Archive for April, 2007
Karate Kids Teach Students About Stranger Danger
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “Karate Kids Teach Students About Stranger Danger”, “36″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “36″, 290, 0); When it comes to karate, martial arts members know all the right moves. But when it comes to safety, it’s not how well you punch, kick, or block your opponent. Sometimes, it’s how loud you scream. “Fire!” a [...]
When it comes to karate, martial arts members know all the right moves. But when it comes to safety, it’s not how well you punch, kick, or block your opponent. Sometimes, it’s how loud you scream.
“Fire!” a boy yelled, as another boy came from behind him.
“When you scream like that, what does that do? It tells people you’re in trouble. It brings attention to yourself,” Derek Pruitt explained.
Pruitt owns “South Coast Martial Arts” of Long Beach. On Friday, his club used karate to catch the attention of students at Reeves Elementary.
“We pretty much use karate moves, demonstrations, and what we’ll do is send a message to them about how doing karate, number one, is not that easy,” Pruitt said. “Then also carrying this, with the summer time coming up, to stranger danger.”
“I learned that sometimes strangers could be really dangerous,” one little girl said.
“We’re trying to teach them some key words, some key things to remember. So when they’re in that situation, they’ll know,” Pruitt said.
“You scream ‘fire’ and ‘danger,’” said another student.
The youngsters also picked up other lessons linked to karate, like character, concentration, and respect.
To read more check out:
Karate kid taking on Europe’s best – Ross Levine travels to St. Petersburg with NYC Professional Karate Team
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “Karate kid taking on Europe’s best – Ross Levine travels to St. Petersburg with NYC Professional Karate Team”, “35″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “35″, 290, 0); Pro karate today is a fast-paced, high-\octane sport of punching and kicking. The goal of each two-minute match is to outpoint your opponent. “Basically, the point is [...]
Pro karate today is a fast-paced, high-\octane sport of punching and kicking. The goal of each two-minute match is to outpoint your opponent.
“Basically, the point is not taking a beating,” Flores said.
Levine’s father and older brother introduced him to the sport.
He trains out of teammate Jadi Tention’s gym in the Bronx.
“I treat him like family and he treats me the same,” Levine said.
If it seems odd to some that a Jewish kid from Brooklyn and a Muslim man from the Bronx share a bond of brotherhood. It doesn’t to Levine.
“To me, religion isn’t a gigantic part of my life,” he said. “Jadi is a little more religious. But when it comes to friendship, it just doesn’t come into play.”
When he was younger, Levine’s dad would often match up his son against better opponents in the gym in order to challenge the boy’s abilities.
“He wanted Ross to fight guys who were better,” Flores says. “He’s a blue-collar guy and said, ‘I came up tough, my boys are going to come up tough, too.’”
Flores expects his boys to do very well in St. Petersburg.
“We’re going to kick the crap out of those S.O.B.’s,” he laughs. “We’re not traveling 3,000 miles to lose.”
But in addition to dispatching opponents, Levine and his New York City Professional Karate Team also hope to comfort a few souls if they can.
The athletes plan on visiting a children’s hospital while they compete in Russia.
“I think it’s great,” Levine said in anticipation of the trip. “For a lot of kids, it’s very gloomy. Even for older people, hospitals are no place to be.”
He’ll do “anything to cheer up the kids.”
Flores said his team realizes that when they travel overseas, they will be acting as more than just athletes.
“We’re ambassadors,” he said. “I think we’re above politics and we have to show a side of ourselves outside of the ring.”
To read more check out:
Oak Hill karate school prepares for initial competition this month
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “Oak Hill karate school prepares for initial competition this month”, “34″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “34″, 290, 0); OAK HILL — Open since last July, the Heiandjin-Li Karate School will finally get to taste a little competition later this month. According to Sensei Rick Pyatt, about 15 school members ranging in age from [...]
OAK HILL — Open since last July, the Heiandjin-Li Karate School will finally get to taste a little competition later this month.
According to Sensei Rick Pyatt, about 15 school members ranging in age from 6 to 40 will be among those participating in the Spring Showdown at Oak Hill High School Saturday, April 28. That invitational tournament, which begins at 8:30 a.m., will be hosted by, among others, Family Martial Arts of Beckley.
Pyatt is co-owner of the Oak Hill school with Sensei Cary VanValkenburgh. Pyatt says things have gone pretty well so far. And the school is excited about getting to compete for the first time.
