Ward's Family Karate, News

Personal Goal – The One Inch Punch.

2010-01-11T12:11:00.001-07:00

A person goal of mine has been to break a board with a one inch punch. Is the one inch punch a fact or a myth? Bruce Lee popularized the term when he perfected the mechanics of this punch. Many have demonstrated it since that time. But just because it exists does not mean that it is easy to do.

So, what is a one inch punch?

Any adult black belt should be able to break a board with a punch. It's not that hard to do. That is, if you do it right. If you don't do it right, it hurts. A LOT. You might even break a bone in your hand.

Now a normal punch starts from the chambered position or just pulled back by your ear like a boxer. When you punch you put every part of your body into the punch. Your fist, shoulder, hips and even your foot as you push your way through the board.

A one inch punch is different. The idea is to hold your fist one inch from the board. Then without pulling your hand back (winding up) drive your first through the board. What this takes is a perfect alignment of the body and the proper use of hip torque to drive your entire body wait through the board with very little movement. It is a perfect example of economy of motion and energy used in karate and other Martial Arts.

OK that is the theory. In reality its more like a 3 or 4 inch punch. The way you set it up is to place your extended finger tip right on the board. Then rather than drawing back you simple fold your hand into a fist just before you make contact with the board.

Here at Ward's Family Karate in Colorado Springs we do not require our students to break boards or bricks. However, I may consider making this available to advanced students. Karateka (karate students) often wonder how much damage their punch or kick could do. Of course the real test is what happens when you hit a person! Karateka are generally peaceful people. Even though karate and other martial arts may look violent, the practitioners of karate seek peaceful solutions over violent solutions. Think of it as “armed deterrence”. We don't like to use violence but the threat of it is always there.

Breaking boards does provide a non violent method of putting striking power to the test. Let me repeat this here. Done wrong this can be a very painful test!

That being said I have found board breaking an intriguing way not only to test the power of ones punch or other strike but also a valuable tool to refine the striking effectiveness.

One of my goals has been to perfect my technique in order to break a one inch board with a one inch punch. It has always eluded me, ending in my fist striking the board with a very unpleasant and even painful THUD!

Today was different. Today the technique was properly applied and the board broke.

Another goal of mine has been to break a suspended board. That is a board not being held by someone or something. This could be dangled from a string or simply balanced on edge.

Well today I achieved that goal as well breaking a board free standing.

Too make things even sweeter I broke the free standing board with a one inch punch.

Unfortunately I did not have my video camera with me to record this. We did think about this but the camera was at home. However I do have a witness. Chet, one of my assistant instructors was with me. So feel free to ask Chet about it.

I was fortunate that Chet was there. He made an interesting observation. He had positioned himself directly to the side of the board. He stated that my fist did not go through board. This is consistent with what I felt as I hit the board. Rather than driving my hand through the board like I mentioned above as a boxer might do I only drive my hand into the board.

This had the effect of transferring all of the energy of the punch directly into the board. If I had tried to punch through the board I might of actually pushed the board away without breaking it. The end result was that the board essentially exploded.

This is what makes the precision strikes of karate so powerful without a follow through. Learn this technique of transferring power into an object and you will be able to break boards and bricks also.

A word of warning: don't try this at home. One mistake can result in a very painful injury. Kids, make sure you talk to your parents, and please talk to your Sensei. Breaking must be set up correctly to keep it safe as possible.

It's good to achieve a goal. Perhaps next time we will talk about setting and achieving goals.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the finest training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs martial arts: http://www.wardsfamilykarate.com/colorado-springs-martial-arts/
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Dojo is Open tonight

2009-10-29T16:54:00.002-06:00

Students,

I will open the dojo tonight. However if you feel the roads are bad where you are do not get out. I won't feel bad if no one shows up tonight. Better to be safe and stay home.

Sincerely

Scott Ward, Sensei

Snow - Closure - Oct 28th

2009-10-28T15:45:00.002-06:00

It's snowing! Roads may be getting bad so we will be closing the Karate School tonight.
That is Wednesday Oct. 28th all class canceled.

Hopefully conditions will be improved tomorrow.

For future reference we will follow D-11 school closings. If D-11 is closed for the day we will be also. If conditions turn bad in the afternoon, please check here to see if we post a closure.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Picture Night Expanded!

2009-10-28T14:11:00.003-06:00

Ward's family Karate in Colorado Springs Colorado will be offering an expanded picture night!

That's good news. We have arranged for our photographer to be on site for 3 days instead of 2. Pictures will be taken on Monday Nov. 9th through Wednesday Nov. 11th. Picture times will be from 5:30 to close.

So that you are not caught off guard, or run into a big line, we will have a sign up sheet with time slots. So you will be able to mark your calendar and clean and press that uniform.

We will have our new CardioFit Kickboxing class up and running by this time. So you may what to get some kickboxing photos made too.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

CardioFit Kickboxing is coming...

2009-10-26T23:52:00.004-06:00

CardioFit Kickboxing is coming to Ward's Family Karate in Colorado Springs Co. We will hold adult classes (age 14 and up) starting in November. Class will be held at 5:45 PM on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

This will be available to our karate students at no additional cost. CardioFit Kickboxing will also be offer as a separate program for any one to participate in. Final price for this program has not been set yet, but as always our programs are very affordable. So let your friends know about our new program. This is a terrific way to get in shape or stay in shape, and best of all its FUN!

All that you will need is some comfortable gym clothes, Boxing, Bag, or MMA gloves. You may work in bare feet or optionally if you like you may wear mat shoes. (Please no hard soles or high traction shoes. We want to preserver our mats).

