Ju Jitsu Rank Grading - December 2009

Congratulations to Gemma Graham, who tested for the rank of 6th kyu orange belt in ju jitsu

and to Donald Emery, who tested for the rank of 4th kyu green belt in police tactics ju jitsu

on December 12th 2009.

O medetou!

NEW! Youth Kobudo Program!

We have decided to open our kobudo program up to all students who are 8 years old or over. Kobudo classes meet 3 times per week: Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Please e-mail Sensei Noah or Sensei Carol for more details.

Ju Jitsu Rank Advancement - November 2009

Congratulations to the following ju jitsu students, who advanced in rank on November 7th 2009:

Bonnie Pagnozzi - 5th kyu yellow belt

Mai Tran - 4th kyu green belt


Omede tou gozai masu!!

Lil' Dragons Rank Advancement - November 2009

Congratulations to the following Lil' Dragons karate students, who advanced in rank on November 7th 2009:

Christopher Gould - orange stripe
Maya Leveille - orange stripe
Diego Vasquez - orange stripe
Emily Scrobola - orange stripe
Kevin Rivera - orange stripe

Marc Leveille - yellow stripe

Ian Rutledge - green stripe
Hudson Sperrazza - green stripe
Ben Lowder - green stripe

Dan DeChristopher - brown stripe


Omede tou gozai masu!

Karate Rank Advancement - November 2009

Congratulations to the following youth karate students, who advanced in rank on November 1st 2009:

Parker Sperrazza - 8th kyu orange belt
Abigail Lowder - 8th kyu orange belt

Gabriel Gecaj - 6th kyu blue belt
Claire Campos - 6th kyu blue belt
Chris Annabi - 6th kyu blue belt
Paul Keesler - 6th kyu blue belt

Michael Madden - 5th kyu green belt
Sarina Matalon - 5th kyu green belt
Keith Weed - 5th kyu green belt
Vincent Ribeiro - 5th kyu green belt

James DeRonda - 4th kyu purple belt

Keon Brock - 3rd kyu brown belt


. . .and to the following adult karate students, who also advanced in rank on 11/1/09:

Mai Tran - 7th kyu yellow belt

Hannah Sherwood - 6th kyu blue belt
Bryan Weed - 6th kyu blue belt

Rohan Ketwaroo - 5th kyu green belt

Mark Fidelio - 1st kyu brown belt
Tetsuya Kawakita - Shodan-ho junior black belt/1st kyu brown belt equivalent

Christian Pace - Nidan - 2nd degree black belt


O mede tou gozai masu!

Kobudo Rank Grading - October 2009

Congratulations to Kathryn Brocchi, who tested for the rank of 5th kyu green belt in kobudo on October 7th 2009.

O mede tou!

Kobudo Rank Grading - September 2009

Congratulations to John Pezzola, who tested for the rank of 8th kyu yellow belt in kobudo on September 9th 2009.

O mede tou!

Ju Jitsu Rank Advancement - August 2009

Congratulations to Don Emery, who tested for the rank of Gokyu yellow belt, and to Sensei Pat Coyle, who tested for the rank of Yonkyu green belt in police tactics ju jitsu on August 5th 2009.

O mede tou!!

Youth Karate Rank Advancement - August 2009

Congratulations to the following youth karate students who advanced in rank on August 2nd 2009:

Paul Keesler - 7th kyu yellow belt
Gabriel Gecaj - 7th kyu yellow belt
Claire Campos - 7th kyu yellow belt

Michael Madden - 6th kyu blue belt
Brendan Wallace - 6th kyu blue belt
Keith Weed - 6th kyu blue belt

James DeRonda - 5th kyu green belt

Keon Brock - 4th kyu purple belt
Lawrence Gisser - 4th kyu purple belt

Gavon Mitchell - 3rd kyu brown belt
Melee Jack - 3rd kyu brown belt
Richie Gleason - 3rd kyu brown belt
Noah Kemp - 3rd kyu brown belt

O mede tou!!

Lil' Dragons Rank Advancement

Congratulations to the following Lil' Dragons students, who advanced in rank on August 1st 2009:

Marc Leveille - orange stripe

Nicholas Pezzola - yellow stripe

Ben Lowder - blue stripe
Ian Rutledge - blue stripe
Hudson Sperrazza - blue stripe
Anthony Zreik - blue stripe

Dan DeChristopher - purple stripe

Abigail Lowder - brown stripe
Parker Sperrazza - brown stripe

O mede tou!

Ju Jitsu Rank Testing July 2009

Congratulations to Bonnie Pagnozzi, who tested for the rank of 6th kyu orange belt, and to Mai Tran, who tested for the rank of 5th kyu yellow belt in ju jitsu on Saturday July 11th 2009.

O mede tou!!

Congratulations, Sensei Carol!

Sensei Carol's doctoral thesis was approved this week, and she has thus earned her doctorate of physical therapy degree.

Congrats, Dr. Sensei Carol!

Congratulations, Sensei Noah & Sensei Carol!

Sensei Noah & Sensei Carol tested for the rank of Sandan (3rd degree black belt) in kobudo on June 12th 2009.

