Posts Tagged ‘Brown Belts’
Well we are almost there. The Black Belt candidates have been training for weeks now. This is there last week. All their training must come together this Saturday in one impressive demonstration. Keri Myers of Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs Colorado will be among them. The First of our students to test for black belt.
Keri has over come push ups. Achieving her 25 only a couple of weeks ago. She has turned 45 minutes of kihon into a 17 minute work out. And she has cranked out perhaps hundreds of katas. Sbe has even sustained an injury (though not karate related) that she must now overcome.
But that is all part of preparing to become a black belt. It does not matter how long you have trained. It does not matter how many dues you have payed. No one is awarded a black belt with out earning it.
Saturday is it. Friday they will all take a one hour written test. Then at noon Saturday the physical display of their skills will begin. Kihon, then crunches and push ups and right into kata. An hour and a half into it they may be able to get their first drink of water. Just a few sips and then back on the mat for another kata. Self defenses, One steps, and sticks. Then comes the sparring exam. This is it. This is were they will make or break, and a host of black belts will be there more them willing to break them.
If they do not break, 13 minutes later a black belt emerges. Beaten, worn out, drenched in sweat, and victorious. Ah yes VICTORIOUS!
My students are all invited. The Brown Belts to the test. And everyone else to the Black Belt Ceremony at 6:00. You won’t want to miss it. It is very inspiring. You will find yourself looking forward to the day when you can stand in the circle of black belts. I too will look forward to the day for you.
See you there.
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
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,
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
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,
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
Just as a reminder Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs will hold a seminar for the Brown Belt kata of the month Empi on Sunday (Nov. 22nd) at 3:00. This Seminar is to help the Brown Belt learn their kata for this belt cycle since they only get one belt cycle for each kata. All brown belts are encouraged to attend. Due to Thanks giving we will loose a day or two of class to practice. This Seminar is open to any students of the rank of Orange Belt or higher. The Cost is $20 for the first famliy member and $15 for the second. Please sign up at the front window so that I will have an idea of how many students are attending.
If you would like to see a super charged performance of Empi check out this video of Lucas Valdesi:
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