So come join in of the fun and invite your friends for a FREE WEEK of classes.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Kata Seminar - Nov. 21

2009-10-26T23:44:00.002-06:00

Ward's Family Karate in Colorado Springs CO will be holding a Kata Seminar in November 21st at 1:30 in the afternoon. The Kata is Empi. This is our brown belt kata of the month. While this kata is for our Brown belts to learn, any of our students of the rank of Orange belt and up my attend this seminar.

The Cost is $20. I highly recommend that all Brown Belts attend. You will need to have mastery of this kata for your next belt test.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Tournament - Nov. 14th

2009-10-26T23:24:00.003-06:00

You have a opportunity to represent Ward's Family Karate in an inter club karate tournament on Saturday November 14th. We will gather with the other members of Kazoku Karate Budokia (the family karate association) at the Jay Haynes' Family Karate Center for friendly competition.

The entry fee is $20 and that will cover all events. You may enter all events that you are qualified for.

Events will be: Kihon competition (for White belts that do not know a kata).
Kata competition
Kabudo (Weapons Kata)
Sparring
Stick Fighting (our most popular events - You must compete in Kihon or Kata to do sticks).

I am recommending that all my students participate in 2 tournaments a year. This is very important for builder your self-confidence, and will really put an edge on your technique. Sparring is also recommended to any one who plans to make it to black belt.

Please sign up in our dojo at the front window and make your payment. I will have the official entry forms for you as soon as they are made available.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Picture Night - Nov. 9th -11th

2009-10-26T22:54:00.007-06:00

Wear your best dress whites because we are having picture night at Ward's Family Karate in Colorado Springs CO. This will be Monday and Tuesday night. Plan on having your picture taken after your class. We will have a professional photographer on site with a complete photo studio.

This a great opportunity to get some great picture for Christmas presents for the grand parents or whoever else. Our photographer Teen Ward (yes, my daughter) will have several picture packages available for you. You may do single posses or group shots. You may even ask her to do non karate pictures for you. However, even it you do not purchase a picture package please have your picture taken since I would like to create a picture board for our dojo and commemorate our firsts year in our new dojo.

OK I confess this picture to the left was not take by our photographer, but dude we just look so cool I had to put it up here!

You can look cool too, like this family to the right. This picture was taken by our photograph and you can have a great family poss like this too. So wash and iron your gi and look your best for the Ward's Family Karate picture night.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Kick Boxing Class

2009-10-25T21:46:00.005-06:00

Last week at Ward's Family Karate in Colorado Springs, we had two days of kickboxing classes. The weather turned rather bad and I am afraid the nasty roads scared folks off. We did have some brave souls come out and we had a good time.
We even had a visit from some new instructors. But more about that later. Here are some pictures from the class. We have Garrett the strong man pumping the barbells. Chet working over the B.O.B. with some knee strikes. Mark working the jump rope like a pro. Usually the jump rope just works me. Andrew really enjoyed those boxing gloves and hitting the bags. Bill was amazed at what a workout it was hitting bags and shadow boxing

Everyone thought it was a great time and a great workout. In the future we will be adding some interesting classes to fill the week when we have a belt test.

Now I did mention something about new instructors didn't I. I am working on plans to add two new classes to our line up. The first class which will be available to our karate students or others that would like to sign up for it is a brand new adult CardioFit Kickboxing class.
Our new instructor Lisa will be running this class. This class will be an intense cardio workout using the training methods of Kickboxing. Some of our students have said how much they enjoy our Kihon nights. Kihon is a great exercise and will really keep you fit. Unfortunately we can not do Kihon every night.
Our new CardioFit Kickboxing class will definitely keep you in shape. Look for this class to be available in November.

The Second class is our all new Fit-2-Fight (eXtreme Fitness/Self-defense program). This is another adult class. The classes are design to teach you to defend yourself on the street. There will be no gi, no uniform and no rate. Just hard hitting, street wise self defense. think "how to fight dirty".

If you want to survive a real world fight where your life is on the line you don't want to run out of gas. Each night this program will be half fitness training and half self defense. So if you are ready for the eXtreme we have the class for you. This class will be a separate offering from Karate an will be available in November.

So check back here often for more details of our new classes. To make sure that you do not miss any Ward's Family Karate information become a subscriber to our blog. Just click the Follow button to the left.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Awards Dinner - Dec. 5th

2009-10-11T13:36:00.004-06:00

Awards Dinner - Dec. 5th.
Ward's Family Karate In Colorado Springs will be hosting an awards dinner. It has been a while since we have done this. It is a lot of fun for everyone and everyone really enjoyed getting recognized for their hard work.

Dinner will be a pot luck. So think of some good dishes to bring and we will all enjoy a good meal together. That's the best part, being together. I also like fried chick and chocolate cake (hint, hint).

We will meet at the dojo at 6:00 pm for dinner and around 6:30 we will start handing out the awards.

What do you need to do?
sign up! you can not get an award if you do not sign up, and everyone who does sign up will get an award.

Parents, we will be putting out some check sheets for you. let us now about good behavior at home, and good grades at school. These are all awards worthy actions.

BYOC - bring your own chair! If you want the best seat in the house, you had better bring it with you. With all of the Moms and Dads and brothers and sisters we will probably run out of chairs. So bring your favorite folding chair or camp chair.

If you have any long tables that we could barrow that would be a big help too.

