Merry Christmas!

I hope all students and families are having a blessed and wonderful Christmas Day. Students remember to thank Santa, Mom, and Dad for all your gifts.

Mrs. Barna and I are so impressed with graduation and all your hard work. New black belts hope you enjoy your first Christmas as Black Belts.

God Bless,
Sensei

See Everyone at Graduation this Saturday.

Remember to bring friends and family to see you demonstrate all you have learn over the last three months. It going to be a great time.

Sincerely,
Sensei Shoen

P.S. Black Belt Dinner at P.F. Chang’s restaurant at 5:00 that night to celebrate with all our students and new black belts.

Checkout The Linage for our Shorinji Ryu which is one of the systems we train at our Academy.

Click Here for Shoirin-ji Ryu Lineage.

The Importance of telling The Truth!

Most people know that it is important to tell the truth...and usually try to do it. But there are some people who tell the truth UNLESS:

1. they might get into trouble

2. they are embarrassed about the truth

It's important to be a person who ALWAYS tells the truth...regardless of the consequences!

If you are a person who tells the truth "unless..." people never know when to believe you, so they will often assume you are lying!

If you sometimes avoid the truth, you will lose the trust of the people around you. But the biggest problem you will have is with yourself!

Think about it. If you always tell the truth, you will be very careful of your actions. If you sometimes lie, you will allow yourself to do things that are wrong!

So, Always, Always, Always, tell the truth. In BIG matters, and SMALL ones. It's part of your responsibility as a Martial Artist!

5 Skills For Making New Friends!

1. Introduce yourself to as many people as possible; say, for example, "Hi, my name is Sherman...what's yours?" Say this with a SMILE, and offer your HANDSHAKE!

2. When you have met somebody new, ask questions...find out what type of things your new friend is interested in, and encourage them to talk about THEIR interests!

3. It's OK to make friends with kids who are popular, but also look for new friends among the kids who are eating, walking, or playing alone!

4. Remember that good friendships are often developed slowly; don't rush too much!

5. EVERYBODY, at times, is shy about making new friends...so don't hesitate to take the initiative. Remember that your BEST FRIENDS, were once your NEW FRIENDS!

Hope Everyone is Enjoying the Long Weekend.

Hopefully we didn't eat so much Turkey that we fell asleepI know a lot of us are enjoying some football this weekend, so I thought I would share this NFL factoid. David Akers is a well-known kicker in NFL (American pro football) and he trains jiu-jitsu a Japanese martial art consisting of joint locks, throws, and submissions. This style is the root of braizialian ground wrestling we do at the academy.

He also does Shaolin kempo a precursor to Shorin-Ryu Karate Do which is the main style we train in at our Academy. I am sure he has to use all his Black Belt Leadership focus to block out the distractions during a game winning field goal. See you all next week for stripe testing, partner drills, sparring, and ground wrestling. It going to be a blast.

I also found these awesome martial arts pictures of a Japanese archery demonstration. This is part of our advanced black belt training. It is very challenging to fire these large bows.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving...

The Attitude of Gratitude

#1. I always think Thanksgiving is one of the very best holidays...
because there is not so much HYPE!

#2. If you ever find yourself down in the dumps, sit down and
actually WRITE OUT everything you have to be grateful for. When I
do this, I can always come up with 50+ things...and find myself
re-focused on how good I actually have it!

#3. Being grateful is not just a NICE thing...it is a REQUIRED thing!
Remember when you were a kid and your Grandmother would
always send you a card with $10 in it? And you always spent the
money...but never wrote Grandma a thank you note?
And then, you were disappointed when Grandma quit sending
the money? You see, Grandma knew it wasn't in your best interest
to keep sending you a blessing that you weren't grateful for!
So it is with the things God has blessed us with! We keep asking
for MORE blessings...and yet we haven't fully acknowledged what
has ALREADY been given to us!

So...as Thanksgiving Day approaches...have a happy gratitude!

Courage!

Many people, when they think of courage, imagine a fearless warrior in battle, charging at the enemy, overcoming tremendous odds, and winning a big victory. This is surely one kind of courage, but we don’t often see it in daily life. Most of us will never be in a war - and if we are, it won’t be quite so dramatic.

Courage means much more than fearlessness in battle. It is a quality of mind and spirit. It suggests a person who faces danger, unpleasantness, or opposition calmly and firmly.

