February Specials

If you have been considering enrolling in classes at Shinjin Karate, now is the time to do so. We are offering an incredible FREE month of classes for new students ages 8 - adult, with no obligation to continue. Students must begin their free month in February.

If you are a current student, check our our current student specials, and let your friends and family know about this excellent opportunity to try out our program.

Click on the image below to see the flyer in full size.

Annual student awards & dojo celebration!

It's that time of year again --- time for us to celebrate where we've been and where we are headed as a dojo...and time to celebrate the achievements of our students!

Click on the image below to see it in an easier to read size.

Dedication

The first core value of our dojo is dedication. In fact, "Keichu Ryu" can be translated as "the art of devoting oneself entirely". On one very important level, this speaks of the level of dedication to training that sets apart the true Keichu martial artist from the person who does not take their training as seriously.

Certainly dedication is the key to success for any endeavor. In our dojo, that dedication can take many forms. Your dedication will be seen by your attendance, by how hard you train in class, by how well you practice outside of class, by your respect, by your focus, and by your hard work.

In our dojo that is only the first level of dedication. What is most important for those of us who follow Jesus is that we always remain, first and foremost, totally devoted to Him.

Are you dedicated to Keichu? How do you know? How can you become more dedicated?

If you are a Christian, how dedicated are you to Jesus Christ? How can you increase your devotion to Him?

Upcoming USKA Tournaments

Our dojo is planning to participate in the following USKA tournaments this year. Ask Sensei about which tournaments would be best for you. Make sure you train hard and attend as many Competition Classes as you can in order to do your best! [Click on the graphic below in order to see it in a larger format.]

January Training Weekend

We are very excited to announce our upcoming belt test and training weekend. Here is the flyer (click on it to see the full size version):

The belt test is mandatory for those seeking All Keichu Koryu Karate Do Kai ranking at green belt level. It is also open to our other qualified students as well.

We are recommending very strongly that all students attend, at the very least, the first Systematic Basics session on Saturday. Orange belts and above should also attend the second session.

The grappling session is open to all ranks, and should be lots of fun! The Weapons Workshop will cover a variety of weapons and is open to yellow belts and above.

Students outside of our dojo are welcome to attend; however, the Systematic Basics sessions would probably be most beneficial to those training in Keichu Ryu.

Hope to see you there!

Christmas Greetings

Click on the image of the Christmas letter in order to see it in a larger, more readable format.

November Belt Test

Congratulations to our newest batch of striped yellow belts --- they all did great on their belt test!

Mika, Clara, Ian, Kyle, Mrs. Reilly, and Cooper proudly wearing their new belts

Saturday's Belt Test

Saturday's Belt Test went very well, and everyone testing deserves hearty congratulations for their accomplishments!

Zach, Sensei, Jared, and Mr. Gordon proudly display their new striped yellow belts.

After the technique portion of their test, Patrick and Cory sparred five matches. Cory was definitely putting to use the techniques and strategies he had learned at Fight Class the night before --- he won the majority of the matches. Then it was on to grappling. This time Patrick won.

After all that, it was back to kata. Cory and Patrick had good reason to look happy, sweaty, and tired by the end of their test. Congratulations to our newest full orange belts!

Belt test anxiety

Parents sometimes ask how they can help their child(ren) overcome anxiety and fits of nerves prior to and during the belt test.

At Shinjin Karate, our rank promotions are designed to reward respect, ultimate focus, and hard work. Our belt tests are not easy. However, we want our students to be successful and we have carefully designed our tests --- and the preparation process --- to help our students achieve their best. We believe that the best way to overcome test anxiety is by giving our students the confidence that they have done everything possible to be fully prepared.

Here are some suggestions for how parents can help their children:

1. At least a month prior to the test --- for white and yellow belts --- or three months prior to the test --- for orange belts and above --- make sure that your child knows how to prepare for the upcoming test. Our blog contains a number of articles on belt testing, and our website has an important article that everyone should read.

2. Make sure your child attends as many Test Review classes prior to the test as possible. These are scheduled the Monday before each belt test. Don't just drop him off --- by observing this class, you will have a good idea of what will be covered during the test, and you will be able to guide your child in his practice at home. Another benefit of the Test Review class is that it is somewhat of an informal pre-test, getting the child ready for the testing experience. This is also a time for us to coach him as to final preparations that will help him to be even more successful.

3. Encourage your child to practice those techniques at home that he/she can safely practice without a partner.

4. If you have any questions, or your child doesn't fully understand some aspect of test preparation, don't hesitate to ask!

5. Make sure that your child fills out the Belt Test Application as soon as possible, so that there is enough time for her to do all the necessary preparations. If your child is testing for orange belt or above, try to schedule the talk with Sensei, about the privileges and responsibilities of rank promotion, well in advance of the final Test Review class. You may wish to be part of that brief, but important discussion. This is also a great time to bring up any potential concerns about the upcoming test.

6. Help your child through the preparation process and praise him/her for every step he/she takes, especially if your child is doing more than the minimum suggested preparations.

New poll: why do you compete in tournaments?

UPDATE: The poll was not working correctly, so if you answered it on October 18 or before, please answer it again. Thanks!

Please take part in our latest poll in the sidebar. Let us know why you compete in tournaments, or why you would consider competing if you haven't yet done so.

I've listed some of the more common reasons that competitors have given me for their involvement. A number of students, for example, have found that tournament competition helps them set short-term goals (or even long-term goals, if they are point chasing and hoping to place first in the national standings in at least one division). Others find that upcoming tournaments help motivate them to train harder. Some enjoy the healthy competition offered by the USKA circuit. Some students want to support their "team", and help their dojo place well in the national standings. A lot of students just think it is fun to compete!

Some instructors require students to compete in at least a minimum number of tournaments, because it is one of the safest ways to test and improve the ability to perform under pressure --- and this is valuable and necessary for self-defense. Tournament training and competition is also an excellent way to prepare for the kata and sparring portion of an upcoming belt test.

Parents often appreciate how tournament competition has helped their children improve their focus, gain more self-discipline, practice respect and proper etiquette, gain self-confidence, prepare for upcoming belt tests, and become better karateka.

If you are eager to reap the many benefits of tournament competition, please talk to Sensei. The USKA State Championships are going to be held in Riverside on November 3, 2007. Are you ready?

Preparing for an upcoming belt test?

Even if your next belt test is a few months away, if you want to do your best, begin preparing now! Be sure to follow the link to the article on our website about belt testing. Don't forget to read our updated guidelines for belt testing.

Practice a lot. Attend as many Test Review Classes as possible. Be at every Fight Class that you can.

Train hard and train smart and make your next belt test an exciting success!

Website revamped and overhauled!

Our website has just gone through a dramatic overhaul. Check it out. It's still a work in progress, so keep checking back for more content.