the alliance - Yoshukai Karate Alliance

THE ALLIANCE
Volume 8 Issue 1 December 2010
Sensei dugan’s karate schools
Sensei went around to all of his old schools and had pictures taken in front of each one,
below is a short description along with each picture …
This is where it all began in Illionis …
1. (↓) Location: 123 S. Sangamon St. Lincoln!
This was actually Sensei Koda‟s dojo and later turned it over to Sensei Borowiak. This
is where Sensei began his training! The years Sensei trained at this location were from
1972 – 1976.
2. (→) Location: This was Sensei Dugan‟s
first dojo in which he opened in 1976. At the
time monthly dues were $12 and the monthly
rent for the building was $75. This is located
in Atlanta, Illinois in the 100 block of Vine St,
which is now the home of the Eminence
Christian Church office.
“Teachers open the door, but you must
enter yourself.”
3. (←) Location: 105 Jefferson (the
entire 2nd floor) Bloomington!
Rhonda Donovan painted „Yoshukai
Karate‟ along the north wall.
4. (→) 311 ½ N. Main, Bloomington.
Sookim, a Tae Kwon Do Instructor,
had rented the bottom floor for his
dojang.
(5) (←) 418 N. Main, Bloomington.
6. (→) 2811 Lawerence Ave, Springfield.
Sensei‟s moved his dojo here after
the city made him move out of the
one on Calhoun St
7. (←) Middletown High School
Sensei rented the gym from the
school. For the interesting story
behind this, Sensei Dugan will be
happy to tell anyone who asks.
8. (→) 418 Pulaski St. Lincoln.
This started as Sensei
Daughtery‟s school in which
Sensei took over after Sensei
Daughtery was transferred to
Galesburg where he opened his
first dojo there.
9. (↓) 1131 Broadway St. This is located across the
street from the Dairy Bar.
10. (↓) Wyatt Ave, Lincoln
Odd Fellows gym
11. (↓) LDC – Sensei Dugan rented out the gym
12. (not shown) Lincoln Women‟s Club
Lincoln, Il
“The teaching of one virtuous person can
influence many; that which has been learned
well by one generation can be passed onto a
hundred”
By Jigoro Kano
13. (←) 119 Calhoun St. Springfield, Il
Niseishi kata
By mr. Kennett
Niseishi translated in the Okinawan dialect of
Japanese means twenty-four. Niseishi kata
then translates as Twenty-four Movements,
which is from the Shorei- ryu lineage. Karate
master, Arakaki Seisho spent two decades
perfecting Niseishi. Can you imagine anyone
now doing that?
The oral tradition tells of Arakaki recognizing
an opportunity to seize a new theme in kata.
After a training session and discussion with his
students on the beach, the noted master
realized that his students were in awe of kata,
but that their awe dealt with themes of enduring substance; substances such as Kosokun (The
Universe) and Seisan (Crescent Moon). Discussions were plentiful about the substances with
such depth, while kata with less enduring substances were dismissed quickly. The less enduring
katas included Bassai (To Penetrate a Fortress) and Rohai (White Crane).
Arakaki‟s great theme was NOW! The force of the theme of Niseishi, the NOW! was so strong in
Arakaki by this time that he could not leave the theme alone. He had discovered and created
the final form of a remarkable kata, but he had not released himself from the bondage of what
NOW! really means and how he expressed it. Niseishi potentially a “kata of a thousand
movements” was not over even though one kata had been “born”.
Kata exists in unity, it does not exist as parts. The sum total of a kata is far more than its
components, no matter what those components are. With that I will begin trying to explain the
kata in words, beginning with how Arakaki named the kata Niseishi …
Twenty-four is a number. It is how many hours we have in a day. Arakaki couldn‟t use the name
of twelve, which would have been the correct number of hours in a day in his culture, because a
kata of that name already existed. So he uses the name twenty-four instead.
The theme of Niseishi is NOW! This theme involves living in the present moment. Advanced
martial attitude requires facing one‟s own demise as if there is no tomorrow. When a martial
artist comes to grips with death he becomes a veritable unconquerable warrior. He will die
willingly, but he will not give in to an enemy until his death.
The first two movements are recurrent for the purpose of creating the feeling of repetition of the
incoming and outgoing ki; of the doing and receiving of the experience and tension and
resistance of experience in the NOW!
