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The "Student of
the Month" award is given to the student who has shown the most
overall improvement in all aspects of Karate. Mental, physical
and behavioral. Belt ranking and age has no bearing on our
decision.
The last couple of months, one student has been a
finalist in our picking process and we are proud to finally name him
as September's Student of the Month. Nicholas G.
When I, Sensei Butch, think back to
my earlier years in school, and how my own shyness and fears stopped
me from accomplishing a lot of things that I now regret, naming
Nicholas as student of the month has special meaning to me.
Nicholas, a member of our "Lil Dragons
Program" has come a long way in a short time at our school, and
since shedding some of his shyness he has emerged from his shell to be a confident,
powerful and outspoken student. He is quick to raise his hand
when a volunteer is asked for, and his newfound confidence not only
has him grinning, but also only
one step away from getting his yellow belt.
Gone are the timid looks of
yesterday, he is now here brightening our classes with his smiles
and laughter. Nicholas, keep smiling, keep practicing, and
most of all don't ever doubt yourself. Whatever your young life
throws at you, overcome it with the same eagerness and confidence
you now show us on the dojo floor.
To access our "Student of
the Month Archives", click below:
STUDENT OF THE MONTH |
You've seen them in action... so we thought it
fitting to formally introduce them to you... the members of our Demo
Team! Kneeling in the front, from left to right, is Jake S.
and Mickey D., standing with swords drawn from left to right is Sam
S. and Chris S., and finally standing in the back armed with Sai's
and Comma's are Zac D. and Madonna A..
With only a couple of months practice under their
belts, I'm sure all would agree that we are very proud of the skill
level they already achieved. From their athletic acrobatic
abilities to the way they handle their individual weapons of choice,
the Demo Team has done nothing but exceed our expectations.
Madonna is currently acting as team captain, responsible for
many aspects of the team, and she has done a superb job of pulling
them all together. The position of "captain" will be moved
around from person to person over time, giving each member an equal
amount of responsibility.
Reminder to all parents and students. the Demo
Team is by invite only. Master Sanchez and Sensei Butch have a
strict criteria they use to judge if a student is ready for the
team. Maturity (not age, but actions), attitude, physical
ability, heart and many other attributes go into the selection
method. Also the student (and parents!) have to be willing to
make a big commitment to Karate. Their are extra practices and
Demo's themselves which are both physically exhausting and time
consuming... even if you have the Karate Skills it still may
not be for you.
Practice hard, show up on a consistent basis, focus in
class, and most of all smile, have fun, and love Karate.. and you
too may be the next one invited to join!
Click
here for a quick video of a recent Demo!
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We would like to
give everyone an early invitation. UWMA is proud to announce
our second Holiday Party. This one will be done on a much more
"professional" level and we simply wanted to mention it here so
everyone can reserve that night and hopefully make plans to attend.
The one thing we are sure of is the DATE. It will
be on Saturday, December 4th. It will start at 6PM and run
until your feet are too tired from dancing (11PM limit for all you
John Travolta's out there!).
It looks like the event will be held at "Oakwood Manor"
which is located on Lakeview road across the street from the Hamburg
Town Arena (Nike Base). It is the banquet hall with the Tank
and Helicopter in front of it.. hard to miss.
We are trying to keep the costs for students and their
"immediate" family (Mom, Dad, Brothers and Sisters) to $15 a person.
Others like Grandma and Grandpa can attend at a cost of $20 per
person. (Prices subject to change, we are searching the best
caterers and such to help keep costs down). You will have a
full buffet and all the pop you can drink (sorry, "cash bar" for all
you drinkers out there! There will be a lot of children
present, and we didn't feel an "all you can drink" bar was right for
the event).
Remember, prices and location may change, but be
assured that me (Sensei Butch) and Master Sanchez are doing our best
to keep all costs down. You don't want to miss this...
awards will be given, but more importantly it is rumored that Master
Sanchez may be found line-dancing to boot-scootin' boogie!
Please let us know if your attending and how many, being a
catered event, we must supply them with a head count in the near
future. THANK YOU and hope to see you there!!!
P.S. This will be our "once a year
party". There will be no anniversary party from this day
forward due to the planning and costs involved in the Holiday
Dinner. |
For the second year
running UWMA has been lucky enough to be directly involved in the "D.A.R.E."
program. Master Sanchez and Sensei Butch (this year also with the
help of Scott and the Demo team!) put on a Karate Demo for DARE at
the Hamburg Town Arena.
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is something special to
us, since it helps educate kids to avoid dangerous aspects of life
through hands on education. At UWMA, we firmly believe in
educating the mind as much as the body, as seen in our programs like
"Stranger Danger" and "Who Am I".
There are a lot of things kids have to be aware
of these days, and DARE gets our full support. I (Sensei
Butch) am a father of three young ones myself, and as a parent I am
thankful for such programs.