So mark your calendars, sign up and join in the fun.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Movie Night - Nov 6th

2009-10-11T13:21:00.005-06:00

Friday Nov. 6th. Or as we like to call it "Parent's Night Out"! We will be holding our second movie night at Ward's Family Karate in Colorado Springs, on Friday Nov. 6th. We will provide Pizza, Drinks, Games and a Movie.

Pizza will be served at 7:15. We will not have Sparring class this night but we will have our regular 6:30 class. Games will Start at 7:45 (can you say dodge ball. You can also bring your favorite board game.) Movie will start at 8:15. Parents, drop your kids off and then enjoy a night out. Then pick them up by 10:00 PM and they will be ready for bed.

Kids feel free to put on your pajamas for the movie.

Cost $15. Families may add additional children for $10 each. We will need a minimum of 8 to hold this event. You can sign up at the office window. Dead line for sign up is Wednesday night Nov. 4th. We must have the minimum of 8 by that night.

This a great time for students to bring a friend. Their cost is just $15 and they can even come to the karate class before we eat. Please pick up a guest permission slip at the window. We must have proper information and permission for a guest to stay.

Teenagers we can also use some help with crowd (kid) control. Ask Sensei if you could be a helper. You get free pizza and you can use this as your hour of selfless service.

This will be a fun time for all, so sign up right away and make your plans for a night out.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

KIck Boxing! Oct 21 and 22

2009-10-10T18:06:00.005-06:00

As a special treat at Ward's Family Karate in Colorado Springs, Colorado we will change things up a bit after our belt test. Instead of moving right into the next belt cycle we will hold Kick Boxing classes for the remainder of the week.

No we will not be punching each other in the face and throwing knee strikes at our opponent! This will be a kick boxing cardio class. That means we will do a lot of bag work, shadow boxing, drills, and calisthenics. I promise you, you will be Sweating, Sore and you will leave class with a Smile on your face.

This class will be very fun and energetic. Kick boxing is very different from karate. So you will be learning some new techniques and how to properly apply some that you already know.

Proper Dress

Since this is not a karate class we will make this uniform optional. You may wear whatever workout clothes that you want. Since we will not be in uniform you do not have to wear the Ward's Family Karate official Tee-Shirt. However, we do have shirts available for $15.00 if you want to look extra cool!

If you have your own bag gloves or MMA gloves you will want to bring them. We will have a small number of gloves available for you to use. You do not want to be hitting bags without gloves, so you will have to switch off with others if you do not have your own.

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

Belt Test - Oct. 19th & 20th

2009-10-04T21:33:00.003-06:00

Ward's Family Karate in Colorado Springs, Colorado will be holding a belt test on Oct. 19th and 20th. Please try to attend the Monday test since the test groups will be split. Tuesday's test is for all ranks and has been added for your convenience.

If you still have not received your green strip, then you can come in Monday (the 19th) and earn your strip while others are testing. You will then need to come in on Tuesday to take your test.

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

No Parking!

2009-09-26T18:04:00.004-06:00

Well not exactly no parking, just limited parking, which will require some care on your part. At Ward’s Family Karate we have as I count it six parking spaces across the front of our building. In karate we teach respect for others and that includes respect for things that belong to others. We show that when we bow before we enter the building and when we bow before stepping on to the training mat, as well as bowing to our partner when we practice. This courtesy should not be limited to our visit to the dojo but should become a part of our lives as we leave the dojo. Courtesy just makes things work better.

What does that have to do with parking? Well as I said we have six parking spaces in front of our building. That’s not a lot and we will have to find parking space elsewhere around building. The real problem starts when others do not show us respect. We have been having problems with the students and even the instructors of our neighbor “Combat Sports” parking in front of our building.

Now I like to cut people some slack. Ward’s Family Karate opens later than Combat Sports, and as their students arrive they see a dark dojo and assume we are closed. I am fine with them using our spaces when we are closed, but they need to be gone by the time we are open. Well that’s not happening. I have already spoken to the owners and they agree, but none of us controls the actions of our students we can only influence them. I will take additional step to educate their students and free up those spaces that are ours. If the problem continues tow trucks may have to get involved.

We still have the problem of having a limited number of spaces available. Thursday night we had a bit of an incident with our neighbor on the other side. The paint store next to us has posted cardboard signs basically saying “No Parking”. That is fine, I have signs for the same purpose in my window. I have neglected to tell any of our students not to park in front of the paint store. My thinking was that they closed at 5:00 and there would be no problem parking there after hours. Well it’s the things that you don’t know that will get you in trouble. Apparently there is a person affiliated with the paint store that comes and goes at all hours of the day and night.

Well Thursday night he came in and found no spaces available in front of the paint store. So rather than find some thing farther away (which he was not required to do) and rather than double-parking a single car he decided to cross parked two or three cars. Fortunately one of our students came and got me. He was pretty hot about it and was ready to have all the cars towed away. I managed to calm him down and he agreed to move his car.

Let that be a lesson to everyone. You don’t have to be rude or violent to solve problems, what ever they may be. At Ward’s Family Karate we teach that karate is 95% mental and 5% physical. So when you are confronted with a problem or find yourself in danger remember to use the strongest defense weapon that you have, YOUR BRAIN.

The second lesson is that if you park in front of the paint store you are doing so at your own risk! So I will state here “Do Not Park In Front Of The Paint Store.” There I said it. Now if you do, at least don’t take the last space or everyone will be in trouble.

