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MVKS News, Views and Clues |
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Vol 2 Issue 2 |
February 2004 |
In this Issue
| Events Calendar | Kid's Art of the Month |
|
Kenpo News |
- past and upcoming events |
"Practicing Together Makes Us Both Shine"
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On Saturday, January 17th, about 20 MVKS students participated in a Kenpo seminar with my instructor, Mr. Steven White, from Manchester NH, covering Kenpo counters to Judo entries.
After a warm up with basic falling exercises, Mr. White showed how to perform some Judo throws.
When everyone had a fair amount of practice, Mr. White went on to show how our Kenpo techniques could be used to effectively defend these potentially devastating throws.
Our school is very curriculum-driven and seminars like this are an opportunity to expand your knowledge of the martial arts, as well as deepen your understanding of the art of Kenpo Karate.
It is truly an honor and a privilege for me to offer the Students of MVKS the opportunity to learn from someone of Mr. White's caliber.
Thanks to all who supported this event, and Thank -You, Mr. White for providing us the experience! We look forward to having you back!
Photo CDs Available!
Our webmaster, Gabi van Tassell, has photo CDs of Mr. White's seminar available for the low price of $9.99! She will also be offering photo CDs of promotion nights, starting with the next one on 2/06. Want one? See me for details.
And On the "Flip" Side...
Just for fun, I thought it would be neat to have my Judo Instructor, Mr. Chris Veziris, come to the Studio to give a seminar on Judo counters to Kenpo entries.
We'll
go over some Kenpo self - defense techniques with Mr. Veziris, and get his
expert opinion and instruction as to how a Judoka might counter some of our
moves. We'll learn some of their methods of training, as well as a couple throws
to add to our arsenal.
Don't get me wrong, this is not intended to be a " Kenpo versus Judo" seminar, but merely a different way to look at how someone from another discipline might view our art of Kenpo Karate. Besides, it's the individuals that make their arts great, not the arts that make the individuals great.
So please join us Saturday, Feb 21st at 1:00 pm for an exciting time. Sign - up early, as space is limited to 20 participants and these events fill up fast! Cost is $25 per person, or $45 for two family members. See you there!!
|
Kenpo Views |
- in my opinion... |
Did You Know?
The Chinese symbol for chaos is the same as the one for opportunity?
Yes, it's true. Next time you feel like the whole world's going against you, try looking at it as if it's an opportunity for personal growth.
Nothing tests your character like a little adversity. Think of how nice it can feel that when after a challenge arrives in your life, you or others can say that they could count on YOU! Nothing can boost your confidence more than a successful encounter with adversity.
You may have heard of the saying " That which doesn't kill us will only make us stronger ". Seems as though our friends from the east have known this lesson for some time, too. Until next month.....JP
"
Are you going to let the moment define you, or are you going to define the
moment? "
-Woody Hayes, Famous UCLA Basketball coach
2/06.......... Promotion Nite! 7:00 p.m.
2/14..... BB Candidates Pre-test 12:30 p.m.
2/21............ Mr. Veziris Seminar! 1:00 p.m.
2/28 ............. BB Candidates Test #1 12:30 p.m.
| - Kenpo questions to help you along... |
In the technique Scraping Hoof, can you name the stance that we jokingly refer to as a " flat cat" ?
Find more questions and tips for this technique in the library. {MVKS students, check out the Monthly Techniques in the Student Center.}
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Kenpo News |
- continued |
BUDDY WEEK!
Bring a friend with you to Karate for free all week the week of Feb 23rd thru the 28th. Students who get friends to join will receive a referral coupon equal to one months' tuition of the newly signed member. Share the Karate experience! See Mr. Peacock for more details.
Black Belt Pre-Test
On Saturday Feb 14th, all Brown/ Black Belts with the minimum points ( 50 ) and minimum stripes ( 5 ) are expected to attend a pre-test for Black Belt testing beginning Feb 28th. The test will cover all forms and techniques from White Belt thru Green Belt. Students who score a 95% or better will be awarded a Candidates' Black Belt and will enter the testing cycle for Black Belt. The testing process consists of three monthly exams covering all of the material to 1st degree Black Belt.
