Thanksgiving Week

Class will be held on both Monday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week; those planning to test should especially plan to attend class this week if you can! Payton, Jack, Eleni, Christianna, William, Jake and Hayden....

UPCOMING BELT TEST

The first belt test is coming up on Saturday, December 5. This is an opportunity for students, age 7 and older, to test in front of the Chief Instructor for the Southern Region, Sensei Mikami (see Sensei's bio in the sidebar and check out the links) for possible advancement to the next rank, or kyu level. Belt tests are held at our sister club, The New Iberia Karate Institute (NIKI), located at 224 Center Street, New Iberia. Our students combine with students from NIKI for the belt tests. Students younger than 7 years of age may be eligible to test at our dojo in front of our highest ranking members (Sensei Lane, Sensei Soon and Sensei Rose from the adult classes). Before age 7, students attain a Junior Rank with a successful belt test.

Belt tests are scheduled approximately every 4 months. All of our students are white belts, so they will be testing for their yellow belts. The belt color signifies the student's current rank, also known as kyu level. Students begin karate training as white belts and have no real ranking until they pass their first belt test. Subsequently, kyu levels begin with yellow and count down to 1 (8-yellow, 7-orange, 6-green, 5-purple, 4-purple, 3-brown, 2-brown, 1-brown). Then the black belt testing and ranks begin and the rank counts up starting with 1st black (Shodan, or 1st Dan). Hopefully, most of our current students will still be training with us through their black belt exams.

Though we do not put a huge emphasis on rank and belt testing, the experience serves as a particular right of passage for the karate student and provides valuable personal learning and growth opportunities. Belt tests provide a goal for students to work towards. Advancing to the next belt can provide a sense of accomplishment after several months of consistent training. Some students may have 'test anxiety' leading up to the examination. Coping with such anxieties is another aspect of karate training. Learning to overcome anxiety while staying focused on the task at hand is a valuable life skill for all of us. Being well prepared is one way to deal with this type of anxiety.

There are costs associated with belt tests. These fees include a JKA AF membership card which documents the students current rank and date of advacement to the next rank. This card is valid for 1 year or 4 belt tests. The testing fee itself covers Sensei Mikami's expenses and time. The clinic fee is the cost of the additional 1 hour training with Sensei Mikami before the belt test. The fees are as follows:

JKA Card $30 (Card is good for 1 year/4 test)

Test $40
Clinic $10

All fees are paid to the Lafayette Karate Club during the week before the belt test.

You will most likely hear your karate student talking about the upcoming belt test. Not all students will be ready for this test, however, and may not be recommended to test at this time. Our newest students will certainly need more time to prepare before their first testing opportunity.

Labor Day Holiday

The Comeaux Rec Center will be closed on Monday, September 7 in observance of Labor Day. We will not have the Kids Class that day. Everybody practice at home!

Starting a New Group of Students

Coinciding with the beginning of the school year, I've had 5 parents contact me in the last 2 weeks for more information and to see about getting their kids started in our class. Though it doesn't make a huge difference, I'm thinking it would be helpful if all the new students started at the same time. As the end of August is approaching, I've proposed that the new students start at the beginning of September. Actually, Monday August 30 would be perfect as it would start the week and the new month at about the same time.

New students and parents should arrive at the Comeaux Rec Center at about 5:10 to sign registration forms and size uniforms for the kids (enter through the front near the far entrance where our sign is hanging). If you would like to pay two months dues up front, the registration fee is $35.00. If you'd like to begin with one month dues, the registration fee is $40.00 payable to the Lafayette Karate Club. The dues themselves are payable to the City of Lafayette. It's a bit of a hassle, but it makes bookkeeping easier for the Rec Center, so we do as they ask! So, in summary:
1 month dues = $50.00 payable to City of Lafayette, $40.00 payable to Lafayette Karate Club
2 months dues = $ 100.00 payable to City of Lafayette, $35.00 payable to Lafayette Karate Club

I can't believe the youth karate class has been running for 2 months already. It must be true that time flies when you're having fun; at least I'm having fun, but I think the students are, too.

We certainly spend time with our basic techniques. It's probably a result of my primary instructor when I started training karate with this club (thank you, Sensei Lane), but the technical details are important. The kids require a little different approach to visualizing and practicing those details. Our core group of students have really paid attention to those details and improved a great deal in our 2 months together. The execution certainly still has a long way to go, as it does with anybody with just 8 weeks of training, but even if they can't always execute a perfect technique, they can tell you how it should be done.

We also enjoy some general movement and space awareness games that require careful listening and attention to direction. I just have to say the words "ichi, ni, san" and I hear whispers of "yes" throughout the room. The kicking pad is also a favorite. The annual Youth Tournament is coming up in October. I've helped with judging that event the past several years and always enjoy it. Maybe we'll have some competitors from Lafayette this year!

First Day of Class

The kids class will start tomorrow, Monday, June 15. The Comeaux Rec Center has started its summer program, which means the facility is packed during the day. We'll get some advertising going in the coming weeks and let all those folks know we're training traditional shotokan karate down at the end of the hall.

If you're looking for the schedule, dues, or other details, try the sidebar to the right of the page. If you have other questions, get in touch with Holly.

NOW REGISTERING

I am very happy to announce that we are now registering for the kids karate class. We have certainly trained kids at the Lafayette Karate Club over the years, but this will be the first class designed specifically for kids (starting at about age 6). Though leaving our dojo on Jefferson Street was difficult, our new home at Comeaux Rec Center has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Parking on Jefferson Street was never easy and despite the fact we were only a couple of blocks down from the Planetarium and Children's Museum, there simply weren't many opportunities for kids and families. The rec center and the park are full of kids and families taking advantage of the location and the activities. We are very pleased to be part of that energy.

The first classes are slated to begin June 15 (2009)!
Call Holly at (337) 277-1771 or
email: hldamico2001@yahoo.com or
stop by the dojo on Mondays or Wednesday evenings between 6:00-8:00, or Fridays between 5:30-6:30