No person would perform Niseishi attempting the “think” about the complexities of the kata. The
form exists not for speech but for action. The kata begins with a start followed by the continuity,
a pause, a turn and a return to starting point and flow. This is developed by contrast of tension
and dynamic release, impulse, stability and frailty tied together, not separated, but tied to
together in unity; translating to “the whole is greater than its parts”.
Dr. Chitose used this as a basic training kata. He altered the breathing and posture in this kata
handed down from old times, so that when it is practiced it would produce a more healthy body.
Practice, not discussion, will allow the kata its reality, and that reality will be, hopefully, in the
NOW! of practice rather than the remembrance of a discussion about the kata.
“Even after many years, kata practice is never finished for there is always something new
to be learned about executing a movement.”
- Shoshin Nagamine
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mr. Kennett won the drawing for the Yoshukai Alliance clock!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsletter crew
We would like to welcome our newest newsletter assistant Erica Tomkinson from the
Hombu dojo! If you have any information you would like to see in The Alliance please
email Erica or myself.
Sensei Schreiber: [email protected]
Erica: [email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
we would like to congratulate …
… Mr. Kennett, and his wife Tami, held a Renewal Ceremony on June 26 th at the
Masonic Temple, in Lincoln. Afterwards they had a potluck! Congratulations, we wish
you another 30 years of marriage!
… Sensei Bottrell on his marriage to Shannon O‟Laughlin. We wish you many years of
happiness!
… Sensei Blasco on becoming a Grandfather for the first time! He is a
proud Grandfather of 6 healthy kittens. Congratulations Sensei Blasco!
Sensei would like to adopt 4 of them!!
Black belt training
Saturday, May 8th
The black belts gathered together in the ballroom
Saturday to work on Black Belt techniques.
Included in the mornings event were the
following: Katas, combinations, bo tai bo, kata sai,
empty hand self-defense with partners against
the bo, with combinations and self-defense #42.
Mr. Stone took Sensei Roberts aside and taught
Tenshin with sai.
The following Black Belts were in attendance: Mr. Stone,
Sensei Roberts, Sensei Bottrell, Mr. Lowe, Sensei Schreiber
and Mr. Reese.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Black belt training
Feb. 19th 2010
Sure! It‟s Friday night … we could go out to eat, maybe go to a movie, maybe go
dancing, or maybe just stay home, order a pizza and watch a Netflix movie … but, that‟s
not what the Yoshukai Karate Alliance Black Belts did! They chose to go to the Hombu
to train!
Mr. Stone, again, gets off work, grabs his gi, and heads South from Aurora for a 2 ½
hour drive for training. All the Black Belts were in attendance except 3, who had
previous commitments.
After starting out with a brown belt combination, they went through a fast paced workout
of one -step sparring, then free style sparring, then to the katana. A short water break
then ended with weapons training.
This night was a first for: (1) Mr. McCullar‟s Black Belt training (2) Mr. Lanning and his
heavy weight gi (3) and Sensei Roberts 15 minutes early! … and they say miracles can‟t
happen!
After the training, there was a short discussion on up-coming events and an activity
report on the general fund by Mr. Lanning and Sensei Bottrell.
Thank you to Dawn Johnson for videoing and taking pictures!
Looking forward to the next one in May … hopefully it will be outside!
yoshukai karate alliances
1st Kata competition
Sensei Dugan decided to hold our 1st
kata competition on Thursday, April
29th at the Hombu. The Hombu,
Williamsville Dojo, Kenney Dojo and
Elkhart Dojo all participated in this fun
event!
We broke off into two groups: Mr.
Kennett, Mr. Lowe, Mr. M Schreiber
and Sensei Schreiber were judges for
the children‟s division with the help of
Brittany Lanning, the daughter of Mr.
Lanning, who kept score!
Sensei, Sensei Roberts, Mr. Reese and Mr. Lanning were judges for the adult division,
with the help of Dawn Johnson, who kept score!
