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We couldn't be more pleased with this months "Student of the Month". Madonna was officially named UWMA'S first Orange Belt on Saturday, January 24th. It was an achievement well earned. She tested on all her material in front of the board (NOTE: "Board Testing" is also defined in detail within this newsletter) and showed that she not only knew her Orange Belt material well, but that she also fine tuned her Yellow Belt requirements to put together a very solid performance. Madonna is a regular attendee of our 13 to 16 year old class and always puts forth 100%, which shows through in her speed and technique. If she continues to put forth the effort she has shown us thus far, there is no stopping her. We know we have a talented martial artist in our midst, and we know she will wear the Orange Belt well... but at her commitment and focus level, that may not be all that long, because for her, Green will hopefully be just around the corner. Good job Madonna, and as we say in class.. Practice Hard. To access our "Student of the Month Archives", click below: STUDENT OF THE MONTH	It's Back!. On SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH, we will again keep your kids busy as you and your significant other spend "Valentines" together.. alone! From 5PM until 8PM we will supply all the food and fun, you supply the children. The fee for this event is again ONLY $8.00 per child. All active students AND their brothers and sisters (regardless if they are members) are invited to attend. Age limit is 4 and Up. The agenda plans to include the following: "Karate" and obstacle courses for those wishing to participate. The original "Ninja Turtles" movie will be playing in the middle dojo area. Pizza, Pop and snacks will be served during the movie.. NOTE: Due to the nature of this event, you MUST sign up by Saturday, February 7th, and we must have at least 20 kids signed up for this to take place. We hope to see you there!!!
The family that "plays" together, stays together. It is a slightly modified version of an old saying, but one we believe in and one that Tom and Deb's family embody. At a student membership of five, they are the largest family present at UWMA. They can usually be found at the dojo as a group, and almost always work together, helping each other towards their next goal... although at times Karissa and Kaitlyn may hold back towards each other a tad in hopes of being the first one promoted! On Saturday, January 24th, their first Karate milestone was achieved... Tom and Deb's children all got promoted to Yellow Belt at the same time. We know their parents are as proud of them as we are. They take advantage of "Open Floor Friday's" at a regular basis, and usually use them for a family workout. We know Tom did his homework and shopped all the local schools before committing to any particular one, and we were very pleased to find out that we "made the cut" and ended up being his school of choice. We hope that there will be many more family "Karate" pictures from you through the years. Pictured above from left to right: Tom, Karissa, Scott, Kaitlyn and Deb. NOTE: The "Family Ties" article will be found from time to time in our monthly newsletter. It will feature "Karate Families" at UWMA. Keep an eye out for the next one!	It's finally time for us to explain "Board Testing" for rank advancement. You have all received the "point system" information on testing for your next belt, it was included in your folder at signup (if you didn't get this information, please ask us next time you stop in and we will supply you with a new one). After yellow belt, all other belts require a "board test". This board test will take place when you get passed off on your last requirement for your next belt. The instructor passing you off will then set up a time for you, on a Friday, to test on ALL YOUR MATERIAL before Master Sanchez, Sensei Butch and Sensei Mike. The "point system" mentioned above will now be employed, and after your test the score will be tallied and you will be told if you were successful, or if you need to come back and test again. If you passed, you will be promoted in a class of your choosing, same as you did when you were promoted to Yellow Belt. Depending on the belt you are testing for, other requirements such as board breaking or sparring may also be required. Please remember, you will be judged not only on how well you perform the material, but also on your appearance, attitude and power. The best thing you can do is relax, have fun, and test hard. We are looking forward to seeing you reach this milestone soon!
On Friday, February 13th, Master Sanchez and Sensei Butch will be at Orchard Park Middle School for the schools "7th Grade Wellness Fair". We will be demonstrating some basic martial arts exercises and techniques. If you happen to go to Orchard Park Middle School, spread the word! Special thanks to "Mrs. Kim" for setting this up!	Our first "Adult Women's Only" self defense class came to a close on Friday, January 30th. We want to thank all those who attended, and we hope you are better equipped, both mentally and physically, to deal with the possible problems within today's society. Reminder! We will be having another "Adult Women's Self Defense" Mini Course again shortly. It will differ in material than the first, and will also still be at a level that anyone can attend. Please note that it is ONLY $20 to any immediate family member of a current student. Please keep an eye out in our monthly bulletins and also throughout our Dojo for information on the next one.
Please review the NEW SCHEDULE which will take effect Monday, March 1st. Classes were moved or merged to better accommodate all students.