NW School of Martial Arts
Congrats to the sparring tournament team on last week’s sparring extravaganza! Pictured are six of the nine students who participated. Look at all that bling! It takes a lot of guts to get out there in the ring, so excellent work. Thanks also to TMA – Pine Lake and TMA – Overlake for putting on a great event!
We have exciting news for you! For the very first time, NW School of Martial Arts’ 2013 Karate Summer Camp is open to anyone ages 6-17!! That means you don’t have to be an NWSMA student to take part in the summer martial arts fun!!
NWSMA students, you know what that means? Bring a friend with you to camp!
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Camp will take place over the course of 5 days, and each day has a theme. Focusing on one skill a day, such as kicking and grab releases, children will learn the basics of how to defend themselves. Benefits of summer camp include:
Here’s the what/when/where:
RESERVE YOUR SPOT ASAP! Contact us at nwschoolofmartialarts@gmail.com, and we’ll email you the registration form and camp program.
Payment will be due in full, cash or check to NWSMA, on the 1st day of camp (August 12). Children will not be allowed to take part if their parent/guardian has not completed & returned the registration form with payment.
NW School of Martial Arts, owned by Sensei Doris Eastbury, has been serving Stanwood since 1988 with martial arts & self-defense classes for all ages. Assisting her with camp are certified black belts who regularly instruct & help in our year-round programs.
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.
We often get the questions, “What do belt colors mean?” and “What order do the belts go in?”
Well, grasshopper, it’s complicated.
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.
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!
Thanks to Sabumnim for teaching the Arnis seminar!
We spent a lot of time on empty hand drills in both the beginner and advanced seminars, so the photos mostly show our students practicing joint locks and control holds. Arnis is a self-defense oriented art, and anything you do with a stick also holds empty hand application, hence the focus on empty hand defense.
A few important points from the seminar:
-“It’s all the same.” If it works, it works. Wise words from the Professor (Master Remy Presas).
-There are good and bad martial artists, not good and bad martial arts. Different styles just have different things they focus on or prefer.
If you saw our ad in the Crab Cracker, click “Read More” for new student information and FAQs. Also, check out our About Us section.
For the holidays, we’re running an introductory special for new students. 2 months + 1/2 off the 3rd month, and free uniform for new students who sign up in December 2012 or January 2013. Offer expired.
Normal week! Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sat are all business as usual. Friday is pizza night. Woo-hoo! $5/person.
Weekly challenge: practice your newest form at least two times each day this week.
Beginning December 1st: New Student Recruitment, Crab Cracker special (applies only to new students who sign up in Dec and Jan), and Book-a-thon. Book-a-thon sheets will be handed out Friday.
The Masons are still running food and toy drives in December. Donated goods will stay in the Stanwood community. Help a neighbor in need–bring in your donations today! Big thanks to those who have already donated!