June 8, 2009
Thanks to Pete, Peggy, Emily, Jon, and Shihan for breaking a bottle of champagne over the comment section.
At the age of 34, I watched a PBS TV special on Aikido, and it was love at first sight. I was astounded and drawn by its graceful dance-like movements. I crafted a careful plan to overcome my anxiety over entering a martial arts dojo for the first time. I would fall in love, move from the Bay Area to Seattle, get married (yes, it did happen in that order), have a couple of children, and drag my family members with me to the dojo. My plan worked perfectly, and took just 14 years to execute.
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Posted by Gary Bloom
June 2, 2009
Students are being evaluated in class for testing. Testing will be conducted at the dojo on Saturday, June 13, 2009. Due to the number of candidates, all regular classes on June 13 are postponed to make room for the time required to conduct the promotion exam and belt awards.
Times on Saturday, June 13, 2009 are as follows:
9:30 a.m. Little Dragons, those who normally attend the Monday/Wednesday 4:45 pm class.
11:00 a.m. Power Kid students those who attend the Tuesday/Thursday 5:00 pm class
1:00 pm Teen and Adults, those who attend the Monday-Thursday 6:15 pm classes
We will need our Black Belts and assistants to volunteer for grading. Let Shihan Joni know if you are able to assist in the grading of students.
Parent, family members, and friends are invited to observe the testing procedures. Candidates, please arrive early to change and warm up & practice! Grading usually lasts 1 to 1 ½ hrs. Pictures/and or videos cameras are allowed during the grading!
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Posted by jsharrah
May 21, 2009
USA Karate is offering every student a complimentary sports water bottle. We want to encourage our students to stay hydrated to improve performance and guard students from dehydration, and heat illness.
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Posted by jsharrah
May 19, 2009
Shihan Joni Sharrah will be traveling to Connecticut, in late June, to run several classes at the dojo of Shihan Danilo Torri, an afilliated Traditional Karate-Do.
Download Shihan Joni flyer for details.
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Posted by Gary Bloom
May 6, 2009
Leigh Gardner has posted 83 photos and two videos of the Rome Trip and tournament, on Flickr.
The two videos (part one and part two) are of Shihan’s kumite match. Especially interesting if you’ve never seen Shihan Joni spar in a tournament. Any clues about what the center ref was telling Shihan’s opponent, when he stopped the match (near the end of part one)?
A couple of unplanned events made the audience gasp: First, Shihan was attacked by a couple of young thugs. Of course, she dispatched them easily. Later, an athlete looks for revenge, after having his Gi jacket stolen by a bully with a stick.
Leigh took some great photos, and it’s a testament to her speed that she was able to dash in front of the lens on a couple of occasions. Here, Coach Alan gives instructions to young athletes.
It was Italy, but our team managed to stay dead serious at all times — except the brief moment when Katy saw a ghost.
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Posted by Gary Bloom
April 14, 2009
Every 4 – 6 weeks students at USA Karate are evaluated for progress in their respective classes.
Those students who meet the minimum skill, attendance, academic, and citizenship requirements may be invited to graduate to their next belt level. The following dates are tentative belt award ceremonies.
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Posted by jsharrah
April 14, 2009
USA Karate will be hosting the Pacific NW AAU Karate Invitational Champioships on May 16, 2009. The event will be conducted at the Edmonds Home School Resource center in Edmonds, WA.
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Posted by jsharrah