Those who made placement and the division they placed in are as follows:
Childrens division
Childrens white/yellow belt division –
Payton Lanning – 1st place
Nathan Palls – 2nd place
Alexia Davis – 3rd place
Childrens green belt division –
Braden Trimmer – 1st place
Grant Davis – 2nd place
Eric Churchill – 3rd place
-7-
Childrens brown belt division –
Austin Johnson – 1st place
Adult division
Adult white belt division –
Chris Davis – 1st place
Danny Johnson – 2nd place
Brianna Sutherland – 3rd place
Adult green belt division –
Aaron Barnes – 1st place
Reggie Kirby – 2nd place
Linda Henne – 3rd place
Adult brown belt division Alex McIntosh – 1st place
Dalton Trader – 2nd place
Dale Barnett – 3rd place
-8-
Black Belt Division Sensei Schreiber – 1st place
Mr. Lanning – 2nd place
Mr. Lowe – 3rd place
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hombu
Williamsville
Kenney
Elkhart
”The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self-improvement,
about being better than you were the day before.”
-Steve Young
-9-
Alliance anniversaries
March
5th 2003 - Dave Schreiber – 7 years; 5th 2007 - Remy Ramirez – 3 years
5th 2007 - Cristian Ramirez – 3 years; 5th 2007 - Taryn Ramirez – 3 years
April
27th – 2001- Michael Schreiber – 9 years; 14th 2009 - Erica Tomkinson – 1 year
May
1st 2008 - Linda Henne – 2 years
1 2008 - Karen Birdwell – 2 years; 31st 2005 - Austin Johnson – 5 years
18TH 2008 – Joshua Johnson – 2 years; 31st 2005 - Dawn Johnson – 5 years;
st
July
2nd 2008 – Dale Barnett (1974); 8th 2008 – Noah Kenney-2 years
August
4th 2009 – Grant Davis-1 year; 4th 2009 – Alexia Davis-1year; 4th 2009 Jake Mcray- 1
year; 4th 2009 - Mitchell Hudson-1 year; 12th 2009 – Aaron Barnes-1 year
September
2006 – Max Janssen-4 years; 30th 2009 - Belle Smith-1 year
October
4th 2009-Payton Lanning-1 year; 2003-Mr. Lanning-7 years; 22nd 2002-Sensei
Schreiber-8 years
December
2007-Mitch McCullar-3 years
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The following 3 people are and should be a huge inspiration to us all!
** MAY 1972 - SENSEI DUGAN – 38 YEARS!!
----------------------------------** MAY 1986 - Doug Stone – 24 years
** MAY 5th 1995 - Tim Kennett – 15 years
------------------------------------------------------------We would like to welcome the following students to the Alliance:
Hombu –Michael O‟Donoghue & Will Ewald (October 1st);
Tim & Brenden Heitzig (November 16th)
Kenney – Tim, Billy & Cindy Vo – (30th September)
MARCH KYU BELT TESTING
Hombu –
Payton Lanning – 8th kyu; Reggie Kirby – 6th kyu; Belle Smith – 6th kyu
Brittany Smith – 6th kyu
Kenney Dojo –
Joshua Johnson – 6th kyu; Aaron Barnes – 5th kyu; Braxton Lambert – 2nd kyu
Williamsville Dojo –
Jacob Dragoo - 8th kyu; Chase Campbell – 8th kyu; Nick Freschi – 5th kyu
March 18th Elkhart Dojo –
Dawson Hagan – 8th kyu; Kaden Judd – 8th kyu; Grant Davis – 6th kyu
Brayden Trimmer – 5th kyu; Josh Judd – 5th kyu
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July kyu belt testing
July 5th – Kenney
Flicia Daniels – 6th kyu; Danny Johnson – 6th kyu; Linda Henne – 5th kyu
Aaron Barnes – 4th kyu
July 6th Hombu –
Payton Lanning – 6th kyu; Chris Davis – 6th kyu; Reggie Kirby – 5th kyu
Erica Tomkinson – 4th kyu
July 7th Williamsville –
Caden Holdener – 7th kyu; Eric Churchill – 4th kyu
July 8th Elkhart –
Dawson Hagan – 7th kyu; Alexia Davis – 7th kyu; Jake McCray – 5th kyu
Braden Trimmer – 4th kyu
-----------------------------------“FROM WHITE BELT TO BLACK BELT YOU SHAPE THE TOOL, AT BLACK BELT
YOU START TO LEARN HOW TO USE IT”
- 11 -
November kyu belt testing
Kenny Dojo Tori Burke - 8th kyu; Tanner Burke – 5th kyu; Danny Johnson – 5th kyu;
Aaron Barnes – 3rd kyu
2nd Hombu Payton Lanning – 5th kyu; Reggie Kirby – 4th kyu; Erica Tomkinson - 3rd kyu;
Noah Kenney – 3rd kyu
------------------------------------------------------
Brown belt training
Saturday, May 8th
The brown belts met at the Kiwanis Park in Clinton for a two hour training! Slightly on
the cool & shady side, it did not take long to get the blood flowing! Those attending the
training were: Dawn Johnson, Dale Barnett, and Austin Johnson. All are 1st kyu‟s &
students of the Kenney Dojo.
