LAFAYETTE KARATE KIDS

It's Test Time!

2011-11-27T09:38:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 3
Kyu Belt test (white belts through brown belts).
New Iberia Karate Institute
224 Center Street, New Iberia

Time: Clinic (if recommended to attend): 12:00 noon - arrive by 11:45
Test: 1:00 - arrive by 12:45

Further information to be distributed on Monday, 11/28. Registration taking place this coming week!

Dues once again payable to City of Lafayette

2011-11-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Comeaux Center has worked out it's fee collection process with the affiliated organizations. Dues are once again payable to the City of Lafayette. Many thanks for your patience with this process!

TEMPORARY CHANGE OF DUES PAYABLE

2011-08-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Comeaux Center is revising the way it collects fees from organizations. For the next 2 months, September and October, dues are payable to the Lafayette Karate Club (rather than the City of Lafayette as has been the case).

Our apologies for this temporary change - we just try to do as the Center asks!

12th Annual Funakoshi Gichin Cup

2011-08-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

In less than an hour from the time of this post, the USA JKA AF team will begin tournament competition in Pattaya, Thailand for the 12th Annual Funakoshi Gichin Cup. This is a world class tournament with crazy high levels of competition. The Lafayette Karate Club is very proud to be the home of one of the team members, Lane Nevils. Though he has trained all over the region, Lane was the chief instructor of LKC for over a decade and my first instructor when I started training. As a club, we are very proud to train and compete with Lane and many other members of this USA Team. Best of luck to Ray, Dimitri, Devin, Jovany, Gustavo, Andre, Rami, Khim, and Lane!

CAMP/TEST WEEKEND!

2011-08-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

As you may have heard, this weekend, August 5-7 is the annual Acadiana Karate Camp jointly sponsored by the New Iberia Karate Club and the Lafayette Karate Club. Camp weekends usually mean 2 hours of training on Friday evening, 2 hours Saturday morning, 2 hours Saturday afternoon, and 2 more hours on Sunday morning (it IS possible)! There are also typically kyu belt tests and Dan (black belt) exams as well.

It is possible to train one or more of the camp sessions without attending the whole thing: sessions are scheduled: Friday 6:00-8:00pm; Saturday 9:00-11:00 and again 3:30-5:30, Sunday 9:00-11:00. Register at the door for $35.00/session.

The venue is the Heymann Park Gym on S. Orange Street (off of Pinhook); this is just down from Paul Breaux Middle school.

There will not be many kyu level students testing from our club this weekend as most people have been travelling and taking vacation time over the summer. However, a few people will be participating in the kyu belt test on Sunday at 11:30. Good luck to Will and Camille - go get 'em!

The black belt exam will be held on Saturday at 11:15. This includes 1st kyu level students testing for their first degree black belt as well as higher ranking black belts testing for their next level. It's a great opportunity to come watch the black belts in action!

Southern Open Tournament

2011-06-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Payton and Jack Nelson who participated in the Southern Open Tournament in Hammond in April. This was their first tournament and they represented the Lafayette Karate Kids class with great spirit, respect and awesome karate! If you look for Allyson OKeefe photography on the web, you'll find her great sports photos and an album for this tournament.

Payton and Jack were the very first students in the youth class when we started 2 summers ago, and for a while they were the only students! So it was especially cool for me to go to their first tournament with them. There is a lot to be learned through tournament competition, and I believe they both came away with a new perspective on karate as well as on themselves.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

2011-06-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I put anything new up on the blogsite! A couple of important upcoming dates:
July 4th, Holiday (Comeaux Center closed) No class
August 7 Belt Test 11:30 a.m. Heyman Park
October 22 Youth Tournament, Ponchatoula, La.

With many students traveling on vacations or busy with additional activities this summer, the upcoming belt test on August 7 may not be recommended for everybody. I will be talking with individual students about that as the date gets closer. If your karate student is recommended to test, if you will be available on August 7, and if you would like them to test, training as much as possible until that date will be important!

Even though the youth tournament is several months away, I encourage you to start looking at your calendars to see if you will be available on that Saturday. We have had students compete at this tournament in the past and as our youth class continues to grow and we have more and more intermediate ranks, I will be encouraging more tournament participation. I would especially love to put some teams together in addition to the individual events! More info to follow...

UPCOMING EVENTS!

2011-03-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

Spring is a busy and exciting time to be a karate student! Here is a listing of upcoming events:

All South Tournament: April 2, New Orleans. This is an annual tournament with both youth and adult divisions. Any full colored belt (yellow or above) is eligible to participate. White belts may be eligible with instructor's permission. I have registration forms available!

