2020 February
2018 December August June February
2017 December September June March
2016 November August June March
2015 December October July May February
2014 December October July April February
2013 December October August May February
2012 December September July April February
2011 December September July April February
December 2013
In This Issue
Not Just for Parents
- Interview: Parents Who Study Karate with Their Kids
- Kagami Biraki for Kids/Annual Parent Meeting
- Punch & Kick-a-Thon: Photos & Numbers
- THIS JUST IN: Monday December 23 will be Final No-School Day Camp of 2013
Action Items
- What Difference Do Your Dollars Make?
- TW to Host National Women's Martial Arts & Self-Defense Conference in July 2014
Violence Prevention Field Notes
Events of Note
- Meditations on Twelve Words: Monthly Reflections on Our Practice
- Austin in November: Black Belt Testing at TW Sister School Sun Dragon
- Recent Promotees
Interview: Parents Who Study Karate with Their Kids
David (left) and his mother, Mandy Sark train
together in the Youth Program. David was
recently promoted to blue belt.
Advanced Green Belt
We all know Thousand Waves is a great place with an amazing community. At the same time though, there isn’t much time to talk to your fellow karateka around class time. Everyone is usually focused on getting their heads into class, or on what they need to accomplish after class. Well, here’s a chance to get to know a few individuals. They are all parents with children training in the Youth program, and they train themselves. Meet Mandy Sark white belt, mother to David Sark, new blue belt. Also, meet Mark and Cindy Mayernik, white belts, parents to Amber and Kealani, green belts. And finally, meet Tabitha Balakumar, advanced green belt, mother to Ethan and Owen, new advanced brown belts.
Kagami Biraki for Kids/Annual Parent Meeting
Save the Date – Kids AND Parents – Please Come!
Saturday, January 11th
Special Karate Class for TW Kids to Ring in the New Year
& Annual Meeting for Parents & Teachers
Little Kicks and Juniors: 10:15 to 11 am
Youth and Teens: 11 am to Noon
Early in the morning the first weekend after the end of the holidays, Seido Karate members all around the world will gather at their dojos for a special strong-spirited workout to create positive energy for the new year.
At Kagami Biraki on January 11, kids will be guided to reflect back on
their 2013 karate experience, and to set goals for 2014.
While the kids are training upstairs, Sei Shihan Nancy and key staff and board members will meet separately with parents downstairs. We will report out to you, our stakeholders, on our non-profit organization’s programmatic and financial achievements and struggles, and let you know how you can get more involved and help us thrive.
We’ll answer questions about your child’s next steps on their training path, and tell you about the special activities we have planned for them in 2014. This is also a time for you to give us feedback on how we are doing, and how we can improve your family’s experience here.
Whether your kids are brand new, or have been here for years, please come be a part of this once-a-year gathering. A light breakfast snack will be served, and coffee will be plentiful.
Punch & Kick-a-Thon: Photos & Numbers
Punch & Kick-a-Thon 2013: A Big Success
Punch & Kick-a-Thon is Thousand Waves’ annual kids’ fundraising event to raise money for the scholarship fund, the Adapted Seido Karate (ASK) program and the violence prevention outreach of Thousand Waves. Punch & Kick-a-Thon 2013 was Saturday, November 2. 132 participants, including 17 ASK students and 25 parents did 1,000 punches and 1,000 kicks (or 500 or 250 each if they were in the Junior or Little Kicks program). Together, they raised $35,734, averaging $270 per person. The average donation size was $75. Kids who raised at least $200 were invited to reward parties.
Click here to see more photos.
THIS JUST IN: Monday December 23 will be Final No-School Day Camp of 2013
Get your last-minute holiday shopping done while the kids are safe and happy spending the day with their karate friends and teachers! Our final No-School Day Camp of 2013 will be Monday December 23rd from 9 am to 3 pm. The fee is $50, and participants get credit for 3 karate classes. Bring a lunch and appropriate winter wear – if weather at all permits we walk to a local park. Call or stop by the front desk to register!
What Difference Do Your Dollars Make?
By Senpai Pat Broughton,
2nd Degree Black Belt
Never doubt that your donations to Thousand Waves make a difference. Last year generous contributions from Thousand Waves members, families, and alums, along with gifts from their family and friends given during fundraising events, made up 29% of Thousand Waves’ revenue.
Now imagine we didn’t have those gifts. What would it be like to have 29% fewer classes, 29% fewer teachers, 29% fewer friendly faces at the front desk, 29% fewer scholarship dollars (and students), 29% fewer violence prevention programs, 29% fewer … you get the point.