Where to Park

Here is some parking advice. As I said I count it as six spaces in front of our Karate School. Two cars can fit in front of the garage door. So if you park there hug the lines so we can get two cars in. There is room to double-park in our lot. If we are careful how we do it we can make use of that. If you are arriving for the first class at 6:30 it seems safe to double-park anyone in our lot, as long as you are leaving right after the first class. If we get to know each other and what we are driving we can make this work. You can always double-park my car. That is either the red Ford Focus (with the signs on it) or the blue Ford Windstar.

If all of those spaces are taken then you can look down the building for unused spaces. That’s where it gets a little tricky. Most of the businesses are posted, but most of them are also closed. You are probably OK using those spaces after hours, but avoid the paint store. I will be trying to get in touch with some of the business owns to find out if this is a problem. You can also look for the space available signs and park in front of these un-leased storefronts.

At the North end of the build there is an additional lot with 10 spaces. A new tenant with an auto repair business is parking several of the cars that he is working on there. Those are not defined for any business as I can tell, so they are safe for you to use. That north lot is where the dumpster is, and I would think after 5:00 it would be safe to park in front of the dumpster fence. Just don’t block the opening of the fence doors.

At the South end of the builder there is also additional parking along the extreme south edge of the parking lot. It’s pretty dark down there! If you do park there I would advise that you carry a flashlight.

We don’t want anyone getting towed, so park carefully. Let’s take the high road and show Courtesy to our neighbors, even if they are not showing it to us. If you do not feel safe with the available parking please let me know. I will arrange for a black belt to escort you to your car.

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward’s Family Karate, LLC
Providing the fines training in Karate and Martial Arts in Colorado Springs.
Web site: www.WardFamilyKarate.com
Email: scott.ward@wardsfamilykarate.com
Blog: www.wardsfamilykarate.blogspot.com

New Class

2009-08-29T16:05:00.004-06:00

We are adding a couple of new classes to our schedule. We will be adding a new Tuesday and Thursday Class. The new classes will be at 6:30 (Tue. + Thurs.). Initially this class will be an all ranks class. We will watch the attendance for this class for a while to determine the final designation for the class.

If you have been wanting a class on Tuesday or Thursday then come on in. This class will start on September 1st.

This is a great opportunity to tell your friends about our expanded schedule, offering classes 5 days a week. Remember our referral contest running through the month of September. This could be just what you need to get your name into the drawing for our big prize.

See you in class!

Sincerely,

Scott Ward, Sensei
Ward's Family Karate, LLC
www.WardsFamilyKarate.com
3228 N. Nevada Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Phone: 719-659-2106

Providing the finest training in Martial Arts in Colorado Springs,
Karate classes in Colorado Springs for ages 6 and up.

Movie Night

2009-08-22T19:16:00.002-06:00

Friday Sept. 4th.
Or as we like to call it "Parent's Night Out"!
We will be holding a movie night at Ward's Family Karate, on Friday Sept. 4th. We will provide Pizza, Drinks, Games and a Movie.

Pizza will be served at 7:30. This will over lap with Sparring class.
Games will Start at 8:00 (can you say dodge ball. You can also bring your favorite board game.)
Movie will start at 8:30

Parents, drop your kids off and then enjoy a night out. Then pick them up by 11:30 PM and they will be ready for bed. Kids feel free to put on your pajamas for the movie.

Cost $15. Families may add additional children for $10 each.
We will need a minimum of 8 to hold this event. You can sign up at the office window. Dead line for sign up is Wednesday night Sept. 2nd. We must have the minimum of 8 by that night.

This will be a fun time for all, so sign up right away and make you plans for a night out.

Win big in August and September

2009-08-20T22:21:00.003-06:00

Win This Cool Dragon Sword Set

That's right. You could win this beautiful sword set. This is three swords and a stand. The Katana is engraved with the words,

"I belong to the warrior in whom the old ways have joined the new."

We will raffle this sword set off at the end of September. All that you have to do to win it is refer your friends to our karate school. We make that super easy for you. They don't even have to spend any money. You can invite them to take two weeks of classes with you completely FREE. For that you will get one entry in the drawing for the dragon sword set. If they would like to get a little more serious about karate. We have a great deal for them. They can get a month of classes for only $35 and I will give them a free uniform. The uniform costs $35. It's like getting a month of lessons FREE. for this you will get two entries in the drawing for the dragon sword set. If you friend decides to stay with us after that and signs up before the end of September you will get one additional entry in the drawing.

That's 1 to 3 chances of winning the sword set for every friend that you refer.

So how many friends do you know? I bet they all could benefit from karate! So get busy. August is already half over.

Oh and don't forget to tell your friends that they could win the dragon sword set. They can invite their friends right away and they will get entries into the drawing also.

Wait there is more! I have a bunch of great prizes for the referral contest. As we get more referrals I will add more prizes. And that means more chances to win!

I won't tell you what those other prizes are you will just have to bring in your friends to find out. But I will tell you this, they are just as great as the dragon sword set.

Remember you only have about 6 more weeks. So get talking you your friends.

PS. - Your friends will need to come in with their parents so they can sign an application. (its an insurance thing.)

Belt Test - Monday August 31st

2009-08-09T21:20:00.003-06:00

We will be holding our belt test on Monday August 31st. Please make sure that you have earned all of your needed stripes in time.

Don't forget your Selfless Service for high belts, and your cross for those participating in the "Warrior for Christ" program.

Gold Medal Winner

2009-08-09T21:11:00.002-06:00

A big congratulation to Keri, the winner of two gold medals in the 2009 State Games of America. Keri took the gold in both kata and kumite (sparring). I know I sure am proud of the gold metal that I won in 2005, I imagine that Keri is doubly so. I look forward to see the videos of here competition (I was officiating in another ring). We you see Keri please congratulate her on a job well done, and ask to see those medals. This is another great set towards Black Belt Excellence for Keri.

New Class!

2009-07-19T21:03:00.003-06:00

I am starting a new class called "Advanced Techniques". This will be our 8:00 class and will be for all ranks. If you are a belt chaser, then this class is not for you. We will be covering the material at your rank but we will not necessarily cover all that you need to get to the next test. However if you are a seeker of the truth, then this class is for you. We will be seeking the truth of your techniques. We will investigate your techniques in detail. We may only cover one of two things in this class a night, but we will learn the things that will allow you to truly become a "Human Weapon".

So if your ready to go to the next level don't miss this class.

This class will be Monday and Wednesday at 8:00.

Belt Test - Monday July 13th

2009-07-01T22:58:00.002-06:00

We will be holding our first belt test in the new dojo on Monday July 13th.
Beginners (white through High Orange) will be test in the 6:30 class.
Advanced belts (green and Up) will be tested in the 7:15 class.
8:00 is an all ranks class so we will pick up any one that comes in at 8:00 for testing.

So practice hard this next week!

New Dojo Open House

2009-07-01T22:43:00.004-06:00

On Saturday June 27th we had an open house at our new Ward's Family Karate dojo located at 3228 N. Nevada Ave. We host a hamburger cookout and potluck. The burgers were great! I was so busy I did not get to sample all the good things at the potluck, but the few that I did with chocolate were great. Thanks to every one for all the great food.

We also formally bowed in the new dojo. We had a wonder ceremony were we read through the scroll of the lineage, and honor all of our past and present masters. We then held a mini seminar and look at the first two moves of the kata Heian Shodan. We though a number of our students to punch harder than they ever have before.

We had a lot of visitors from the Family Karate Association. These included Kyoshi Haynes the head of our association and owner of the Family Karate Center, Sensei Salamander from UCCS, club owner Sensei Tina Nance, and Sensei Deb Cupples. It was a real pleasure to show of our beautiful new dojo them for the first time.

The Black Belt Pretest

2009-03-29T16:32:00.006-06:00

I want to congratulate Keri for participating in the black belt pretest and representing Ward's Family Karate. This test is only open to brown belts. Keri has earned her 2nd degree brown belt. This test gives brown belts their first look at what the black belt test will be like while qualify the 5th and 6th browns who which to start their training and take the black belt examination.

The pretest is a tough 1 1/2 hour examination. The brown belts ran a 35 minuted khon. That is pretty good, since the actual test will run the khon in 30 minutes, and the candidates will be doing daily khon practice as fast at 17-19 minutes before the test.

I was very please with Keri's performance. She held up very well. She even moved to the back of the room when the techniques where above her grade and observed and tried to perform these new techniques.

Keri also did a great job demonstrating here five Heian katas and one advnced weapon kata.

She also got a good taste of what is to come. Keri Uked for Lura one of the candidates and I think she was a little suprised how much she got thrown around as she attacked with a knife or a gun!

Once again, congratulations for a job well done, by Keri, and thank you for so powerfully representing Ward's Family Karate with discipline and honor.

New Class!

2009-03-29T16:13:00.002-06:00

Well sort of. I'd like to give our advanced students, particularly our brown belts a little extra help. Brown belts only get one belt cycle to learn their kata, unlike the beginners who get two. So we will extend our Monday class for advanced students (green belt and up) for an additional 15 minutes. We will bow the all ranks class out at 7:45 and continue with the advanced belts for another 15 minutes. This is where we can do crunches and push ups, work on technique improvements and details of your katas.

We will start this on March 30th.

I hope my advanced students will enjoy this extra training time.

Class Canceled - Thursday 03/26/09

2009-03-26T13:40:00.003-06:00

It's snowing out there!

Yes the verdict is in. I am canceling all karate class at Ward's Family Karate, tonight. Roads are already getting bad and the hill at our PRC location is usually a dangerous place in a snow like this.

So stay home!

That does not me you can not practice. If you remember your new self-defense or one-steps then see if somebody at home will help you practice them, or just work solo like a shadow boxer and let your mind provide your training partner. You'd be surprised how much you can learn working solo. If you have not got your SD or OS down. Then try some kihon. Make it fun! get some card board and hold it in a door jam and close the door. You get to pick the height. Then practice front kicks, round kicks, and crescent kicks. Try drawing a target on the card board and be precise about hitting it right on target.

We will wind up self-defense and one-steps next week. Then it is on to Kihon.

Have fun and be safe.

A Change In Our Belt Cycle

2009-03-13T21:23:00.003-06:00

We are going to try something new. Currently our belt cycle runs 8-9 weeks. I made it this long to accommodate those students who could not get in for all the classes. I know that things come up and sometimes you can not make it to class. However, this is creating two problems. First, this is not fair to students who attend class regularly. I would like to let students be able to test and progress more often. Second, since we learn self-defense and one-steps first, its a long time between that and the belt test review. I think students would be able to recall their self-defenses and one-steps better if we shortened that time. So we are going to shorten the cycle to 6 1/2 weeks. here is how it will work.

Belt Cycle

==================================
Self-Defense/One-Steps 1 1/2 weeks
Kihon 1 1/2 weeks
Arnis 1 week
Kata 1 1/2 weeks
Review 1 week
==================================
Total 6 1/2 weeks

This schedule will also bring us more in line with the cycle that Kyoshi Haynes has. I realize this may mean that at times when things get busy some of you may need to take two cycles to earn your rank. That is just all part of managing your training.

