July Martial Arts Newsletter – 2010

July 14th, 2010

Greetings!

I know July has already started and it seems like it’s almost on its way out, however, after being on vacation all last week, I didn’t have a chance to send out the July newsletter sooner.

So, with that said, here is all of our July updates and upcoming events.

1st Annual Summer Potluck

As many of you know we held our 1st Annual Holiday Party in December last year. We had over 80 people gather at our school with a giant potluck, award ceremony, and video presentation. Families had fun, kids ate a ton, and we all socialized with others.

We are now going to host our next school gathering for the Summer to get students, families, and friends together again to enjoy Colorado’s beautiful Summer, and just have some fun!

On July 31st from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, we will have our 1st Annual Summer Potluck at the Big Dry Creek Park. This is located on 128th Avenue, just south of The Dojo of Karate (within walking distance).

The Dojo of Karate will provide hot dogs with condiments for all guests to enjoy.

All we ask is that every family bring a dish to share with the rest of our guests. We may expect around 100 people to attend.

Feel free to invite friends and family members interested in attending our 1st Annual Summer Potluck, even if they are not members of our school.

Families can also bring water guns, and we can all have a big water gun fight!

There is also a softball/baseball field at the Big Dry Creek Park. If anyone is interested in getting together and playing some softball during our Summer Party, please feel free to bring some bats and softballs. Everyone else should bring their own gloves.

There is a signup sheet at the front counter. All families please signup to bring a dish to share and the amount of guests that plan on attending. We want to make sure everyone gets a enough food.

Possible Class Expansion

It is very exciting to watch our school grow, especially in the Beginners Karate Program, since so many kids are getting the benefits of learning Martial Arts.

Since this program is growing during the Summer months, and Back-To-School is around the corner, we will potentially add an additional time slot for the Beginners Karate Program for Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 PM to 6:15 PM.

This will than allow for The Dojo of Karate to offer Martial Arts classes 5 days a week for new students.

However, please keep in that Beginning Students are only allowed to attend between 2 or 3 classes per week.

What is Black Belt Club?

Well, it’s our program for students interested in taking their Karate training to the next level.

However, this isn’t just some ordinary Karate Program… There are all sorts of benefits and requirements in being apart of the Black Belt Club.

Students will have the opportunity to receive the following:

Unlimited karate training.
Special Black Belt Club classes every Friday.
Weapons training, such as the Bo Staff, Kamas, or Nunchucks.
Custom embroidered, brushed cotton, middleweight uniform with students name on the front and The Dojo of Karate log0 on the back.
Eligibility for Demo Team.
Eligibility to compete in Karate Tournaments.
Eligibility to be on Leadership Team.
Discounts on seminars and events.
And much more!

How do you become a member of Black Belt Club?

We are now updating the process of our Black Belt Club membership.

The first step is that students must write a letter, in their own words, on “why they want to become a member of Black Belt Club”.

Next, we sit down as a family to discuss Black Belt Club membership, what it entails, requirements, etc.

After we have our discussion, the family will need to go home and have a discussion whether this is going to be something that everyone wants to be apart of. This is a family decision, not a single person decision.

Why do we do all of this?

Black Belt is a very difficult goal for students to achieve. It requires a lot of training and dedication, and you need to be mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared. For most students it can take between 3-4 years to achieve this goal, pending they do not miss belt tests, pass all of their exams and display proper attitude at home and obtain ‘B’ average grades in school.

In addition, we require students to be a minimum of 10 years old to achieve a ‘Junior Black Belt’.

Why?

Kids may “know the moves” but they will not know HOW to perform the moves as designed… until their bodies develop. Usually that won’t happen until they are teenagers or adults.

If your child is interested in becoming a member of Black Belt Club, please talk to Mr. Lozano, so he can guide your child in the right direction.

Wado Karate Seminar

As many of you may have heard, we are hosting a Wado Karate Seminar on Saturday, August 7th and 8th. A colleague of mine, Sensei Bob Nash is coming out from Seattle, Washington to teach this seminar.

Sensei Nash is one of only 2 people living outside of Japan that has earned a 7th degree black belt in JKF Wado-Kai. He has been training in Wado-Kai for nearly 50 years, and brings a wealth of knowledge about our classical Japanese martial art.

He travels around the world, from Europe to Australia, and cross the United States hosting Wado-Kai Seminars at various dojos and facilities because of his technical expertise and understanding in the art of Wado Karate.

The fact we are able to have Sensei Nash come to our school and teach a seminar is an opportunity of a lifetime for many practitioners because he’s as close to the source as it comes from.

We plan on splitting the group from kids and adults, to make the floor more manageable.

Kids will have about a 2 hour seminar, while teens and adults will have the entire weekend to train, approximately 8 to 10 hours. The schedule will look something like this. However, we still need to finalize the time slots.

