tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85778777865142473132024-02-19T06:02:41.619-08:00Valley Traditional KarateDojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.comBlogger279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-18271010827749500452015-10-25T17:47:00.002-07:002015-10-25T17:47:33.243-07:00AAKF Western Regional Youth Tournament October 24 (and my general thoughts on competitions/judges)<div style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Tournaments are not all about winning medals and trophies. It's about testing your ability, allowing yourself to be judged/criticized by other people and learning from the experience. You may feel sad or embarrassed when you lose, but you're already a winner just by entering a match, overcoming nervousness or shyness! It's cool to receive shiny medals and trophies as symbols of your hard work, but that shouldn't be the main concern when you compete.</div>
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Judges are there to help you get better. There are skilled judges and less skilled ones and they all may make mistakes, but you are asking for their opinions and agreeing to trust their decisions. I disagree to a comment that there were some sleepy judges yesterday. They all worked hard as much as the competitors, and whether you like it or not you have to respect their decisions. It's easy to blame other people when you lose but that won't help you get better.</div>
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In many matches I competed both domestic and international, I lost so many times even though I felt that my overall karate skills were better than other competitors. But I always humbly accept my loss, that my opponent was better then and there under those rules, and I learn what I need to do to get better by next time. I actually learn more when I lose, but even when I win I know I'm not perfect and will strive for better. </div>
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And I know how hard it is to judge, and I'm always thankful for their service regardless of the result of my (or my students') matches.</div>
Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-42722911203066907122015-07-11T18:49:00.000-07:002015-07-11T18:49:26.694-07:00AAKF Nationals (June 23-27), VMAC 4-Year Anniversary (July 18 at 11AM) & Next Kyu Test (August 23 at 5PM)4 of us (me, Eiko, Jon M and Manny) went and competed at the AAKF Nationals in Washington, DC and we all brought home medals! Manny even passed his black belt test! But honestly, the best part of participating in this kind of event is to learn and to get motivated to learn further through exchanges with like-minded friends from around the nation or world.<br />
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...But still, it's nice to be able to bring home some souvenirs:<br />
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Eiko: 3rd Kumite, 3rd Fukugo<br />
Taichiro: 1st Kata, 2nd Kogo<br />
Jon M: 3rd Team Kumite<br />
Manny: 1st Adult Brown Belt (Kata & Kumite)<br />
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Next year it will be hosted in Minneapolis, MN. I highly recommend any of you to participate in the seminar, tournament or just to hang out and watch!<br />
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VMAC Anniversary Party is coming up on Saturday, July 18 at 11AM. This year we will be watching some little kids showcasing their deadly martial arts skills and going "Awwwww...!!!" before starting to eat and drink. It will be fun and everyone is invited.<br />
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Next Kyu test will be on Sunday, August 23 at 5PM for kids, 6:30 for adults. It's just around the corner, train hard and get prepared. If you desire extra help, the instructors are available for private sessions.Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-53065980731904388412015-05-08T10:32:00.000-07:002015-05-08T10:32:33.298-07:002015 Western Regional Championships ResultsMay 3, 2015 at Redondo Beach Masonic Lodge<br />
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Kyu-level Kata<br />
1st Emmanuel Yumul (VTK)<br />
2nd Michael Khachanov (VTK)<br />
3rd Misaki Montuya (VTK)<br />
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Kyu-level Kumite<br />
1st Emmanuel Yumul (VTK)<br />
2nd Michael Khachanov (VTK)<br />
3rd Misaki Montuya (VTK)<br />
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Kata<br />
1st Taichiro Kaijima (VTK)<br />
2nd Jon Menefee (VTK)<br />
3rd Joerg Kohring (TKA)<br />
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Fukugo<br />
1st Joerg Kohring (TKA)<br />
2nd Dan Grossman (TKA)<br />
3rd Jon Menefee (VTK)<br />
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Kogo Kumite<br />
1st Taichiro Kaijima<br />
2nd Jon Menefee (VTK)<br />
3rd Dan Grossman (TKA)<br />
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Kumite<br />
1st Jon Menefee (VTK)<br />
2nd Joerg Kohring (TKA)<br />
3rd Dan Grossman (TKA)Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-11895808726326565552015-05-08T09:21:00.000-07:002015-05-08T09:21:25.522-07:00A lot going on...As always, we have been busy at VTK/VMAC!<br />
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<ul>
<li>Kids Tournament March 15</li>
<li>National Seminar April 17-19</li>
<li>Kyu Test April 26</li>
<li>Regional Championship May 3</li>
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Also welcome new students and return of Leroy. And we have a brand new black belt, congratulations Nate! <br />
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June 23-25 there will be the national mini-camp in Washington DC, followed by the National Championships (for youth, Kyu level and black belts). For now I, Eiko, Jon Menefee and Manny are going. Let us know if you want to join us to have fun in DC!<br />