“This will be the first tournament we’ve competed in, but I think we ought to do pretty well,” he said.
Competition next Saturday will be in open classes as well as children 7-and-below, 8-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-16.
To read more check out The Fayette Tribune
Personal Best Karate Franchise Organization to be honored
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “Personal Best Karate Franchise Organization to be honored”, “33″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “33″, 290, 0); April 21, 2007 – Personal Best Karate’s Franchise Organization will be honored on April 26th, 2007 with the Community Spirit Award presented by the United Way. This award is given to an organization for their continual outstanding [...]
April 21, 2007 – Personal Best Karate’s Franchise Organization will be honored on April 26th, 2007 with the Community Spirit Award presented by the United Way. This award is given to an organization for their continual outstanding service and commitment to the communiies they serve.As part of its commitment to families, The Personal Best Organization has provided a Thanksgiving meal to over 8,000 families in need for the Holiday. This event dubbed the “Turkey Brigade” is completely funded and organized by the families involved with the Personal Best Karate Program.
Personal Best has become the single largest financial contributor to New Hope; an organization that provides vital support and shelter from families suffering from Domestic abuse. Each year Personal Best hosts a fundraiser with the money going to New Hopes programming.
To read more check out Franchise Wire
Karate won’t be paying their tuition
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “Karate won’t be paying their tuition”, “32″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “32″, 290, 0); Karate wasn’t Ashley Halpin’s passion when she began her freshman year at Booker High. Competitive roller skating had been her thing. But her priorities changed after an announcement at school about college scholarships and martial arts. “Dr. Anthony DiTomaso, [...]
Karate wasn’t Ashley Halpin’s passion when she began her freshman year at Booker High.
Competitive roller skating had been her thing. But her priorities changed after an announcement at school about college scholarships and martial arts.
“Dr. Anthony DiTomaso, M.D. in conjunction with West Coast Martial Arts Academy, Inc., has established a college scholarship fund to include tuition and books for Booker High School students,” a flier explained.
After studying the requirements, Ashley went for it. She got into the program after writing the required essay, and then kept her grades up and studied martial arts at the academy throughout her high school years.
Three years of workouts later, Ashley has earned her karate brown belt. She is about to graduate from Booker with grades far higher than required. And she has been accepted at the University of Central Florida.
What she doesn’t have is a scholarship. Or an explanation, other than that the doctor changed the rules along the way.
Three years ago, Dr. DiTomaso was a gastroenterologist with a Sarasota practice, which he has since moved to Englewood. He was also a jiu-jitsu black belt and a student of karate at the West Coast Martial Arts Academy.
As the flier promised, he accepted five Booker ninth-graders into the scholarship program.
One was Ashley. Her father is a Sarasota police officer, and her mother has a clerical job at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and they had already helped three older kids with college costs.
So, when it came to Ashley’s college plans, money was a big issue.
That’s why Ashley wrote the required essay on “Why I want to be a black belt,” and why she was glad she was one of the five students accepted.
To get college tuition paid, the students would have to maintain 2.5 grade point averages and have “exemplary conduct” with no “disciplinary action, behavioral problems or truancy.” And, the paperwork said, they would need to attend the West Coast Martial Arts Academy’s karate or jiu-jitsu classes an average of twice a week while in high school.
The classes would cost nothing. Nothing but lots of sweat and time, and the occasional injury, I mean.
Then, the students would have to be accepted at a public Florida university or college.
Now, after three years, Ashley has her brown belt, has better than the required grade point average and has been accepted at UCF.
But when her mother, Dee Halpin, contacted DiTomaso to find out if Ashley could get that UCF tuition this summer instead of waiting for fall, DiTomaso said there would be no college scholarship because Ashley had not earned a black belt, Halpin says.
None of the five had, Halpin says.
Ashley had counted on the scholarship. Karate had been like her saving-for-college job. And there had been no belt requirement or anything like it listed in the paperwork they got, the Halpins say.
They showed it to me. The requirements seem clear. A black belt isn’t among them.
“I feel betrayed,” Ashley told me.
Angry, too. She had really liked karate at first, when it was taught by the school’s previous owner and founder, Steven Roensch. When he sold the school early last year, she kept training because of the scholarship. Other activities and interests had often beckoned, but she stayed.
“She feels like she was scammed,” Dee Halpin says. And now it is too late to apply for most other scholarships.
Stephanie Bidot, a friend Ashley got to know in the program while training together and who also earned a brown belt, had much the same experience. And the same feeling.
