_That was a loooong day! Thank you to all of the parents who came out and stayed the extra mile to support our fighters this year.
Before the placings, I wanted to share a couple of lessons that I either learned, or was reminded of. These may help as you download the tournament with your karate student.
Lesson #1- The trophy is never as valuable as the lesson learned. While it still stings to lose, it's more important to learn from the loss and take every opportunity to train and see that you never lose the same way twice.
Lesson #2- A smile from a friend can heal many injuries. As an instructor, I was moved to tears on a few occasions by the way our group surrounded each other and encouraged one another; win or lose.
Lesson #3- The phoenix gets knocked down, but it always gets right back up! This was proved over and over again today. The fierce competitive spirit was so evident as I watched these guys compete today. This is a crucial lesson to learn as it is one that can impact every single area of our lives!
Regardless of where they placed, I am proud of everyone who competed today. That being said, I would like to highlight two students who showed tremendous OSU today: Nicholas Ruei and David Fedeli. Nicholas was a third grade student of mine a few years ago. This guy is absolutely brilliant. In all things, he gives all of his effort. Back in third grade though, Nicholas would not have considered doing a tournament like this today. For Nicholas to sign up was a victory, and for him to fight as well and as bravely as he did reflects well upon all of us; especially his parents.
David just began training with us. When I say he just began, I mean he has been to 9 classes. He was only 5 classes in when he signed up for the tournament. It doesn't matter if your 8, or 28, that takes a tremendous amount of courage!
So, finally, our standings at the end of the day:
David Fedeli- 3rd Place
Tim Palmer- 3rd Place
Nicholas Ruei- 3rd Place
Andrew Simmons- 3rd Place
Austin Blackburn- 3rd Place
Jack EauClaire- 3rd Place/Outstanding Spirit Award
Davin Ross- 3rd Place
Joe Herbert- 3rd Place
Caleb Buchanan- 2nd Place
Deacon Buchanan- 2nd Place
Danny Stuckenschneider- 2nd Place
Jonathan Nunez- 2nd Place
Jonathan Chang- 2nd Place
Sam Wilbur- 2nd Place
Jacob Patton- 2nd Place
Tyler Sylvester- 1st Place/Grand Champion
Christian Allen- 1st Place/ Grand Champion
Jesse Patton- 1st Place
Philip Ross- 1st Place
Finally, please remember that we do not have class tomorrow due to the holiday. See everyone on Thursday!
This is your last day of going hard before the Sabaki Challenge. Plan your training carefully. From here on out, the name of the game is RECOVERY.
Remember, don't just train hard...all fighters do that. Train hard AND smart.
_ As we inch closer to the 2012 US Capital Sabaki Challenge, I wanted to do my best to impart some helpful advice for those entering the competition this year. First, I want to congratulate all of the Phoenix Karatedo students who had the courage to sign up to compete this year; many for the very first time. There is no doubt that you will all represent Phoenix well!
With less than one week until the event, there are many things to consider. For the sake of simplicity, I will break the week down by using benchmark days below. Please keep in mind that some of the practices that I may recommend are personal preference; however, I have experience modest success in both semi-contact and knockdown tournaments.
Monday: Train! Go to class and continue your training as normal. This will be the last day that you should engage in kumite because we want to limit unnecessary risks of injury the closer we get to the tournament. In short, this is the last day in which everything remains normal.
Wednesday: This is the last day that I would recommend having a training session involving vigorous weight training, high intensity interval training, or intense cardio training. This day also serves as the point in the training window where you want to eliminate processed, unhealthy foods from your daily diet.
Thursday: Training is dialed down to a light jog, shadowboxing, and kata work. You are also watching the kinds of food that you’re taking in as well as slightly increasing you water intake. Don’t go overboard with the water, just make sure that you’re getting enough in. This is the point in the training window when I recommend including visualization strategies if you haven’t already.
