Colorado Springs Martial Arts

The Journey to Black Belt Begins

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:53:48 +0000

Keri Myers our highest ranking student is starting her journey to black belt today. Of course that journey began for all of you when you tied on your white belt. But this is a little bit of a different journey. Keri has completed all of her requirements for black belt. But at this stage she is still the unrefined iron that will be turned into the forged and tempered steel of the katana sword.

Though she knows all of the required material she must be hardened through much pressure. Worked over and over by the fire and hammer. Literally, gallons of sweat must be produced before she will be ready.

After she has been hardened she must still be refined. Like that fine blade she much be honed to a sharp edge. She will learn to strike with precision, to fly through the air like the singing blade of the sword, and she will hit with the force of the guillotine.

Now that is a deadly combination. And that is what it will take to become a black belt. It doesn’t sound easy does it. It isn’t! This is an achievement where few try and even fewer succeed.

Not only is it a test of the body and the mind, but perhaps most important it is a test of the spirit. If the body does not brake and the mind does not fail then the spirit will be put to the test. In her last test we will try to break her spirit and it is not until this last test that we will see a black belt emerge.

There is actually a moment in their eyes where you see it happen. That moment of utter despair when they decide I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED! That’s it, that is the moment they become a black belt. If it were magically possible we would see a brown belt turn black before our eyes. In a way we do.

Keri is beginning five grueling weeks of training. On March 20^th we will see if she has what it takes to become a black belt. Keri not only takes this test for herself, but she will be representing Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She will bear an even greater burden to become the first black belt of Ward’s Family Karate. She will hold the honor of becoming the first black belt in the linage of Ward Sensei that will lead back to Master Funakoshi and even back to Sakagawa.

Keri will be spending most if not all of her time training with the other 12 candidates. So we will not see her around our dojo. So pray for her, give here a call, send her a card. She will need all the encouragement that she can get as she make this very difficult journey.

I will be working with Keri and the other candidates on Saturdays. So I will keep you posted on her progress.

So Keri when the going gets tough “Drop and give me 25 push ups”.

Have a look at Keri’s pretest in this video.

Other videos of the pretest can be seen on my YouTube channel at http://www.YouTube.com/SenseiWard

Photos are also available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34172288@N05/

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the finest training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs martial arts: http://www.wardsfamilykarate.com/colorado-springs-martial-arts/
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Test.. Test.. Test..

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:29:49 +0000

We have a belt test coming up next week here at ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs . You want to make sure that you have your forth (green) stripe in order to test. The belt test is Monday and Tuesday (2/15 and 2/16). If you still do not have your green stripe you can get it on Monday and then test on Tuesday. Make sure that you know your self-defenses and one-steps and are ready to put on a good show.

On Saturday the 13th we have another test taking place. The Black Belt Pre-Test. This will occur at the Family Karate Center at 1:00 PM, and will be a 2 hour test. All brown belts are eligible to take this test, and I highly encourage them to do so. This is a chance for our brown belts to get a look at what the black belt test will be like.

This year we have one of our brown belts testing for acceptance into the candidate training for the Black Belt test. This is our own Keri Myers, a 6th Brown. If Keri shows well in the pre-test on Saturday she may begin six grueling weeks of training to prepare for the black belt test next month. Good luck Keri!

Is she ready for black belt? We will find out on

I know you would probably like to come and watch the test and cheer Keri on, however only Brown belts and above or family members of those testing may attend. The same goes for the black belt test. I even remember a day when all the windows in the dojo would be blacked out so no passer by could see what we were doing. Karate to this day has a bit of secrecy. Besides we don’t want some passer by to see what is going on and call 911! Along the same lines I was just telling a parent that I do not allow my students to show there skills to outsiders. It is Ok for a student to allow some one to know that they training in karate but they are not to demonstrate karate to them. That is just for our dojo, your private practice and for self defense. Like I teach my students about a knife. A blade should never be used to intimidate or warn someone off. A blade should only appear with an immediate strike.

For the black belts the most important thing is our time honored tradition of the Black Belt Spaghetti Lunch at 12:00 on Saturday. Sorry this is for black belts only. As we say “What time is the pre-test? Who cares, but lunch is at noon.”

Sincerely,

Karate Seminar – Tekki Shodan Bunki

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:30:12 +0000

What a great day we had with Hanshi Ron Rogers at the Tekki Shodan bunki seminar. Three members of Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs attended the Seminar this Saturday put on by the Family Karate Association at the Family Karate Center. In attedance from our school was Sensei Scott Ward, Instructor Joshua Ward, and Brown Belt Keri Myers.