Courage reminds us of George Washington and the cherry tree. When Washington was a boy, his father gave him a hatchet and George foolishly tried it out on a cherry tree in the family yard. When Mr. Washington saw his tree had been cut down, he asked George about it, who replied: “Father, I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my hatchet.”

George Washington showed courage at that moment, for he saw that his father was angry and knew that we has almost sure to be punished. He may have been afraid - he was human, after all - but he calmly faced the consequences of his mistake. The important thing was to tell the truth.

George Washington grew up to be a great general and the first President of the United States. He showed courage in battle and - by strength of leadership and character - kept his army together through a long winter at Valley Forge when the Revolutionary War seemed lost. In great things and small, George Washington was a man of courage.

So when your Martial Art teacher speaks to you of courage, don’t just think of wars and battles. Think of all the times in your daily life when you must stand up for your beliefs and defend yourself from others. You’ll see that you need courage every day!

What are some examples of everyday courage?

Way to go Adon Semety!

We just got back from a demo at Tiger Tech Day Care in Mantua and our student Adon Semety did a great job help as an assistant instructor. He lead the three keys to respect and broke a board. Way to go Sir. I can tell the other kids really look up to you.


We do demos for teachers, schools, businesses, day care, churches, Boy Scouts, PTA's, and any other groups. If you might be interested in helping our academy at demo or hosting a demo please let Mrs. Barna or myself know. Thanks.

Sincerely,
Scott Shoen

Voting is a Right and a Responsibility.

I wish all the students and their families the best as we exercise our right to vote today. All the wonderful rights we enjoy in the country also have commensurate responsibilities. While responsibility has become a bad word in today's society of do whatever you like, they are actual a wonderful blessing because without them our rights would disappear. Responsibilitie and rights are like two sides of a coin. So as you enjoy this wonderful right remember the responsibilities that come with this right and make sure to vote.

God Bless Our Country,
Scott Shoen

Two of Our Awesome Students Training on Vacation!

Sam & Miriam Stanley Training on Vacations.

Way to go future Black Belt Leaders. You both look so cool. Miriam you are flying so high it totally looks like an awesome kung fu movie! I am going to have to call my Sensei Brian Ricci who does special effects and stunt coordination for big time movies!

Becoming A Champion!

Who wants to be a Champion? (raise your hand!) What does this mean?

Here are some facts about being a Champion...
being a Champion does NOT mean that you always win! In fact, many Champions became Champions by losing many, many times. They didn't use their losses as opportunities to feel sorry for themselves...they didn't give up! They used each loss as EXPERIENCE...and LEARNED how to do better next time!

Champions NEVER complain about doing the right things. Others might complain, but people committed to becoming Champions take care of business...with a positive attitude!

Champions are gracious...they are quick to help and encourage others. They respect and learn from all others. They NEVER criticize; even thought they are confident, they are also HUMBLE!

Champions have GOALS; they know what they want, and they have a plan to get there!

Champions ALWAYS take great care of their bodies; they eat the right things, get the right amount of sleep, and always exercise...every day!

Each of you is on your way towards being Champion Black Belt Leaders Keep it Up!

Sincerely,
Scott Shoen

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, November 15th, 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Leadership Seminar –Trampoline Aerial Acrobatic Kicks
Yes! You get to practice your kicks on a trampoline and jumping off of it to kick the bags! Don’t miss this awesome event!

Saturday, November 22nd, 8:00 PM to
Sunday, November 23rd, 9:00 AM
Karate School Sleepover – Pack your sleeping bags and pillows and join us for a night of karate movies and popcorn! We must have at least 10 students sign up and no more than 30, so get on the list right away. Cost $25.00

In celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday the Academy will be closed from Wednesday, November 26th through Sunday, November 30th. Regular classes will resume on Monday, December 1st.

Saturday, December 6th, 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Karate Tournament to include Kata, Sparring and Weapons – All attending students will receive a participation trophy. Be sure to sign up before the November 25th deadline. Cost $25.00

Friday, December 12th, 7:00 to 9:00 PM
ASKA Event – Weapons Seminar with Master Paul Keller!
Space will be limited so sign up early and have the opportunity to train with Master Keller. Other schools are coming too. Cost $25.00

Saturday, December 13th, 12:00 PM to 3:00
Christmas/Holiday Party – All students, friends and family members are invited to this year-end celebration. Come join for lots of fun and feel free to bring goodies to share. Santa will be there too!

