Kiai Current Issue Subscribe Archives Home Seido Karate Karate for Kids Self-Defense Fitness Community Programs About Us

from the December, 2015 issue of Kiai!

The Path to Junior Black Belt:
Three Unique Perspectives

November 14, 2015 was a big day at Thousand Waves. Nine students (Anna Byrne, Elyse Fernando, Noam Levinsky, Shael Murthy, Kumiko Muro, Takato Muro, Tommy Scholle, Brody Schwartz and Zak Shearn) were promoted to First Degree Junior Black Belt (Junior Shodan), and three students (Johnny Hollowed, Owen Patterson and Ruben Whitaker) were promoted from First to Second Degree Junior Black Belt (Junior Nidan). While all these students grew up together on the TW training floor, each has a unique story of obstacles surmounted and challenges met on their path to black belt. In this issue, we present three of their stories. Photos of our other newly promoted Junior Black Belts follow.

Home Schooling and Broken Bones

By John Hollowed,
Parent of Senpai Johnny Hollowed

My son Johnny Hollowed is home-schooled, and Thousand Waves has given Johnny a focus to his life that other students might find in school. He has met friends, learned from many different teachers, organized his week, and worked to achieve many goals in karate. Through the study of karate, Johnny has been been motivated to read about subjects such as history and martial arts. He really enjoyed reading some of the writings of Kaicho and wrote about several ideas that he found thoughtful and inspiring. He was able to devote time this year to improving his Japanese as well as his karate techniques.

Johnny joined Thousand Waves after a few of his homeschooled friends recommended it, and his desire to test for Junior Nidan with his friends inspired him to overcome a couple of challenges this year. He broke a toe early this year, and after returning to karate he broke a bone in his other foot just a few months before testing.  Johnny did not shy from returning to karate class as soon as he was able, and after waiting restlessly to recover, Johnny pushed himself to be ready for the test. Johnny’s home school schedule allowed him to focus on karate when he needed to prepare for the Junior Nidan test while coming back from his injuries. In order to complete the classes he needed and prepare for promotion, Johnny was able to regularly include the noon adult classes in his schedule, in addition to the youth and teen classes he often took before.

The Junior Nidan test gave Johnny a clear goal when faced with the disappointment of his second broken bone of the year. He did not give up or lose hope. He was determined to improve and return to Thousand Waves and did not lose his love for karate even though both injuries occurred in training. The help he received from everyone at Thousand Waves when he was hurt and the concern showed throughout his recovery really made Johnny feel that he is part of an extended family.

Face the Mountains and Bow:
Preparing My Son for Junior Black Belt

By Senpai Kate Phillippo,
Third Degree Black Belt and Parent of Senpai Noam Levinsky

A few weeks after I was promoted to Third Degree Black Belt at Honbu, and about four-and-a-half months before Thousand Waves’ next Junior Black Belt test, my husband, my son Noam and I moved to Park City, Utah. This was a hard move in a lot of ways (given my aversion to living anywhere but Chicago).  One of the hardest parts was that it happened before Noam tested for Junior Black Belt, his goal since he began training in 2009. The thought of his missing this milestone, surrounded by his dojo community, was painful to both Noam and me.

After a few conversations, Sei Shihan Nancy, Jun Shihan Sarah, Noam and I decided that I myself would help Noam prepare for his Junior Black Belt test in Utah (where there is no Seido community… yet). Looking back now, I can say that our four months of training together was one of the best experiences of my life.

Our training spaces were two: our then-neglected back yard and our synagogue’s multi-purpose room.  There was no shinzen, so we bowed in facing the mountains or the setting sun. We unintentionally rolled over or stepped on tree stumps in our yard. We got rained out, and in October, snowed out! I struggled at first to plan interesting classes, something I’d scarcely had to do on my own as an assistant teacher in Thousand Waves’ youth program (Sensei Katherine and Senpai Jordan were a great help). But we were on a steep training schedule (2-3 classes each week), so I got lots of do-overs.  We also learned to interact as Senpai and student, which was a shift in our relationship to say the least (and explains his quick “OSU Senpai!” to everyone, including at times the Shihans, during his test!).

Our training took on a life of its own. We developed a routine – taking turns leading warmups, sparring on the weekend.  Every parent of an 11-year-old ponders how to encourage more independence.  I had a whole curriculum to work with in this regard! While I was in Chicago working (and training), Noam practiced the opening defensive moves of the basic self-defenses every day.  We developed training homework (often times the material that stumped him when we practiced together).  We helped each other with techniques for remembering puzzling moves (the ever-vexing basic self-defense #7), and played “stump the chump,” a game we made up on the El in his green belt days where we quizzed each other on Japanese terms. His perspective on the Seido curriculum taught me things that I didn’t know. These experiences prepared him for his test, and also brought us much closer to each other during a challenging and sometimes lonely time in our lives.

And the rest… hopefully you were there! The test meant so much to both of us and to our whole family.  The chance to train a couple of thousand miles away and then rejoin our community was a beautiful gift.  Thank you to everyone who helped make Noam’s big day possible, whether your help came this summer, in the fall, or six years ago!

Walking The Black Belt Path… Together

By Senpai Takato Muro (age 13) & Senpai Kumiko Muro (age 10)
First Degree Junior Black Belts

Anyone with a brother or sister will probably agree that there’s a tricky balance between having fun together and spending too much time together.  We joined Thousand Waves on the same day in June of 2011, and in November 2015, tested for Junior Black Belt on the same day.  It feels strange when our class count is unequal, but every now and then it’s still nice to come to class separately.  We have our own friends, of course, and our own styles of doing things (Takato likes to add the flair of a backward roll every chance he gets, and Kumiko likes to pack a lot of power into every move), and those special differences help us remember that we’re unique individuals. 

• 
  Senpai Kumiko Muro and Senpai Takato Muro
  trained together every step of the way, and
  earned their Junior Black Belts together.
  When you practice at home together, don’t do it when you’re angry with each other.  You have to be able to control the power and the carefulness. But when you do practice and need help, don’t say “I need help” with an attitude.
• Trying to “one-up” each other ends up being a fun way to make yourself better at something that’s hard.
• It’s usually OK to keep a little bit of the sibling playfulness during class, but you also have to learn when to drop it and focus.
• Sparring together is really fun.  Really, really fun, but don’t hurt them.
• Training together, and especially testing together, helps you to see and to appreciate your own unique skills.  It’s one thing to know that we each have our own strong points and challenges, but it’s another to really see those things coming out in each other.  It’s a good reminder of how to cheer each other on.
• Maybe more than anything else, the black belt path requires patience.  Sometimes you just can’t figure out a kata, but be patient. Sometimes you’re not in the mood to go to karate after a long day at school.  Be patient. Sometimes it feels like corrections are criticisms.  Be patient.   Earning your next belt can’t be a race, because there’s so much learning and growing at each step. Keep going to class, keep listening to your Senpais, keep trying your best, and you’ll get there. 
• Last but not least, do you remember when your Senpai dismisses class by saying, “Go thank the grown-up who brought you here tonight!”?  Well, definitely do that, but then also go thank your Senpai. 

Photos from the November 14 Junior Black Belt Test

Junior Nidan Senpai Owen Patterson
Junior Nidan Senpai Ruben Whitaker

Senpai Anna Byrne	Senpai Elyse Fernando	Senpai Shael Murthy
Senpai Tommy Scholle	Senpai Brody Schwartz	Senpai Zak Shearn

See the official group photo of all the recently promoted Junior Black Belts.