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After that, the next Kyu test will be August 23... train hard and be ready!Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-74781338425486611552015-03-11T21:59:00.000-07:002015-03-11T21:59:14.387-07:002015 VTK Kyu-Level Tournament11 students competed in our in-house tournament last Saturday and they all did GREAT! Kudos to everyone who participated including judges. <br />
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Competition is always a great learning experience, win or lose. Sometimes you actually learn more by losing. It's nice to win of course, but if you win and think you're the best you don't know what you're practicing. NO ONE is perfect in our style of martial arts. That's why there is no grand master! :-)<br />
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Our next event will be the AAKF Spring Seminar April 17-19! Early bird registration deadline is March 31. We printed out some registration forms for you to fill out. For our students only, we can charge the fee on your credit card or bank account if you wish, just let us know.<br />
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This 3-day seminar will probably be scheduled like this:<br />
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Friday - Kata (1 basic and 1 advanced)<br />
Saturday - Kumite<br />
Sunday - Conclusion<br />
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We haven't received many registrations yet, but I'm hoping to have a big turnout. We expect all of YOU to be there as well. Spread the words!<br />
<br />Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-24213616939796259992015-01-31T19:35:00.001-08:002015-01-31T19:35:08.477-08:00AAKF National Seminar April 17-19 at VMAC!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Coming soon!</div>
<br />Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-78544299998310927582015-01-01T23:48:00.000-08:002015-01-02T00:04:03.663-08:00Happy New Year - 2015My new year resolution: To write on this blog at least every couple of months. There, I said it!<br />
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It will be a big year for our dojo. There are a few events lined up:<br />
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-Winter training<br />
January 12-16: Rokah Karate at 6AM<br />
January 17 (Saturday): VMAC at 10:30AM<br />
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-National Seminar<br />
April 3-5: VMAC<br />
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-Western Regional Championship<br />
April?<br />
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-National Championship<br />
June ? at Washington DC<br />
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-Legacy Camp<br />
July? at San Diego<br />
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-Pan American Championship<br />
November? in Brazil<br />
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-Dojo Tournament<br />
?<br />
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And couple of our students may test for their black belt. Very exciting!<br />
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Happy New Year, and hope to see many of you more often at the dojo this coming year!Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-73735458419727972292014-01-03T12:43:00.002-08:002014-01-03T12:43:34.078-08:00January 3, 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy New Year Everyone! We completed yet another successful year running a dojo. I just want to thank all the dojo members for training hard and supporting this nice little place. It has actually grown to be not too "little" - we have about 90 students combining all the programs. We set the goal to reach 100 students by the end of year and we didn't quite make it, but we have been steadily growing and that we do not have to increase the monthly fees this year, which is a big achievement in my opinion.<br />
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We had a few events since the last blog entry:<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">October 31: Halloween costume training</b><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">November 9: Nishiyama Memorial</b></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">December 15: Kyu Test</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MHejJ1FDG1PuhAl5lfC94WnqJyuOSmR34iVb7DkC_NDWyIToevMR_vFhQbJtIYgLtGY7oUivJ7Knod3CD8jRIFDOShG6_8exd5iVxp11wFXzP30l6AyBn-T7OrhlEr3bkF_3obwb6w/s1600/IMG_0167+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MHejJ1FDG1PuhAl5lfC94WnqJyuOSmR34iVb7DkC_NDWyIToevMR_vFhQbJtIYgLtGY7oUivJ7Knod3CD8jRIFDOShG6_8exd5iVxp11wFXzP30l6AyBn-T7OrhlEr3bkF_3obwb6w/s320/IMG_0167+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">December 18: Manny's first teaching!</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_5EqqRv3kCffHF-4Ebf_TSoPQLRxmPFTgJnNHoHDNkQwdgDop7KSXqr-uG-q8FoAqnGGF2CKnTuOTuS0i3GrPnEAR2kmpOhVl4t-3vZPSF57SrdjBmU6e9fgRJ07zBVPP-PTtNFahQ/s1600/1491670_10202832508433189_1642067870_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HaZYKFlGigQiSIEPPkjihvACNE3J9tJA1Fhx-nLFuKbFLzA9LeU1Ogu6xAtFUdeYlw9HIcoyJ_QdvHB3yJqs6nW9RZz8J4yHxtaSF5v7dJBY2dbEgjMwlljNPLJgMx8wXL3ac5EiLQ/s1600/998653_10202726256536958_2002120531_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HaZYKFlGigQiSIEPPkjihvACNE3J9tJA1Fhx-nLFuKbFLzA9LeU1Ogu6xAtFUdeYlw9HIcoyJ_QdvHB3yJqs6nW9RZz8J4yHxtaSF5v7dJBY2dbEgjMwlljNPLJgMx8wXL3ac5EiLQ/s320/998653_10202726256536958_2002120531_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_5EqqRv3kCffHF-4Ebf_TSoPQLRxmPFTgJnNHoHDNkQwdgDop7KSXqr-uG-q8FoAqnGGF2CKnTuOTuS0i3GrPnEAR2kmpOhVl4t-3vZPSF57SrdjBmU6e9fgRJ07zBVPP-PTtNFahQ/s320/1491670_10202832508433189_1642067870_n.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">December 28: VMAC Annual Oosoji</b><br />