Bunki is the explanation of what each move of the kata is for or does. Hanshi Rogers is perhaps the most knowledgeable martial arts in the area of kata bunki in the United State. In a conversation with Hanshi Rogers today he said each move of the kata should be able to be interpreted with 5 possible bunki. the 5 bunki should cover a block, a strike, a release, a choke and a throw.

Todays seminar looked at the kata Tekki Shodan (or Tekki #1). The Seminar was limited to Brown belts and above at least 13 years old and every was required to know the kata Tekki Shodan. The Seminar was also limited to 30 students. This made for a very high quality seminar and very personal instruction. Since I was working with one of my friends, Stew, also a Nidan, we were able to us some pretty hard contact and really get a good understanding of the intensity of this kata. It’s also, just fun to hit stuff, especially when is says ouch or flinches when you strike! Choki Motobu said that Tekki Shodan had 100 deadly strikes in it. We supposedly covered about a third of these.

Tekki is a short kata that takes only about 30 seconds to preform. The kata is performed in a straight line moving left and right. This is a kata with true Okinawan origins, since all of the techniques demonstrate in fighting style (that is very close range fighting). As Hanshi said their are no insignificant moves in the kata, as we quickly learned. Even the hand movement into Yoi position is a devastating wrist lock and so practical (don’t you dare push me buddy!).

I would have to conclude this was one of the best seminars that I have had the pleasure of attending. This is one of the perks of being a student at Ward’s Family Karate since we are members of the Family Karate Association. The Family Karate Association is about 600 Martial Artist strong in Colorado Springs and is the reason we are able to have access to such renowned Martial Arts instructors such as Hanshi Ron Rogers.

Next seminar this month Eagle Claw Kung Fu #3.

See you there!

Sincerely,

The Passing of a Great Master

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:36:40 +0000

It saddens me to tell you that a great master of the Martial Arts has passed away. My Arnis instructor Grand Master Federico Lazo passed way this Monday (1/25/2010) at the age to 72.

Grand Master Federico Lazo

It is very interesting as a martial artist at this stage of my career to have met and worked with great masters and to now see some of them passing away. Not only do we loose wonderful people who will be missed very much, but we lose the body of the skill and knowledge that they possess.

Grand Master Lazo is the first of those that I have trained under that have passed away. It makes me realize how important it is that we learn the arts that they know and do our part to pass these arts on for future generations.

I really only meet with Grand Master Lazo twice. I first meet him in a seminar that he taught here in Colorado Springs at Kyoshi Haynes’ school. Not only was I amazed by his stick ability but also by his empty hand techniques with some of the most painful jujitsu like holds that I have every felt.

Last summer I was most fortunate to travel to Florida and visit Grand Master Lazo at his home. I and my son Joshua trained with him for three hours in the Florida heat. What a unique experience. Rather than the air conditioned comfort of a modern dojo this was more like authentic training in the Philippines . We training in large shed (or small barn) in the back yard. Two giant industrial fans hummed away in an attempt to keep us cool. In this 3 hour private lesson I nearly passed out twice from the heat and humidity. I seemed like half of the lesson was being thrown on the floor and getting back up. That will really take it out of you.

Grand Master Lazo taught us great locks, disarms and Sinawali drills. Though in the heat so much of it seems a blur in my mind now.

One thing I will say for sure at 71 years of age Grand Master Lazo did not look like someone who would only live not quite another year. At less than 5 ½ feet tall he was strong. The heat did not even phase him. His grip was like putting your hand is a vice, and he swung a stick far larger that I was use to using.

He also told me how his Luzviminda system also uses a long staff or bo, and that next time we would work with the bo. I was really looking forward to that. He also showed me a wall chart of Kali knifes and swords and said “I make all of these”. He went on to explain that in jujitsu the joint is turn 90 degrees but in arnis the joint in turned 180 degrees (ouch!). I can believe it too.

So as we say fair well to this Grand Master and Grand Man what will happen to his art? Thankfully Grand Master has intrusted his art to his son Ricky (Master Ricky) and his daughter Christine. So perhaps on my next Florida visit I will be visiting Master Ricky.

However I need not travel so far since my instructor Kyoshi Haynes holds a black belt in Luzviminda arnis. He conducts classes in this art twice a week, which unfortunately I have not been able to attend. But in any case he is helping to preserve the art. A number of other black belt level instructors exist around the country as well doing there part.