Saturday, December 20th, 11:30 AM
GRADUATION – Location to be announced.
This is a Black Belt Graduation so dress attire is required.
There will be a Black Belt Dinner at PF Changs.

PLEASE NOTE: THE ACADEMY WILL BE CLOSED FOR VACATION DECEMBER 21ST THROUGH JANUARY 4TH

GOAL SETTING!

Did you know that there is POWER in setting goals? When you have set a goal, your efforts are focused in a specific direction...and you are able to accomplish things that you didn't think were possible!

for example...

1. can you imagine a man who has just climbed Mount Everest...when interviewed, he was asked, "How could you possibly make it to the top of the world's highest mountain?" and he replies, "Well, I was just out walking around one day, and the next thing I knew, there I was!"

2. or how about a man who was recently promoted to the top position in a major company; when asked the secret of his success, he responds, "It was the strangest thing! I just kept showing up for work, and they kept promoting me until I became President!"

3. or a young boy or girl who has just earned their 1st Degree Black Belt; if we ask them, "How did you accomplish such a thing at such a young age?" and the new Black Belt replies, "I kind of like Karate; I kept coming, and after a while they made me a Black Belt!"

COULD THESE THINGS HAPPEN? (of course not!)

What is the POWER of GOALSETTING in each of these situations?

Remember the SMART goal setting plan: goals should be
Specific; Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Measurable;

for our younger students...Just ask, “What do you want to be? To do? Then explain that these things are goals!

Wow what an awesome ASKA camp!

As many of you know Master Keller was in town this weekend. What a privilege and honor it was to be able to host his stay for the 2nd Papa Joe (Master Hayes) Memorial Seminar. This camp was attended by Master Paul Keller (Papa Paul), Master Jules Pommier (Papa Joules), Sensei Bryan Kautzman, Sensei Karl Gruber, and Myself (Sensei Scott Shoen). Footwork, Sparring, Escrima, Weapons (Kobudo), and much more were covered.

During the cam Master Jules Pommier received his Seventh Degree Black Belt or shichidan Dan. This is a life time of effort and accomplishment. We congratulate him, his students, and his academy. Way to go!

If you were not there ask Mr. Kondic, or Father Mwaka about the camp to find out all the karate secrets that they picked up at the camp.

Wish you all a great rest of your Sunday!

Way to go Students! Awesome Graduation.

This has to be our best graduation ever. You all rocked and looked so sharp. Many of our advanced students got show off their higher kata. Nice work! The confidence and discipline of our students showed was really Black Belt Leadership Excellence.

I am very thankful and impressed by all our students and their supportive and wonderful families. You are all the best. See you in class next week for stripe testing!

Sincerely,
Scott Shoen

Here is some more info on the Stan Hywet Trip planned for Oct.

Dear Students & Families,

Here is some more info on the Stan Hywet Trip planned next month.

About
The Manor House

The Manor House is one of the finest examples of Tudor Revival architecture in America. The Seiberlings chose architect Charles S. Schneider to design the home for $150,000. Schneider and the Seiberlings travelled to England and visited well-known homes including Ockwell’s Manor in Berkshire, Compton Wynyates in Warwickshire and Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, influencing the design of Stan Hywet.

An enormous amount of detail went into building the Manor House, including 3,000 separate blueprints and architectural drawings for its design. The groundbreaking took place in early 1912. To facilitate the delivery of massive quantities of building supplies, a railroad spur was created for transport onto the property.

The Seiberlings also hired Boston landscape architect Warren H. Manning and New York interior decorator Hugo F. Huber. For the interior of the house, many furnishings and pieces of art were purchased by Huber in New York, with additional pieces purchased by Huber and the Seiberlings on a trip to England in 1915. For the external environment, Manning sought inspiration from the natural topography and wanted the landscape and house to complement each other. In addition, Manning worked with Schneider to ensure that the house would be built on a location that would provide for five different overlooks of the valley and that allees would extend to allow views of the lagoon and surrounding foliage.