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And the <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>2014 Winter Training </b></span></span>is coming up next week. It's every morning (6-7AM) from Monday through Friday at Sensei Avi Rokah's TKA dojo in Beverly Hills area, plus Saturday morning at 10:30 we have the closing training at out own VMAC! Believe me, it's a great training and definitely worth waking up early. Who is going? I am!<br />
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Also, check out an upcoming <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Summer Training Camp</b></span> information here: http://www.legacykarate.info/<br />
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Ugh, this blog page is not letting me do the photo layout easily... FYI, many photos can be viewed on our dojo Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/Valley-Martial-Arts-Center/152796298146068) or on our dojo website photo album (valleymac.com/VTK/vtk_album/index.html).<br />
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And last but not least, I just want to say something about my previous blog entry. At that time I was still working for ITKF office part time so it was probably not the best to talk about ITKF's internal problem on a public blog. However, I just want to clarify that 1) I wrote that article based on my subjective observation about the issues happening, 2) It was no way reflecting ITKF's official opinions, and 3) I did not mean to support either side. Without saying I thought it was clear that that article was my private opinion for my private dojo students, but a person from another country became upset reading it, claiming that I caused significant damage worldwide (though the page was accessed only a handful of times based on the stats and I had to wonder how much "damage" this has actually caused... Oh well.). In any case, I apologize if I misled anyone with that article. I am no longer working for ITKF, so I hope it's not going to cause any more troubles...</div>
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Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-72181497841914804902013-10-26T22:06:00.000-07:002013-10-26T22:06:37.644-07:00October 26, 2013"Post a blog entry" has been on my to-do list for quite sometime but I have been simply unable to get to it for the past 4 months. Most of my students probably don't even follow this blog, but I'll do my best to periodically post some information here, I promise!<br />
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First, let me talk about some events that happened since the last blog update:<br />
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<b>July 21: VMAC 2-year anniversary party</b><br />
Thanks all for showing up. I hope you enjoyed the demonstrations by all different disciplines that we offer.<br />
<b>August 18: Kyu Test</b><br />
Passing or failing, I hope you all learned something that motivates you to keep training.<br />
<b>October 4-6: AAKF National Seminar</b><br />
Me, Eiko, Jon M, Manny, Joe, Shamane, Jon D and Mike participated. It was a fun seminar, and I hope we can provide you with more of this type of opportunities.<br />
<b>October 5: Dan test</b><br />
Jon Menefee is our new black belt! I'm very proud of you, Jon.<br />
<b>October 20: TMAC Tournament in San Diego</b><br />
Joe and Manny represented us and competed hard! Now they have some "revenges" to do in the next tournament...?<br />
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And some future events in the next couple of months:<br />
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<b>October 31: Halloween costume training</b><br />
Once a year opportunity to train in any clothing other than a gi. Don't miss it!<br />
<b>November 9: Nishiyama Memorial </b><br />
We will have a special training on Saturday morning, inviting people from other dojos and possibly be taught by a guest instructor. Free of charge. Then we will go visit Sensei Nishiyama's grave.<br />
<b>December 15: Kyu Test</b><br />
Are you getting ready?? Remember, your test gets harder and harder as you go up. You need to increasingly put more effort, or else...<br />
<b>January 6-11: Winter Special Training</b><br />
Early morning training (6-7am) for 5 days in West LA. It sounds awful but it really is... Just kidding, the hardest part is to wake up and drive at dawn. I guarantee that you will feel so refreshed every morning after the training, and this is the best way to start the year off right!<br />
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And usually by this time of the year I'm getting ready to compete in an international tournament, either Pan American or World. However this year, I'm not competing mainly because of some political issues that our national federation (AAKF) and the international federation (ITKF) are going through. Many of you received a communication from the AAKF, so it's time to explain what is going on and where we stand.<br />
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Our dojo belongs to a national organization called AAKF (American Amateur Karate Federation). This is where your membership fee of $30 goes, and where your Kyu certificates have been issued from. AAKF is a US representative of ITKF (International Traditional Karate Federation) and that's where I compete internationally and you will get your Dan certificate from (upon passing/registering). Both of these federations were founded by my teacher, Sensei Nishiyama, and naturally our dojo has been a member in good standing since our beginning.<br />
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Upon Sensei Nishiyama's departure a newly formed Board of Directors took leadership of ITKF and another of AAKF separately. Unfortunately the leaders of these 2 federations do not get along, and apparently there were many more in the world who don't like how ITKF is now operating. Polish federation, the biggest and the most successful traditional karate federation in the world, took an initiative to leave ITKF and many other countries/national federations followed (including AAKF), resulting in ITKF's split in the "current ITKF" and the "New Era ITKF".<br />
