will be another tournament in Clark, SD
probably in March or so. Last year I took several students to it
just as spectators. This year I'd like to go again but take several
students to participate. It will be taekwondo rules. Again you
will need the required safety gear. There's no contact at this
tournament for anyone under black belt level. It would be a great
way to get your kumite feet wet.
I'm also hoping to take the 2006 class picture this year in May.
Hopefully we can take it on a Tuesday night so everyone can be in it
this time.
Kobudo: Just a reminder that we have a weapons class Saturday
morning at 11 AM. You do need to be proficient with at least one
weapon prior to testing for black belt.
I got a question about Russian Systema. Jim King trained under
Vladimir Vasiliev who trained under Mikhail Ryabko. Ryabko started
training at age 5 with one of Stalin's remaining personal
bodyguards. By age 15 he was going on Spetsnaz missions. Ryabko
eventually became a captain of a Spetsnaz unit that dealt with
hostage rescue and counter-terrorist operations. If it had not been
for the fall of the USSR it's unlikely that anyone would even know
of Russian Systema.
Consider this: there have been a total of 2112 US deaths over the
past few years while the US troops have been fighting in Iraq . The
firearm death rate in Iraq is around 60 per 100,000. The firearm
death rate in Washington D.C. is 80 per 100,000. That means that
that you are about 25% more likely to be shot and killed in our
Nation's Capitol than in Iraq, and our Capitol has some of the
strictest gun control laws in the nation.
Conclusion: We should immediately pull out of Washington D.C.!
Keep up the hard work and dedicated training in the new year. Get
your kicks in 2006!!