The brown belts spent time on kata Seisan thru Rohaidai, combinations, bo & Nunchuck
training.
Black belt testing
On the night of June 11th there were two students who tested for Black Belt ranks.
Remy Ramirez from the Williamsville Dojo tested and was promoted to Shodan and
Sensei Bottrell tested and was promoted to Sandan.
The attending Black Belt‟s were: Sensei, Sensei Roberts, Sensei Blasco, Mr. Kennett,
Sensei Bottrell and Mr. Reese. CONGRATULATIONS MR.RAMIREZ and
Sensei Bottrell!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“GREAT WORKS ARE PERFORMED NOT BY STRENGTH BUT BY
PERSEVERANCE”
BY: Samuel Johnsoon
Natsu keiko viii
The day started off nice. As people arrived, they signed in, turned in passports, bought
raffle tickets for the clock and bought Yoshukai huggies.
We started off with bowing as usual. Afterward all kyu ranks went off with Sensei Blasco
& with the assistance of Sensei Schreiber taught them jujitsu techniques.
In the meantime the Black Belts went off to do some training of their own. Near the
ending of our training with Sensei Blasco, it began to rain.
Everyone rushed off to line up for the promotion of our newest Black Belt, Remy
Ramirez. As the lightening began and rain fell hard everyone rushed to their cars to roll
up their windows, then drove their car over to load them up with their belongings.
After the rain stopped (for about 10 minutes) the Black Belts did some katana cutting
with rolled bamboo. Sensei Schreiber took the remaining students, blind folded them
and had them walk through a few katas. A few students (not to mention any names) fell
in the mud and got extremely muddy …. this was too funny to witness!
On the way out Sensei, Sensei Blasco and Aaron Dugan went one direction to pick up
Natsu Keiko signs while Sensei Schreiber drove the other way to collect the rest of the
signs.
Upon arrival at Sensei‟s house, there were several students that had arrived. Mr. Stone
and Sensei Blasco demanded that the ladies: Sensei Schreiber, Dawn J., and Erica T.
slave over the hot stove to make them lunch (in kimonos, no less)!! It wasn‟t our fault
the cook-out was rained out!
We had a nice visit with our guests and as always Natsu Keiko was awesome! We were
very happy that Sensei Blasco was able to join us for the 2 nd year! This was the first
time we were rained out, but we all knew it would happen sooner or later. Already
looking forward to next year‟s!
Personality of the Week
Lincoln Daily News
July 26, 2010
The black belts of the Yoshukai Karate Alliance practice their kata as part of
Saturday's exhibition at the fundraiser for the First United Methodist Church Kid‟s
Club.
Kata are the formal exercises of traditional karate that continuously improve and
develop a student's technique. Kata training requires intense concentration and
focus, along with many hours devoted to training. More pictures and story below.
Dan Dugan: a lifetime of teaching the martial arts
Dan Dugan by day is a union bricklayer, working long, hard
hours that would exhaust most 30-year-olds, but at 58 years
of age, he is in better health, with more stamina than most
people half his age.
He attributes a great deal of this to the art of Japanese
karate. He notes that in his life, he has practiced the art for a
total of 38 years, and the discipline and respect for his own
body that comes from the learning of karate has led him to avoiding bad habits such as
drinking and smoking and has taught him to respect and take care of his body.
Dugan first became interested in Yoshukai Karate in 1972, when as a young man he
enrolled in classes offered by Hiroyuki Koda.
Koda had trained in the art in his native country but journeyed to the United States for
the purpose of helping a former American serviceman who learned the art while in
Japan. Koda began establishing "dojos," or training rooms, in Florida.
When he left Illinois later that same year, he turned over the dojo here to his best
student, Bob Borowiak.
Dugan studied under Borowiak for the next three years, earned his first degree of
Shodan, and was appointed Borowiak's assistant instructor in 1975.
In 1976 Dugan opened the second Yoshukai dojo in Illinois, in nearby Atlanta.
When Borowiak retired from the dojo in 1977, Dugan took over under the direct
supervision of Kudo, who had founded the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association.
Later Dugan would join the Lincoln Dojo first to the Yoshukai International Karate
Association, which was founded by that original serviceman, Mike Foster, and then to
U.S. Chito-Ryu Karate Federation, founded by Bill Dometrich.
In 2002 Dugan broke away from all these associations and formed his own alliance. He
said that the decision to do so came from his feeling that the alliances had evolved to
the point of placing greatest importance on money rather than the art of karate.
Dugan said that in traditional Japanese karate there are only five belts: white, a yellow
belt for younger students, green, brown and black. The original alliances had come to
realize that there was a great deal of money to be made in karate by exploiting the
belts, adding varying degrees to each color with each advancement to a new degree
and requiring additional fees from the student.
The old alliances were losing sight of what was truly important: the art of karate and the
life lessons that can be learned from it.
When he formed the Yoshukai Karate Alliance, Dugan was determined that he would
never teach for personal gain. He doesn't receive any kind of payment for his services,
and the fees charged are literally a fraction of what other alliances demand.
For Dugan, the art of Yoshukai Karate is a passion that he wants to share with his
students. He teaches karate not as a means of being violent or aggressive, but as a
means of becoming a better person. The beliefs of the alliance, which are found on the
Yoshukai Karate Alliance website, state clearly:
"The practice of karate involves learning self-discipline, patience, respect for others, and
promotes fighting as the last option during a confrontation. It also promotes using the
skills only in defense of one's self or one's beliefs."
While the fighting portion of the training may be what is most fascinating to spectators,
Dugan is quick to tell anyone that there is so much more to karate than just fighting. The
lessons are difficult. Concentration is the key to success as well as being devoted to the
practice and training.
The classes are upbeat, energetic cardiovascular workouts that have the best of the
bunch sweating up a storm in just a few minutes.
They are also lessons in courtesy. As one sits back and watches, there are countless
bows to opponents, handshakes and many a "thank you" as bouts are completed, not to
mention serious respect for the instructor. There is no monkey business either. When
not working on an exercise, students stand quietly, waiting for their next instruction.
And there are internal benefits, things we don't see as spectators, but the students feel
them and know what changes have occurred in their lives due to the teaching of
Yoshukai Karate.
For example, one student was quick to share what has happened to her and how she
has brought herself out of a very dark place thanks to Dugan and karate.
Nykol Schreiber is today a student of Dugan, a black belt and an instructor of her own
dojo in Kenney. Schreiber grew up in an abusive home, was in an abusive marriage and
was on a course of self-destruction when she decided to give karate a try, looking for
strength and self-discipline. What she found was so much more.
"Yoshukai came to me at the right time in my life. I grew up with no self-esteem, and
needless to say, no self-confidence. I endured continuous dangerous trials throughout
my life due to the lack of these qualities," she explained.
"Sensei Dugan, through his teachings, has changed the rest of my life" Schreiber
continued. "He expects nothing less than 100 percent from me during my training; he
demands it. (As students) we push ourselves to our limits, and only then do we begin to
get the full benefits of our training, and only then do we begin to grow. It makes you
realize that you are the only one in charge of your mind."
Being in control of the mind is one vital key to success in karate. Dugan said that each
session begins with a meditation.
As the group meditates, their goal is to put away the things that have happened during
the day, clearing the mind of the worries of tomorrow and focusing strictly on the here
and now.
Being able to clear away the clutter enables the students to concentrate deeply on their
exercises.
On Saturday, Dugan led the local dojos in the Yoshukai Alliance in a demonstration at
the fundraiser for the First United Methodist Church Kid's Club. In spite of a heat index
of 104, the group demonstrated the various techniques of their craft.
When watching them perform, it was easy to see the intense concentration on their
faces as they went through their moves.