Each and every gift helps support Thousand Waves. Our end of the year appeal, currently underway, is one more opportunity to give.
And then there’s the Plum Blossom Society, which recognizes individuals and families who make gifts totaling $1,000 or more. Last year there were 34 founding members of the Plum Blossom Society, This year, to date, the Plum Blossom Society has 29 members.
Click here to see members of the 2013 Plum Blossom Society.
There’s still time to join the Plum Blossom Society. All gifts received by December 31 – including those in response to the end of the year appeal – count toward your $1,000 total. Again this year, Plum Blossom Society members will be invited to an exclusive dinner at the home of Thousand Waves’ Executive Directors, Nancy Lanoue and Sarah Ludden. The dinner for 2013 members will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2014.
Click here to donate to Thousand Waves.
TW to Host National Women's Martial Arts & Self-Defense
Conference
in July 2014
By Sei Shihan Nancy Lanoue,
Executive Director and 6th Degree Black Belt
Something big is happening, and I’m asking for the whole Thousand Waves community’s support to make it successful. I have accepted an invitation to host the annual conference of the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation, a sister non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the involvement of women and girls in martial arts and self-defense. The conference will be called PeaceWorks, in recognition of the many ways we can build peace and reduce violence, and the fact that all of them require skills and hard work.
PeaceWorks will offer 4.5 days of intensive mind/body training and education in many styles of Martial Arts, Healing Arts, Self-Defense and Violence Prevention. The conference will be held at North Central College in Naperville, IL from July 16 - 20, 2014. It is open to women and girls (ages 6 & up), with a one day option, Super Saturday, for male allies and women and girls who can’t attend the full conference. Participants can stay on campus (dormitory housing and meals are included in the full conference fee), or take advantage of a commuter option.
Violence Prevention Field Notes
Rounding Out My Wellness Wheel
By Senpai Ryan Libel
Director of Operations, 2nd Degree Black Belt
Last month, I was co-teaching a wellness workshop with Senpai Kate Webster for a group of pre and neo-natal service providers from Ounce of Prevention, a local non-profit organization. One of our activities during wellness workshops is a “Wellness Wheel.” I 
always do the activity along with workshop participants, so I’ve completed several of these wheels over the years. The idea is simple – we rank ourselves on various dimensions like food, exercise, hobbies, etc., and the degree to which we have a balance of healthy activities in our lives ends up being reflected in the degree to which the “wheel” we create is perfectly round. No honest person ends up with a perfectly round wheel, but this time I noticed I had made some progress evening mine out, and I instantly knew why. As I shared with the workshop participants, I just started playing the violin again after a 25 year hiatus, and it’s bringing me tons of joy on a daily basis. I was happy to be able to share with the group my story of how re-igniting an old flame has benefited my overall health and wellness! I must admit, teaching our health and wellness workshops sometimes feels more like fun than work.
Have you been wanting to take a self-defense course for a while now? Our first Self-Defense Weekend Intensive Course of 2014 will be held January 24-26 – a perfect deep-winter weekend to spend indoors at Thousand Waves! Come learn empowering skills that anyone can use.
Click here for more information, and/or register online at this link!
Meditations on Twelve Words: Monthly Reflections on Our Practice
By Jeffrey Gore,
Advanced Brown Belt
The 2013 Monthly Meditation Programs at Thousand Waves were devoted to a seemingly simple format, a group meditation and a discussion on a single word – such as Discipline, Healing, Lineage, and Fierceness – facilitated each month by the most experienced members of our community. In this hour, we left behind our regular focus on physical activities to investigate a word that only became richer upon reflection.
Read on for Jeff’s synopsis of our 2013 discussions.
Austin in November: Black Belt Testing at TW Sister School Sun Dragon
By Senpai Amy Jones,
2nd Degree Black Belt
Austin Seido student Anja Gordon is tested for
Junior Black Belt by Jun Shihan Sarah.
—Jun Shihan Sarah Ludden
Senpai Amy Jones, a Seido 2nd degree black belt student who is originally from Austin but recently relocated to Chicago and joined our training community, returned home for this momentous occasion – an extremely heartwarming reunion to witness. Please enjoy her description of the black belt test:
“Can I be first?” said Coty, parent and board member, as she stepped outside the dojo into the warm November evening. “I want to be first.” With that, she enveloped me in a big hug, which I returned gratefully. That hug was followed by many more as I walked into the dojo on Friday night, November 15th. It was my first visit to Sun Dragon since May.
Read more of Senpai Amy's description of the black belt test at Sun Dragon.
Congratulations to November 2013 Promotees
Junior Color Belts
Youth & Teen Color Belts
Adult Color Belts