Dear Students, Teachers, Parents and Friends,

Welcome to the new high school students that have recently joined
our karate family. As the different districts begin their classes, I
want to take the time to wish you well in your studies and to
encourage you to set high goals for yourself this year. A hallmark
of a black belt leader is to always strive to do their best and
straight "A's" is a good goal to shoot for.

For those of you that have taken the summer off and are just now
returning to training, you will notice some changes at the dojo. One
of the big changes is going back to full safety gear for sparring.
Safety has always been a big concern and to ensure that we want to
see each student have their own hand, foot and headgear to reduce
injuries. To make it affordable, we will have discounts on select
items for the next couple of months and also a discount if you buy
the whole package at once. For more information, or to place an
order for your safety gear please see one of our staff members.

For those students testing for a level of black belt, the test is
scheduled for October 3rd. We are planning on having demo's and
entertainment as we congratulate our new black belts. We will also
have special seminars on Saturday with some special guests coming in
from out of town. Mark your calendar as the 3rd and 4th of October
is going to be a very special weekend.

Don't forget our special VIP program runs through December and the
school is rewarding our students with a $50 cash reward for any VIP
referral they bring into the school that joins. We recognize that
friends share good things with their friends and this is our way of
saying thanks for handing out our VIP guest passes which is good for
one free month of karate lessons and a free uniform. This offer has
a real cash value of $100. If you need some VIP passes, please see
one of our staff members.

This Wednesday Master Bob Davis is coming down to give a free
seminar on the new sport rules. The seminar will be at 7:30 right
after the brown and black belt class. Anyone interested in sport
competition is encouraged to attend.



The Lesson of the Week

Walk Softly

President Teddy Roosevelt, who by the way was the first American
president that earned a black belt once said,"Walk softly and carry
and big stick." The idea of traveling lightly and not making a scene
is a common tactic for safety. We understand that if we blend in
then we become invisible to many enemies and this makes us feel
safer. This stealth tactic is common and works well in the animal
kingdom. Even the old Shaolin saying of "when looked for could not
be seen" indicates that the Shaolin monks were aware of this tactic.

Stealth and conformity to the rules of the land allow us to blend in
and allows us to keep a low profile. The true warrior learns to
touch the ground gently and leave little trace of his passage, or as
Sun Tsu described "a ghost in the starlight."

The stealth tactic however, is not appropriate at all times. Excess
anonymity leads us to blindly follow authority which can at times be
very costly. Conformity can also lead to a sense of less personal
responsibility. Setting goals and being assertive in achieving them
is the core foundation of success, so what is the answer?

Black Belt Leadership is all about knowing when to be assertive and
when to be invisible.
A true warrior knows which fights to fight and which ones to avoid,
when to be an individual and when to blend in. The foundation of
that decision is your core beliefs and principles. When one never
deviates from his or her core beliefs then, the decision is usually
the right one.

One of our mottos have been, "The ability to fight and the
confidence not too." I think Teddy Roosevelt described this
behavior of black belt leader when he said, "walk softly but carry a
big stick."

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan