Adult Self-Defense Workshop – Saturday, November 6th

October 15th, 2010

You hear it all the time…

“Woman gets attacked while walking to car in Wal-Mart parking lot.”  Or “man gets assaulted while jogging down biking path in suburban neighborhood, in broad daylight.”

Normal people are starting to become victims in everyday situations.

Everyone Is Now A Potential Victim

Well, there could be several reasons.  Was it late at night?  Were you walking / running by yourself?  Were you on your cell phone or distracted when this happened?

The list can simply go on…

And, there’s no way that you won’t ever become a victim.  Seriously.

That’s why self-defense training is more imperative today, then ever before, and the reasons are obvious.  We see those reasons everyday on the news.

On Saturday, November 6th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Chief Instructor – Javier Lozano, Jr. will be hosting a free adult self-defense workshop at his training facility located in Westminster, Colorado.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about awareness  of your surrounding and what to look for in possible attackers.

In addition, Javier will be teaching students proper self-protection techniques, such as strikes, kicks, blocks, and escapes.  His techniques taught during this seminar are very easy to learn, yet extremely effective.

“Some people always ask me, ‘don’t you need to know some sort of secret move to disable your attacker?’  And, my response always is, ‘NO’.  Let’s face it, you probably won’t remember all of those fancy moves that work great for lifelong practitioners.  During the heat of the moment, when your adrenaline is rushing, and you practically freeze because of anxiety, are you going to remember all of those fancy moves?”

Here’s what is important to understand when learning self-defense skills during a workshop or short training course.

The moves need to be simple to learn and understand.  If they are too complicated, your chances of retaining that information are slimmer then none.

In addition, they need to be effective and to the point.  None of that extra, unnecessary movement that can kill precious time when escaping from an attacker.

How do you know whether the stuff you will be learning during this adult self-defense workshop is actually valuable??

Checkout our last free seminar we hosted a few months ago

How Good Is This Self-Defense Instructor?

Chief Instructor Javier Lozano, Jr. has been training in the martial arts for over 20 years, with 17 years of teaching experience.  He is a certified 3rd Degree Black Belt in Wado Karate, a Japanese combative art.  He is also a former professional athlete, winning a NASKA World Championship fighting title and a CKA Colorado State Championship fighting title.

Javier is also a certified self-defense instructor and free style grappling instructor through MASAI, one of the nations leading martial arts black belt instructor certification organizations.

With his vast experience and knowledge in the martial arts and self-defense, Javier will give you a solid understanding on how to defend yourself in almost any given situation.  More importantly, though, he will restore your confidence and teach you awareness skills that are taught nation wide by professional officers in major metropolitan areas.

When Is The Free Adult Self-Defense Seminar?

Again, the seminar will be hosted on Saturday, November 6th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at The Dojo of Karate in Westminster, CO.  They are located on the northeast corner of 128th Ave. and Zuni St. in the Safeway Shopping Center.

Please contact them at 303-920-4500 to reserve your spot, or go to their website at: http://www.AdultSelfDefense.com.

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.

Kids, Martial Arts, And The Valuable Lessons They Learn – Part 2

June 24th, 2010

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 [email protected].

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

June Martial Arts Newsletter – 2010

May 28th, 2010

Summer is here!

This is a very exciting time of year for The Dojo of Karate, as it allows for all of our students to enjoy outdoor activities as a school.

Checkout what we’ve got going on this month.

Pink Karate Belts

As many of you know, we are hosting a fundraising event for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

The Dojo of Karate will be selling Pink Karate Belts for $15 per belt.  Students will be allowed to wear the Pink Belts in class starting next week, when the belts come in.  So, make sure you put your order in, or your child may not have a Pink Belt!

From June 7th to June 11th, we will have Breast Cancer Awareness Week, and this is officially when students can begin to wear their Pink Karate Belts in all of their Karate classes.

And, $10 of the proceeds will go towards the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Our goal is to raise $3,000 as a school.

Breast Cancer Boot Camp

In addition, we will be hosting the 1st Annual Breast Cancer Boot Camp on June 12th from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM.

This will be a 1 hour fitness boot camp that takes all participants through a training session of our regular boot camps.  Exercises would include the use of kettlebells, resistance bands, sandbags, medicine balls, and much, much more!

And, after the workout, there will be a 30 minute consultation class from Dr. Mike Cartwright from Countryside Health & Wellness.  He will be giving a short lecture about health, fitness, and nutrition — and how it can help prevent breast cancer.

To signup for the Breast Cancer Boot Camp, please visit the link below, and fill out the form.

http://www.TheBreastCancerBootCamp.com

Again, our goal is to raise $3,000 as a school for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  The more participants we get, the closer we can get to achieving our goal.  So feel free to pass on the information to friends, family members, and colleagues.

Karate Tournament

The next Karate Tournament that Black Belt Club members can compete in is the CKA Summer Jam in Parker, CO.  This tournament will be hosted on Saturday, June 26th.

If you are interested in competing, please make sure you get permission from Mr. Lozano, unless it has already been approved.

To learn more about this upcoming tournament, go to: http://coloradokarateassociation.org/

And, last month, Madeline P. and Mollee H. competed in the R.A.G.E. Karate Tournament.

Mollee H. got 5th place in Traditional Forms and a finalist in sparring.

Madeline P. got a 5th place in Sparring, 2nd place in Creative Forms, and 1st place in Traditional Forms.  She also had an opportunity to represent The Dojo of Karate for Forms Grand Champion.

Make sure when you see these two, you congratulate them!