Below is a link to a quick video of
some of the things that transpired at the Demo. One quick
note... there were a lot of non-karate kids present, and we wanted
to mention that they were extremely well behaved and that we were
happy to be there. Good job to all the volunteers who help run
the DARE program in this area!
Click
HERE to view the DARE Video! |
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We would like to extend a sincere thanks to all who took the time
out of their busy schedule to attend our anniversary party. It
was a blast, and it was good to see everyone get a chance to kick
back and have some fun. Highlights of the evening included the
following:
"All-star Awards" were presented to the dedicated
students who made it over their first major hurdle by completing one
full year of martial arts training. This new patch will be
sewn on their Gi's (uniforms) proudly below their American flag
patch. All future students reaching this milestone will
be presented with their awards in class upon reaching their full
year.
One note to mention: Completing a full year of
training in the martial arts is no easy task. It is both
physically and mentally challenging. If you have the
heart to complete a full year, wear the star proudly, because
although it may seem like a trivial thing to you, the truth is that
not a lot of students who sign up have the strength and courage
required to reach this milestone.
The demo team performed superbly as they rocked the
house with their Karate talents. With only a few weeks of
practice, they all looked like veterans as they showcased their
unique abilities. Practice hard students... you never know
when Sensei Butch or Master Sanchez may want YOU for the demo team!
Sensei Butch (for all those that asked me, or wanted
to, that's right.. "Sensei" still, not Master... but give me a few
more years!) and Sensei Mike both got promoted to THIRD DEGREE BLACK
BELTS in "American Freestyle Karate" (for more details read the
article by Master Sanchez in this newsletter).
For pictures of the
event click here!
For a movie highlight of the event click here!
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I would like to take this time and
congratulate both Sensei Butch and Sensei Mike on achieving their
3RD Degree Black Belts. Most promotions are left to Sensei Butch,
but not this time. I am more than proud of bestowing this rank onto
a couple of the best martial artists I know.
Sensei Mike has trained for over 15 years with a 2nd degree in
Isshin-Ryu Karate and now a 3rd Degree in American Freestyle Karate.
His dedication to martial arts and to the school is greatly
appreciated by both me and Sensei Butch. When Sensei Butch and I
decided to open the Dojo we felt that it could not be done without
the help of our friend Sensei Mike. His assistance with the Cardio,
Lil Dragons and Karate classes is greatly appreciated by both of us.
His promotion to 3rd Degree is just another stepping stone in his
martial arts career. From the whole crew at U.W.M.A. a big
congratulations and "thank you" to Sensei Mike for all you do for
us.
Sensei Butch, has also trained for almost 15 years and holds the
rank of 2nd Degree Black Belt in Isshin-Ryu Karate and now a 3rd
Degree Black Belt in American Freestyle Karate. Sensei Butch
and I have been friends through-out his entire martial arts career.
I have more respect for Sensei Butch than almost anyone else I know.
He has a never give up attitude and a bright outlook on life. He
also puts his children ahead of anything and anyone and that’s what
makes him such a great leader of young minds. Sensei Butch to me is
not just my business partner; he’s not just a guy who runs the Lil’
Dragons program, he’s not just the guy who runs the Cardio program,
etc... He is also my best friend. Sensei Butch and I opened
our school up 1 year ago, and even though we are partners he shows
me more respect then any other student on the floor. That type of
humility is found only in some masters of the martial arts. He may
have a ways to go belt wise, but mentally he is already there. From
the bottom of my heart, and the U.W.M.A. crew congratulations on
your 3rd Degree Black Belt.
Ps. Guys, if you thought the 3rd Degree Black Belt test was hard,
just wait until the 4th! |
Please note the following changes in this
month's schedule!!!
1) Mondays, 6PM - 6:45 is little dragons beginners!
White and Yellow belts ONLY
2) Mondays, 7PM - 8PM is Advanced Youth.
Orange belt and above for ages 5 thru 12.
3) Mondays, Cardio is now 8PM - 9PM.
4) Tuesdays, 6PM - 6:45PM is beginner youth!
White and yellow ONLY for ages 9 - 12.
5) Tuesdays, 7PM - 8PM is beginner adults.
White thru orange ONLY
6) Wednesday, 7PM - 8PM is advanced adults.
Green and above ONLY
7) Wednesdays, 8PM - 9PM Cardio
8) Thursdays, 8:15PM - 9:15PM, RCT is back!
9) Fridays. Sparring is now 45 minutes, 6PM - 6:45PM
10) All Saturday classes are now 45 minutes long.
The other 15 minutes is "Open Floor" for testing
or simply
seeking help with your material.
NOTE! RCT (Realistic Combat Training)
is now OPEN
to ages 13 and above! For RCT info
CLICK HERE!
For a look at the new schedule,
CLICK
HERE! |
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