When I say visualization, all that I mean is for you to picture yourself at the event and literally create a movie in your mind. I picture myself walking into the ring, going through the courtesies and formalities, fighting, and having my hand raised at the end. Then I picture myself ending with the courtesies, shaking hands with my opponent’s instructor, and finding my instructors and thanking them.
It is important to point out that when you visualize the actual fight, you must picture an accurate representation of your current abilities. Picturing yourself executing a technique that you honestly cannot perform yet is of no use to you.
It is also important not to visualize yourself being completely dominant. In fact, it can be most helpful to picture yourself in a tough situation and then seeing your way out. It’s always better to think and visualize your way through things like this now, rather than at the competition!
Friday: Use this day to recover completely. If you are feeling anxious, go for a walk but don’t overdo it. I typically use this day (e-2) to watch some Kyokushin and Enshin videos online. Youtube has a ton of videos. Also, continue visualizing yourself at the event.
Saturday: Take it easy. You’re one day away from the tournament. Since we are used to training hard and training often, it can seem counterintuitive to take a day off right before a tournament. However, remember that this day is all about making sure you are 100% when it’s time to compete. Now, when I say take it easy, I don’t mean for you to sit around all day playing video games. Go for a walk, do some light shadow boxing, do anything that will get you to break a slight sweat. Getting warmed up and doing some good stretching is also a great idea for today. Probably the most important thing you can do, and it should be your priority for the day, is to make sure you get a good night sleep.
We've spent the last few classes getting back to cleaning up our basic techniques (kihon). We are doing this for two reasons really:
1.) If we aren't careful to consistently review our basic techniques, then we run the risk of reinforcing bad habits. We have to go back to the basics to ensure we are working on a solid foundation.
2.) We are growing! In the last month alone, we've added 3 students to each of our classes.
One temptation is to become bored or familiar with kihon. I have been encouraging everyone here in Gaithersburg that if you're happy with your techniques, then you're probably working hard enough!
In just a few hours we will all say goodbye to 2011 and hello to a new year full of potential and challenge! Before we jump headfirst into 2012, I think it is appropriate to look back at everything that we accomplished at Phoenix Gaithersburg in 2011.
February 2011- Phoenix Gaithersburg enters several students in the 2011 US Capital Sabaki Challenge. This was our first big event and we came home with a lot of trophies. Most importantly though, we distinguished ourselves as a group that accepts victory and defeat graciously.
April 2011- Phoenix Gaithersburg moved to our current home at Resnik Elementary School. The space there has helped to accommodate our growing numbers!
July 2011- Several students attended Camp Phoenix, held on the campus of Mount St. Mary's University. We spent the weekend training hard, breaking wood, and lots of kumite! It was during this Camp Phoenix that Sempai Buchanan graded for his nidan (second degree black belt) and was given the title Dai Sempai.
July 2011- We hosted our 3rd Annual karate camp on the campus of Covenant Life School in Gaithersburg, MD. Over 30 new children and teenagers were able to get a taste of Phoenix. Sempai Glenn Marie visited on the final day of camp and assisted with a kohai belt test!
August 2011- We had a series of outdoor training which really tested our toughness and humility!
October 2011- Four fighters from Gaithersburg competed against world class competition at the 21st Annual American International Karate Championships; held in Rochester, NY. The participants brought home two 1st Place trophies, one 2nd place, and one 3rd place trophy.
November 2011- With a 15 passenger van completely filled out, a group of us drove to Shrewsbury, NJ for the Fall 2011 Gashuku; hosted by The Phoenix Way. There we were able to participate in several kohai tests and one nidan test. This was also the first time that several of our students met our Kancho and Shihankai.
This is just a small sample of our highlight reel from 2011. There were belt tests, buckets of sweat, and even some tears. We trained hard. We experienced failures. We were knocked down...but we always learned from our failures and popped up when we were knocked down. This is what Phoenix is about and this is what will carry us into 2012! Come on out and see for yourself!