Sincerely,

Scott Shoen

Vocabulary for 10th & 9th Kyu (White and Orange Belts)

General Terms

Arigato..................Thank you
Dachi.....................Stance
Dai Sempai............Senior student
Dojo.......................Training hall
Geri........................Kick
Ippon......................One point
Karate.....................Empty hand
Karateka.................Karate practitioner
Kata........................Form
Kobayashi...............Little Forest Style
Matsubayashi.........Pine Forest Style
Rei..........................Bow
Sensei.....................Teacher
Shorin-ryu.............Little Forest Style
Uke........................Block

Commands

Kiotsuke................Attention!
Otigai ni rei...........Bow to each other
Otigai ni taishi......Face each other
Sensei ni rei..........Bow to the instructor
Sensei ni Taishi....Face instructor
Shomen ni rei.......Bow to the front
Shomen ni taishi...Face the front
Shugo.....................Line up!

Kicks

Mae geri.................Front kick

Blocks

Chudan uke...........Middle block
Gedan uke.............Low block
Jodan uke..............High block
Shuto uke...............Knife hand block
Soto uke..................Outside block

Punches, strikes

Gyaku zuki..............Reverse punch
Oi zuki.....................Lunge punch
Shuto.......................Knife hand
Kentsui....................Hammer fist

Stances

Kiba dachi...............Horse stance
Shiko dachi..............Square stance
Zenkutsu dachi........Front stance

Numbers

Ichi.........................One
Ni............................Two
San..........................Three
Shi...........................Four
Go...........................Five
Rokyu......................Six
Shichi......................Seven
Hachi.......................Eight
Ku............................Nine
Ju.............................Ten

CONTRIBUTION!

CONTRIBUTION!

This week’s message is about CONTRIBUTING!

Did you know that in life, your rewards, achievements, etc. are going to be equal to your ability to provide a valuable contribution?

Some people will always be doing just enough to get by, and then they don’t understand why they aren’t rewarded the way they would like to be! For example, if your parents give you a job to do, would you try to do just enough to get by, or would you be motivated to do a super job?
If you did just enough to get by, what would be your parent’s response? If you did a super job, what would the response be?

Many times, kids and adults will wish they had more rewards...and they never realize that they can change the level at which they are rewarded by changing the value of their contribution!

1. What are some of the ways that we can increase our ability to provide contribute?

2. How can our Martial Art training help?

Gina Capretta encourages her brother to become a Black Belt Leader too!

In case you didn't know the biggest source of new students for our Academy is referrals and family members who join too. So Gina is following in a long line of students who have finally convinced their family members how good karate is for you.

Nick will becoming in for his first two lessons to earn his white belt and start his journey towards Black Belt. Thank Gina you Rock! Nick, I know you are going to do awesome.

Sincerely Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

P.S. Anyone who would like to refer or help their family members join is welcome to talk with me or pass along our information to their friends. Just remember karate is good for you!

P.P.S. I referred Sensei Kautzman to my old school in Chesterland many years ago and he is now an amazing instructor and role model. It only took like one hundred times of telling him that karate is good for you. Sometime it tuff to convince a person of how great karate is that why I like to ask them to come to a class with me so they can see for themselves.

Even Sensei Makes Mistakes!

Dear Students and Families,

One of the biggest challenges for our students seems to be making mistakes. Mistakes are a regular part of life and how we deal with them is key to being successful in life.

So I would like to share a little bit of how my day started on Saturday to show you that even Sensei makes mistakes.

While I started out my day as usually with some early morning training it went downhill from there. On my way to work my car started acting up and I barely made it to work. Then I had an appointment show up 30 mins early. We had some confusion about the scheduled time. I apologized for the mis-communication. Then I couldn't find my key to the school so we did the lesson outside! Just after the lesson I found my key in the car, of course. It had fallen out of by briefcase during my ride to the academy.

Boy was that challenging, but some how it all worked out and Mitchell (the boy who was here for his first lesson) did great.

I want to share that with the tools that my instructors have shared with me about mistakes and how to flow with them it all seemed to work out for the best. So students when you make a mistake or two or a hundred, I can relate it happens to the best of us and it's not if we make mistakes but how we handle them that matters!

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

Boyer Family Earns Their Fourth Chevron!

Way to go Andy, Hannah, and Mr. Boyer. Really great work on your leadership skills. Working on the respect skills for two weeks is really challenging. Keep up the outstanding effort and training at home.

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

P.S. I look forward to see all our students at the sparring seminar this Saturday. Check out www.aurorakarate.com for all the details.

Anthony Romanini Earns his First Chevron and Moves Up to Advanced Brown Belt!

Anthony,

Way to go, Sir! We are all really proud of you so keep up the good work because black belt is just around the corner.