Belt Test: April 16, New Iberia. Students ages 7 and older may be eligible to participate in this belt test, while students 7 and younger will have a junior belt test at our dojo the following week (exact date to be announced). If the student plans to test or participate in the tournament, please attend every class possible between now and the event!

You can use the labels listing in the right hand bar to find other blog posts related to belt testing.

Summer Camp: June 3-5, New Orleans. An annual training camp that attracts members of our organization from all over the country and internationally. Attending the full camp is probably too much to ask of the youth members, but if you're going to be in New Orleans that weekend and have some time, attending even one of the camp sessions would be worth fitting into the schedule. This year's guest camp instructor will be Kobayashi Kunio from JKA Headquarters in Tokyo.

New Class Times

2011-01-21T20:23:00.000-08:00

After a year and 1/2, our Youth karate class has grown to the point of modifying the class schedule. This will allow a specific focus for each level of student while maintaining interaction and overlap between all ranks. This new schedule will begin February 2 (Wednesday).

Beginning level students (white, yellow and orange belts - including all striped or Junior belts) will continue to have class from 5:30-6:15.

Intermediate and Advanced ranks (green belts and above) will start class at 6:00, joining the beginners class in progress. After the beginners are dismissed at 6:15, the intermediate and advanced ranks will continue until 6:45.

Adult class will begin at 6:30, joining the intermediate-advanced youth in progress.

Intermediate-advanced youth are welcome to stay for the duration of the adult class, until 7:30. There will be a bow out at 6:45 for those who will be leaving.

This rolling schedule will allow each level of student to benefit from a focus on their particular needs while expanding training opportunities with higher ranking members; the intermediate-advanced level youth will train with black belts for a portion of their class time.

Intermediate and advanced students are always encouraged to train on Fridays (at 5:30) with the adult class (beginning level youth will be invited on an individual basis).

I am excited about the growth of this youth class to this point. We have some talented and dedicated students and families. It has been such a great experience to watch them grow as people and as karateka. I can't wait to see where they'll be at the end of this year.

Lessons Learned

2010-12-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

Working with this group of youth karate students presents endless opportunities for life lessons of my own. In the last two weeks, I have certainly learned a few things from some of the youngest members of the youth karate class. We have been preparing for our junior belt test for some time, especially since the more advanced students completed their most recent belt test. On a recent Wednesday, I told our youngest student, along with her parents, that we would be holding our junior belt test on the following Wednesday. This five year old was very excited about the possibility of getting her 'yellow belt' (which is a 'junior' yellow belt with a white stripe).

As it turned out, none of the other students who would be testing came to the next couple of classes, and I really wanted to work with them before we held the test. On the promised day, my youngest student came to class stating that she would be getting her yellow belt. I explained that it wouldn't be today, but that we would wait a few more classes until everybody had a chance to practice. She gave me a look and a tone of voice that left no mistake that I had broken a sacred covenant. She was more than disappointed and I paid for it the entire class period. While she typically has pretty good attention for a five year old and attempts everything asked of her, her demeanor changed this class. She let me know that I had let her down, that I had broken my promise, that she had come in ready to fulfill a high expectation and I shot her down. She didn't put in quite the same effort during that class, and gave me a look that left no doubt that I was being punished for my insincerity. Lesson learned: live up to your word and don't let some students down because others don't make it to class. Thank you, SG!

post script: we held the junior belt test tonight, and SG looked like a ninja! She has learned the sequence of moves expected of her in all three training elements (kata, kihon and kumite) and did them with confidence in front of instructors she doesn't really know. That Junior Yellow Belt is going to look good on her. I hoped I've gained back a bit of her trust in the process.

Belt Test 12.4.10

2010-12-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

Click on the photo to go to our Picasa Web album with photos from our very successful belt test this past weekend. Everybody worked very hard leading into this test and it showed. Congratulations to Payton, Eleni, Christianna and William who are now officially 6th kyu (green belt) and to Jack who has graduated into the full kyu ranks with his 8th kyu ranking (yellow belt).

Youth Tournament

2010-11-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Eleni, Christianna and William who represented the Lafayette Karate Kids at the All South Youth Tournament in Ponchatoula on October 23. This was the first tournament the Club has had youth competitors. Even though they may have been nervous, they all held their composure, remembered their katas, and sparred very well!

Eleni Lemoine: 2nd Place Kata, 1st Place Kumite (sparring) 12, 13, 14 year old Beginners
Christianna Lemoine: 1st Place Kata, 9, 10, 11 year old Beginners
William Lemoine: competed in the 9, 10, 11 year old Beginner division as well. He won his first sparring match!

