Holidays usually mean less students, but I'm glad that we always have at least a few students who come and train when we're open. Perhaps they are feeling guilty of eating too much holiday dinner and want to burn the calories? Whatever the reason is, I'm happy to keep the dojo open.
Thank you for coming to help clean the dojo today. Oosoji 2012 was a big success, with over 10 people participating. The dojo is clean now, ready to get dirty again in the coming new year...!
I gave Ariana this new kata, Jion. No brown belts at our dojo has done this yet. It appears mostly pretty basic, and I'm sure she can nail it in a few months. Here are some of the recommended videos:
http://youtu.be/grHqWum7U-s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aknokMHE6xk&feature=share&list=UU9XYCZUe4vlFVHRK0xwVnKw
http://youtu.be/Db_FUoW-RFA
PJ is Kanku Dai. I initially was going to give him Jion as well, but he can do this one nice as well, I hope. I believe I already posted some Kanku Dai videos in the past, but I don't remember if I had posted this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxAHnS3QXtU&feature=share&list=UU9XYCZUe4vlFVHRK0xwVnKw
I bought a used projector. We should do a movie night (or youtube night or whatever) at the dojo one of these days!
Wishing all of you a very happy new year!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
December 9 - 22, 2012 (Kyu Exam December 16)
We had a Kyu exam the other day. In general everyone did well, but unfortunately we had to fail a few people.
Failing is hard, both from the examinee's point of view and the examiner's point of view. Please do not think that we fail our students for no reasons or just because we can. We take the tests very seriously, and we are learning from them.
Some people voiced concerns that they didn't understand why they failed. It's OK to feel that way; you train because you don't know and/or you can't do. Don't think even for a second that you should pass just because you trained hard; if it works that way, we don't need a test and we simply give you a belt based on the attendance. We are testing your skill, and unfortunately some of you didn't meet the criteria of that specific rank. But we failed them because we know that they can get better and eventually pass.
What are we going to focus on for the next few weeks? Lots of kicking, lots of warm-ups since it's cold, lots of basic timing drills. New kata, of course. Oh, don't forget that we are resuming Enbu training, too. Don't tell me you already forgot the sequence!!
I can't believe it's almost the end of 2012... Well, maybe I can. It wasn't the best year for me but I had some great moments, and the dojo kept growing. We asked all our students to sign the automatic payment agreement; it was a big step for us, and we hope this will work for both you and us. And we thank all of you for your support for the dojo. (And please show your support by coming to the 2012 Oosoji on December 29!)
Winter training will take place soon - January 7-12. Ask Manny what it is about. You must experience it at least once in your martial arts training life, and believe me, it's not that bad!
Failing is hard, both from the examinee's point of view and the examiner's point of view. Please do not think that we fail our students for no reasons or just because we can. We take the tests very seriously, and we are learning from them.
Some people voiced concerns that they didn't understand why they failed. It's OK to feel that way; you train because you don't know and/or you can't do. Don't think even for a second that you should pass just because you trained hard; if it works that way, we don't need a test and we simply give you a belt based on the attendance. We are testing your skill, and unfortunately some of you didn't meet the criteria of that specific rank. But we failed them because we know that they can get better and eventually pass.
What are we going to focus on for the next few weeks? Lots of kicking, lots of warm-ups since it's cold, lots of basic timing drills. New kata, of course. Oh, don't forget that we are resuming Enbu training, too. Don't tell me you already forgot the sequence!!
I can't believe it's almost the end of 2012... Well, maybe I can. It wasn't the best year for me but I had some great moments, and the dojo kept growing. We asked all our students to sign the automatic payment agreement; it was a big step for us, and we hope this will work for both you and us. And we thank all of you for your support for the dojo. (And please show your support by coming to the 2012 Oosoji on December 29!)
Winter training will take place soon - January 7-12. Ask Manny what it is about. You must experience it at least once in your martial arts training life, and believe me, it's not that bad!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
November 18 - December 8, 2012
The test is coming up in a week. Train hard; that's all I can say...!
And it's that time of the year again! For those who have trouble finding a good gift for someone you care, how about a gift of KARATE!? VMAC sells gift certificate for any amount ($10+) for 50% OFF!!! So you pay $60 and your friend gets 2 months of karate training; how about that?? Sorry but the certificates are good for new members only.
After the test, we are having a holiday potluck party. Bring your famous dish. I heard a rumor that Makoto will prepare some sushi...
We are doing the 2nd annual Dojo Oosoji on December 29th, right after the class. What is Oosoji? Come join us to find out! It will be a fun activity for an hour; bring a broom and terrycloth and wear a comfortable housekeeping clothes.
And it's that time of the year again! For those who have trouble finding a good gift for someone you care, how about a gift of KARATE!? VMAC sells gift certificate for any amount ($10+) for 50% OFF!!! So you pay $60 and your friend gets 2 months of karate training; how about that?? Sorry but the certificates are good for new members only.
After the test, we are having a holiday potluck party. Bring your famous dish. I heard a rumor that Makoto will prepare some sushi...
We are doing the 2nd annual Dojo Oosoji on December 29th, right after the class. What is Oosoji? Come join us to find out! It will be a fun activity for an hour; bring a broom and terrycloth and wear a comfortable housekeeping clothes.
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