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In a meantime there were American members who were unhappy with how AAKF was operating, and these people don't like the fact that AAKF is leaving the current ITKF and joining the new era ITKF. So they decided to split away from the "current AAKF" and to create "new AAKF". So now there are 2 international federations and 2 national federations to choose from:<br />
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Current AAKF + New ITKF<br />
New AAKF + Current ITKF<br />
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New AAKF, which I heard will soon be established, will have a different name (hopefully making it less confusing...). New ITKF, however, is trying to keep the name "ITKF" and this matter will likely end up in the court. Anyway, the more choices the better? Not in this case. AAKF and ITKF have been "small but strong-minded organizations" in my opinion. We can't compete in number of members with other major karate organizations. Sensei Nishiyama used to value "quality over quantity", but making a small organization even smaller will only weaken it even in terms of quality. Now either side has less instructors or less athletes, which means less chances to learn from quality instructors or to compete among a large pool of talented athletes in the world...<br />
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I have friends/acquaintances that I trust in all 4 organizations, but I also have a few people that I don't trust in every organization, too. So it is personally very difficult to choose which side I will take. I know certain "politics" are necessary when we are involved in any organizations, but I prefer to stay out of karate politics because karate for me is about self-improvement and friendship, NOT about power games or hating people.<br />
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It is sad that people are fighting over small things or their personal agendas, and in the end we as members/students suffer the most. We, as your karate dojo, will try to choose the best option for our future growth. At this point we are still a member of the current AAKF which is now officially affiliated with New Era ITKF, but upon careful consideration our affiliation may or may not change in the future.Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-41413352321555692892013-06-30T22:01:00.000-07:002013-06-30T22:01:12.981-07:00June 30, 2013Somehow I managed to write two blog entries in one month! Big deal...<br />
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I and Eiko had a good time at the AAKF National Championship held in St. Louis, MO. Eiko took 2 bronze medals (Kogo and Kumite) and I took 2 gold medals (Kata and Fukugo). It was a great venue and well organized tournament. And a great after-party, of course! If my dojo people are like my immediate family, those karate people I see at the national or international events are like my relatives and high school friends back home. I'm blessed to have known so many cool guys & gals who share the same passion.<br />
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Our dojo is going to celebrate 2-year anniversary soon! The party will be on July 21st. There will be a training, various demonstrations, food, drinks and more (whatever you can imagine)! We're very excited about this milestone and the growth of our dojo in the last 2 years. Guess how many members we have now? Hoping to reach a hundred before the new year!<br />
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Karate class attendance has not been very good. Jiu-jitsu classes are beating us on a regular basis... Did you know that the next test is less than 2 months away: it's August 21st. I know a few of you told me that you were going to test, but are you, really?? You know that the regular training never lies...<br />
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Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-76653603336717369432013-06-01T23:33:00.001-07:002013-06-01T23:33:35.202-07:00- June 1, 2013Long time no blogging!<br />
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It's not that there was nothing to write. I simply didn't have time or didn't feel like writing, or both. We had the regional championship and Kyu exam in April. In May a lot of our students took a break/went easy and the attendance was pretty bad. Now it's a new month and time to get ready for the next short term goal, be it a Kyu test, a Dan test or a tournament!<br />
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On July 21st the dojo will be hosting a 2-year anniversary party! We will ask a few of you to do some type of demonstrations (most likely Kata). Be prepared. Like the last year and the year before, we will probably do a training, followed by some demos, followed by lots of foods and drinks. Your help/contribution will be highly appreciated. Can you believe that it's been already 2 years? Actually, I feel that it has been a lot longer, since I've spent a lot of time at this dojo in the last 2 years. A lot. Make it every-single-day...<br />
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And in August (the 18th or the 25th, not decided yet) we will have the next Kyu exam. We recently had a few people joined, so this will be their first test. Very exciting!<br />
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It may not be of your concern, but I and Eiko will be competing at the AAKF Nationals in 3 weeks. Wish us luck! Depending on how we place, we may get to go to Argentina for the Pan American championship in November...<br />
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In October or November, our region will be hosting a 2-day national seminar somewhere in LA, OC or SD area. There will be some high-rank instructors gathered from across the country, and it will be a cool event.<br />
