Hello everyone!
How time flies! I’m glad that I called this an almost-monthly newsletter instead of a monthly newsletter. That makes me feel a bit more on top of things. As we wrap up the school year (I finished up my first semester at GVSU just a few weeks ago!) and move toward the summer, I thought it would be a good time to give you some updates of things that are happening at the dojo–and to give a shoutout to Master Kanbun Uechi, who as of this writing (late evening, May 5th) is still technically able to celebrate his birthday!
Events
Annual Uechi Ryu Beach Workout
Each year, Sensei Thompson’s dojo hosts a beach workout at Van Buren State Park. This year, that beach workout is going to be at 12pm on Saturday, June 13th! Although I will unfortunately be out of state that weekend, I encourage everyone to make the trek and to have fun working out at the beach with our fellow Uechi practitioners from Kalamazoo! If you’d like to coordinate rides, just reach out to me to let me know that you would like to attend.
Fourth Form Loves the Fourth!
The 4th of July is always a fun and busy holiday for Fourth Form! After walking in the Kentwood parade, we invite all dojo members past and present to join us for a 4th of July cookout. Stay tuned for details in next month’s newsletter!
Black Belt Testing
It’s almost time for our next round of black belt testing! While we don’t have an exact testing date yet, we do have testing prep classes and our pre-test classes! Our testing prep classes will take place every other Tuesday from 7pm – 8pm/8:30pm. This will be in place of our regularly scheduled weapons class. All black belts are invited to attend and work out during these times. Those dates are on the calendar and are listed here for your convenience:
- May 19th
- June 2nd
- June 16th
- June 30th
- July 14th
- July 28th (Pretest)
For our weapons students, thank you in advance for your understanding. And for our fellow black belts, thanks for helping us train!
Reminders and Updates
Sickness and Health
Is it sickness or allergies? This is the most common question this time of year, and I get it! That said, I just want to remind everyone to please keep healthy and to avoid coming into the dojo if you’re sick. We’ll continue to have our usual hand sanitizer available for anyone who’d like to use it throughout class, but this is a reminder that a part of karate practice is also knowing when to rest–a key part of maintaining physical health!
Germane Conversation and Attire
The world is crazy right now, and I’m committed to making sure that the dojo is a place that everyone can come in and feel welcome. Our community is amazing in this regard–we have so many different people from different cultures, backgrounds, and political persuasions who regularly work out together. This is wonderful, and exactly how the world should be! Let’s keep the dojo a positive place to be by continuing to keep our conversations and our attire apolitical, germane, and family-friendly while in the space. This helps keep everyone safe by maintaining a calm, de-escalated environment.
Community Corner
Happy Early (Or Late) Birthday to Our Dojo Members!
If you see these folks around the dojo, make sure to wish them a happy spring birthday!
- Adama B.
- Betty D.
- Jay B.
- Arthur D.
- Bill H.
- James K.
- Karly L.
- Elijah M.
- John-Paolo L.
- Dagny S.
- Paul W.
- Dharmesh D.
- Danielle W.
- Kanbun U.
Do you have something that you’d like the community to know–a life update, a need, or an offer for connection? Let me know, and I’ll put it in our next newsletter!
Thank you for being a member of the dojo!
Sensei Allison