Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing holiday season.  We are now ready to jump back into training – classes resume on Tuesday, January 7, with the children’s class at 6 pm. 

2014 promises to be an exciting year – and it begins with the Canadian National Karate Championships in Richmond, BC, January 17 to 19.  Three of our dojo members have been selected to the provincial team:  Mariah Blunt, Noah Thompson and Joseph Workman.  We know they will represent our dojo and the province well.  Over the next week we will be helping them in their final preparations for the championships. 

In February and May, Karate Alberta will be holding recreational and provincial qualifier tournaments for all individuals interested in participating.  The first tournament runs February 1 and 2 here in Calgary at Western Canada High School. With the tournament being held in Calgary, it is a great opportunity to see what the competitive side of karate holds.  I will provide more information about the tournament in the next few classes – please speak to me if you need more information.  The second tournament will be held in Red Deer on May 31.  Note that both the Provincial Qualifier and Recreational Divisions will run on the same day. More information on this tournament will be provided in April.

In August, Soke Sensei, head of the International Chito-Ryu Karate-Do Federation, will be visiting our province and presenting a clinic and training camp in Canmore.  We are helping our friend, Sensei Yuka Shimizu and her dojo in Canmore, to facilitate the visit.  With Soke Sensei and other high level instructors, it promises to be a great learning opportunity for all.  We will provide more information, such as confirmed dates, costs and the tentative schedule and agenda as it becomes available. 

Because January is the month when we think about resolutions, goals and all the great things we will accomplish throughout the year – it`s time to apply that same thinking to our karate training.  Think about where you are right now and what you would like to achieve this year.  Something to keep in mind with goals – they should be SMART:

• Specific
• Measureable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time Bound

Consider the following example of goals set by two current green belts:

• Be better at karate.
• By May, learn Seisan kata to the standard required for grading by practicing it each class, and a minimum of three times per week.

The first goal is too vague and impossible to measure effectively.  However the second goal meets all the SMART criteria: 

• Specific – learn Seisan kata
• Measurable – grading standard
• Achievable – because the student is a current green belt, learning and executing Seisan is doable
• Realistic – each of us know how quickly we learn katas – learning and polishing a kata in five months is realistic, but to be sure, the student set out how often to practice the kata
• Time bound – by May.  If there is no deadline set, the chances of achieving the goal are reduced

Setting goals is a very personal thing – however if you need any ideas for realistic karate or fitness goals for the year – please let me know and I`ll be happy to help you.

 “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”  Henry David Thoreau

Enjoy your training!

Shihan Gary Sabean – Head Instructor

Announcements

• Fee Changes:  Don’t forget – fees changed effective January 1, 2014, because of increases in costs from our parent Chito Ryu association in Japan.  The children’s three-month cost is now $200, the youth fee is now $275, and adults will pay $325 for three months.  
• A quick reminder that all fees are due - please provide a cheque as soon as possible. If you are unsure of what fees you owe please contact Sensei Sabean.