Here in the US, families are gathering around dinner tables to celebrate the blessings in their life. It's a tradition which forces us to pause and consider the people and things in our lives that bring us joy. My "thankful list" isn't much different from other folks, and includes:
1.) My family- I work hard for them, to take care of them and set an example of what a hard working man looks like.
2.) My job- I'm a teacher by profession; teaching 3rd Graders and eager karate students.
3.) My health- God has blessed me richly in this area.
4.) My dogs- Yes, I love my dogs (James and Zelda). It sounds kind of silly, but they are part of the family.
5.) Phoenix Gaithersburg! The students and families are such a treat to work with. We are changing the world!
So, what does your list look like? What are you thankful for this year?
At our Fall Gashuku last weekend, Kancho reminded us that "everyday is an interview." At the time, it sounded good and it was motivating. Then, I thought about it even more...
We live in an American culture of entitlement. It is expected that things should be given to us; handed to us even, without putting in our fair share of the work. Promotions are expected because we've put in the time NOT because we've mastered a skill or task. This is a mentality that I am out to destroy.
Even with my youngest students I share the following idea: "Everyone works. Nothing is free. All start at the bottom." Treat each day as if you've actually got to work for everything you have and you will not only be a happier person, but you will also find the respect from those around you.
Two weeks ago we tested "Big" Ben for his yellow belt during our teen/adult class. He didn't know it was coming. That didn't stop him from showing a sense of tenacity that was incredible...even for him. Ben did very well and I was proud to present him with his yellow belt.
Since that day, there has been a completely new "Big" Ben in class. This Ben is so much more confident and sure of himself than "white belt Ben". Ben's not the only student who experiences this transformation. In fact, many students go through this stage once they've earned their yellow belt. It really is quite a nice thing to observe.
In the Phoenix Karatedo Association, the yellow belt is the first colored belt that is earned by a student. It is, by far, the brightest of the belts in our grading system. This was an intentional decision which reflects the "awakening" each student experiences as they train toward this first, very special, promotion. As an instructor, it is always special to watch a student put on their newly earned yellow belt as it reminds me of that cold January evening when I tested, under Shihan Melanson, for my yellow belt.
This past weekend, I was able to travel to Rochester, NY with 4 students from the dojo to participate in the 2011 All American International Karate Championships. It was a great experience for several reasons, and many lessons were learned.
We learned that, in a sparring competition, you should never leave the decision in the hands of the judges when you can finish the match on your own.
We learned that belt colors don't translate perfectly from one style to another or from one Kyokushin association to another.
We learned that time spent training doesn't mean nearly as much as time spent training the right way.
We also learned that, in many ways, we are training the right way.
We learned that the smallest interaction with another person can bring hours, and hours, and hours of hilarious conversation.
We learned that our opponents are real people and not enemies who must be destroyed.
Practically speaking, we were very successful in our endeavors. Results are below and videos can be found on the "photos" tab to the left of your screen.
Davin- 3rd Place 15-17 year old semicontact.
Jacob- 3rd Place 13-14 year old semicontact. I asked Jacob to compete in the advanced division, against other young men with 4-5 more years of experience. I'm thankful that he trusted me.
Tim- 1st Place 13-14 year old semicontact. I asked Tim to compete in the intermediate division, against other young men who had 2-4 more years of experience. Again, I am thankful that he trusted me.
Dai- Superheavyweight Knockdown Champion.
It seems like everywhere you look, you'll find someone wearing one of those silicon wristbands. Different colors mean different things. Some bands support very good causes, like cancer research; while others are more for fashion.
As you can see from the photo above, Phoenix has a band now. This half-black, half-red wristband has the following text:
"PHOENIX KARATE Head low. Eyes high. Mouth shut. TRAIN!"
These bands are being given away with each $1 (minimum) donation. Every cent that is collected will go to support our Phoenix family in Ukraine. In this small way, the greater Phoenix Association can practically send our collective spirit of "OSU" overseas! To get a band, or to make a donation, contact your instructor or me and we will get it to you quickly!
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