Sincerely,
Scott Shoen

P.S. Please congratulate Anthony on his accomplishment when you see him in class.

Pyramid of Power.

Our students forming a pyramid of power. Teamwork! Click picture to enlarge.

UPCOMING EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

8/30 3:00- 4:00 Ice Cream Day for White Belts (+ Adv. White Belts) and Black Belts only! This is an opportunity for our newest students and our Black Belts to get to know each other. Come join us at Fantasy Delight in Aurora.

9/13 Leadership Seminar – 4:00 to 5:30 –
Point Sparring – All Students May Attend.

9/20 Kata Seminar – 4:00 to 5:30 –
This is for students 13 years of age and older.

9/27 Cleveland Metro Parks Zoo – 1:30 to 5:30 –
All Students and their family and friends are invited to join us for this fun event!
CIT and 4-7 Intermediate Class is Closed so we can go to the zoo!

Our next Graduation is scheduled for Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 11:30am at Harmon Middle School in Aurora. Mark your calendars!

The Academy will be closed on Monday, September 1, 2008 in observance of Labor Day. Have a fun and safe holiday with your family and friends.

The next graduation is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 11:30 AM at Harmon Middle School in Aurora. Make sure to tell friends and family early so they can set the date aside.

Pictures from Sparring for Weekend Summer Camp and Classes

These are some of the students from class and camp this weekend. These pics were taken after sparring and capturing belts from the other students. Click the picture to enlarge.

PREPARATION!

PREPARATION!

"No surprises for the ninja," is a well known motto in Martial Arts. Knowing that preparation is the most efficient means for dealing with danger, we train to develop a sense of seeing into the future. We want to by ready for anything that could happen! As a student of Martial Arts, your challenge is to train or prepare, for any imaginable type of danger, not just in self-defense, but in all types of life situations. The earlier you sense danger, the more likely you will emerge the winner!

1. what are some areas in which PREPARATION is especially important?

2. how do we know HOW to prepare for different situations?

3. how do we know WHEN to prepare?

4. how can we improve our preparation skills IMMEDIATELY?

Grreat Sparring Matches today!

Way to go to Mrs. Carrasco, Mr. Boyer, Brandon Howard, Alex Pigat, Hannah Boyer, Peter Lebas, Mr. Matt, and Mr. Paul Nugent who all won multiple belts during our point sparring matches today! You are Awesome.

Sincerely,
Scott Shoen

P.S. Hope you are all playing karate at home and with friends.

Congratulations to Chad Vermillion as our newest Black Belt Leader.

Chad you are making so much progress and really showed excellent focus in your first class as a black belt leader. Keep up the great work and you will be a black belt in no time.

Sincerely,
Scott Shoen

P.S. See you all at 3:00 this Saturday for Summer Camp at the school.

Wiston Swarts has asked to be in Black Belt Club.

Sir, your parents and I will be evaluating you behavior and progress to see if you can join Black Belt Leadership Club. I bet you will be able to do it. Keep up the good work to impress your family.

Tune in this Thursday to see our Student on TV.

Andrew Kondik will be performing in march band on FSN Fox Sports Network at 7:00 pm this Thursday. We all love it when one of our students especially a black belt is on TV. We will be cheering for you and our local team too.

Sensei Shoen

P.S. Do you have a special talent outside karate? Just let us know and we may feature it at our Graduation. We want to see those leadership skills paying off outside the academy future Black Belts.

Amon Clark is our Newest Black Belt Leadership Member!

Congratulations Amon on making the commitment to becoming an awesome Black Belt Leader. Mrs. Barna, our current Black Belt Leaders, and I all know you can do it! Hope to see you later today at your first intermediate class. You're going to do great!

Sincerely,
Scott Shoen

Belts of Many Colors!

Today in our Intermediate 8-12 year old class Matthew Vince won our point sparring tournament but there was a twist.

I remember hear from my Sensei the story of any old spear master in China who would always take the belts of his defeated opponents and wear them. While the opponents would lose a belt they would learn a lesson in spear fighting so both gained something from the encounter. After a while he had a reputation for being an excellent fighter and it was hard to miss with all the belts around his waist.

I like this story because it shows that we can gain something from every challenge we face in life win or lose.

So today Matthew got to wear the belts of each student he vanquished in sparring, while the other students got a lesson in how effective his viscous reverse punch could be in battle. Pretty cool, Sir. We will likely do the same in all the classes next week. See you all there.

