Excellence is the state or quality of being exceptionally good at your particular skill set.
WOMEN’S SELF DEFENSE
OCTOBER 25TH 2014
Our annual Women’s Self Defense Workshop was well attended. The ladies worked on defenses from various attacks and grabs. There was a lot of bag work and timed stress drills. There was good discussion about knowing your environment and where to park during periods of low light or night time. Continued training and what that consisted of was discussed with those that had concealed carry certification.
MARTIAL ARTS, A LIFE JOURNEY
Mr. Williams has trained, studied and taught the martial arts for forty-three years. He was recently promoted to 9th Degree Black Belt by Grand Master Manuel Pina and the executive board of the Independent Martial Arts Federation. In celebration of this honor there will be a come and go gathering at the school for family, friends, colleagues and students. This celebration will be on Saturday evening November 8th from 6:00 to 8:00. Feel free to contact Mrs. Williams or Mrs. Gaeddert additional information.
TOURNAMENTS & PROMOTIONS
PROMOTIONS
November 1, 2014
Wendy Brown 5th Dan (Master Level Technician)
Cristine Warring 2nd Dan
Eddie Alexander 2nd Dan
Kathy Marquez 1st Dan
Lisa Johnson 1st Dan
DAVE ESTES TOURNAMENT
Saturday, November 15th, 2014
El Dorado 4-H Building
200 North Griffith
El Dorado, Kansas
CONTACT: Dave Estes 316-320-5425
SAM PRICE ALLSTAR KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday, November 8th
National Guard Armory
11th and Severence
Hutchinson, Kansas
CONTACT: Sam or Jessica Price 620-669-9051
McPHERSON SCHOOL OF KARATE GATHERING
Sandra and Ricky Byrd of the McPherson School of Karate has invited Mr. Williams and students, Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Estes and their students to an early evening gathering in McPherson at her facility called the Under Ground. This will be a pot luck dinner. Please save this date. It will be an evening of fellowship, brotherhood and awards. There will be more information as the date draws near.
MEMBER SOLUTIONS TUITION BILLING
For the students that have their accounts with American Karate managed through Member Solutions I need to remind you that when you enroll with us you enter into either a six or twelve month contract. Once that contract has been satisfied Member Solutions will continue to bill you on a month to month basis with the option to cancel your program with a thirty day notice. If you move away or decide to discontinue classes you must contact Member Solutions at 888-277-4408 to cancel your account.
--Mr. Williams
BALLET IS BORING (MARTIAL ARTS IS BORING)
I was introduced to this article by one of my parents called “Ballet is Boring”. When she told me about it she said I read Mr. Williams all through this article. When I read it, it was as if I wrote it myself. You could easily change the word ballet for karate or martial arts and certain skill sets for blocks, kicks, strikes, kata or step sparring. It is a long article so I decided not to copy it but leave you with the Url. I hope you take the time to read it. http://atthebarre.net/ballet-is-boring/
--Mr. 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