Thanks to the entire Kids class who helped train for tournament competition!

Registration

2010-11-01T12:27:00.001-07:00

I've been getting a lot of phone calls about starting new students. Thanks to our current families and students who spread the word! The next group of beginners will start on Monday, December 6. This will allow us to focus on the upcoming National Tournament and the next belt test for the current students.

Simply come to the Comeaux Rec Center at about 5:10 on that Monday. We'll get the registration form completed and size a Gi (uniform).

Dues information and registration fees can be found in the side bar to the right!

Back to the Comeaux Dojo

2010-09-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't see the latest newsletter and email, we will back in the Comeaux Rec Center on Wednesday of this coming week, 9/8. Thank you all so much for you patience while classes were being held at Girard Park. We thank the staff at the Girard center for all of their help, but we will certainly be happy to be back at Comeaux!

Tournament Competition

2010-07-05T16:05:00.001-07:00

I would be remiss if I didn't include updates about tournament participation and results as part of our news. The kids class hasn't yet had any body compete, but the Youth Tournament is coming up in October, so maybe we'll have some news from the kids class at that time. We do, however, have several members of our JKA affiliated sister clubs who are regular faces at tournaments. Here are some results from the last couple of tournaments:

March 2010 - 46th Annual All South Tournament/New Orleans

Holly Damico - 2nd Place in Women’s Black Belt Kumite
Kenneth Cross - 1st Place in Men’s Color Belt Kata
Justin Swaty - 1st Place in Men’s White-Orange Belt Kata
1st Place in Men’s White-Orange Belt Kumite
Andy Oguma - 3rd Place in Men’s White-Orange Belt Kata
3rd Place in Men’s White-Orange Belt Kumite

November 2009 - 1st JKA - American Federation National Championship

Lane Nevils - 2nd Men's Black Belt Kata, 2nd Mens' Black Belt Kumite
Soon Yeoh - 3rd Mens' Black Belt Kumite
Holly Damico - 3rd Black Belt Adult Women’s Kumite
Kenneth Cross - 1st Men’s Collegiate Color Belt Kata
3rd Men’s Collegiate Color Belt Kumite
Gilbert Moore - 2nd Men’s Collegiate Color Belt Kumite
Michael Buquet - 2nd Men’s Collegiate Brown/Black Belt Kata
1st Men’s Collegiate Brown/Black Belt Kumite

The highlight video from this tournament:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Fi-c2EnCo

Recent Belt Test

2010-04-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

We just completed another successful belt test with Sensei Mikami. This test was in conjunction with the Lafayette Karate Club adults, UL Lafayette Karate Club, and the New Iberia Karate Institute (whom we thank for hosting us, as always).

Everybody who was able to attend had a successful result and we now have 4 students at the rank of 7th kyu (orange belt). Preparing for a belt test always means more focus on those protocols, so now that it's complete we can focus on learning new katas, new basics, new combinations and refining our basic techniques. What could be more fun?

Thanksgiving Week

2009-11-23T10:29:00.001-08:00

Class will be held on both Monday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week; those planning to test should especially plan to attend class this week if you can! Payton, Jack, Eleni, Christianna, William, Jake and Hayden....

UPCOMING BELT TEST

2009-10-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

The first belt test is coming up on Saturday, December 5. This is an opportunity for students, age 7 and older, to test in front of the Chief Instructor for the Southern Region, Sensei Mikami (see Sensei's bio in the sidebar and check out the links) for possible advancement to the next rank, or kyu level. Belt tests are held at our sister club, The New Iberia Karate Institute (NIKI), located at 224 Center Street, New Iberia. Our students combine with students from NIKI for the belt tests. Students younger than 7 years of age may be eligible to test at our dojo in front of our highest ranking members (Sensei Lane, Sensei Soon and Sensei Rose from the adult classes). Before age 7, students attain a Junior Rank with a successful belt test.

Belt tests are scheduled approximately every 4 months. All of our students are white belts, so they will be testing for their yellow belts. The belt color signifies the student's current rank, also known as kyu level. Students begin karate training as white belts and have no real ranking until they pass their first belt test. Subsequently, kyu levels begin with yellow and count down to 1 (8-yellow, 7-orange, 6-green, 5-purple, 4-purple, 3-brown, 2-brown, 1-brown). Then the black belt testing and ranks begin and the rank counts up starting with 1st black (Shodan, or 1st Dan). Hopefully, most of our current students will still be training with us through their black belt exams.