Stephanie also stayed after the school was sold, to earn that scholarship, she said. And her father, Gabriel Bidot, an insurance fraud investigator and former cop, says he, too, called DiTomaso.
He says the doctor told him that it had always been his intent that a black belt would be required. And he said he had always planned to give just one college scholarship, and didn’t figure three or four students would last.
A day or so after that conversation, the school’s current owner, Steve Schwartz, sent Bidot a letter saying he had just talked to DiTomaso and, though Schwartz hoped Stephanie would keep attending karate classes, she would have to start paying for them.
When I called Schwartz, all he would say was that the whole thing “has nothing to do with me.”
So how does DiTomaso explain this alleged black belt requirement?
I don’t know. He didn’t return my calls. I went to his Englewood office and asked his receptionist again if the doctor would talk to me about the scholarship program. The office manager told me to leave and said he would call the police if I returned.
A letter sent to Booker, apparently from someone now or previously connected with the martial arts academy, said the students would not be getting scholarships, and referred to attendance requirements as a reason. The letter gave no details, according to Booker High’s scholarship adviser, Lem Andrews.
Andrews said he doesn’t know if there is still a scholarship fund, or who oversees it.
Shirley Aschenbrenner, a physical education teacher and martial arts student who teaches self-defense classes at Booker, says the girls have helped her teach.
To read more check out The herald Tribune
Chito-Ryu Karate School preparing for Edmonton tournament
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “Chito-Ryu Karate School preparing for Edmonton tournament”, “31″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “31″, 290, 0); Competitors with the Moose Jaw Chito-Ryu Karate School will have a chance to show how just how much they’ve learned this weekend. And if past excursions to the Satewin Friendship Tournament in Edmonton are any indication, the local [...]
Competitors with the Moose Jaw Chito-Ryu Karate School will have a chance to show how just how much they’ve learned this weekend.
And if past excursions to the Satewin Friendship Tournament in Edmonton are any indication, the local contingent can expect to give a good accounting of themselves.
A total of 16 competitors will make the trip — green belt Emilio Tello, orange belts Taylan Dufresne, Dustin Atsu, Matthew Florizan, Christopher Florizan, yellow belts Dylan Dufresne, Keenan Prestie, white belts Kylan Prestie, Kiri Prestie, Kelsey Prestie, Shaylee Rosnes, Brandon Rosnes, Samantha Busse, Owen Kinch, Jared Phillips and Michael Latour — and each will be looking to come home with a handful of hardware.
“They’re all excited and they deserve it, they’ve trained hard all year and this is a chance for them to show what they can do,” said head instructor John Tello. “They want to go out there and win, but they also know that they’re competing against their own calibre, so it’s not going to be a walk in the park. They’re going to have to work at it if they want to do well.”
This year’s event will feature a bit of a different look for some of the newcomers, as the tournament will include freestyle sparring in addition to kata performances for all belt and age groups.
To read more check out Moose Jaw
National Karate team wins medals
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “National Karate team wins medals”, “30″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “30″, 290, 0); Ghana’s National Karate Team collected one gold, five silver and seven bronze medals when they participated in the Federation of African Karate Officials Seminar and International Karate Tournament, held at Lome, Togo between 8th and 15th April. The gold medal [...]
Ghana’s National Karate Team collected one gold, five silver and seven bronze medals when they participated in the Federation of African Karate Officials Seminar and International Karate Tournament, held at Lome, Togo between 8th and 15th April.
The gold medal was won by 23 year-old Victor Lartey in the Men’s Individual (Kata) formation fighting technique division.
The silver medals were won by Rita Ahadzie who annexed two medals, Regina Bisi-Larry and Sylvester Davies, a silver each while the other silver medal was won in the Men’s Team Kata Division with seven of the other competitors returning home with a bronze medal each.
Sensei Melvin Brown, Technical Chairman of the Association regretted that the team did not do well in the (Kumite) fighting division, and as such with effect from May to July, the team will embark on a weekly non-residential training at the Azumah Nelson Sport Complex for a massive training programme, all geared towards the All African Games in Algiers, Algeria.
“It was clear from the competition that Ghana is far advanced in Kata, but the technical team will have to seriously work on the Kumite before the All African Games.”
The General Secretary of the Association also told the GNA Sports that Ghana’s performance raised ‘goose purples’ on most martial arts fans and participants from across the continent, since it is a category that is regarded as the most difficult and “we were rated as the under-dogs.