Testimonial of the Month
"Mr. Peacock, As a manager and a coach of youth sports, I have gained
a tremendous amount under your tutelage. Many of the lessons that you tell
us seem to find their way into my everyday life. Many times, I find myself
having to motivate others (both at work and on the sports field). I enjoy
telling them of Funakoshi and how for months, he walked to his masters house and
performed his form over and over again and yet the master never taught him
anything new. Finally, Funakoshi realized that just showing up and running
the form was not enough, he had to demonstrate his commitment to the art.
As he practiced and practiced, he finally earned the respect of his master and
was rewarded with new teachings. That commitment is the key to success.
So many times, we show up and expect miracles, when they don't appear, we move
onto something else. When people hear this, and they realize that they
haven't made the commitment, they understand that the reason for not getting a
promotion or raise, lays not with the manager, but with themselves.
The next time you enjoy a bacon and eggs breakfast - consider that the hen
showed up, but the pig was committed!
Another of my favorite themes can be found in the karate kid movie.
"Things not always as seem" - In your class, I have been challenged to make
associations between seemingly dissimilar techniques, only to realize that they
are truly related. Also, I have become more aware of my surroundings and more
understanding of others.
Many times at work, we don't understand why we are asked to do something and
therefore fail because we don't understand the goal. By putting myself in the
requestor's shoes and considering why the request was made, quite often, I am
more successful in producing the desired results.
As a Disaster Recovery Officer for my team, I can generally spot the holes in
most Disaster Recovery Plans (before the disaster occurs) that many people
overlook. The awareness of the facility or situation, provides insight
into many of the things that we take for granted everyday.
The day to day implications of this are huge. Ask any non-martial artist
"the last time you went to your car, did you have your keys out and ready?"
or " The last time you entered an unfamiliar building (hotel, corporate office,
shopping mall), did you take time to notice where the emergency exists were?"
Very common safety tips that we overlook in our daily rush.
I guess to sum it up, the greatest lesson that I have learned from you is not
how to defend myself, but how to avoid the need to defend myself."
- Jamie Robb
Do you have some kind words to about MVKS? We want to hear them! Please write a testimonial. Your kind words do nothing but inspire me to do my best! We'll put it on our website, and who knows, maybe feature it here!
Stormy Weather and Closing Reminder
With winter weather now here, if you have a question as to whether the School is open during a storm, Please call the Studio 1 hour before classes start and listen for a message. If the message hasn't changed, classes are being held that evening. You may also listen to WZID ( 95.7 fm ) as they will also list us as being closed. Unless it's a really serious storm, I usually wait to see what the driving conditions are 1 hour before classes start.
Happy Birthday!!!
Another year older and wiser....
02/12.......................Trevor
Harz
02/13 .........................Irene Robb
02/14...........Joshua Kronenfeld
02/24............................Kayla Hill
Pro Shop Sale Item
Practice at Home!
Buy a pair of square hand targets ( like we use on the floor ) and save $10.00 on a Century " blocker". ( item #1055 )
Reg. price : $49.97
Sale price: $39.97
Sale ends 2/ 29/ 04
Annual Fundraiser
It's almost that time of year again, when MVKS students help raise money for St Jude's hospital for children. The money is typically raised by doing a kick-a-thon or break-a-thon. We usually do pretty good, too, almost raising $2,000 last year!
This year, I would like to focus our charity efforts closer to home. I was recently reading in the Milford Cabinet that the roof of the Mont Vernon Village School is in dire need of repair. The costs for repair are estimated to be in the $10,000 range! What a great thing we could do for the town and its' taxpayers to give a little " break " to them by doing a fundraiser! It would also be a pretty cool thing to teach our children about community and their contributions to it!
St Jude's is pretty good about providing us with all of the paperwork and materials needed for their fundraisers. We'll have to do all that ourselves. If you have: some ideas, some time, or just a willingness to help out, SEE ME! Any and all help would be greatly appreciated as I would like to do this in March. Thank - you!!
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