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OK, I listed all the known future events for the next few months, just in case I take another long break from blogging...! :-)<br />
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In case you're new to the dojo or to this blog, I have a list of recommended youtube videos to learn your Kata posted on this blog's past entries. Search by the tag "Kata". I'll try to make sure that those links are still active.<br />
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See you at the dojo! Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-61287620968498879662013-02-17T00:20:00.002-08:002013-02-17T00:20:32.049-08:00January 27 - February 16, 2013A few announcements...<br />
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1. Next Kyu exam will be on April 28. Just over 2 more months! Train hard!!<br />
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2. Regional championship will be on April 21 in Redondo Beach. Myself and maybe Eiko and Jon? will compete, so come cheer for us!<br />
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3. Some of our brown belts will be teaching some classes. No, we won't have them teach regularly just yet, but this will be a training/trial so that they can plan ahead and practice/learn how to teach. To start off, Jon M. will be teaching this Wednesday the 20th and is promising us a great lesson; don't miss it!<br />
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4. It's always nice to have new students. In case you didn't know, we are giving you $10 as an incentive for introducing a new student (s/he must sign up for more than 1 month); bring us 6 new students and you get yourself a month ($60) FREE!<br />
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5. Get your AAKF membership renewed soon!<br />
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6. Train hard!!! :-)<br />
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<br />Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-57380549528379907952013-01-27T22:08:00.003-08:002013-01-27T22:09:11.510-08:00December 30, 2012 - January 26, 2013HAPPY NEW YEAR!<br />
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Really? Have I not posted anything on the blog since last year?? Shame on me.<br />
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Anyway, we had the Winter Training for 6 early mornings in the second week of January. 9 people completed (5+ classes) the course this year, and 4 of them were from our dojo! Congratulations Jon Budd, Makoto, Manny and me!<br />
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I feel that this year would be a great year for the dojo. Why? I don't know! But it doesn't hurt to feel positive. I just hope that there would be no more rain to wet our bathroom ceiling and walls...<br />
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We've been working on "body snap" and some blocking techniques lately. We'll probably continue with it for another week or so, but start integrating some other techniques or timing strategies as well.<br />
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Hope to see more of you more often at the dojo this year!Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-53397544360499931312012-12-29T22:09:00.000-08:002012-12-29T22:09:14.332-08:00December 23 - 29, 2012 (Oosoji!)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.<br />
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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...!<br />
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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:<br />
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http://youtu.be/grHqWum7U-s<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aknokMHE6xk&feature=share&list=UU9XYCZUe4vlFVHRK0xwVnKw<br />
http://youtu.be/Db_FUoW-RFA<br />
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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:<br />
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxAHnS3QXtU&feature=share&list=UU9XYCZUe4vlFVHRK0xwVnKw<br />
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I bought a used projector. We should do a movie night (or youtube night or whatever) at the dojo one of these days!<br />
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Wishing all of you a very happy new year!Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-25801959661292884402012-12-23T22:18:00.001-08:002012-12-23T22:52:11.651-08:00December 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!!<br />
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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!)<br />
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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!<br />
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<br />Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-44389973471282616182012-12-09T21:08:00.000-08:002012-12-23T22:50:56.702-08:00November 18 - December 8, 2012The test is coming up in a week. Train hard; that's all I can say...!<br />
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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.<br />
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After the test, we are having a holiday potluck party. Bring your famous dish. I heard a rumor that Makoto will prepare some sushi... <br />
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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.<br />
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<br />Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-53559542577217049152012-11-17T19:56:00.000-08:002012-11-17T19:56:34.481-08:00November 11 - 17, 2012Exam is coming up in a month! It's time to come train everyday if you can. We will be going over your exam requirements in class, so don't miss it. Also, if you want to self-practice the Kihon (basics), get this book at the dojo for $10:<br />
