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MVKS News, Views and Clues |
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Vol 2 Issue 5 |
May 2004 |
In this Issue
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Kenpo News |
- past and upcoming events |
Spring Camp - One To Remember
On Friday and Saturday, April 16 & 17, MVKS students traveled to Fitchburg, Ma to attend a weekend of seminars with Mr. Lee Wedlake ( my teachers' teacher ), Mr. White, Mr. Brassard, and from England Mr. Gary Ellis and his friend ( whom he had taught since the age of 7 ) Mr. Mark Richards. Topics covered the 10 Kenpo 2-man techniques, as well as a concept called "variable expansion" to make a standard technique work against multiple attackers.
A total of 8 seminars were conducted over this two day event and the MVKS crew left tired and happy with the results of this fantastic weekend. Our New England group seemed to impress Mr. Ellis with our enthusiasm and he imparted to us the importance of " savoring " the moves within the techniques, as well as understanding the concepts and principles behind them. His demonstrations of Kenpo were exciting and reminded me very much of the the passion Ed Parker had when he took over the mat. A true gentleman, and I'm sure we all look forward to training with him again.
Movie Night a Big Success
On Friday, April 9th, MVKS students gathered for a showing of the movie "Secondhand Lions". We turned the back room into a small theater and enjoyed a nice family movie together. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Clemens family for the use of their popcorn machine, and especially Mr. Clemens, who manned the machine all night and filled the school with that movie theater popcorn smell. A special thanks also to all who stayed after & helped clean. This is truly an event that is now a staple of the MVKS experience.
Order your own copy of Secondhand Lion
This Month - Spring Gala!
On Saturday, May 15th, Mont Vernon will be having its annual Spring Gala & Parade. MVKS students are encouraged to come and march in the parade at 11:00 am. I will provide some candy to throw out but if you can help and bring some, too, then we'll have even more. We kindly ask that you wear a clean, fully patched uniform if you are marching. We will also be doing a Kenpo demonstration. Our demos are always exciting to watch and are certainly one of the highlights of the Gala. Our students will have devoted a lot of effort to put on the best show possible, so please show your school spirit and come by and root them on! Keep your eye on the Milford Cabinet for the schedule of events as there will be plenty to see and do. At press time, the time of the demo had not been confirmed but I will let you know asap. Hope to see you there!
Coming in June - Guru Al McLuckie!
I am very honored and excited to announce that Guru Al McLuckie will be visiting our Studio for a seminar on escrima sticks. Mark your calendars for June 12th at 12:30. Anyone who knows about Mr. McLuckie knows that he is a Master Instructor and is considered by many to be the best in his field. Look for the sign-up sheet and reserve your place today!
Coming in June - Martial Arts Picture Day
KickPhotos USA will be visiting our Studio on Saturday, June 19th for pictures. I have seen the work they do at Manchester Karate Studio and it is very good. Think of it as school pictures with a Karate uniform on. Information packets will be arriving by the end of the month.
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Kenpo Views |
- in my opinion... |
What does it take to be a Black Belt?
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Practice
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Practice
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Practice
On Saturday, April 23rd , eight MVKS students figured that out and passed their 3rd and final exam for the rank of 1st degree Black Belt. This culminates 3 months of testing that began with a pre-test back in February. These fine students demonstrated nothing short of teamwork & hard work and learned that earning a Black Belt is as much about having a winning attitude as it is about punching and kicking. As I had hoped , they blossomed along the way and really grew as individuals. I am very pleased to announce that the following students will be presented with their Black Belts on Friday, May 7th.
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Manny Caiado |
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Chris Jones |
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Cathy Jones |
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Ryan Jones |
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Sam Dawson |
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Dan Quimby |
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Eric van Tassell |
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Amanda Mead |
I would love to have the whole school join in this celebration, but we simply don't have the space. So instead please take the time to congratulate them as they enter the "graduate" stage of their training. What makes a teacher truly happy? Seeing their students succeed!
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- Kenpo questions to help you along... |
In the Orange Belt technique Shielding Hammer, what is:
- The type of attack, and
- The reason for the inward raking backknuckle to the nose?
Find more questions and tips for this technique in the library. {MVKS students, please visit this Monthly Techniques in the Student Center.}
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Kenpo News |
- continued |
T-Shirt Weather Almost Here!
Starting May 1st, MVKS students may wear t-shirts to class. We kindly ask that they are Studio t-shirts. Don't have one? A new shirt design is in the works and an order form is on the bulletin board. The shirts unfortunately won't be ready on time, but I have seen the new design and I'm sure you'll agree once you see them that they were worth the wait!
Mr. Parker Says
" The intelligent man is one who has successfully fulfilled many accomplishments, and yet is willing to learn more."
Photo CDs Available
Our webmaster, Gabi van Tassell, offers photo CDs of special events and promotions for the low cost of $9! See me to order yours!
Testimonial of the Month!
"I initially chose MVKS as my Karate School because I had a friend who spoke highly of it. Now that I have been attending for a few-odd years, I can safely say that I do not regret my decision whatsoever. The material, rich enough in its own right, is presented in a logical and well defined syllabus. The atmosphere that is generated by the director, and the attitude of the students, make this Studio both a pleasant and stimulating experience.
- Neil Berkebile, MVKS Student & SWAT Member
Do YOU have some kind words for us? Has Karate here at MVKS made a difference? Let us know by writing a testimonial! We will post it on our website, as well as our newsletter. See me for more info and thanks in advance.
New Ranks! (April 14, 2004)
Congratulate these student on a job well done! Keep up the good
work!:
Brown/Black Belt: Neil Berkebile (not pictured), Sam Quimby
Brown Belt: Sam Titus
Red Belt: Mitchell Sanford
Blue Belt: Evan Macentee, Sasha Palaschuk, Tim Nichols
Purple Belt: Alex Girard, Eric Kolb, Keith Herman
Orange Belt: Harry Granfors, David Infanti
Yellow Belt: Elisabeth Wilson
Tiny Tigers Orange: Edith van Tassell, Julius van Tassell
Tiny Tigers Yellow: William Bernard
Keep up the good work!
Just a Reminder...
If you have a forms video, please return it so that others may benefit. We have a total of 20 videos, and not one to lend! Please return asap.
Thank you
Happy Birthday!!!
Another year older and wiser....
05/02 ..... Emma Downing
05/06 ...... Frederick van Tassell
05/09 ...... Sam Ballard
05/14 ...... Sasha Palaschuk
05/15 .... Eric van Tassell
05/22 .... Shad Smith
05/22 ...... Connor McDermitt
05/25 .... Elijah Gorton
Dates to Remember...
05/01 and 05/08 - Gala demo practice, 12:30 - 1:30
05/14 - SWAT Meeting, 7:30 - 8:45 (no BB class)
05/15 - Gala demo practice, time TBD; Spring Gala! - No Classes
05/21 - Promo Night, 7:00 - 8:30 (no BB prep or BB class)
05/31 - Memorial Day, School Closed
Black Belt Step Exam
Saturday, June 5th, 12:30 - 2:00. All Black Belts must attend.
Pro Shop Sale Item
Buy any student uniform and get a free Kenpo Crest patch!
Reg. price: $39.00
Sale Price: $32.00
Thought for the Month
" I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson
