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Special Events

Press Release: Doris Eastbury Receives 4th Degree Black Belt

SBN Doris smiles as GWN Barrett ties her 4th degree black belt.
SBN Doris smiles as GWN B ties her 4th degree black belt.

Doris Eastbury, owner of Northwest School of Martial Arts, received her 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do on Saturday, March 30th, 2013 from True Martial Arts in Overlake. 4th degree black belt is considered the level of mastery in most martial arts styles. Doris is a Stanwood native, and has been training in multiple martial arts since 1986. She credits her continued success in martial arts to indomitable spirit and a desire to continue learning so that she can give back to her students. Northwest School of Martial Arts holds classes at the Stanwood Masonic Hall, and offers affordable self-defense, Karate, and Tae Kwon Do programs for all ages.

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Special Events

Upcoming: May 2013 Women’s Self-Defense Class

Women’s Self-Defense Class: Mother’s Day Discount! $97 value–now only $47! Taught by Doris Eastbury, 4th degree black belt. General information about women’s self defense seminars.

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Class will take place Saturday, May 11th at the Stanwood Masonic Center from 11:30 am-1:00 pm. Sign up with a friend and you both will receive an extra 25% off ($35 each)! Participants must be 13 years & up, as we teach children differently than teenagers and adults.

You don’t have to be a martial artist to know how to defend yourself!  All participants will receive a safety handout and self-defense stick.

Email nwschoolofmartialarts@gmail.com and sign up today! Scroll down for class content.

Class content includes:

  • “5 A’s” of self defense
  • Walking with confidence: posture & body language tips
  • Strong eyes, strong voice
  • How to effectively use your voice
  • Decision-making: thinking through a self defense situation
  • Simple, effective release & escapes from grabs and holds
  • Simple, effective strikes using the strongest parts of your body
  • Targeting: weak points on the opponent’s body
  • Lots of practice
  • Plenty of time for questions!

We’ll go over this information, breaking it down into easy-to-remember points (like the 5 A’s and a girl’s best 3 weapons). There will be plenty of opportunities to practice after demonstrating and walking you through each technique. Protecting yourself doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing. NWSMA female black belts will be on hand to assist and answer questions. Our goal is to create a safe and fun environment for you to learn self-defense that may someday save your life. 

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Media Special Events

2013 SBN Thomas Zoppi Championships: Photos

Photos from the tournament over the weekend! There was plenty of exciting stuff going on, from forms and sparring competition, to demos from all 4 schools, and a friendly school team sparring event.

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Categories
Musings Scholarly Pursuits

Why Being a Multi-Stylist is Awesome: Shito-ryu Karate History

Karate vs. TKD: Each of these pairs contain one Karate and one TKD student. They are doing sticking or splashing hands--originally a kung fu drill! Credit: Bec Thomas Photography (facebook.com/BecThomasPhotography)
Multi-stylists: Each of these pairs contain one Karate and one TKD student. They are doing sticky hands, originally a Kung Fu drill! Credit: Bec Thomas Photography (facebook.com/BecThomasPhotography)

There’s a lot of debate in the martial arts world about which style of martial arts is best. With the surging popularity of UFC and MMA, it’s not surprising that we have these debates.

There are some who demand that you stick to one style, one art, one school. There are also those of us who cross train and learn to find value in different styles.

Reading this article recently about the history of Shito-ryu Karate (NWSMA’s style) taught me something really cool.

Categories
Musings

Tournament and Test Anxiety

If you’ve ever participated in a competition or have taken a test, you know that nerves can sometimes get the better of you. Even if you know the subject well, test anxiety can paralyze your performance and skew your scores. According to the ADAA, 1/8 children suffers from some kind of anxiety disorder, as well as millions of adults.

test anxiety
Do tests make you feel like this?

Martial arts is great for learning to overcome test anxiety. The system is set up for each student to learn progressively, in steps, at their own pace.

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General Musings

What Do Belt Colors Mean?

We often get the questions, “What do belt colors mean?” and “What order do the belts go in?”

what do belt colors mean
Family belt collection; what a rainbow!

Well, grasshopper, it’s complicated.

Categories
Musings

Tournament Sparring vs. Street Fighting

Today, I’d like to talk about the difference between sport martial arts and street martial arts. Sport sparring and street fighting are not the same, and today’s martial artists must be aware of the difference.

There are all kinds of people with opinions about tournaments. They range from those who dedicate their lives to the competition to people I’ve heard say that padded gloves were the worst thing to ever happen to martial arts. Strong stuff.

Kicking high at a sparring tournament.
Kicking high at a sparring tournament.

My personal opinion is that tournaments are a great motivator.

They promote friendly competition, give us a chance to practice sportsmanship, and create a sense of a wider community. They also make us more well-rounded martial artists.

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General Media Special Events

Thursday Dojo Cleaning!

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the advanced class? Thursday’s advanced class students warmed up with a traditional dojo cleaning this week.

We didn't have any fun. We promise...
No fun going on here. None at all. 😛
Categories
Clips Media Musings

Tournament Forms: It’s All in the Details

Tournament forms are all about the details. Check out this video of Rika Usami (a world tournament forms champion). She’s doing Kosokun Dai. She does a few of the moves slightly differently than in our Seito Shito-ryu Karate version, but that’s not important for now.

What is important is to watch her presence in the ring and sense of timing. This is a form that is performed at a very high level, with 100% attention to detail. Nothing is out of place and there is no wasted motion. She is totally focused on her imaginary opponents, and you can tell that she’s winning the imaginary fight.

Categories
General

What is Open Floor?

We’re trying something new this month; you may have seen it on March’s calendar, “Arnis/Open Floor.” We’d like to do 1-2 of these classes every month if the first few work out.

Open floor sessions will take place during normal class hours on Saturdays, 10-11am, and everyone is welcome at them!