Colorado Springs Martial Arts » Dojo

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,

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

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,

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,

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

Awards Dinner at Ward’s Family Karate

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:13:32 +0000

On Dec. 5th we had a great awards dinner at Ward’s Family Karate in Colorado Springs. All of our students have done well this year and we wanted to recognize them for all of there hard work. It was a cold snowy night but we had a great turn out. We opened the night with a pot luck dinner. Ow Yum, we had some good dishes. I especially like the corn casserole, and Chet’s special Chile. After dinner we handed out awards. We had a large number of academic awards for A’s B’s and improved grades. I am glad to see our students are doing so well in school and I am very pleased that the discipline learn in our Martial Arts classes in Colorado Springs is helping our students to achieve better grades. We also recognized our students for Courtesy, Respect, and good habits of Cleaning their room and making there bed. We also gave our awards fro Karate achievement. I enjoyed giving our my special Samaria award for those who have contributed to our dojo with their service. We also had some fun awards such as our Gumb award for the most flexible wrists.

If you could not attend this event I hope you will be able to next year. We also played a video of some of the recent events since we opened the new Ward’s Family Karate dojo. I have placed a shorter version of the video here for you to view.

Congratulation to all of our awards recipients and I look forward to giving our some great awards next year

Sincerely,

Awards Dinner this Saturday Night.

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:02:41 +0000

Hi karate students and Parent of Ward’s Family Karate.

I wanted to remind you that we have our Awards dinner at the Dojo at 6:00 This Saturday night. Please bring a main dish and either a side dish or a dessert. (I am getting hungry all ready). Also bring you own chair. With all the Family coming the seating on our lounge will go fast. Don’t forget to bring your camera you will want to get pictures of your kids will those big smiles as they receive there award.

I can’t wait to see everyone.

Sincerely,