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

P.S. Brandon Howard earned his brown belt and second chevron today. Way to go, Sir!

Last Day of outside Classes for this month!

We had some great classes outside with Samuel, Miriam, Brandon, and Connor really standing out with their great effort! Mr. McCoy also had his first Black Belt Leadership Class.

Anabella Strano also shared that she had a nightmare and saw monsters and witches but she was not scared because she knew they were only paper tigers. Wow! Way to use the lesson of the week. I hope we can all be so brave confronting our own paper tigers.

See You All Next Week,
Scott Shoen

Way to go Cameron Schnell you made it in the Newspaper!

Cameron showed up in our local newspaper as student of the week or month. Nice work, Sir! In the article three things really stood out for me.

1. Job or chores: I clean my room, make my bed, get the mail, and take our the garbage.

2. What would you change about yourself and why? Nothing. (Nice answer, Sir. Very cool)

3. Who, other than your parents, do you look up to most and why? Scott Shoen, my karate Sensei, because he is a leader. (Thank you, Sir and so are you!)

What an awesome job you are doing being a Black Belt Leader outside the academy. Keep it up.

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

Star Wars Movie Rocks, Read All About It!

Wow! I just got back from the Star Wars movie with Lexi, Alexis, Connor (and his friend), Sam Iammarino (and his friend Connor), Samuel, Miriam, Brandon, and Matthew Vince. Boy did we have fun. I even brought my wood sword (bokken) to show everyone. Thank to all students who brought a guest.

It was great to see the sword battles and some very cool karate moves. Samurai culture is the basis for all the Star Wars movies and much of it was seen in this movie as well. I really liked how Sky Walker takes an Apprentice and I am think of letting our Black Belts choose a padawan (Apprentice) to train in our karate ways!

Matthew Vince got to stay a little longer outside so we were able to practice Ippon one and Ippon two. Two cool drills which he did very well. Nice work, Sir!

Congratulations to our two new Black Belt Leadership Program members: Sam McCoy, Bryan Westfall.

Congratulations to our two new Black Belt Leadership Program members: Sam McCoy, Bryan Westfall. You have started a journey towards being a Black Belt Leader and with the support of your family and you will be awesome Black Belts very soon. Master Keller also sends his best wishes as you begin this amazing journey.

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

More excitment outside with great classes.

We had a new student, Benjamin Andexler take his first class today and he did wonderful well. Welcome to group classes, Sir!

Mariah Goad and Brandon Patton both have decided they want to be Black Belt Leaders. Way to go!

Both our 8-12 and Black Belt Classes did some very tough kata training. We don't get tough doing easy stuff. Nice job!

Mr. Kowalski is going back to college for his Junior year. You can do it Black Belt Leader.

I want to thank Mrs. Barna for all she has been doing to help our students this week. You are awesome and we all thank you for you help.

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

P.S. Star Wars this Saturday! I can't wait. I am even thinking of bring my sword to the movie.

Welcome Dallas Brockman to our Academy.

Dallas Brockman just enrolled as our newest student. He did a great job earning his white belt. He even broke a board. Nice work, Sir!

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

P.S. Remember only two days left until our Saturday Star Wars Party at 1:45 we will meet at the academy. See everyone there.

More special outside classes today.

In our 4-7 to class Winstin was very focus and put in a great class along with his close friend Amon. You guys are awesome future Black Belt Leaders. I was impressed with all your pole vaulting skills with the bo! Awesome.

Sean Thomas looked very strong and is taking it to the next level in our 8-12 class and is an excellent Black Belt Leadership Club member. Nice work Sir! All our students in that class also did some really hardcore kata training. Lets see that precise kata work students. Remember to work on building you team and friends as you head back to school.

Our adult class was really amazing today. We did some pressure point work that was very well received even by our new students. As usually Mr. Reminder and Konturas looked very sharp. We even saw to correct kata in that class. Master Chris Clark would always say perfect practice makes perfect performance.

To all students take note that Mr. Fear will be assisting at our camp next weekend.

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

P.S. See you all at the star wars party this weekend!

Just got off the phone with Master Keller.

Master Keller says, "Hi and great work to all our students!" I just got off the phone with Master Keller and I told him about how wonderfully all our students are doing especially our new Black Belt Leaders and Black Belt Leadership Club Members. Sam McCoy who is in our Certified Instructor Program also impressed Master Keller with his excellent teaching and demo skills. I am so proud of you students and I look forward to our fun classes outside this week.