To read more check out My Joy Online
Methodist minister wins black belt in karate, loves its ethics and sensitivity
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “Methodist minister wins black belt in karate, loves its ethics and sensitivity”, “29″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “29″, 290, 0); Rio Communities “If you want to improve your spiritual life, improve your physical life,” First United Methodist Church Pastor Jay Armstrong says. And he should know. Armstrong, who’s been a pastor of the [...]
Rio Communities “If you want to improve your spiritual life, improve your physical life,” First United Methodist Church Pastor Jay Armstrong says.
And he should know.
Armstrong, who’s been a pastor of the First United Methodist Church for the past 12 years, said he decided to improve on his physical life by taking karate lessons at Richard and Cindy Long’s business, Belen Goju RYU Karate in 1998-99.
Armstrong’s children, Rebecca and Wesley, were taking lessons, and he remembers Long telling him he ought to come and join the adult classes.
“I said when you start a daytime class, I will,” Armstrong said, thinking back. “And then he did.”
Today, Armstrong is a second-degree black belt, NIDAN they call it, and he says he plans to continue on.
“It’s harder now that we’re (the church) at a new location,” Armstrong said smiling. “We’re much busier, and Richard’s even had to take me aside and talk to me.”
What Armstrong has learned both physically and spiritually through karate is that if you’re healthy body wise, then it helps your spiritual body.
“I think there is a link behind the body and mind, and I think they both can touch on each other,” Armstrong confirms. “Part of it (taking karate) was so I could keep my body healthy. But you also learn a lot about the discipline of your life as a part of the karate.”
Armstrong went on to say that Long doesn’t give you anything — you really have to work hard and learn all of it in order to advance.
“Part of it is the knowledge of karate — the sayings and the names of the punches and kicks,” Armstrong explains. “When you get to black belt, they know you know those things. But will you, when you are totally exhausted, dig down as deep as you can and keep going?”
Armstrong said it took almost three years to get his second-degree black belt.
“Sometimes I get some jokes,” Armstrong laughs. “When I got my first-degree black belt, they started talking about ‘my preacher can beat up your preacher.’”
While funny, Armstrong said seriously that what karate is really about is teaching students to avoid that type of behavior as much as you can.
“The first thing is you don’t get involved in any kind of struggle if you can run away,” Armstrong explains. “That’s just the smart thing to do really. He (Long) likes to be sure that the children and adults he teaches are people of character so they’re not going to learn something and then go out and try it out on people.”
Armstrong continued talking about two of the aspects of karate he enjoys, one being the Katas or the forms, and the second, which is sparring, or a way to practice combat type moves.
“I have some of my high school students in karate, and when they first came into the adult class, they were hesitant to hit the preacher,” Armstrong said laughing out loud. “But after they were hit a couple times, they were less hesitant.”
One Kata, The Three Battles, is about mind, body and spirit and Armstrong said you have to conquer all those things in order to be at your very best.
“I think that’s true in the things I try to teach folks here (at church) as well,” he said.
Long said what Armstrong has accomplished takes hard work and dedication and speaks highly of his character.
“There’s a humility in karate,” Long said. “There’s no way you can come in here and be proficient. To have a student like Jay – he’s a very accomplished professional person and to come in and start something totally different – you have to have humility.”
Long said what he and Cindy find so rewarding is seeing people achieve things in themselves and learn the deeper meaning of the art.
“It’s humbling to us,” Richard said.
While it’s taken years to get where he is, Armstrong said he hasn’t competed in tournaments in the past couple of years, but instead, he goes and judges them when the tournaments are in town.
Reflecting back, Armstrong remembers one experience at a tournament at Rio Grande High School, and he was also writing a sermon that week titled “Iron Man,” which was about the time former Gov. Gary Johnson was running some of the Iron Man events.
“I went to the tournament on Saturday, and I got tapped a little harder than I needed to on my chin with a kick,” Armstrong recalls. “I was down on the ground, and when they propped me up and asked if I knew where I was and I said at a high school. They asked me where, and I said Belen.”
Needless to say, Armstrong was taken to the hospital where he suffered a concussion and was not able to preach the next day.
“I was dizzy enough that I couldn’t preach,” Armstrong said with a chuckle. “I never did get to preach that Iron Man sermon and I got a lot of giggles over that when I came back – Iron Man, huh?”
Armstrong clearly has a sense of humor, but one thing he’s become acutely aware of is the benefits karate provides to both children and adults.