O mede tou gozai masu!

Congratulations to Mark Gagliardi

Mark Gagliardi tested for the rank of 1st kyu brown belt in kobudo on June 3rd, 2009.

O mede tou!

Karate Rank Promotions - May 2009

Congratulations to the following youth karate students, who advanced in rank on May 9th 2009:

Gabriel Gecaj - 8th kyu orange belt
Claire Campos - 8th kyu orange belt
Paul Keesler - 8th kyu orange belt

Michael Madden - 7th kyu yellow belt
Keith Weed - 7th kyu yellow belt
Matthew Drinovac - 7th kyu yellow belt
Chris Annabi - 7th kyu yellow belt

James DeRonda - 6th kyu blue belt
Sarina Matalon - 6th kyu blue belt
Vincent Ribeiro - 6th kyu blue belt

Keon Brock - 5th kyu green belt

Melee Jack - 4th kyu purple belt
Noah Kemp - 4th kyu purple belt
Richie Gleason - 4th kyu purple belt
Gavon Mitchell - 4th kyu purple belt

Ryan Gannon - 3rd kyu brown belt

Andrew Salerno - 2nd kyu brown belt

Matthew Porter - 1st kyu brown belt


. . .and to the following adult karate students, who advanced in rank on May 9th '09:

Hannah Sherwood - 7th kyu yellow belt
Anthony Muratore - 7th kyu yellow belt
Bryan Weed - 7th kyu yellow belt

Rohan Ketwaroo - 6th kyu blue belt

Steven Simpson - 5th kyu green belt
Chris LaGow - 5th kyu green belt

Bart Sangiuolo - 3rd kyu brown belt

Anthony Kappmeier - 2nd kyu brown belt


Congratulations to ALL of our students, whether you advanced in rank or not, for all of your hard work & dedication to the dojo & the art! O mede tou!

Kobudo Rank Promotions - May 2009

Congratulations to the following students, who tested for rank in kobudo on May 6th 2009:

John Pezzola - 9th kyu orange belt
Anthony Kappmeier - 4th kyu purple belt

O mede tou!

Ju Jitsu & Lil' Dragons Rank Promotions May 2009

Congratulations to the following ju jitsu students who tested for rank on May 2nd 2009:

Donald Emery - 6th kyu orange belt (police tactics)
Richie Gleason - 3rd kyu brown belt

. . .and to the following Lil' Dragons students who advanced in rank on 5/2/09:

Nicholas Pezzola - orange stripe
Brendan Fiore - yellow stripe
Ben Lowder - yellow stripe
Ian Rutledge - yellow stripe
Hudson Sperrazza - yellow stripe
Anthony Zreik - yellow stripe
Daniel DeChristoper - green stripe
Abigail Lowder - purple stripe
Parker Sperrazza - purple stripe
Curt Calov - brown stripe

O mede tou!

Congratulations to Mai Tran

Mai Tran tested for the rank of 6th kyu orange belt in ju jitsu on April 11th 2009.

Congratulations!!

O mede tou!

Congratulations, Sensei Kenny!

Sensei Kenny tested for the rank of Go-Menkyo (5th degree black belt) in ju jitsu on April 4th 2009.

O mede tou gozai masu!!

Photographic highlights from the test can be viewed here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/IM1ofHis2/SenseiKennyTest4409?authkey=Gv1sRgCPr1qrbz1ourSw&feat=email#slideshow

All photographs are copyright ©2009 Lori Schiavone

Congratulations, Sensei Carol & Sensei Noah!

Sensei Carol & Sensei Noah tested for the rank of San-Mokuroku (3rd degree black belt) in ju jitsu on March 15th, 2009.

O mede tou gozai masu!

Check out these photographic highlights from the test:

http://picasaweb.google.com/IM1ofHis2/SenseiNoahAndSenseiCarolTestMarch152009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMfNuqWi3_DWqwE&feat=email#slideshow


All photos are copyright ©2009 by Lori Schiavone. Used with artist's permission.

Congratulations to Stephen Gair & Kathryn Brocchi!

Congratulations to Stephen Gair, who tested for 4th kyu purple belt, and to Kathryn Brocchi, who tested for 6th kyu green belt in kobudo on March 4th 2009.

O mede tou!!

Karate Curriculum Night

One adult karate class per week will be designated "curriculum night," meaning that only material that appears on rank tests will be covered during class. This material includes kata, techniques, ippon kumite, terminology, and oral exam questions. Drills, self defense curriculum, and jiyu kumite will NOT be taught during curriculum night.

The day on which curriculum night will occur will rotate; Monday one week, Tuesday the next, Thursday the following, etc. Drop Sensei Noah or Sensei Carol an e-mail to find out which night is curriculum night on any given week.

Curriculum night is a great opportunity for students to ask questions and to go through their specific rank requirements, whether you're a white belt, high ranking black belt, or anywhere in between.

