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August 2008 Newsletter
The recent training sessions at our home were some of the best we have
had because of the participation of many of our students and also because of
the participation of the Sensei and students from Manchester, ME, Hamburg,
NY, and Stroudsburg, PA . During the Friday night sessions black belts
discussed requirements for advancement, especially to higher ranks. Previous
newsletters have related that the promotion is earned before it is awarded
and the student’s diligent practice and demonstration of ability must
improve consistently before the student earns the advancement. Thus there
must be importance in the meaning behind each promotion and the student must
accept the responsibility to strive to improve. If a student becomes content
with a rank, that student will not continue to train appropriately and the
abilities achieved will begin to regress.
Younger children learn many valuable skills during each karate class.
Each child is taught the same basics, katas, kumite drills, and kobudo
skills as the adult student. There is a difference in the terminology and
methods used because of the difference in age and ability but the material
taught is the same. This is not done in most karate schools because of the
repetition and time it takes to learn and improve these techniques, when
learning the advanced, flashy, techniques are more “fun” to do. Because of
the amount of material needed to be understood is great and the level of
maturity that is required by each student is high, we promote students to
black belt when they are at least in high school. With this in mind and
knowing that we have a growing number of dedicated junior students, we are
instituting another level between Purple Belt and Brown Belt. This Blue Belt
may be earned by qualified students because of their diligent study and
ability. If a student earns a black belt or higher level of black belt and
then stops training in the dojo, the skills learned and proper techniques
learned will be forgotten in time. Realizing that there are varying amounts
of time required for promotions, there must also be an advancement in areas
relating to ability, understanding of the techniques needed to instruct
different ages and levels of students, and the individual’s dedication to
the dojo and the style. Because of this, the person who stops training in
the dojo for a period of time, will be reduced in grade when he or she
wishes to continue training.
Lastly, each student may experience times when getting to the dojo or
continuing to train on one’s own creates a stressful situation. As a parent
it was my responsibility to help my children to move beyond these times,
whether it was in the dojo, completing school work or practicing an
instrument. As an adult it is still my responsibility to follow through on a
commitment that I made to myself and now each person in the dojo. One never
knows what tomorrow will bring but making one’s self better daily should be
our mission.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STUDENTS WHO EARNED PROMOTIONS AT OUR CAMP or
IN THE DOJO AFTERWARD!
- Sixth Degree Black Belt - Jeffrey Matusewicz, Theodore Stolte,
Scott Miller, Rob Pushard, Dr. Michael Downs
- Fifth Degree Black Belt - Adam Masur, Linda Hughes, Andrew
Srsich
- Fourth Degree Black Belt - Thomas Ammermann, Sandy Downs
- Third Degree Black Belt - Edward Grace, Joseph Marotta
- First Degree Black Belt - Ryan Ammermann, Brandon Folkes, Thomas
Healy, Jason Reinbold
- First Degree Brown Belt - Michael Wack, Roger Pollina, Don
Dixon, Kelvin Lee
- Second Degree Brown Belt - Matt Fontana
- Third Degree Brown Belt - Lee Gugler , Tiffany Dill
- Adult Green Belt - Anthony Curcuruto, Robert Brobst
- Junior Blue Belt - Kristyn Wheeler, Kevin Fontana
- Junior Purple Belt #2 - Hassan White
- Junior Purple Belt #1 - Cristina Gomez, Isabel Gomez, Trevor
Silva
- Junior Green Belt #2 - Baker Fox, Gwen Cakierri
- Junior Green Belt #1 - Katherine Waldman, David Ruberto,
Christopher Waldman
- Junior Orange Belt - Sarah Fontana, Shayne Davies
- Junior Yellow Belt - Reese Fox, Gabriel Lukijaniuk, Ben
Fletcher, Lucas Mero
OUR DOJO HAS BEEN ASKED TO PUT ON A DEMONSTRATION AT THE HACKETTSTOWN
POOLS AQUATIC FESTIVAL ON AUGUST 23RD FROM 2:00 PM TO 3:00 PM - - THE RAIN
DATE IS THE 24TH. PLEASE PLAN TO BE A PART OF THE DEMONSTRATION. LET
KYOSHI OR RENSHI HUGHES KNOW.
The Parable Of Brother Leo An old legend tells of a French
monastery that was well known throughout Europe because of the
extraordinary leadership of a man known only as Brother Leo. Several
monks began a pilgrimage to visit Brother Leo to learn from him. Almost
immediately, the monks began to bicker as to who should do various chores.
On the third day they met another monk who was also going to the
monastery. This monk never complained or shirked a duty. Whenever the
others would fight over a chore, he would gracefully volunteer to do it
himself. By the last day, the other monks were following his example, and
everyone worked together smoothly. When they reached the monastery and
asked to see Brother Leo, the man who greeted them laughed. "But our
brother is among you!" pointing to the fellow who had joined them late in
the trip. Today, many people seek leadership positions not so much for
what they can do for others, but for what the position can do for them:
status, connections, perks, or future advantages. As a result, they do
service primarily as an investment, a way to build an impressive résumé.
The parable about Brother Leo teaches another model of leadership, where
leaders are more preoccupied with serving than being followed, with giving
than getting, with doing than demanding. It's leadership based on example,
not command. It's called servant leadership. Can you imagine how much
better things would be if more politicians, educators, and business
executives saw themselves as servant leaders? Michael Josephson -
www.charactercounts.org
OKINAWA TRIP REFLECTIONS BY JOSEPH MAROTTA, 3rd DAN Our Okinawan
experience is not one that can be easily summarized in a few short
sentences. If I had to start with some words though, I would have to say
surreal, spiritual, amusing and exciting. Around every corner, there was a
new adventure waiting. The sights were amazing, the weather was beautiful,
the mountains were large and the stairs were many!
On Monday night, June 23rd, I viewed something that I never imagined I
would see in person; The IWKA Headquarters. I found myself just standing and
starring at it. The outside needed a paint job and some patching, but it all
seemed fitting. This is where our training would take place for the next few
hours. Stepping inside for the first time, you felt an immediate blast of
heat. We ran, stretched, punched and kicked 50 times each side, and
performed our katas. First we did them in teams, and then we did them
individually. Each one was broken down piece-by-piece and repeated over and
over and over. Though the sessions were draining and filled with extreme
amounts of sweat, everyone pushed their bodies to the limits, not wanting to
show Master Shimabuku any weakness or signs of giving up. The session on
Wednesday night, June 25th, was just as intense; filled with running,
stretching, punching and kicking, and kata practice once again. At the end
of Wednesday night's session, Master Shimabuku treated us to a party. He
showed us extreme generosity and hospitality.
I think the most spiritual and moving experience from the trip, was our
viewing of Master Tatsuo Shimabuku's gravesite. During the days, nights and
many car trips, we all found ourselves laughing and joking. During the
viewing, we all shared a moment of silence, respect and reflection. This
trip combined many emotions in a very short amount of time.
I could continue to go on and on about this trip. The entire trip was
full of unbelievable experiences, constant laughs and plenty of memories
that will last a lifetime. I couldn't have shared this experience with a
better group of close friends. I consider each one of them a part of my
family. If anyone has the chance to go….Do It! Don't even think twice! Just
Do It! The memories and experiences you gain will last a lifetime.
WEDNESDAY MORNING CLASSES WILL BEGIN SEPTEMBER 3RD AT THE MAIN STREET
DOJO. THE TIME WILL REMAIN 11:30 TO 12:45 A.M. - - PLAN TO BE THERE & SPREAD
THE WORD. THANKS! |