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

Good work 8-12 year old Class!

Awesome basics on the rocks today! We got six honks. You're in the lead now. Good job with the shadow drill and remember the Sai master story. Miguel Benedict also did a flying side kick over 10 students (one of which was Mrs. Pigat!) to set a new school record! Way to go.

Awesome Class Little Dragons!

We just had our biggest little dragons class ever! I really think it was a best class ever too. Everyone was so focused and respectful. You all rock! Owen did especially well along with Bryn and Matthew. Keep up the awesome job students!

Your Sensei,
Scott Shoen

P.S. Our little dragons program is for 2 1/2 to 5 year olds for our parents who might have little ones and are interested. Call 330-562-1124 for more information.

Dealing with FEAR!

This week in class we will be talking about dealing with fear.

Dealing with FEAR!

There are 2 types of fear...and a serious Martial Artist must study them! The first type of fear is the REAL fear of threatening situations…situations that can really harm you. This fear is important, and must be paid attention to! The 2nd type of fear is different; it is the feeling that paralyzes you...even when no real danger is present. Martial Artists must always study these 2 types of fear...learning to pay attention to the fear that is caused by real danger - and learning how to conquer the fear that keeps you from taking action when no danger is present!

1. what are some situations that indicate REAL danger?

2. what are some situations that indicate FALSE danger?

3. what can we do when confronted with non-threatening fear?

Bonus Question: What is the false danger called in Chine and Japan?

Tips on how to throw an awesome front kick!

1. Make sure to chamber, kick, chamber. Keep your chamber up high.
2. Just like when you punch you should rub your kicking leg against the standing leg to make sure the kick goes straight.
3. Place all your weight on the standing leg.
4. Turn your standing leg to the corner or 45 degree angle.
5. Tuck your hip.
6. Turn your belt.
7. Sink pressure into the standing leg.
8. Make sure there is an almost straight line from your hip to the target.
9. A snap kick is faster and less powerful much like a jab. Use the ball of the foot to kick when snap kicking usually.
10. A thrust kick is more powerful and slightly slower. May times this kick uses the heel of the front foot.
11. Make sure your kick goes down as fast as it comes up.
12. Kick from your center or the knot in your belt.
13. Test your kick by moving your center forward with your foot on a bag or wall to see if you can feel the pressure transfer through your leg into the target.
14. Always have a weapon (ball, heel, instep,) and a target (groin, under the nose, solar plexus, just above the knee, corner of the ribs) in mind when you kick.
15. Work single, double, triple, shuffle, skip, flying, spinning, rebounding, and even combinations of the above to perfect your kick.
16. Try different footwork to make your kicks more effective. Use the power from you steps to fire your kicks.
17. Try your kicks in many different combinations.
18. When you get your knee up try to swing or snaping your leg like a pendulum.
19. Relax.
20. Breath out as you kick.
21. Front kick is a straight line kick that comes in like a poke with a bo or staff.
22. The Chinese version of this kick has the leg straighter and coming up like a football kick. This kick is useful to kick low or to the groin.
23. Work on making your kick natural and relaxed so that it is difficult for your partner to see it coming. Don't force the kick.
24. Practice kicking bags, pads, paper, leaves on trees, tennis balls, soccor balls, pretty much anything you can as long as you don't break anything or upset your parents, younger students.
25. Use the front foot kick to stop someone who is moving forward and the back foot kick to chase someone who is moving backwords.

Sincerely,
Scott Shoen

P.S. Make sure to have fun, make kicking into a fun game, and feel free to share this tips with your friends or family. Remember karate is good for you!

Great Classes Outside Yesterday! Nice work Students.

Great Classes Outside Yesterday! Nice work Students.

Excellent classes yesterday. I was very impressed with everyone's hardwork outside. Standing on the karate rock was very challenging. Our adult class did espically well by completing all their basics while standing on the rock. Solid!

I also want to note how well Mr. Paul Nugent did yesterday as he is adjusting to the challenges of black belt class. We know you can do it, Sir!

Mr. & Mrs. Csonka just joined with their black belt daughter Ms. Emily Csonka and they are really becoming standouts in the adult class. Nice work.

I am planning on all our classes being outside this week. It should be a blast and you are welcome to wear shoes or bring suntan lotion if you need it.

Sincerely,
Scott Shoen