As a reference point for my students the arnis that I teach in our Kyu belt classes is Modern Arnis the system developed by Professor Remy Presas . At black belt we delve deeper into Modern Arnis exploring a truly effective fighting system. However as I work with it I find parts for Luzviminda and Jay Haynes methods creeping into the stick techniques.

So let us honor the life of Grand Master Lazo and all of those in the martial arts and do our best to preserve these great arts.

Good bye Grand Master Lazo.

Sincerely,

Workout and belt test review at Family Karate Center

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:01:37 +0000

I had an interesting Saturday morning. We have a great dojo at Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs, but sometimes it is the company not the location. It’s great to get together with other black belts and have a good, sweaty workout. Unfortunately it did work out quite that way.

I knew something felt funny as I was getting in my gi (karate uniform) this morning. Then I got out to the mat and started stretching. Sure enough something was wrong with my back. This would have been of little surprise if I had been sparred last night. However, I just enjoying a night of watching sparring matches.

Back to the workout. I took it slow but joined in with the circle of black belts and began Kihon.

We do an exercise called Kihon Rinchu. Its a fantastic Karate workout that starts with a warm up, builds to an intense dynamic kicking and punching Kihon and ends with a nice cool down. I can’t wait to teach Kihon Rinchu to our up and coming black belt. It is one of my favorite ways to train.

Well bending at the waist was not very comfortable today. I did do a set of Chinese push ups, but besides that I refrained from any of the bending exercises.

It still managed to be a fairly sweaty workout. So even when you are not at the top of your game, karate allows you to get a good workout by carefully arranging the drills and techniques that you do.

After about a 45 minute workout we got ready fort he gather kyu belts that had come in for their belt test review.

So next I spent a hour and half training a half a dozen kyu belts in a complete review for their up coming belt test next week. To bad non of my students were there. It would of been a great extra training section for them. Black belts were spread out over the mat, each with their own group of students to work with. J.B. had a group of white belts that he was working with.

While I normally do my teaching in my own dojo it is nice to be able to give back to the karate community in general (I think Kyoshi Haynes really appreciated the help). We did that last week also as we acted as referees and officials at the invitational karate tournament.

So what’s the moral of the story. You can always find a way to workout and practice. So not excuses! Also don’t neglect giving back to the community. It helps make this a better world.

Sincerely,

Team Ward brings home the medals.

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:54:33 +0000

Team Ward brings home medals at the Colorado Springs Traditional Invitational Karate tournament.

Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs was well represented at the 2010 Colorado Springs Traditional Invitational Karate tournament. Our competitors were Ben Jordan, Garrett Cichello, and Keri Myers. Ours students competed in Kata and Kumite (sparring).

There was great competition and this was one of he best run tournaments around. There were 114 competition registered for competition from three states.

That a big division

Congratulation the Garrett for winning Silver in the Kata competition, And congratulations to Keri for receiving Bronze in Kumite.

I heard that Keri was up against some really difficult competitors in Kunite. That is a really great way to get experience when you fight better more experienced fighters.

Garrett and Ben had their hand full in kata. They competed in a division of 14 competitors. I sure am glad I did not have to judge that division. Thanks Shaun and Bret for taking that one.

I had a great day of judging Kata and Kobudo (weapons kata) also mirroring (referring) for Kumite. Boy I was sweating as had as the fighters trying to keep up with them.

Chesk the video below if Keri performing kata Empi:

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the finest training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Kickboxing Class ending.

admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:27:32 +0000

I am sorry to say that we will be closing down our Kickboxing class immediately. Our instructor Lisa is not able to continue with teaching this class at this time.

We will still be offering our eXtreme program and this is an excellent class for fitness and self defense training.

Sincerely,

Personal Goal – The One Inch Punch.

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:58:41 +0000

A person goal of mine has been to break a board with a one inch punch. Is the one inch punch a fact or a myth? Bruce Lee popularized the term when he perfected the mechanics of this punch. Many have demonstrated it since that time. But just because it exists does not mean that it is easy to do.

So, what is a one inch punch?

Board Breaking is a good test of your power and technique

Any adult black belt should be able to break a board with a punch. It’s not that hard to do. That is, if you do it right. If you don’t do it right, it hurts. A LOT. You might even break a bone in your hand.