So get ready for a fast ride. It's going to be fun.

Woman's Self Defense Seminar (FREE)

2008-12-25T14:28:00.002-07:00

Ward's Family Karate will be holding two FREE woman's self defense seminars in January. The first one will be offered to FedEx employee, Contractors, and their families. It will be held at the FedEx data center facility on Wednesday, January 7th at 11:30-1:00.

The second class will be open to the public and will be held on Sunday January 18th at Pulpit Rock Church at 1:30 - 3:00.

These seminars are a public service of Ward's Family Karate. You will learn about situational awareness, to prevent you from becoming a target of the criminals. But when the unexpected happens you must be able to to defend yourself. You will learn simple and effective techniques to stop an attacker. We will be working from a standing position and from the ground to have all bases covered. Dress appropriately for physical activity. Since this is an adult topic the class is recommended for ladies ages 13 and up.

Registration is required. Please call Ward's Family Karate at 659-2106 to reserve your space.

We will be accepting voluntary donations at our Pulpit Rock class to benefit and thank our host, Pulpit Rock Church. This class is a $50 value.

Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity. It could be a matter of life or death.

December 23rd - 12 kihon of Christmas

2008-12-15T22:20:00.007-07:00

Ward's family Karate has been invited to the Family Karate Center on Tuesday Dec. 23rd at 7:00 to participate in the 12 kihon of Christmas. This is great fun. It is kihon done to the twelve days of Christmas song. You will have to sing as you do your kihon. Santa hats, elf ears and reindeer antlers are encouraged. If you like kihon this is a great workout.

This has always been a special event for black belts only. So this is a special treat that it has been opened up to the kyu belts and all the clubs.

So don't miss out. This is the in place to be on Dec 23.

Tournament Results

2008-12-15T22:03:00.005-07:00

Saturday December 13th was the Colorado Springs Invitational Karate Tournament, held at the Crown Plaza Hotel. This was an absolutely great tournament put on by The Jay Haynes' Family Karate Center. Everything ran on time! Officials had an excellent sit down lunch at the hotel restaurant. There was plenty of time to change, and plenty of room to warm up and practice before your event. This was indeed the best run tournament that I have ever attended, competed in, and officiated, since I did all three for this event.

We had three members of Ward's Family Karate representing us for the tournament.
Keri Myers,
Joshua Ward, and
Sensei Scott Ward.

Here are the results and comments that I have:
We took two gold medals, two silver medals and 2 bronze medals.

Keri,

Unfortunately Keri was truly in a class by herself. She was the only competitor in her division. (I hate it when that happens). So we allowed here to compete solo in kata, and then set up an exhibition match for kumite.

Gold - Kata - performing Heian Yodan. nice job.
Gold - Kumite - We selected a black belt (13 yrs. old) for Keri to compete against. This was one tough black belt. She went on to fight an exhibition match against the adult black belt division and won that decisively against a very tough competitor. Usually the idea of exhibition match is to fight a good fight but to leave some openings and let the person from the division win. Well that did not happen in this case. The black belt fight took this as just another chance to practice. I was certainly a one side match. Keri did not have opportunity to score. However she did a excellent job of defense for what she was up against and show some great form. I believe she even got a contact warn for putting on in they to strong. (I told her she would have to do that!) Unfortunately I did not see the match first hand and I have to report from a video I watched later.
You can watch this video here.

Joshua,

Silver - Kata - Joshua competed in the black belt division and performed Wonsu. Pretty good for someone who does not like to do kata. his stances are a bit to low for this kata.

Bonze - Kumite - This was a forth place bronze. Joshua had a really rock em suck em fight. Yes it was more of fight than a sparring match. He was competing in the 14-17 year old advanced (black belt) division. Joshua is 14 and about 105 lb. his opponent was 17 and probably tipped 150 lb. The penalties were flying. Once again I did not see this match but have to work from the videos. I believe that his opponent was using to much force and not controlling his kicks and punches. Joshua returned in kind once he got his game on. We were concerned that his ribs were broken, but he was OK by the end of the day.

You can his match here

Wonsu Kata

Kumite again

Sensei Ward

Kobudo - No medal – I did the best Chuan No Kun kata I have ever done, but it helps if you don’t loose your bo. I lost my grip during a disarm and had to snag the bo out of air before it got away too far.

Bronze – Kata – What can I say. It was the best Paisai I have ever done. The others were just better.

Silver – Kumite – I lost the match by one point as the time ran out. I had been leading the match after a beautiful check kick to the head. My opponent was a full head taller than me. I faced him in a right lead and went for a sweep with my left foot. As I hit him in the ankle I bounced the kick all that way up to the side of his head.

My opponent was big and lack control with his head punches. He opened the bout with a punch right in my face. Before the ref could call yame I returned the favor and drove a right reverse punch hard into his face. We both took warnings, and the tone of the match was set.

I know that my sound pretty bad exchanging blows like that, but a sparring match is as much psychological as it is physical. I could not let him gain that psychological advantage over me. So I have to show him what ever he gave I was going to return. He hit me at least one more time like that and this time he lost a point.

The match and the gold would have been might but a I through a kick that was not working one to many times ( a skipping round kick). He caught the kick as he had twice before, but this time he managed a sweep. On the way down I decided to plan a axe kick in his chest, but I missed as he shifted around the side to score his punch. That pushed him one up on me and the time ran out after that.

