SCHOOL CLOSINGS
I appreciate the students and parents that have bore with me during the past month. Last month I co-instructed a self defense course for defensive tactics instructors. I had planned to drive back and forth to Winfield daily to conduct classes here but the weather was not very cooperative. Monday the 17th was a state holiday and Thursday the 20th USD-308 shut down all the schools due to the weather in which we were closed also. I want to remind everyone to read their handbooks and visit our website from time to time. There you will find our regularly scheduled closings as well as other information. If you have changed your email address or never provided us one please update your information as soon as possible.
SPARRING GEAR
Just a reminder that between two and three months of taking lessons you need to invest in sparring gear for you or your child. Everything that you need can be purchased here at the school. We know and understand that equipment is expensive. It is possible to purchase one set at a time. For me the most important piece is the foot gear. With the large number of youth in our schools I recommend that foot gear be purchased first followed by shin pads, head gear then hand gear. --Mr. Williams
KDOC DEFENSIVE TACTICS SCHOOL
Last month Mr. Williams spent a week at the Winfield Correctional Facility teaching a 40 hour course for self defense and defensive tactics instructors. Mr. Williams is one of the original Master Instructors for the state of Kansas. He was also a master firearms and defensive driving instructor. Mr. Williams has been putting on defensive tactics schools for twenty years. This year in April will be the last school he will instruct as he will retire from teaching, passing on the torch to the newly certified Master Instructors.
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| Master Instructors T. Robinson & Thomas Williams |
SEVEN TRAINING PRECEPTS
Karate is a martial art. You must practice with the utmost seriousness from the very beginning. This means going beyond being simply diligent or sincere in your training. In every step, in every movement of your hand, you must imagine yourself facing an opponent with a drawn sword. Each and every punch must be made with your entire body behind it, with the feeling of destroying your opponent with a single blow. You must believe that if your punch fails, you will forfeit your own life.
Try to do exactly as you are taught without complaining or quibbling. Only those lacking zeal and unwilling to face up to themselves resort to quibbling. You cannot train through words. You must learn through your body. Enduring pain and anguish as you strive to discipline and polish yourself; you must believe that if others can do it, you can do it too.
When you are learning a new technique, practice it wholeheartedly until you truly understand it. Do not crave to know everything all at once. Practice painstakingly. Karate has many techniques and kata. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that because there is so much to learn, you should learn everything in a general way.
Don’t pretend to be a great master and don’t try to show off your strength. It is absurd that many of those practicing the martial arts feel they must make a show of being a martial artist. The tendency to act big or superior is usually most conspicuous among novices. By acting that way, they degrade and ruin the reputation of those seriously practicing martial arts.
Remember that you must always have a deep regard for courtesy, and must be respectful and obedient towards your seniors. There is no martial art that does not stress the importance of courtesy and respectful manners.
You must ignore the bad and adopt the good. When you observe the practice of others and discover something that you should learn, try to master it without hesitation. If you see a man sliding into idleness, examine yourself with strict eyes. When you see a man who is particularly good at kicking, ask yourself why his kick is so good. How can you learn to kick like that; how does your kick differ? In this manner, you should be able to devise a method to improve your kick. When you see a man that does not seem to improve, again ask yourself why. Maybe he does not train enough or maybe he lacks determination. Ask yourself, does not the same hold true for you?
Think of everyday life as karate training. Do not think of karate as only belonging to the dojo, nor only as a fighting method. The spirit of karate practice and the elements of training are applicable to each and every aspect of our daily lives. --Master Gichin Funakoshi - KARATE-DO NYUMON
UPCOMING EVENTS
KANSAS ELITE MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT
Tournament Director: Mike Colahan
Saturday, February 12
Cedar Ridge Christian Church Gymnasium
8835 Lackman Rd., Lenexa, KS (Just south of 87th on Lackman)
Tournament entry Fee: $35.00 - 1 or all events
($45.00 day of Tournament)
SALT CITY CLASSIC TOURNAMENT
Tournament Director: Manuel Pina
Saturday, February 26
Hutchinson, Kansas
Watch bulletin boards & website for updates
WICHITA OPEN TOURNAMENT
Tournament Director: Mickey Gomez
Saturday, February 26
Wichita, Kansas
Watch bulletin boards & website for updates
MISSOURI VALLEY OPEN
Tournament Director: John Goertz
Saturday, March 19
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
600 N. Greenwich Road
Wichita, Kansas
(316) 516-4101 Ksseibukan@yahoo.com