Though we do not put a huge emphasis on rank and belt testing, the experience serves as a particular right of passage for the karate student and provides valuable personal learning and growth opportunities. Belt tests provide a goal for students to work towards. Advancing to the next belt can provide a sense of accomplishment after several months of consistent training. Some students may have 'test anxiety' leading up to the examination. Coping with such anxieties is another aspect of karate training. Learning to overcome anxiety while staying focused on the task at hand is a valuable life skill for all of us. Being well prepared is one way to deal with this type of anxiety.

There are costs associated with belt tests. These fees include a JKA AF membership card which documents the students current rank and date of advacement to the next rank. This card is valid for 1 year or 4 belt tests. The testing fee itself covers Sensei Mikami's expenses and time. The clinic fee is the cost of the additional 1 hour training with Sensei Mikami before the belt test. The fees are as follows:

JKA Card $30 (Card is good for 1 year/4 test)

Test $40
Clinic $10

All fees are paid to the Lafayette Karate Club during the week before the belt test.

You will most likely hear your karate student talking about the upcoming belt test. Not all students will be ready for this test, however, and may not be recommended to test at this time. Our newest students will certainly need more time to prepare before their first testing opportunity.

Labor Day Holiday

2009-09-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Comeaux Rec Center will be closed on Monday, September 7 in observance of Labor Day. We will not have the Kids Class that day. Everybody practice at home!

Starting a New Group of Students

2009-08-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Coinciding with the beginning of the school year, I've had 5 parents contact me in the last 2 weeks for more information and to see about getting their kids started in our class. Though it doesn't make a huge difference, I'm thinking it would be helpful if all the new students started at the same time. As the end of August is approaching, I've proposed that the new students start at the beginning of September. Actually, Monday August 30 would be perfect as it would start the week and the new month at about the same time.

New students and parents should arrive at the Comeaux Rec Center at about 5:10 to sign registration forms and size uniforms for the kids (enter through the front near the far entrance where our sign is hanging). If you would like to pay two months dues up front, the registration fee is $35.00. If you'd like to begin with one month dues, the registration fee is $40.00 payable to the Lafayette Karate Club. The dues themselves are payable to the City of Lafayette. It's a bit of a hassle, but it makes bookkeeping easier for the Rec Center, so we do as they ask! So, in summary:
1 month dues = $50.00 payable to City of Lafayette, $40.00 payable to Lafayette Karate Club
2 months dues = $ 100.00 payable to City of Lafayette, $35.00 payable to Lafayette Karate Club

2009-08-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the youth karate class has been running for 2 months already. It must be true that time flies when you're having fun; at least I'm having fun, but I think the students are, too.

We certainly spend time with our basic techniques. It's probably a result of my primary instructor when I started training karate with this club (thank you, Sensei Lane), but the technical details are important. The kids require a little different approach to visualizing and practicing those details. Our core group of students have really paid attention to those details and improved a great deal in our 2 months together. The execution certainly still has a long way to go, as it does with anybody with just 8 weeks of training, but even if they can't always execute a perfect technique, they can tell you how it should be done.

We also enjoy some general movement and space awareness games that require careful listening and attention to direction. I just have to say the words "ichi, ni, san" and I hear whispers of "yes" throughout the room. The kicking pad is also a favorite. The annual Youth Tournament is coming up in October. I've helped with judging that event the past several years and always enjoy it. Maybe we'll have some competitors from Lafayette this year!

First Day of Class

2009-06-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

The kids class will start tomorrow, Monday, June 15. The Comeaux Rec Center has started its summer program, which means the facility is packed during the day. We'll get some advertising going in the coming weeks and let all those folks know we're training traditional shotokan karate down at the end of the hall.

If you're looking for the schedule, dues, or other details, try the sidebar to the right of the page. If you have other questions, get in touch with Holly.

NOW REGISTERING

2009-04-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to announce that we are now registering for the kids karate class. We have certainly trained kids at the Lafayette Karate Club over the years, but this will be the first class designed specifically for kids (starting at about age 6). Though leaving our dojo on Jefferson Street was difficult, our new home at Comeaux Rec Center has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Parking on Jefferson Street was never easy and despite the fact we were only a couple of blocks down from the Planetarium and Children's Museum, there simply weren't many opportunities for kids and families. The rec center and the park are full of kids and families taking advantage of the location and the activities. We are very pleased to be part of that energy.

The first classes are slated to begin June 15 (2009)!
Call Holly at (337) 277-1771 or
email: hldamico2001@yahoo.com or
stop by the dojo on Mondays or Wednesday evenings between 6:00-8:00, or Fridays between 5:30-6:30