“A lot of kids come in without the ability to concentrate, or without a sense of discipline and, over the years they find a way to control their bodies and their minds,” he said.
To read more check out News Bulliten
Hayashi-Ha, Penang floor their exponents
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “Hayashi-Ha, Penang floor their exponents”, “28″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “28″, 290, 0); HAYASHI-HA and Penang took nine of the 14 gold medals on offer on the first day of the National Junior Karate Championships at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday. Five of the Hayashi-Ha exponents who qualified for the junior (17-21-years) [...]
HAYASHI-HA and Penang took nine of the 14 gold medals on offer on the first day of the National Junior Karate Championships at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday.
Five of the Hayashi-Ha exponents who qualified for the junior (17-21-years) finals won their gold medal bouts while all four of Penang’s gold medals came in the kata events.
National chief coach P. Arivalagan was impressed with the talent on display and predicted a bright future for national team.
“Some of the exponents here today (yesterday) are knocking on the door of the national team and don’t be surprised when you see them winning medals in international events soon,” he said.
Today’s finals see children (14-15 years) and cadet (16-17 years) take to the mats in 22 events.
RESULTS (All juniors) — Boys’ Kata Individual: 1 Tan Chee Seng (Pen), 2 Wong Keng Yinn (Pen), 3 Wong Siew Loong (KL)-Kelly Ngit (Lab); Kata Team: 1 Penang, 2 Sabah, 3 Labuan-KL; Kumite 55kg: 1 K. Kharte (Sel), 2 R. Loganeshaa (Sel), 3 P. Lawrence (Hayashi)-Abraham Joel Victor (Put); 60kg: 1 Chan Keng Ann (Shorin), 2 A. Krishnarao (Put), 3 Lee Kian Heng (Joh)-Nasree Hajmi (Shito); 65kg: 1 Gomaran Sony (Ked), 2 Sivanda Vasan (Hayashi), 3 Khoo Teng Ewe (Pen)-M. Surenthar (Joh); 70kg: 1 Falivan J. Faraide (Sab), 2 Jayaraj Rajan (Mal), 3 K. Poovanesvaran (Sel)-Keh Cheng Khoon (Pen); 75kg: 1 M. Parthiban (Put), 2 P Rathin Raj (Hayashi), 3 Lim Jun Rony (Joh)-Mohd Hatta (Pk); 80kg: 1 V. Jayaseelan (Hayashi), 2 Prabuthevan (Hayashi), 3 M. Krishnan Kumar (Sel)-N. Sureshkumar (Ked); Above 80kg: 1 P. Pavitern (Put), 2 K. Inthiran (Sel), 3 H’ng Chee Yong (Pen)-Teh Chin Keong (Pen).
To read more check out NST
Karate kicking sisters
showOdiogoReadNowButton (“114205″, “Karate kicking sisters”, “27″, 290, 55); showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame (“114205″, “27″, 290, 0); MARTINSBURG —When Katelyn Tolliver, 14, of Bunker Hill tells people she is in karate, the reaction is usually a double-take. “They don’t believe me because I’m a girl,” she said. Erin Tolliver, 15, of Bunker Hill doesn’t experience the same reaction as [...]
MARTINSBURG —When Katelyn Tolliver, 14, of Bunker Hill tells people she is in karate, the reaction is usually a double-take.
“They don’t believe me because I’m a girl,” she said.
Erin Tolliver, 15, of Bunker Hill doesn’t experience the same reaction as her eighth-grade sister though. “They say, ‘Really?’ she said, and they ask her what her rank is and if she can demonstrate.
Girls and karate. You might think they don’t go together, but they do. A New York-based research firm, Simmons Market Research, found that in 2002, 39 percent of martial arts students ages 6 to 11 were girls. That same year, 8.7 million kids participated in martial arts, the firm reported.
Both Katelyn and Erin have been in karate for six years and have their black belts. A belt is a measurement of rank in the martial arts. In the style that Katelyn and Erin practice, Tang Soo Do, their rank goes from white being the lowest to black being the highest.
Their instructor, Gary Crim, said girls are welcome in his school, Red Dragon Martial Arts Center in Pikeside. “I encourage it (karate) to everyone, especially girls,” he says.
“It’s important from a self- defense standpoint, to give them confidence,” he adds.
Crim has seen female enrollment increase. “Girls are now encouraged to do everything boys do,” he says.
To read more check out The Journal