Youth Karate Promotions - February 2009

Congratulations to the following youth karate students who advanced in rank on February 8th 2009:

Keith Weed - 8th kyu orange belt
Matthew Drinovac - 8th kyu orange belt
Michael Madden - 8th kyu orange belt
Arnold Perez - 8th kyu orange belt
Sidney Schwartz - 8th kyu orange belt
Chris Annabi - 8th kyu orange belt

Brendan Wallace - 7th kyu yellow belt
Sarina Matalon - 7th kyu yellow belt
James DeRonda - 7th kyu yellow belt
Vincent Ribeiro - 7th kyu yellow belt

Keon Brock - 6th kyu blue belt

Richie Gleason - 5th kyu green belt
Richard Bernstein - 5th kyu green belt
Haley Kelly - 5th kyu green belt
Melee Jack - 5th kyu green belt
Lawrence Gisser - 5th kyu green belt
Gavon Mitchell - 5th kyu green belt
Noah Kemp - 5th kyu green belt
Matthew Simpson - 5th kyu green belt

Andrew Gannon - 4th kyu purple belt

Congrats to all of our youth karate students for all of your hard work & effort and dedication to the dojo, whether you advanced in rank this month or not!

Congrats to Ned Flanagan & Pat Coyle

Congrats to Ned Flanagan, who tested for the rank of 4th kyu green belt in ju jitsu, and to Sensei Pat Coyle, who tested for 5th kyu yellow belt in police tactics ju jitsu on February 7th 2009.

O mede tou!

Lil' Dragons Rank Advancement - February 2009

Congrats to the following Lil' Dragons, who tested for rank on February 7th 2009:

Ben Lowder - orange stripe
Ian Rutledge - orange stripe
Brendan Fiore - oragne stripe
Hudson Sperrazza - orange stripe
Anthony Zreik - orange stripe
Daniel DeChristopher - blue stripe
Abagail Lowder - green stripe
Parker Sperrazza - green stripe
Curt Calov - purple stripe
Andrew Kappmeier - Lil' Dragons yellow belt

Congratulations, Sempai Chris & Sempai Valerie!

Sempai Chris Pace and Sempai Valerie Holmes tested for the rank of 9th kyu orange belt in kobudo on February 4th 2009.

Congratulations to you both! O mede tou!

Origin of Empi Kata Discovered!

We have been aware for some time that both Empi Kata and Mawashi Kata, with their linear embusen, repetitive movements and lack of turns, are not traditional kata but rather basic drills that were used as kata by our Sensei when he initially built his system's curriculum; however, the exact origin of these drills has eluded us.

Until now!

Sensei Julie Keil, 4th dan in Kobayashi Shorin-ryu and chief instructor at her dojo in Midland, Michigan, recognized our Empi Kata as one of the 14 kihon, or basics, of Shito-ryu karate, which she studied briefly in the past. Shito-ryu is a Shorin-ryu offshoot that was developed in the 1920s and 30s by an Okinawan karate master in Japan.

Kyoshi Neil Stolsmark of Waukesha Wisconsin, 7th dan in Kobayashi Shorin-ryu and world-renowned martial arts instructor, also recognized Empi Kata as a basic line-form drill, although he could not recall exactly where he had seen it before.

The precise origin of Mawashi Kata remains a mystery, but clearly neither it nor Empi Kata are traditional kata; both were entry-level fundamental drills that were added to our curriculum as kata.

Our Empi Kata is not to be confused with the traditional Empi Kata, a 350-year old form called Wanshu whose name was changed in the 1920s by Gichin Funakoshi to Empi (meaning "Flying Swallow," and not "elbow"). This kata is a much more complex, black-belt level kata that does not appear at all in our curriculum but which is common in other Okinawan styles, particularly Shotokan.

Karate Kata Name Changes

After thorough research into the matter, including a discussion with Kyoshi Neil Stolsmark, 7th dan in Kobayashi Shorin-ryu, student of Shugoro Nakazato (10th dan in Okinawa), and one of the highest-ranking instructors in the Shorin-ryu Shorinkan, we have decided to change the names of two of our karate kata:

Shinto Kata will henceforth be known as Chinto Kata. This kata, which is practiced in many Okinawan and Japanese karate styles, was named after a Chinese sailor called Chinto, who came to Okinawa and became a great fighter there. "Shinto" is a Japanese religion, and has nothing to do with budo. There is no "Shinto Kata" in any other Okinawan karate style.

Bassai Dai will henceforth be known as Bassai Sho. In most karate styles that practice the Bassai kata, there are two of them: Bassai Sho ("the lesser Bassai") and Bassai Dai ("the greater Bassai"). The kata we have been calling Bassai Dai is actually Bassai Sho in Kobayashi Shorin-ryu and other systems; Bassai Dai is a variation of this kata, but is one that is not a part of our karate curriculum.

I am unsure exactly how or where these errors in nomenclature first occurred, but it is necessary to correct them, I believe, as we become aware of them in our continued effort to improve our karate-do through research and study with high-ranking instructors in sister sytles.

If you have any questions, please e-mail Sensei Noah or Sensei Carol, or visit our Ask Sensei link.

CONGRATULATIONS, Sue!

Congrats to Sue Brocchi, who tested for her 3rd kyu brown belt in kobudo on January 7th 2009.

Great job! O mede tou!