Great job girls!

The Karate Kid

As many of you know, we had a successful Buddy Night / Movie Night last week.  And, the new Karate Kid movie comes out on Friday, June 11th.

We have decided to go as a school to watch The Karate Kid on Sunday, June 13th to a matinee, since it will possibly be less crowded and less expensive tickets for a family.

If you are interested in participating, we will have more information when it nears.

Martial Arts Summer Camp

Many parents have shown interest in the Martial Arts Summer Camp this year that we will be hosting.

Please keep in mind that we need for all parents to make a reservation by next week, in order to save their spot.  We have had interest from all sorts of families.

The cost for students training at The Dojo of Karate is $229 for 2 half-day camps on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

The camp will start on June 7th and run through June 30th.

This is a sports camp / martial arts camp, so your child will be working on all sorts of skills.  Not just Karate.

FaceBook Fan Page

Are you on Facebook?  If not, it’s a great way to reconnect with old and new friends.  Social networking is becoming the new way of communicating on a viral level.

If you’re a student at The Dojo of Karate, become a fan of The Dojo of Karate.  That way, we can still update you about any activities we may be hosting.

And, get your friends to become fans too.  They will be informed about free seminars we may be hosting, fundraisers, and special events.

Go to: http://www.FaceBook.com/TheDojoOfKarate

New Karate Schedule

Remember, the new Summer Martial Arts Schedule will start on June 7th.  We made extra copies of the schedule, so feel free to grab one.

New Faces…

The Dojo of Karate will be hiring an Office Manager to help handle administrative tasks for the school.  This will also alleviate Mr. Lozano from other projects, so he can continue to focus on teaching classes, and growing our school.

This person is very familiar with the culture of The Dojo of Karate, and many of you are good friends with her.

They will be starting within the next couple of weeks.

In addition, as our school continues to grow, we will be looking for potential assistant instructors working as an apprentice, as well as, requiring our senior students to assist in Karate classes on a weekly basis.

This is how students will begin to gain better leadership skills, perfect their technique, and take pride in their training.

Until next time…

Mr. Lozano

Broomfield Breast Cancer Boot Camp

May 18th, 2010

Westminster, CO — May 18th 2010 – Breast Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women.  There are several organizations out there, such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, and many more, that put on weekend long events where the entire country, regions, states, counties, and towns, can gather together to raise money and find a cure for breast cancer.

Local martial arts expert and certified personal trainer, Javier Lozano, Jr. is the owner and chief instructor at The Dojo of Karate & Fitness in Westminster, and plans on hosting their 1st Inaugural Breast Cancer Boot Camp on June 12th, 2010.

Their goal is to raise over $3,000 and donate the funds to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

However, Coach Lozano plans on approaching this fundraiser a little different.

He wants to get all of his martial arts and fitness members involved too, even though some of the students may be too young to train in a boot camp session.

His plan of attack…? pink karate belts.

Coach Lozano says, “We will be selling pink karate belts to students for them to wear during the week of June 7th to June 12th during their martial arts classes.  This way, they can show their support in finding a cure for breast cancer.  When we brought up the concept a couple of months ago, students were extremely excited about the idea, and couldn’t wait to signup.”

The pink martial arts belts will be on sale for purchase at $15 per belt, with approximately $10 of the proceeds going to the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer.

Than, on Saturday, June 12th from 9:30am to 10:30am The Dojo of Karate & Fitness will be hosting the official Breast Cancer Boot Camp.  A 1-hour boot camp session where participants will have an opportunity to workout in the popular fitness boot camp class.

Their boot camps really focus on variety.

“When someone asks what a typical boot camp consists of, I sort of tell them we do not have a normal routine or workout” says Coach Lozano.  “Now if they want to know what people are saying about our programs and how they feel after the workout, the best example is that they leave feeling like jelly, sweating like pigs, and hurting… while having a big smile on their face.”

The Broomfield Fitness Boot Camp, as it’s known by locals, train with a variety of exercise equipment.  This way, it keeps the workouts interesting, and the athletes on their toes.

For instance, they use resistance bands instead of dumb-bells because it becomes more difficult to control the bands.  There is resistance on both the pushing / pulling motion, as well as the retrieving motion.

In addition, Coach Lozano teaches them how to use sandbags.  It’s an unorthodox way of training because the sand will shift in all different ways, making it difficult to maintain control.  This forces athletes to use their stabilizer muscles too.

“Plus, I tell them they can put on their resume that they are professional sandbag movers, incase an employer is trying to set apart candidates” says Lozano jokingly.

And, the ever so kettlebells are another piece of equipment they train with too.  Kettlebells are beginning to gain popularity because of its functional type movement, strength and cardio exercise, and great results athletes are gaining.

After the Breast Cancer Boot Camp, Coach Lozano invited a local chiropractor from Countryside Health and Wellness, to discuss ways to prevent breast cancer — from diet and nutrition, to physical fitness and exercise.

This will be a 30 minute educational class, in order to teach all of the participants on how they can help prevent breast cancer.

The cost to participate in the Breast Cancer Boot is only $30 per participant with approximately $20 of the proceeds going towards the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

And, if you decide to signup for the Breast Cancer Boot Camp, than Coach Lozano will apply a $30 discount to your 1st month of training.

This is a great way to get introduced into the Broomfield Fitness Boot Camp.

To signup or learn more about the Breast Cancer Boot Camp, please contact The Dojo of Karate and Fitness at: 303.920.4500 or email Coach Lozano at: [email protected].