Yesterday we spent about 6 hours driving to St. George. When we got to St.George we spent the night at Rob and Pam's house and ate some food and watched American Idol.
-Matt
March 31, 2011
February 28, 2011
February 11, 2011
Cedar Ridge Shotokan Trains for Workshop
The Karate Team worked on the team kata and bunkai they are practicing to perform at the parent workshops in March. After working on the structured stuff, we played a game where each player tries to pull two red strings out of all the other players' belts. Everyone had fun, and it built our team spirit.
January 16, 2011
Karate Team Tryouts 2011
We held an informal tournament for students to try out for the karate team at Cedar Rdige Academy Boarding School. The coed team is Nicolette (captain), Jamie, James, Brendan,Zane, Evan, Kelsey, with alternates Lauren, Alex D., Seth, and Shelby. Our first travel day will be February 5 to train with fifth dan Amadou Niang in Salt Lake City.
January 11, 2011
Black Belt Challenge Karate Team for 2011
Here's a piece of my article in the January Spectrum. It gives a very brief overview to karate training and competition for the Team.
Karate Team in TrainingThe Cedar Ridge Shotokan Black Belt Challenge Karate Team has started training for our 2011 tournament schedule.
A team of seven members and two alternates train on Sundays in addition to our weekly training schedule of karate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The team training on Sundays places more emphasis on the strategies and rules of competition, to supplement the basic forms and partner practice the students get in the weekday classes.
Students on the karate team train to compete in two categories when they attend a tournament. The first category is kata, which is a choreographed set of moves designed by some previous karate master that all students in the discipline learn and perform. If you attend a tournament, you will see several of the competitors in any given division perform the same kata. In kata, the student who performs with the best form and timing, the most power, and the most technical accuracy wins. Obviously, different judges see different things from different angles, so a winner is essentially determined by a group vote.
Read the rest of the article at www.cedarridgeacademy.net/newsletter.html and link to the January 2011 issue of The Cedar Spectrum.
Karate Team in TrainingThe Cedar Ridge Shotokan Black Belt Challenge Karate Team has started training for our 2011 tournament schedule.
A team of seven members and two alternates train on Sundays in addition to our weekly training schedule of karate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The team training on Sundays places more emphasis on the strategies and rules of competition, to supplement the basic forms and partner practice the students get in the weekday classes.
Students on the karate team train to compete in two categories when they attend a tournament. The first category is kata, which is a choreographed set of moves designed by some previous karate master that all students in the discipline learn and perform. If you attend a tournament, you will see several of the competitors in any given division perform the same kata. In kata, the student who performs with the best form and timing, the most power, and the most technical accuracy wins. Obviously, different judges see different things from different angles, so a winner is essentially determined by a group vote.
Read the rest of the article at www.cedarridgeacademy.net/newsletter.html and link to the January 2011 issue of The Cedar Spectrum.
November 18, 2010
Nicolette's Brown Belt Beastly Bash
Well, about a month ago, I (Nicolette) got my brown belt. And no, i didn't just get it handed to me, I had to really work for it.
So the new rule for Cedar Ridge Shotokan is that you have to be on level 800 to recieve your brown belt, and level 900 to recieve your black belt. The reason this rule is in effect, is because you have to be showing your belt level outside of the dojo, which would include you being a higher level. In my case, I had been "just too good at it[being a sempai]". being able to be a sempai means that you show leadership skill, good spirit, attitude and effort. This is major in being a senior student because you are now an example for the rest of the karate dojo.
I went through a very straining hour of all different kinds of kicks, punches and different combinations infront of the whole campus. I was sweating profusely, totally out of breath, and had the feeling as though I was about to vomit all over the dojo floor. the most intense part of is, was that Kat and Jamie were in the background shouting insults at me. Saying things like, "you will never be good enough, you will just go back to drugs" and things like that that they KNEW would get me pissed. The point was that i could fight through all of the anger, and keep up my good spirit.
I did just that, and I was able to keep my spirit. Sensei Rob then asked me if I could commit to being a leader inside and outside of the dojo. Of course I am, so i said "Os". He then told me he had something for me, and gave me my brown belt. I immediately started crying. This is the day I have been waiting for. Karate is my number one thing I love to do. It is my "Kung Fu", so when I was able to officially be a Sempai, it was a dream come true. And that's my story.
-Lettuce
So the new rule for Cedar Ridge Shotokan is that you have to be on level 800 to recieve your brown belt, and level 900 to recieve your black belt. The reason this rule is in effect, is because you have to be showing your belt level outside of the dojo, which would include you being a higher level. In my case, I had been "just too good at it[being a sempai]". being able to be a sempai means that you show leadership skill, good spirit, attitude and effort. This is major in being a senior student because you are now an example for the rest of the karate dojo.
I went through a very straining hour of all different kinds of kicks, punches and different combinations infront of the whole campus. I was sweating profusely, totally out of breath, and had the feeling as though I was about to vomit all over the dojo floor. the most intense part of is, was that Kat and Jamie were in the background shouting insults at me. Saying things like, "you will never be good enough, you will just go back to drugs" and things like that that they KNEW would get me pissed. The point was that i could fight through all of the anger, and keep up my good spirit.
I did just that, and I was able to keep my spirit. Sensei Rob then asked me if I could commit to being a leader inside and outside of the dojo. Of course I am, so i said "Os". He then told me he had something for me, and gave me my brown belt. I immediately started crying. This is the day I have been waiting for. Karate is my number one thing I love to do. It is my "Kung Fu", so when I was able to officially be a Sempai, it was a dream come true. And that's my story.
-Lettuce
The Kyu Exams
November 12th, 2010 Cedar Ridge held kyu exams in the gym. The exams were judged by Sensei Rob, Sensei Christine, Sempai Nicolette(me) and Lauren. Be warned: whenever you have us judging kyu exams, you know its going to be a adrenaline pumping, sweaty, beastly workout. Fortunately, a lot of people passed their exams. It consisted of Triangle Katas, shifting patterns, shifting combinations, foot positions, punching, and full on FIGHTING SPIRIT. What we look for mainly for kyu exams is spirit. Spirit comes before skill or technique, so if you have a good attitude and good effort, it overrides if you aren't as "coordinated" as others. Everyone did a very good job, and those who didn't pass just have a few nuts and bolts to sort out. Congratulations everybody!
-Lettuce
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