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http://www.amazon.com/Shotokan-Karate-Kyu-level-Grading-Guidebook/dp/1470142120/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353208382&sr=1-1&keywords=1470142120<br />
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Also, we continue with our Enbu (choreographed fighting) training. Per request, below is the sequence that we practice. We have covered #1 and #5 so far, and #2-4 will be introduced over next 1-3 months. The total of this Enbu sequence will be about 1 minute.<br />
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<u>VTK Enbu</u><br />
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1. L Punch face >>> Slide back<br />
R Punch stomach >>> L Down block<br />
L Outside block <<< R Punch stomach<br />
R Hook punch face >>> L Rising block<br />
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2. (coming soon...)<br />
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3. (coming soon...)<br />
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4. (coming soon...)<br />
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5. R Step punch face >>> L Sweeping block + R hand on his L shoulder<br />
R leg steps behind his R leg<br />
Break fall <<< Push with R hand + control with L hand + Sweep (twist)<br />
R Punch to face or stomach<br />
Roll, then stand up <<< Push away (release L hand)<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! The dojo will be open as usual this week except for Thursday. If you plan on eating a lot over this holiday, come burn some calories before and after. We all just wanna relax during holiday season, but we all know that it feels good to come and sweat!<br />
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OK Leroy (and anybody else); I will be visiting Japan April 4-13 next year. Plan your trip if you want me to show you the dark side of Tokyo only the local people know...! :-)Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-63661441072131463772012-11-10T15:41:00.000-08:002012-11-10T15:41:45.422-08:00September 30 - November 10, 2012Long time no blogging! ...Sorry.<br />
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Since the last blog update, these events happened:<br />
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1.World Championships in Poland<br />
2. AAKF Western Region new officers selected<br />
3. Kyu-level Tournament<br />
4. Nishiyama Memorial<br />
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1. World Championships<br />
I placed in top 8 in both events I competed in (Kata and Fukugo). I learned a few things that I need to work on, and I know I can get better. Some people ask me for how many more years I will be competing, and I usually tell them that I will compete for another 4 years. I don't know about that for sure, but I think I will continue as long as I can get better and can motivate myself to improve as an athlete. Sure it's nice to win and to be able to call myself a "world champion" but the chance of me winning a gold is not that great. But I still have a few things that I want to improve (concerning competition matches), so let me see what I can do and take one year at a time... Next year we will be in Argentina for Pan American Championships.<br />
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By the way, competing and trying to win is only less than a half of the reason why I enjoy going to the international tournaments. The other half or more is the socializing part. I meet so many karate enthusiasts from all over the world and I'm so glad to be a part of this circle of friends!<br />
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2. Western Region New Officers<br />
Our regional office has had the same officers for over 2 years, and now that we successfully completed the responsibility of hosting a national championships, it's time to select a new group of officers. The Big Ron served as Regional Director and I was his assistant. There also are Treasurer and Secretary positions. We recently elected Tati (a long-time NKI student) to be the new Director. And I nominated our own Manny Yumul to be the Secretary and he was elected! Good for him! Most of us don't see what the regional office does, but they host some regional events (seminars and exams) and to keep active communication between the dojos in the region. I hope Tati, Manny and others will put some new and fresh ideas to vitalize our region!<br />
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3. Kyu Tournament<br />
Too bad we had no participants from other dojos this year, but it was fun and great learning experience, I thought. No one got seriously hurt. Thanks so much to all the judges who worked hard to support this event. I forgot to introduce them at the tournament, so here I go:<br />
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Aric Levin, 5th Dan, a long time Nishiyama student and an instructor at TKA (Avi's dojo)<br />
Juan Balmaceda, 4th Dan, a long time Nishiyama student and the instructor at TKI in San Diego<br />
Robert Dobes, 3rd Dan, a long time Nishiyama student and an instructor at NKI<br />
...and our own Jon and Eiko. Thanks Kyle for serving as a timekeeper. <br />
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Results:<br />
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Lower Division (10-7th Kyu) Kata<br />
1. Artur<br />
2. Leroy<br />
3. Shamane<br />
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Upper Division (6-1st Kyu) Kata<br />
1. Jon<br />
2. Makoto<br />
3. Nate<br />
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Lower Division Kumite<br />
1. Leroy<br />
2. Artur<br />
3. Tim<br />
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Upper Dvision Kumite<br />
1. Jon<br />
2. Leroy<br />
3. Nate<br />
