Dojo: The dojo is moving to a new location, 506 NE 1st Ave. The
building will hopefully work better and the operating costs will be
lower. Because of rising operating costs (rent & utilities) at the
old building and recent decrease in membership we came to the
conclusion that either we raise monthly membership fees and start
charging testing fees or move to a different location. We feel this
was the best and only decision under the circumstances. You all know
how much I'm against belt testing fees. Our phone number, 229-AKKA
(2552), will stay the same. We hope this will allow us to get more
training equipment. And yes we'll be able to hang heavy bags in the
new building. Please excuse the mess and be patient while we get set
back up. A new bathroom is currently being installed and we hope to
have it operational ASAP.
Belt Promotions: Testing was held May 23rd. It was the last
testing held at 202 N Main St. Congratulations to the following
students on their promotions: Paige Haugen, Jr orange belt stripe;
Shae Miller, Jr orange belt stripe; Brandon Bumpous, Jr purple belt
stripe; and Zack Bumpous, Jr purple belt stripe. The next testing
will be held Tuesday, June 27th at 6:30 PM.
VKA Hall of Fame: Mr. Holland was nominated for the Valadez Kenpo
Association Hall of Fame. I'm happy to announce that he was chosen
as the Karate Instructor of the Year out of all the nominees. The
VKA sent the award to Mr. Lammon who presented it to Mr. Holland on
behalf of the VKA and the dojo on May 23rd. Congratulations to Mr.
Holland!!
Business: Just a reminder that quarterly membership fees are due
next month. If you are paying monthly please pay by June 8th. Also
a few of you still owe money for class pictures and t-shirts. Please
get these items paid for ASAP. We will probably be taking another
order for rear window car decals in the near future for those of you
who missed out this last time.
So was dad jealous of the Karate Mom t-shirts for Mother's Day? If
so, we got the solution...Karate Dad t-shirts. Father's Day is June
18th. These t-shirts will also be $20. Please have your order in by
June 6th so we can make sure they arrive in time.
Student manuals will be available shortly. All of the material up
through 1st degree black belt is done. I'm just proof reading and
making small corrections now. We will be holding off printing them
until we get moved in to the new dojo. Price of the manuals will be
determined by printing costs.
Schedule: We are considering changing the days we have training
since many of you have conflicts on the current training days,
especially Thursday. We looking for input from everyone on this. We
don't want class to begin before 6:30 PM for the Kenpo Kids class
because we feel it's important that children have the opportunity to
have dinner with their parents.
Also please be sure to refer to the calendar on back for class
times and events. Remember that testing is usually the last Tuesday
of the month at 6:30 PM. Please wear your full uniform for
testings.
Upcoming Events: There will be another taekwondo tournament in
Clark, SD on June 17th. It will be held at the pool park. It's only
a local tournament, no teams from out of state/country. The entry
fee is only $18 and registration begins at 11 AM. There will be a
pool party afterwards ($3 for a pool pass). This would be an
excellent tournament to attend if you've never competed before. You
will be required to wear protective gear so if you need anything
let's get it ordered ASAP so it's here on time.
We plan on having our annual student appreciation day on Tuesday
July 11th. We will probably BBQ again and watch a movie. It'll
begin around 6:30 PM and last a few hours. We will be watching The
Last Samurai which is rated R because of the battle sequences, a few
of which do have some blood. It's a good story set in the 1880's in
Japan and is roughly based on the history of the samurai. If any
parent has any concerns with this movie please speak to Mr. Lammon.
All students from all classes are welcome to attend.
We're still hoping to have the Karate Camp but because of moving
and the conflict with Aberdeen's 125th anniversary we're going to
push the date back to this fall. Hopefully this will work better for
everyone.
There will be a Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament in Sioux Falls
September 23rd, 2006. Entry fee is only $25. The event begins at 9
AM. See flyer on the bulletin board at the dojo for more details.
The 11th Annual Fargo Open Martial Arts Championships featuring
semi-contact karate, taekwondo, and submission grappling will be held
October 28th, 2006. Pre-registration fee is $40 by October 20th and
$50 after that date. This tournament will also have a forms,
weapons, and breaking competitions.
Kumite: Just a reminder that sparring is done Tuesday nights at
approx 8:45 PM. Sparring is required to get your green belt. You
may want to start buying protective gear a little at a time as a full
set costs around $100. There may be a tournament held here in
Aberdeen in August at the YMCA so it pays to start practicing now.
Kobudo: You are required to earn one kobudo weapons patch before
you can test for black belt. Weapons practice is held Thursday
nights at approx 8:45 PM.
Etiquette: Etiquette in the dojo has been slacking a bit.
Remember to bow in before stepping on the training floor and bow out
when stepping off. When instructors ask questions you should reply
with either yes sir or no sir. During class you should be focused on
one thing-KARATE. Please pay attention and train hard.
Remember...discipline is doing what is right even when no one is
looking.
Health & Fitness: In May students took a Karate Physical Fitness
Test (KPFT). The KPFT is used to evaluate a student's fitness
level. It's not a pass or fail test, just a tool used to help
students set goals to improve their fitness levels. We will be
taking the KPFT a minimum of twice a year. Also, be sure to bring
water to class. You will be sweating a lot during class this summer
and need to stay hydrated.
Housekeeping: Everyone is expected to do their part to keep the
new dojo neat and presentable. It's everyone's dojo so let's keep it
clean. I will not allow the mess in the new changing room like the
one that was in the old changing room. Hangers are there for a
reason. Please hang your gi up on a hanger. To assist you in
remembering to do this everyone will be assigned a hanger with your
name on it. If you need more than one hanger, that's fine just let
me know. Let's stay professional and disciplined.
Other: Our 2006 class picture was in the Aberdeen American News on
Monday May 22nd. We have it posted on the bulletin board if you
missed it.
As most of you are aware of Mr. Holland will no longer be with the
dojo. His employer has transferred him to Arizona and he starts June
19th. I want to personally thank Kent for all of his help and
guidance in founding the dojo and keeping it up and running over the
past year and a half. His insights have greatly influenced the
curriculum and our overall training in a very positive way. It will
be a great loss to see him leave but I feel fortunate to have known
and trained with him over the past year and a half. Please wish him
luck and he knows he's always welcome at the dojo. He was the first
person I've ever promoted to black belt and he's set the black belt
bar very high.
On another sad note, Leilani Parker, wife of late Grandmaster Ed
Parker, has been diagnosed with cancer and has only been given 6
months to live. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts.
Thank you.