Watch the video: Kata Paisai, kobudo Chun no kun, Kumite

No Class the Week of Christmas

2008-12-10T20:18:00.005-07:00

Pulpit Rock students: Ward's Family Karate will be closed the week of Christmas. That is the 22nd and of course the 25th of December.

We will be open again on the 29th of December, and on the 1st of January.

Have a merry Christmas!

Thursday Dec. 11th class in main building

2008-12-10T20:14:00.004-07:00

Attention students: We will be moving our class this Thursday to the main building. Come in the main doors and we will be in one of the classrooms to the right.

See you in class!

Invitational Tournament

2008-12-10T20:06:00.004-07:00

Come see your instructors and classmates represent Ward's Family Karate at the Crown Plaza Hotel invitational tournament. I will be competing on all events. J.B. Will be competing Kata a Sparring, and our Sempia Keri will also be competing.

Come out and cheer for us and see some fantastic competition. We will have competitors from at least three states.

admission is free for spectators. Competition starts at 9:00.

See you there!

Belt Cycle and Stripes

2008-11-20T11:30:00.002-07:00

I thought it would be good to review our belt cycle and the new stripe colors that we are using at Ward's Family Karate. In the Martial Arts I want you to learn to set goals, and have a plan for achieving those goals. Our belt system and the stripes that you must earn on your belt will help you get used to setting and achieving short term goals.

Recently I changed the colors of our strips. Previously your four stripes that you have to earn were the color of your next belt. You were also required to earn your stripes in order. That created a problem for me, and for you, since it made it difficult for you to get all of your strips if you missed one, and difficult for me if I allowed you to earn a strip out of order (I could not tell which one you had and which one you missed). Now I have heard that some of you are complaining about the color change. Well, remember this is to benefit you and to benefit me.

So here are the new colors!

1st Stripe - Black

Your first strip is black. First stripe is always self-defense or one-step-kumite. I will teach and review these techniques with you for the first two weeks of your belt cycle. You should be able to see all five of your techniques in the first two classes. After that I expect you to practice, and then show me your techniques so that I can make corrections. By the last class of this two weeks you should let me know that you are ready to stripe test, and I will watch you in class to determine if you pass.

Remember it is your responsibility to earn your strips! I will be there to teach the techniques. It will be your responsibility to be there to learn the techniques and to practice them outside of class. If you can not preform your techniques correctly at the end of two weeks, you have not planned properly to achieve your goal.

So what do you do then if you do not pass? Well you could wait for another belt cycle when I will teach the techniques again. you could also ask questions of me outside of class when I am available. But realize that just because you have a question does not mean I am available. If you want special attention, and I am about to start another class or teach my bible study, you need to make arrangement to wait until that class is over. You could also go to one of the students of your rank or higher and ask for help outside of class, and of course you must practice, practice, practice.

Can I stripe test you outside of class? Maybe. That depends what you are testing for, and again , am I available. You can also check with and assistant instructor or even with a Sempai (senior student). If you expect me to take you through 10-20 minutes of Kihon that probably will not happen. Back to, "it is your responsibility to attend class". It is "your responsibility to earn your stripes".

2nd Stripe - Blue.

Your second stripe is blue. Second stripe is always kihon (basics - blocks, strikes, and kicks). We will spend about two week covering kihon. There is more to cover for low ranking kyu belts than there is for high ranking kyu belts, but the kihon gets more difficult as you move up in rank. Therefore depending on the make up of the class we may spend a little more time (say one class) on kihon, if there are a lot of white and yellow belts. There will be more corrections to be made. If class has more high ranked belts we will move quicker and expect a lot of practice at home.

For high belts, that is colored belts with a long black stripe, you will also have an arnis requirement for you second stripe. I will teach the arnis in the same two week period. As soon as we have covered the basics of kihon we will start teaching the arnis. This means you will need to pay attention and do a lot of practice.

I will let you know when it is the last class of Kihon and you should be ready to test for your second/blue stripe. I will watch you and award your stripe at the end of class.

Once again with this new stripe color system, you do not have to have your first stripe to earn your second stripe. Now some students are under the misconception that they can test for their stripe (any stripe) at any time. That is wrong. I am only testing for the stripe we are teaching at the time. The color system simple means you are not held back from testing with the others because you lack the previous stripe. Yes some testing can be done out of cycle but based on my availability as mentioned above.

3rd stripe - Red.

Your third stripe is red. Once you reach yellow belt third stripe will always be Kata. for low belts (no stripe) you will need to memorize all of the movements of the kata. for high belt (long black stripe) I will want to see all of the details of the kata performed correctly (stances, power, timing, kiai).

We will spend two weeks working on kata. You will need much practice at home for memorization. Remember I have placed resources on our website for the Heian katas. You should make use of these to help you outside of class.

Be prepared at the end of this two weeks to demonstrate your kata to earn your stripe.

4th Stripe - Green.

Your forth stripe is green. This is your review stripe. This is the only strip with a prerequisite. You must have the first three stripes to get your forth stripe. You will be tested on the first three stripes, to prove that you are ready to take the belt test. Review will take one to two weeks depending on how the students are doing. You can not review in one class. Review will take at least two classes to cover. I will be watching you in each class. Therefore you need to make sure your are attending all classes during review.

I also reserve the right to have you demonstrate any and all techniques, kihon, and katas from your previous belts. You must be able to correctly demonstrate the new material and the previous material to earn your forth stripe.

Once you have earned your forth stripe it means you are ready for the next belt examination.