In the exercises there are events that most of us would find impossible, such as holding
perfectly still while someone breaks a 6-foot-long staff across our wrists, or using the
bottom of our foot to break four concrete slabs.
With weapons that are real and deadly, with no protective armor for the adults in the
group, no one even winces when a Sai (small pitchfork) slices through the air, missing
the opponent by a well-planned inch or less.
Again, it is Schreiber who may have put it best when she said: "As my karate instructor,
I have the utmost respect for him. He is a true instructor of honor and integrity. He is
very devoted to Yoshukai Karate; it's been his passion for the past 38 years. He has
instilled so many good qualities in so many people over the years."
Throughout the history of the Personality of the Week, we‟ve looked at people who give
selflessly and with no expectations of fame or glory, or even high praise.
Dugan is exactly one of those people. He loves his art, he loves his students, and all he
asks in return is that his students love Karate.
It is because of these qualities that we are pleased to submit Dan Dugan as our
Personality of the Week.
Note: Please be sure to check out the pictorials that accompany this story.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yoshukai Karate is a Japanese style of the martial art that originated in Okinawa. The
craft began in a time when the peasant farmers of that country were not allowed to own
weapons. Being defenseless, they were at the mercy of raiders and marauders until
they discovered that they could use ordinary farm tools as weapons.
With this discovery, they trained themselves to defend their farms and families with
these simple tools and well-trained bodies that literally became human weapons.
27 Movements is one of the first exercises the students learn.
Each movement is precise and quick. The intensity in this
young man's face is typical of a good student concentrating
on his craft.
One of the first fighting tactics learned by the student is how
to break away from an aggressor. Here Sensei (Japanese for
teacher) Nykol Schreiber (in black) has hold of the student,
but not for long. With the quick shift of the captured arm and a
blow to the ribs from the tightly clenched right fist, the student
will be free in no time
While the other students stand in the background, this
woman demonstrates the various movements that can be
done with the "Bo." The bo as a farm tool was balanced
across the back of the shoulders and used to carry buckets
of water.
Another view of stances and positions used when wielding
the Bo.
Students also learn to do combat with the Bo. Here two
different sets of fighters go through the typical motions of
self-defense using this 6-foot-long pole.
Here one man is armed with the Bo and the other with a
pair of Sai. Sai are small pitchforks that were used by the
farmers for digging, pitching straw or hay, or planting
seeds.
Here Sensei Scott Bottrell of the Elkhart Dojo demonstrates
with his group the use of the Tonfa as a weapon. The tonfa
was developed by Okinawan farmers as a grinding
instrument for rice, beans and grain.
Sensei Schreiber wields the Nunchaku, demonstrating the
self-defense moves that are possible with this tool that was
originally intended to thrash grains of rice from the plants.
This black-belt student demonstrates the use of the Katana,
also known as the Samurai Sword. His focus is not on the
sword, as he looks straight forward, envisioning perhaps a
prospective opponent.
Part of this exercise includes drawing and wielding the
sword, then replacing it to its sheath without actually looking
at the sword.
Even in the youngest of students, the force that they are
capable of delivering in a kick would knock the first two
people holding the block off balance. Therefore, several
students join together to make sure the ones holding the 1inch board don't tumble over.
With one very swift kick, the board breaks cleanly into two
pieces.
As an instructor, Sensei Scott Bottrell of the Elkhart Dojo is
dressed fully in black. Here he has done some very intense
deep breathing exercises, preparing his body and mind for
what lies ahead.
Bottrell moves not even an inch as one of the senior
students smacks his forearms with the Bo-like pole. As the
broken pole flies through the air, Bottrell stands firm. This
is part of what makes the body a human weapon in the art
of Yoshukai Karate.
Clay Roberts is Sensei to the Williamsville Dojo. Here he
prepares for the task at hand with deep breathing and
concentration as he sizes up the competition: four slabs of
concrete.
No trick photography, no second tries. One swift, extremely
forceful kick and the slabs break into piece
Swimming pool
On the 26th of August all the schools met at the Rec Center in Lincoln for training in the
swimming pool. We started class as we always do, by bowing in and kneeling down (try
this) followed by warm-ups and basics. Next students partnered up with Sensei Dugan
leading the class through exercises involving various foot -sweep techniques causing
the opponent to go under water, an exercise which built confidence in yourself and trust
in your partner. Next the class divided with children going with Sensei Roberts where
they worked on several techniques including 27 movements. The adults went with
Sensei Dugan and worked on kicks and punches moving the length of the pool. Several
techniques performed the length of the pool was fun to do, but also very tiring … jumpkick techniques! After about an hour of hard work, class was dismissed and the
students were cut loose to play & swim as they wished!
