Sunday January 29, 2012

This might be good to go to. What do you think?

JKA Tournament hand signs

Christmas in Japan

What do the Japanese eat for Christmas dinner? The answer is chicken, especially Kentucky Fried Chicken. The Japanese adopted the celebration of Christmas from the West, but previously there were not many customs associated with it besides presents and a special Christmas cake. In 1974, KFC started advertising chicken for Christmas. The idea came from a foreign customer saying that he eats chicken on Christmas while in Japan because turkey is not available. It is quite rare that a company's advertising campaign is so successful that it becomes a Japanese custom. Japan is the only country in which KFC offers set meals for Christmas. The most popular item is called the, "Party Barrel," which includes chicken, salad and a cake. Even though it has to be ordered in advance, the stores still get long line-ups around Christmas

Sensei Hodgkiss and PrestonCarter

Preston Carter

O-Sensei' Sensei

SKA Children's Tournament today

Do you have any idea how lucky we are? We are descendants of William Hodgkiss, one of martial arts greatest instructors. I could feel him there today, I could see him standing at the microphone and I could see him giving out the medals. As long as we honor him he will always be there with us. We are going to be ok. He will always be missed but if we keep true to what he taught us he will be at our side forever.

Ask me about my Sensei and I will tell you stories of a Samurai.

Proud Sensei..!

The future of the SKA

Halloween Safety

Halloween is a fun time for kids of all ages.
Here are some tips to make your Halloween safe, as well as fun:

Safe Trick-or-Treating

1. Make sure young children are accompanied by an adult or responsible teenager when they go door-to-door.


2. If you can't accompany your children, instruct them to trick-or-treat in their own neighborhood and in well-lighted streets.


3. If children are going to be out after dark, make sure they carry a flashlight.


4. Teach your children to use the sidewalks if they can. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the street facing cars.


5. Know which friends your children will be with and which route they are taking.


6. Leave your porch light on so children will know it's OK to visit your home.


7. Instruct children never to eat anything until they are home and the treats have been carefully examined. Cut and wash fruit before eating. Throw away anything unwrapped.


8. Check the wrappers of commercial treats for evidence of tampering.


9. Call the police if there are any suspicious treats.

Costume Safety

1. Look for the label Flame Resistant.


2. Avoid costumes with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts.


3. Choose costumes that are light and bright enough to be visible to motorists.


4. Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping.


5. Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. High heels are not a good idea.


6. Hats and scarf’s should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes.


7. A natural mask of cosmetics is better than a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision.


8. Sword, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material.


9. Decorate costumes and treat bags with reflective tape.

Help keep the holidays happy for everyone.
Presented by the
Lower Bucks County Karate Club

Bullying

What is Bullying?

Dan Olweus, creator of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, provides us with this commonly accepted definition for bullying in his book, Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do:

"A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself."

This definition includes three important components:

1. Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions.
2. Bullying involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time.
3. Bullying involves an imbalance of power or strength.

Types of Bullying

Bullying can take on many forms. As part of the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire, students are asked if they have been bullied in any of these nine ways:

1. Verbal bullying including derogatory comments and bad names
2. Bullying through social exclusion or isolation
3. Physical bullying such as hitting, kicking, shoving, and spitting
4. Bullying through lies and false rumors
5. Having money or other things taken or damaged by students who bully
6. Being threatened or being forced to do things by students who bully
7. Racial bullying
8. Sexual bullying
9. Cyber bullying (via cell phone or Internet) Learn more

Why Students Bully

Information about bullying suggests that there are three interrelated reasons why students bully.

1. Students who bully have strong needs for power and (negative) dominance.
2. Students who bully find satisfaction in causing injury and suffering to other
students.
3. Students who bully are often rewarded in some way for their behavior with
material or psychological rewards.

To learn more follow this link http://www.olweus.org/public/bullied_child.page

We need to help stop this problem. If you see something say something.

We are "Superhero's"

We use our power for good not evil, like Superhero's . This is what I teach my young students but it applies to everyone. I hold my students to a higher standard. This is what we do as parents with our children and this is what I do as a Sensei . We set that standard high and want them to meet or even better exceed that mark. At the end of every class we recite the dojo kun and I wonder how many really understand what they are repeating. My philosophy has been and always will be that karate should make you feel good about yourself not stressed or depressed or worried. When you enter the dojo the outside world goes away. We all put on the same white uniform and we are there for only one-thing and that is to improve ourselves (karate-do) through hard training. We help each other, we encourage each other, we celebrate in victory and console each other in defeat. We are family. We are there for each other. Family sticks together.

Next time you recite the Dojo Kun listen to yourself. Try and understand what you are saying. Don't just repeat it like a parrot. It really means something.

Seek perfection of character
Be faithful
Endeavor to excel
Respect others
Refrain from violent behavior

Please excuse my ramblings. Just wanted to share some thoughts. I know I need work. It's a never ending battle.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

Talking about this in class today, just following up with the actual quote.

Sensei Preston Carter

I found some interesting magazine covers from back in the day. Sensei Preston Carter was Sensei Hodgkiss's Instructor. Sensei Carter taught in the Trenton NJ area back in the 60s and 70s. He was a bouncer in a bar and one night, if I recall the story correctly, he evicted a couple of drunk patrons from said bar. They returned to the bar and shot Sensei Carter and paralyzed him from the waist down. He continued to train, not letting his disability slow him down. He was famous for his complicated breaking demos even in a wheelchair. I just wanted to pass along some of our family history. Sensei Carter passed away in 1977.