Each week in August we will be asking you about the martial arts. If you can answer the question correctly, or complete the project, by the Saturday of that week you will receive one knowledge stripe.

Knowledge stripes are the white stripes that you get on your belt that can then be turned in to attend events at the school.

As many of you know we have several rewards for our dedicated students over the summer. Students who reach 8, 14, and 21 class milestones will all be able to paticipate in unique events.

Once you reach 8 classes your name will be added to a posted list in the school indicating you are eligible to attend one of the weapons classes. Once your name is added to that list you can sign up for appropriate weapons classes. Each weapons class will have some category, limiting it by either age or experience.

The next black belt promotion has been scheduled for April 25th and 26th. This event is quite different than most promotions, and is held only twice a year at most.

Unlike a standard promotion, a Black Belt promotion is a two day event. The first night generally lasts about 6 hours. During this time students demonstrate their entire curriculum. During this phase of the promotion only Black Belts and students promoting are allowed to attend. At the end of this first evening students sleep over at the school, and oh boy do they sleep.

The following morning we wake up bright and early, around 6 AM, and continue the testing process. Around 9 AM students and instructors are given a short time to return home and prepare for the next phase of the promotion.

Early that afternoon students return with friends and family for the demonstration portion of the promotion. This part of the promotion is much like a regular promotion. It lasts roughly an hour and ends with the belt ceremony. However, the belt ceremony is more complicated.

For the belt ceremony the black belt candidate picks 1 or 2 people to participate in the ceremony and remove their brown belt. This honor is given to the one or two people who were most directly responsible for the students success.

The Black Belt promotion signifies the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end. Participating in it requires maturity and discipline. It is a substantial accomplishment to have reached this milestone. We wish you all the best of luck in preparing for it.

With winter nearly behind us, and warm weather ahead, I want to remind everyone of the value of wearing your uniform to class. The full student uniform allows students to practice all of their skills safely and effectively. It affords superior protection against scrapes and mat burns, while being able to withstand the tugging in our take downs.

When it gets too warm, a school T-shirt is an acceptable substitute. But please do your best to wear gi pants every class. Of particular concern are shorts, which can lead to frequent mat burns and abrasions.

Having our students in uniform makes for a safer and more effective teaching environment. It also enhances the feel of discipline in the school so please do your best to be fully prepared for class.

I was so proud of our students who participated in the tournament this year. Having the courage to try is one of the most wonderful characteristics of children. All of our competitors took a chance and I hope that they continue to show that courage throughout their training and their daily lives. Further, our students showed respect and sportsmanship under pressure.

Our winners in each event were as follows.

Prince Pad Pushing:
Henry Donohue, Niko Germanakos, William Savarese, Sam Levy, Nikola Morovic, Josiah Kabemba, Alicia Miglirarini, Sammy Goldman 

Kicking Sprints:
Julian Callegari, Niko Germanakos, Nikola Morovic, Sam Levy, Aidan Johnston, Elias Germanakos, Bryan Brown

Punching Sprints:
Julian Callegari, Niko Germanakos, Jacoby Goodson, Sam Levy, Aidan Johnston, Owen Hayes, Jack MacCall

Balance Challenge:
PJ Krestinski, Julianne Hynes, Emily Bellantoni, Marcus Boigris, Kiki Shinsato, Gracia Acheson, Michael Brown

Power Breaking:
Julian Callegari, Caolinn McCaffrey, Ryan Angello, Andrew Link, William Savarese, Ismene Germanakos, Elias Germanakos, Christian Pena

Ever notice yoga mats and candles around our martial arts studio? The simple reason is that for over three years we have been offering yoga class to adults and teens for student’s family members and those outside of our studio as well. Classes are offered on Monday and Friday mornings at 9:15 AM, Wednesday evenings at 7:45 PM and Sunday mornings at 9 AM. Debi, our instructor, teaches a vinyasa style flow class, focusing on building strength while gaining flexibility. She is 200 hour certified with the Yoga Alliance, certified in Prenatal Yoga and will be completing her 500 hour certification with Shiva Rea during 2008.

As always the first class is free to anyone who is willing to try. No reservations are necessary so you can just drop in about 10 minutes prior to the class start time. Feel free to call the studio or leave a message for Debi with any questions or concerns. And remember- as part of our family discount program, all parents and teen siblings of students receive a 10% discount on the purchase of all class cards.

Do something different for your self in 2008- why not try yoga.