Kenney fall festival
On September 11th, the Alliance was asked to give a demonstration at the Kenney Fall
Festival, which was our third one for them. Despite the rain clouds & sprinkles, the
students stayed on the asphalt for nearly an hour to do the demonstration.
Since there weren‟t any white or yellow belts, we started with green belts who
demonstrated H-Form #2 & defense against the front / back choke & one-hand lapel
grab. Nunchuck Kihon Kata was shown by Mr. Schreiber & Erica Tomkinson (Hombu).
Dawn & Austin Johnson (Kenney – Brown Belts) did Seisan (which was bunkaied by a
surprised Dawn). Mother & Son also did Ni-Sandan together.
Shihohai was demonstrated 3 different ways. Empty-hand, sai, & tonfa, all shown
simultaneously is always exciting to watch! Erica Tomkinson & Dawn Johnson did the
empty-hand, Sensei Schreiber & Mr.Schreiber sai, while Sensei & Sensei Roberts tonfa.
All Black Belts did Mugen & Bo tai Sai #1 - #5. Bo tai Tonfa #1 & #2 & Katana #1 - #10
was demonstrated by Sensei & Sensei Roberts. Bo tai Bo was by Sensei Schreiber &
Mr. Schreiber. Nunchuck-Sandan by Sensei. Tai ho jitsu #10 - #19 by Sensei Schreiber
& Mr. Schreiber.
Ending the demonstration was 27 Movements performed by all ranks. We would like to
mention the self-defense techniques created by Sensei Schreiber against multipleopponents was performed flawlessly & very impressive!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mason city demonstration
On Saturday,
September 18th
Yoshukai Karate Alliance held a demonstration in Mason City for their Praire Harvest
Days event. The demonstration was lead by Sensei Roberts.
Included in today‟s demonstration was sparring, self-defense, katas, weapon katas and
breaking of bo‟s, boards, and concrete blocks.
As always, we, the Alliance were complimented on the great demonstration of focus and
technique! Not only are we doing this for the public and the Alliance we are doing this
for ourselves as individuals.
Weiner roast
On Saturday October 9th the Alliance held its 4th annual wiener roast. The Johnson
family graciously hosted the event this year at their home in Midland City. Students and
their families from the Hombu, Kenney, Williamsville, and Elkhart Dojos were all in
attendance. Hotdogs, buns, condiments, and dinner ware were provided by the Alliance
and guests all brought a dish to pass. The food was delicious and the fellowship
fantastic! This was a great opportunity to meet students from other schools as well as
the families of those we know from class.
Christmas party
On Saturday Dec. 11th The Alliance held its 8th annual Christmas party at the Lincoln
Rec Center. Students and their families were in attendance.
There were four promotions that night, Mr. Stone was promoted to Godan (5th degree),
Mr. D. Schreiber to Nidan (2nd degree), Dawn and Austin Johnson both received their
Shodan (1st degree), mother and son started karate on the same day, and five and a
half years later became Black Belts on the same night. Mr. Johnson, age 11 is the
youngest to become a Black Belt in the Alliance. Mrs. and Mr. Johnson are Kenny Dojos
first Black Belts. The night was extra special as Sensei was able to be there to promote
the new ranks. It was everyone‟s first chance to see Sensei up and about since his
accident.
(Mr. Stone – 5th degree)
Mr. D Schreiber – 2nd degree)
(Mr. & Mrs. Johnson – 1st degree)
After promotions and pictures a fantastic potluck meal was enjoyed by all. Attendance
was lower than usual due to the weather, but a great time was still had. Thank you to all
the ladies who volunteered to set up and clean afterwards, to those who brought items
and dishes, and to those who manned the kitchen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------“Those who follow the way of karate must consider courtesy of prime importance, for
without it, the essence of karate-do is lost. Those without courtesy are not qualified to
be karate-ka, even if they surpass others in their physical abilities”
- Professor Shigeru Takamiyagi
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