Now a normal punch starts from the chambered position or just pulled back by your ear like a boxer. When you punch you put every part of your body into the punch. Your fist, shoulder, hips and even your foot as you push your way through the board.

A one inch punch is different. The idea is to hold your fist one inch from the board. Then without pulling your hand back (winding up) drive your first through the board. What this takes is a perfect alignment of the body and the proper use of hip torque to drive your entire body wait through the board with very little movement. It is a perfect example of economy of motion and energy used in karate and other Martial Arts.

OK that is the theory. In reality its more like a 3 or 4 inch punch. The way you set it up is to place your extended finger tip right on the board. Then rather than drawing back you simple fold your hand into a fist just before you make contact with the board.

Here at Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs we do not require our students to break boards or bricks. However, I may consider making this available to advanced students. Karateka (karate students) often wonder how much damage their punch or kick could do. Of course the real test is what happens when you hit a person! Karateka are generally peaceful people. Even though karate and other martial arts may look violent, the practitioners of karate seek peaceful solutions over violent solutions. Think of it as “armed deterrence”. We don’t like to use violence but the threat of it is always there.

Breaking boards does provide a non violent method of putting striking power to the test. Let me repeat this here. Done wrong this can be a very painful test!

That being said I have found board breaking an intriguing way not only to test the power of ones punch or other strike but also a valuable tool to refine the striking effectiveness.

One of my goals has been to perfect my technique in order to break a one inch board with a one inch punch. It has always eluded me, ending in my fist striking the board with a very unpleasant and even painful THUD!

Today was different. Today the technique was properly applied and the board broke.

Another goal of mine has been to break a suspended board. That is a board not being held by someone or something. This could be dangled from a string or simply balanced on edge.

Well today I achieved that goal as well breaking a board free standing.

Too make things even sweeter I broke the free standing board with a one inch punch.

Unfortunately I did not have my video camera with me to record this. We did think about this but the camera was at home. However I do have a witness. Chet, one of my assistant instructors was with me. So feel free to ask Chet about it.

I was fortunate that Chet was there. He made an interesting observation. He had positioned himself directly to the side of the board. He stated that my fist did not go through board. This is consistent with what I felt as I hit the board. Rather than driving my hand through the board like I mentioned above as a boxer might do I only drive my hand into the board.

This had the effect of transferring all of the energy of the punch directly into the board. If I had tried to punch through the board I might of actually pushed the board away without breaking it. The end result was that the board essentially exploded.

This is what makes the precision strikes of karate so powerful without a follow through. Learn this technique of transferring power into an object and you will be able to break boards and bricks also.

A word of warning: don’t try this at home. One mistake can result in a very painful injury. Kids, make sure you talk to your parents, and please talk to your Sensei. Breaking must be set up correctly to keep it safe as possible.

It’s good to achieve a goal. Perhaps next time we will talk about setting and achieving goals.

Sincerely,

Friday Night Competition Training in January

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:19:21 +0000

We will not hold Class in our dojo Friday nights in January. Instead we will visit the Family Karate Center each Friday to prepare for the Inviationtional tournament coming up on January 23rd.

You will be able to practice katas (empty hand and weapons) with judges scoring your kata. Sparring will be available with referees call points and time keeps working the clocks.

Our referees will be practicing too so that they are sharp for the tournament.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be evaluated and receive advised from season judges adn referees that can help your performance.

Class will begin at 6:00 with judges working katas. Sparring will begin at 7:00 with plenty of referees.

Check the map below for directions.

Sincerely,

Competion Week at Ward’s Family Karate

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 04:26:47 +0000

Dear Students,

Welcome to 2010. We have the opportunity to start off this new year with a great invitational tournament is January. We will make the week of the 18th at Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs , competition week.

Competition Week at Ward's Family Karate

This means we will take a brake from our usual schedule of classes and all of our classes will be devoted to competition training. So pick out the empty hand kata or weapons kata that you would like to do. Tell me and I will make sure that we address that kata during competition week.

We will also have Sparring training. So be prepared to do some sparring this week. I would like all students to give this a try and if you like it by all means sign up for the sparring competition in the tournament.

This will be a great opportunity to put some polish on your katas or sparring. If you do not know a kata this a chance to learn one for the competition. If you do not know a weapons kata come to the Sushi No Ku Sho Seminar on Sunday the 17th. Sushi is the easiest of our bo katas to learn and perhaps the easiest of all of our weapons katas.

If you have never competed this is a great way to get prepared.

Sincerely,