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We had 20 Kata matches and 27 Kumite matches! Again, the main purpose of a competition is for you to learn something from the experience. You're under stress. You want to look good in front of friends. You want to win. You want to beat up someone... When your mind is not so calm, bad habits kick in and you can't perform your best. Your body doesn't move as quick as it should. You feel sick to your stomach. Then you truly realize what your flaws and that you need to work on them. It's great that your hard work paid off and you win a medal, but I'd rather you try your best, lose and learn from that experience than you do a mediocre performance, win and think that you're invincible. <br />
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4. Nishiyama Memorial<br />
Many of old-timers at LA Central Dojo got together at Sensei's grave site this morning, then came over to our dojo and had a good training conducted by Ron. We had about 20 or so people training, a little less than last year but still a good number for our floor space. And it's always nice to have different faces from different parts of town/country/world getting together for a common reason = Sensei Nishiyama's karate.<br />
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It was pretty busy month and half for me. Luckily (?) I have no family here in the States so I'm not busy during the holiday seasons; it's my time to relax a little. Speaking of my family, I will visit Japan in April for 10 days. Let me know if you want to come with me to carry my bag, etc. :-) I'm actually planning to teach a small seminar while I'm there.Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-50157409007246313282012-10-02T03:02:00.000-07:002012-10-02T03:02:11.682-07:00September 16 - 29, 2012I'm writing this actually an hour before my departure to Poland. Wish me luck! And thank you so much for donating for my trip. I will remember your face when I'm drinking beer in Poland... na zdrowia! :-)<br />
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We saw many trial students this month, and a couple of them joined. It's always nice to get new students, but where are some of our old timers?? We want you to come back, too!<br />
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I have a report: I got a new gi! It was actually a gift from the ITKF for competing in a tournament in San Diego. It is a special ITKF official gi, and so far only 22 of them have been produced. It's basically the same style as KI's Mugen gi, with a different label and a Japanese writing embroidered on the back of neck. This one surprisingly fits me well, but it feels a little bulky. I hope it will shrink a little more over time. Speaking of shrinkage, I measure the pants length and sleeve length before/after a wash. Sleeve did not shrink much: only 1/4", but the pants shrunk a lot: 1.5". I was surprised that the sleeves didn't shrink. And thanks to the pants getting shorter after a wash, I didn't have to alter them!<br />
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OK, I'll update again when I'm back. Oh, our tournament is coming up in little over a month; get ready!Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-7457820790555459732012-09-15T22:08:00.002-07:002012-09-15T23:53:55.011-07:00September 9 - 15, 2012We've been working on Uke-waza (blocking technique). We'll continue with it for another week or so, mixing up some variations (sweeping blocks, hooking blocks, etc.).<br />
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Some of you are excited (perhaps a little too much) about the tournament in November. Good that you have a goal that motivates you to train hard. Winning a tournament only means that you happened to be better than your opponent that day, that time, in that specific situation. You can win simply by luck (as I have proven many times! :-p). What's important is that you train hard for it, and that you do your best in it. I hope you're enjoying the process.<br />
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For me personally, only 3 more weeks until the World Championships. Do you know what that means? Yes, only 3 more weeks and a few days until I can drink again...! :-)Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-3738145039969460112012-09-08T16:37:00.000-07:002012-09-08T16:37:17.499-07:00August 27 - September 8, 2012It's been 2 weeks since the test, and most of you newly promoted students already learned the new Kata. Great! Keep working on it until all the details become natural to you and that you don't have to think about each step. At the same time, don't forget your previous Kata, as you have to be able to demonstrate all of them when you test for a black belt in the future...<br />
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We've been working on Uke-waza (blocking technique) for the past week or two. A block in Japanese is "Uke", which actually means "to receive", however, as I keep telling you, you can't passively wait and receive the incoming attack. You have to reach out and stop before the technique accumulates force, only then you can actually block that attack. Body snap together with forearm or wrist snap is crucial for a successful blocking technique, and we'll keep working on that as well.<br />
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Back by popular demand (a.k.a. Menefee and Chris' request), we're soon hosting a Kyu-level tournament! Sunday, November the 4th. Hoping to invite many from other dojos as well.<br />
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Book of the Month: Hidden Karate<br />
My emphasis when teaching a Kata is to teach you to move properly, with precise stance with proper posture to execute correct body dynamics for a technique. There are many other schools that emphasize applications of Kata techniques, but I never learned Kata that way, and I feel it's more important and interesting (personally) to develop proper body mechanics. However my idea may be one dimensional and I would encourage you to investigate on different aspects of Karate/Kata on your own.<br />