Saturday: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM — Kids

Saturday: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM — Teens & Adults

Sunday: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM — Teens & Adults

Students must be a minimum of an Orange Belt in order to participate.

We also plan on having a friend of mine, Sensei David Sasaki, bring some of his students from Conifer to attend the seminar too.

The cost of the seminar has yet to be determined, but we will have it shortly.

Please make sure you pre-register for the seminar so we know how many people we need to accommodate.

Tags: BBC, beginners, big dry creek park, Black Belt Club, bo staff, Bob Nash, broomfileld, colorado, conifer, demo team, hot dogs, japan, japanese, javier lozano jr, JKF, July, kamas, karate, Karate Tournaments, Leadership Team, martial arts, potluck, Self-Defense Tips & Info, seminar, softball, students, summer, the dojo of karate, thornton, Wado, wado kai, water gun fight, Weapons training, westminster
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Kids, Martial Arts, And The Valuable Lessons They Learn – Part 2

June 24th, 2010

Westminster Karate Teaches Patiences

Welcome to the 2nd part of Kids, Martial Arts, And The Valuable Lessons They Learn. If you missed the last section of this article, please click here to catch up.

Patience With Self And Others

One of the most important lessons that children learn from martial arts classes is patience. It is not uncommon to observe students who have learned hapkido, Taekwondo, and other styles to take a methodical approach to problem-solving. Part of the reason is due to increased self-confidence. Kids who have studied certain disciplines are more likely to be confident in their abilities. As a result, they’re more likely to be patient in their interactions with others.

Another reason for their patient, methodical approach is the calmness they learn during instruction. Far from chasing immediate gratification, they learn to appreciate the value of waiting.

Perseverance Toward A Goal

Dojo instructors often emphasize to their students a continual pursuit of perfection in their technique. This is one of the reasons accomplished black belts seek perpetual instruction. Likewise, kids’ martial arts classes focus on advancing toward a goal. Sadly, children are seldom given the opportunity to enjoy personal accomplishments. In a dojo, young people are encouraged to perfect their moves and concentration in order to advance to a higher level of proficiency.

There are several advantages kids enjoy by participating in martial arts classes. Each of these advantages offers lifelong value and will likely be drawn upon over and over throughout the years. For parents, providing their children with the opportunity to learn karate, judo, or any other style is a gift that may outlast every other.

If you would like your child to train at a safe and exciting martial arts school that is family oriented, than contact The Dojo of Karate & Fitness at 303.920.4500 or email at info@TheDojoOfKarate.com.

They are located in the Safeway Shopping Center on 128th Ave and Zuni St. in Westminster / Broomfield.

Tags: broomfield, children, colorado, Dojo, family, goal setting, hapkido, javier lozano jr, Judo, karate, kids, martial arts, perseverance, Self-Defense Tips & Info, taekwondo, the dojo of karate, thornton, westminster
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Kids, Martial Arts, And The Valuable Lessons They Learn – Part 1

June 22nd, 2010

Westminster Karate Child Kicking

Children can gain unique value from learning the martial arts.

Parents often enroll their kids into classes in order to teach them how to defend themselves. While self-defense is certainly one advantage to pursuing any given fighting style, it is the least among several benefits. Kids are at a stage in which they absorb everything around them. They’re deeply impressionable. They adopt others’ influences into their own perspective of the world and those with whom they interact. Kids martial arts classes play an important role in that development.

In this article, we’ll describe the powerful lessons that young people learn as they pursue the martial arts. If you’re a parent and are considering enrolling your son or daughter, you may be surprised by the valuable lifelong lessons to which you’re giving them access.

Discipline And Focus

Teachers across the country complain that the attention spans of their students have plummeted over the last several years. Whether this is due to the fast-paced environment in which these kids live or other reasons, they lack the focus of the previous generation. Instruction in karate, judo, aikido, and similar systems can help young people regain the discipline they need. The repetition of moves encourages a deep focus as children struggle to master those moves with precision.

The discipline and focus they gain from the instruction has value far beyond the classroom. Eventually, they’ll use these traits when performing their jobs and interacting with their families.

Physical Fitness And Coordination

Obesity continues to spread and people are living more sedentary lives than ever. Making matters worse, many public and private schools have eliminated physical education due to budget cuts. Parents are observing their children, dismayed that they would prefer to sit inside and watch television rather than go outside. This trend has led to a weight problem among young people. The lack of exercise has taken a toll on their physical fitness.

When parents enroll a child into martial arts classes, that child is able to take advantage of a rich source of physical activity. It improves their cardiovascular health as well as their coordination. What’s more, dojos offer year-round instruction. While Little League and other team sports are seasonal, martial arts classes provide a source of physical fitness throughout the entire year.

They are located in the Safeway Shopping Center on 128th Ave and Zuni St. in Westminster / Broomfield.