8-9 weeks for belt cycle.

This all adds up to about eight weeks of training for the belt cycle. I will usually throw in one or two classes that are off topic. Usually something that is more fun and not required on your belt test, such as, falling, sweeping, tumbling, or sparring. This can bring us up to nine weeks for the belt cycle.

Additional requirements for belt testing.

If you attend my Pulpit Rock school you may have an additional requirement. High belts (long black stripe) will be require to turn in a selfless service form. This is documentation of one hour of service (community service, helping a family member, etc..). You will earn your star for this.

Warriors For Christ.

if you are a "Warrior for Christ", then you will also have a bible memory verse requirement for each belt rank. You will need to recite the verse for me and the karate principal that is modeled in it. You will earn your cross for this.

These additional requirements must be completed before you can take a belt test. Remember you can not earn any of your stripes or additional requirements on the day of the belt test.

Nothing but Gold

2008-11-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulation to our senior student Keri. She represented Ward's Family Karate this weekend at the inter club tournament held at the Family Karate Center. Keri won Gold medals in all events. That's Gold for Kata, (performing Heian Yodan), Gold for Kumite (sparring) and even Gold for stick fighting in a mixed division against all boys.

Way to go girl.

$40/month for Karate Class. What a Value!

2008-10-29T10:21:00.002-06:00

I just got a look at the rates for the largest TaeKwonDo school in town. Incredible!

Now first let me give you some facts. The average karate student attends two classes per week. This is an actual statistic from one of the largest karate schools in town. Now, let's see, we offer two classes per week at Ward's Family Karate, in keeping with the average karate student. With our club you get two classes per week and top quality instruction for only $40 per month. Those poor TeaKwonDo students are payingt $185 per month for their (on average 2 per week) lessons.

Let me help you with the math. That is $2,220 a year for TaeKwonDo lessons. Oh, and you had better start saving know for your black belt test. Because in their school it costs $500. A year of Karate lesson with Ward's Family Karate, that will cost you $480. That's a savings of $1,740 a year. Hey with that money you could pay for three of your TaeKwonDo friend's black belt tests! Or maybe not.

So do your friends and neighbors a favor. Tell them that they do not have to spend $185 per month. We will welcome them into our club for $40 per month. They can even give us a test drive for their first month for just $29.

Don't forget if you refer a friend to our club you can get a cool hand carved (with you name) set of escrima sticks, or a super cool Ward's Family Karate polo shirt. That is just our way of saying thank you for getting the word out, "what a great deal we have for Colorado Springs".

Oh, and if you see one of those TaeKwonDo students, buy him a donut or something. He probably can't afford it any more.

Well Done!

2008-10-29T10:13:00.002-06:00

I was very impressed with everyone Monday night. You all did very well reviewing for our belt test on Thursday. Keep on practicing and give your very best on Thursday at the test. Remember show up at least 15 minutes early. We need to get mats set up, test for filled out, and test fees payed.

Good Luck to every one of our Kyu belts testing.

How a Back Stance Should Look

2008-10-22T16:26:00.004-06:00

Does your back stance need a little work?

Probably.

Here is a nice example of a back stance. Notice the foot alignment (90 degrees), and how big the stance is. The back leg is bent nicely and the front leg is nearly straight.

You will also notice that he is doing a twin knife hand. We do this at lot. It's in Heian Shodan, Nidan, and Yodan. His hands are a bit far forward for my tastes. I like the chamber to stop palm of hand at body mid line. I would also pull the striking hand back with the elbow roughly one fist width from the ribs. This is a pretty classic over shut when done with great force.

Study this picture and try to get your back stance to look like this. not only when you pose, but moving quicky into the stance.

Closed For Thanksgiving - Nov. 27

2008-10-20T22:54:00.000-06:00

There will be no class on Thanksgiving day.

Invitational Karate Tournament - Dec. 13

2008-10-20T22:27:00.000-06:00

The Family Karate Center will be hosting an Invitational Karate Tournament on this day. The tournament will be held at the Crown Plaza hotel. The entry fee is $40 and covers all events. The competition events are Kata, Weapons Kata, and Sparring. Give your registration form and payment to Sensei Ward. There is no day of registration.

The World Famous After Thanksgiving Day SALE!!! - Nov. 28-29

2008-10-20T22:26:00.002-06:00

The Family Karate Center will host the After-Thanksgiving Day SALE! This is a great time to pick up the karate supplies you will need for the next year at a great savings. Doors will be open from 9-5. This is a perfect time to treat yourself to a top quantity Juka gi.

Brown Belt Kata Seminar - Sushi No Kun Sho - Nov. 22

2008-10-20T22:26:00.001-06:00

Kyoshi Haynes will be teaching the Brown Belt Kata of the Month, Sushi No Kun Sho, on Saturday, November 22 from 1:00 - 2:30 pm. All Brown and Black Belts are encouraged to attend. Under Brown Belts may also attend with special permission from Kyoshi Haynes. The cost of this seminar is only $20 for the first family member, $15 for the second, $10 for the third, and $5 for the fourth. Please sign up at the front desk! Sensei Ward will allow WFK students of the rank of Orange belt and above to attend.

Inter-Club Karate Tournament - Nov. 15

2008-10-20T22:25:00.000-06:00

The Family Karate Center will be hosting an Inter-Club Karate Tournament on this day. The entry fee is $20. Please give your entry form and tournament fee to Sensei Ward. Competition categories are: Kihon (for white and high white belts), Kata, Weapons Kata, Sparring, and Stick Fighting.