Saturday, October 1, 2016

October 2016 Newletter

“We are what we do repeatedly. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” 

PROMOTIONS
SEPTEMBER, 2016 BELT TEST
Lo Xao Kiatoukaysy - Brown Belt
Everette Gould - Brown Belt
Shalee Mog - Black Belt

TOURNAMENTS
KENT CLAYBORNS 25TH ANNUAL TOURNAMENT
Saturday, October 15th 2016
El Dorado High School Recreation Center
410 McCollum Rd.
El Dorado, Kansas
CONTACT: Kent Clayborn 316-214-6320

YOUTH AND COMPETITION
If your child has never competed in a karate tournament before, you may have some misconceptions of what’s involved. In fact, there are many great benefits that your child will derive from participating in a karate tournament and here are five of them.

1. Put your skills to the test In karate, as in most other sports, you spend a lot of time and energy going through trainings and drills to improve your skills and get better at karate. The field of play in karate is not the local stadium but the karate tournament. Why should your child spend so much time in karate class working on kicks, punches, flexibility and learn all those sparring combinations and strategies if they never get the opportunity to test their skills? That’s like studying so hard for a test they’ll never take!

2. Up your game by sparring new opponents When you’ve trained with a particular group of individuals, over time it becomes easy for you to tell their strengths as well as their weaknesses. So you know that Cindi’s sidekick is powerful but she drops her hands or that Jeff has a great blitz and all you have to do to avoid him is to change your angle. When you know all these, you stop learning and you stop getting better. That is one of the best things about karate tournaments. It forces you to compete with people you don’t know, making you up your game.

3. See the world beyond your karate school You know how when you travel for the first time, or read a book about another culture, you realize that the world is way bigger than your hometown? Well that’s what a karate tournament does for your child. Your child (and you) gets to see displays by some of the best martial artists in the area. It opens their eyes, and mind, to see that the world is way bigger than their karate school. Plus you get to meet a lot of cool people who may become famous actors tomorrow. For example, did you know that Twilight star Taylor Lautner toured the karate tournament circuit before becoming a movie heartthrob?

4. Bond with your classmates Karate is not technically a team sport, but when you’re taking classe in a place like Urban Martial Arts, you build a kind of team spirit with every one of your classmates. And when you go to a karate tournament, the camaraderie is boosted even more. When one person is sparring, the whole group comes out to cheer and if one person loses or gets hurt the whole group consoles the person. Plus there is a ton of fun involved in karate tournaments which is a great opportunity for bonding.

5. Strengthen your character The ultimate aim of most martial arts is to build the character of the participants. Karate is not different. Of course going into the tournament, you should have winning as your goal. However, participants should realize that no matter the outcome, they will learn a great deal from the experience. Karate tournaments are a character building exercise, helping some achieve humility and others gain confidence. Whatever your child’s experience level or skill, karate tournaments are just the thing for them. They’ll learn a lot, meet a lot of new people and have new adventures while having fun.
Urban Martial Arts, Brooklyn New York

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MONTH & WOMEN’S SELF DEFENSE
OCTOBER 22, 2016
October, 2016 is Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2016. Violence Awareness Month 1 in 3 women are beaten or raped in their lifetime. Victims are deprived of who they are, liberty, and security, and face tremendous threats to their health and safety. Join us for Women’s Self Defense on Saturday, October 22nd. This is a free workshop for young ladies and women 13-Over. This year we will have a booth set up by a distributor from Damsel in Defense. There will be pepper sprays, stun guns, impact weapons and information on how to keep you and your loved ones safe from domestic and sexual assault. If you are not planning on making the workshop but are interested in self defense product go to the following website http://www.mydamselpro.net/PRO15430.

AKMS BLACK BELT SEEKING A POSITION ON TEAM USA
Aaron started the martial arts with Mr. Thomas Williams when he was seven years old. He developed into a strong competitor early on. When he was about nine years old he was competing at a tournament and he was in a bad position. His opponent had him bent over and was getting ready to strike. Out of nowhere

Aaron executed a hooking heel kick, kicking his opponent in the back of the head. Mr. Williams started calling him “The Wizzard” with two z’s because it is slang for his instinctive skill. Mr. Williams said only a wizard could do that! Aaron and Mr. Williams reconnected about four months ago. And within that time Aaron has managed to get back into the tournament scene. In the last month he has taken first place in two separate national competitions. When not competing, Aaron is either in class, assisting Mr. Williams with various classes or training for his next event.

Aaron’s short term goal is to get on the NASKA, North American Sports Karate Association tournament circuit. This is a national coast to coast circuit with competitors coming from all over the United States. His long term goal is to obtain a spot next year on the World Karate Associations Team USA. They compete in Europe every year in the fall. Like any other major sport, in order to accomplish his goals he will need to obtain sponsors. Aaron is currently seeking sponsors and has a gofundme page. If anyone knows of individuals or businesses that sponsor athletes let him know.

AKMS PRO SHOP, A ONE STOP SHOP
American Karate’s Pro Shop is a one stop shop for all of your martial arts and fitness needs. Everything you need for your martial arts journey can be purchased at or through the school. Due to lack of storage space we don’t keep a lot of variety of sparring gear in stock. Anything that you would need we can have within 48 hours. For your health, wellness and self defense needs we are also distributors of Advocare, Le-vel Thrive and Damsel in Defense products. Feel free to browse our websites and place orders at the school or online. 

Advocare: http://www.advocare.com/150837167/
Le-vel: https://thrivingakms.le-vel.com/
Damsel Pro http://www.mydamselpro.net/PRO15430/