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This book focuses on how to look at Kata as a set of practical fighting/self-defense techniques. Though I would disagree with some ideas, in general it is very well-thought and presented in details. It only covers Heian 1-5 & Tekki 1, but you may easily apply the same ideas when looking at other Kata as well. Skip the fist 1/3 of the book (unless you're really into it) and take a look at the photographed demonstrations of each Kata.<br />
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<br />Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-57509691019943295822012-08-31T14:14:00.001-07:002012-08-31T14:43:46.404-07:00UNOFFICIAL Dojo T-shirt<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMQBgJXs3dANIk20A9ZSYIsUwSoF82Hy-16Z9jIOqj6sxWMZ5wnEeoYIYDzY4upDpiEqPYuV7BGsjPAaFmoqdWj9BPlu4DwecPYGcVT9YKuzcifrHViTSqmPXsyp6v1qI8_E9Ws5hUw/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMQBgJXs3dANIk20A9ZSYIsUwSoF82Hy-16Z9jIOqj6sxWMZ5wnEeoYIYDzY4upDpiEqPYuV7BGsjPAaFmoqdWj9BPlu4DwecPYGcVT9YKuzcifrHViTSqmPXsyp6v1qI8_E9Ws5hUw/s200/1.png" width="200" /></a>Remember that we had a T-shirt design contest a couple of months ago? Melissa came up with some great designs but we had to modify and made just one kids shirt design. But I really liked her original designs, so I decided to personally order this one (FYI, she designed 5 differrent animals: dog, bear, tiger, bunny and monkey, of which the first 3 were used for our official kids shirt).<br />
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...And of course I have to add this text on the back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz_KZ0UlRWIrbDam9yYJ08_2Pu0bV_X-qE-qvLHCWTfdmKs5pJ59NWhw7_oYoMl1xSrkOrexes6vjLI-RI5UDBkn1uldHS9SheWUDvTGG1_r65JDPj_qtm72HksFFLn30ANELZ8bMoA/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz_KZ0UlRWIrbDam9yYJ08_2Pu0bV_X-qE-qvLHCWTfdmKs5pJ59NWhw7_oYoMl1xSrkOrexes6vjLI-RI5UDBkn1uldHS9SheWUDvTGG1_r65JDPj_qtm72HksFFLn30ANELZ8bMoA/s200/2.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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Let me know if any of you're interested in buying this shirt. It will be somewhere around $30 (neither I nor dojo is making any profit). I know it's not cheap but think it's worth it. This will be the only chance to own this T-shirt (except for dog or tiger design, which I might order someday). <br />
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EDIT: Since they are offering 30% off for this weekend, I'm taking orders in the next 2 days! So hurry!Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-3451870495972398612012-08-28T19:25:00.002-07:002012-08-31T14:15:21.148-07:00August 19 - 26 (Kyu Exam), 2012Congratulations to your achievement! You all did your best. But as always, the next one will not be as easy as this one (as if this one was easy...!), so keep on training.<br />
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Oh, now I have to teach you all a new Kata? OK...Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-29240845909912878032012-08-19T21:38:00.000-07:002012-08-19T21:39:24.281-07:00August 12 - 18, 2012OK, one more week till the exam. Good luck to those who are testing!<br />
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We've been spending a lot of time going over Kihon, and Sen drill and its application. I know how difficult it is to do the timing drill right especially if you're a beginner, but believe me, you just have to keep on trying. And it is the base of all Kumite timing and strategies, and there is no other way to go about. "Feeling" the opponent's action is something you can only get from the experience, and I hope you get to understand it soon if not yet.<br />
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Now my concern is about the party after the exam... :-)Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577877786514247313.post-12746282386838578062012-08-12T23:01:00.000-07:002012-08-12T23:01:00.273-07:00July 22 - August 11, 2012I've been trying to update this blog every week but apparently I'm not good at it. 3 weeks have passed already since the last update. Wow.<br />
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Only 2 more weeks until the exam. Keep working hard! Some of you are already ready, and some are not. I will try my best to get everyone prepared, but ultimately it's your responsibility.<br />
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As you all know our dojo strives to be the best traditional karate dojo around. The best facility, the best teaching quality, the best tuition, the best people... It makes me happy to hear that someone finds us after a long search for a "good karate dojo". Why did we start this dojo in the first place? It's because we didn't have a place to train ourselves in the area. We do this for the love of karate, pure and simple. Of course there are people who may not find us "the best" for any reasons. But we're proud of what we do here, and you can count on us that we keep ourselves true to the karate principles and traditions.<br />
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For me, it's less than 2 more months before the world championship in Poland. I'll try to push myself a little harder for the next month or so. I just wish that this crazy heat wave would calm down a little...!<br />
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Training subject: Sen (or more like Sen-no-sen), and some exam basics. In the last couple of tournaments I felt pretty confident tha my "Sen" timing would work and did score a point or two using it. Before that when I was teaching I was trying to explain what I was not confident about, but now I know that it works and have proven it. It is very deep and one can never practice it enough. We will continue with it and try to relate it to other applications/strategies.<br />
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<br />Dojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870292741371967117noreply@blogger.com0