Tags: aikido, broomfield, children, colorado, discipline, Dojo, family, focus, javier lozano jr, Judo, karate, kids, lessons, martial arts, parents, physical fitness, tae kwon do, teachers, the dojo of karate, thornton, TKD, westminster
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Wado Kai Seminar With Robbie Smith

June 10th, 2010

Sensei Robbie Smith and Sensei Takagi

The Dojo of Karate has been fortunate enough to have a great Wado Karate practitioner, Sensei Robbie Smith, teach a seminar on Tuesday, June 15th from 7:30PM to 9:00PM at our facility.

This is a great opportunity for students to learn new skills & fundamentals, as well as improve their current techniques.

Sensei Smith is considered by his peers as one of the best Wado Kai Karate-kas that is not based in Japan, where our founding style was created.

He operates a dojo in New Zealand called New Zealand Wado Kai. He is a 6th Dan Black Belt with more than 30 years of experience.

To train with Sensei Smith will be an opportunity of a lifetime for many students pursuing to become a Black Belt at The Dojo of Karate.

Seminar Cost

This seminar is by invitation only. No exceptions. Only students that are a minimum rank of Purple belt will be invited to attend.

Since this is extremely last minute, The Dojo of Karate will be covering most of the cost for this seminar.

There may be a small fee to participate, such as $10, but that has not been determined.

To train under an accomplished martial artist such as Sensei Smith would cost significantly more in other situations. But, Sensei Lozano would like for most students to experience this opportunity.

**All students must wear a full Karate uniform, gi tops and bottoms, as well as their current ranking belt.

We look forward to seeing you guys on Tuesday, June 15th at 7:30PM

Sensei Lozano

Tags: 6th dan, black belt, broomfield, colorado, japan, javier lozano jr, karate, martial arts, new zealand, robbie smith, seminar, sensei, the dojo of karate, thornton, traditional, wado kai, wado ryu, westminster
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Karate Students Kick Breast Cancer, One Pink Belt At A Time

June 3rd, 2010

Karate Students Fund Raiser - Broomfield

Westminster, CO — June 3rd, 2010 — Martial Arts students at The Dojo of Karate & Fitness show how they can help kick and punch breast cancer by wearing Pink Karate Belts in class during the week of June 7th to June 11th.

This is a new fund raising program created by owner and Master Instructor, Javier Lozano, Jr.

He decided that their Karate school needed to demonstrate their support to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, taking place in the Rocky Mountains from June 25th to June 27th, 2010.

“As a business owner, I feel it is my responsibility to get our school together as a community and stand up for something that is important. Breast Cancer is something that affects friends, families, and loved ones”, says Lozano. “In my opinion, business owners have a moral obligation to their clients to give back to the community. We are in contact with so many people who live different lives, and we have an opportunity to influence our community because of the small degrees of separation among various people.”

Martial Arts students at The Dojo of Karate and Fitness will be purchasing Pink Karate Belts for $15 per belt, with $10 of the proceeds going towards the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

During the week of June 7th to June 11th, Sensei Lozano has designated it as Breast Cancer Awareness Week, where students will be exchanging their current Karate Belts for Pink Karate Belts. And, students will give up their earned ranks of continuous martial arts training to become a unified rank of Pink.

All students will be learning how health and fitness can help prevent their chances of disease, such as breast cancer. And, by maintaining an active lifestyle that incorporates healthy eating habits, this will allow students and their families to live a more prosperous life.

More importantly, though, it gets the Martial Arts studio together, like a community.

“People want to be apart of something that is bigger than them. They want to be able to give back in a way that actually affects their community. We all want to be proud of something and fight for it. By getting our school together with this new fund raising event, our members feel more empowered than before, and that’s exactly what Martial Arts is really about. It’s not about the kicks and punches, but about how you can help someone else achieve their goals”, says Sensei Lozano.

In addition to the sense of community The Dojo of Karate has created, Sensei Lozano is also creating the future leaders of America through martial arts training.

In every class, students are challenged to become leaders by working hard and leading by example. If someone is having a hard time learning a new technique or move, it’s their responsibility to teach the students who are struggling.

If they have a new child trying out Karate classes, it’s a current students job to teach them the ropes and shadow them during their 1st couple of sessions.

Why?

That way students begin to take pride and ownership in their training, at every level.

Those are character traits The Dojo of Karate is always looking to develop in every child because eventually they will have an opportunity to lead a group to follow a common goal. Or start learning how leadership can translate over to great causes in society, such as raising money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Lastly, The Dojo of Karate & Fitness will be hosting a Breast Cancer Boot Camp on Saturday, June 12th from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. This is how parents and members of the community can get together and help raise money too.

To learn more and register for this great cause, go to: http://www.TheBreastCancerBootCamp.com.

Tags: adults, avon walk for breast cancer, awareness week, boot camp, breast cancer, broomfield, colorado, erie, fund raiser, fundraiser, javier lozano jr, karate, kids, martial arts, pink belts, pink karate belts, teens, the dojo of karate, thornton, westminster
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