Over this past weekend our dojo, along with Sensei Adam Wackershauser’s dojo, held our inaugural All Alberta Karate Invitational Tournament at Bowness High School.  The tournament was a great success – more than 180 athletes competed in categories ranging from flag kumite for four-year-olds to kumite for over-35-year olds, and everything in between.  The tournament was beneficial for anyone who wanted additional competitive opportunities, but especially valuable for athletes recently named to the provincial team as it provided another chance to perfect their skills in a competitive environment. The tournament would not have been possible without the help from our dojo members, parents and friends who helped with set up, coaching, officiating and clean up.  Thank you and well done to everyone! 

It’s hard to believe that we are soon coming up on our holiday break – the last class is Friday, December 19, resuming on January 6, 2015.  Most recently, our focus has been on improving our kicks – ensuring that we have the right distance for specific kicks and that, as with any technique, we engage the correct muscles to perform them.  As we all know, kicking effectively becomes easier with practice and with increased flexibility – over the holiday break please try to stay active and STRETCH! 

Announcements

• Class cancellation – no classes on Tuesday, December 16, as the school is using the gym.
• The final youth 7 to 12 year old class before the holiday break will be on Thursday, December 18th from 6:45 to 7:30.  Please note there will be no 6:00 to 6:45 class.  The 6:45 class will be a combined class.
• The final 4 to 6 year old kids class before the holiday break will be on Friday from 6:45 to 7:30.  Please note there will be no 6:00 to 6:45 class.  The 6:45 class will be a combined class.
• Final  adult class before the holiday break will be on Friday, December 19 at 7:30.
• Classes resume on Tuesday, January 6.
• Please kindly check your records and if you have not paid your dojo fees, please do so as soon as possible

 “Don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong.” Unknown

Enjoy your training and happy holidays!

Sensei Gary Sabean

Head Instructor

Karate Etiquette

A key component of karate is awareness – this applies to every interaction we have while at the dojo:

• When you arrive and are waiting in the hall for the first class to end, please keep conversations/discussions to an appropriate volume so as not to distract those still training.
• During class, when you are waiting in line to execute a technique, continue to jog lightly in place.  This helps you to stay warm and also be mentally ready to execute the technique when it is your turn.
• When your instructor calls “yame” (stop), please stop your training and listen quietly to the instructions.  If the period of instruction lasts more than a minute or so, kneel in seiza position.