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February 2010
In this issue:
Note to Readers: The next issue of Kiai! will be sent from a new email address, tw@thousandwaves.org; please add this email to your address book or safe senders list to ensure you receive Kiai! and other communications from Thousand Waves.
Feature Article
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Thousand Waves' 25th By Nancy Lanoue, Co-Executive Director |
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In 2010 it will be 25 years since I began teaching karate and self-defense here in Chicago at the Women’s Gym, which transformed into Chicago Women’s Seido Karate, which transformed into Thousand Waves. Given the severity of the challenges we have faced, it feels like a miracle that we survived. But we did, and that’s worth celebrating! I’ve never been drawn to big, flamboyant birthday or anniversary celebrations. To me, they seem like a lot of work and an uncomfortable opportunity to be the center of attention. So last fall when TW Board Chair Pat Broughton asked Co-director Sarah Ludden and me how we wanted to celebrate Thousand Waves’ upcoming 25th anniversary, we had a vague feeling of dread that another big project was on the horizon and that we would be called to “rally the troops” to support it. |
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Monday, February 15th – Thousand Waves Open Monday, February 22nd – Kaicho’s Birthday |
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Sunday, February 28th – Stress Management & Wellness Workshop
Improve your health, decrease stress, and learn self-care techniques. $40 (scholarship assistance is available). 2:30 - 5:30 pm. Childcare available with RSVP.
Wednesday, March 3rd Meditation, 7:30 - 8:40pm Saturday, March 13, 4 - 6:00 pm, Bo Staff Basics Workshop Wednesday, March 17th – Adult Promotion Tests, 6:30 - 9:30pm |
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Saturday, March 20th – Children's Promotion Tests
Little Kick and Junior Programs: 9:00 - 10:00am
Youth and Teens Program: 4:00 - 6:00pm
Tuesdays, April 6 - 27th, Self-Defense Course for Women and Teen Girls |
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Wednesday, April 7th Meditation, 7:30 - 8:40
Topic: Rights and Responsibilities within Training Partnerships and their Application outside the Dojo.
Saturday, April 10th Defense Against Guns Workshop
Open to: Brown and Black Belts. Taught by Sensei Jonathan, cost $25.
Little Angel Foundation Continues Support
Thousand Waves is delighted to announce that the Little Angel Foundation has renewed grant support for the Alliances for Hope, Healing and Action (AHHA) project. In our fifth year of the project, Thousand Waves will connect with four agencies that do direct service in the area of domestic violence and/or at-risk youth. In 2010, up to 30 staff members at each partner agency will participate in trainings on stress management and wellness, communication for harmony and safety, and self-defense—all free to the agency, and led by Thousand Waves Violence Prevention Instructors.
In awarding Thousand Waves grant support this year, the Executive Director of the Little Angel Foundation wrote, “[Y]our organization has done a more than excellent job assisting Domestic Violence agencies and victims with your AHHA Project; the community you serve has been very blessed with your services. “
The Alliances project seeks to build deeper relationships with other agencies that work with survivors of violence, to support staff at those agencies that do the stressful work of providing direct services, to connect with the clients and communities these agencies serve, and to address myths and misconceptions about self-defense that may inhibit service providers from referring clients to Thousand Waves' Violence Prevention programs. We are extremely grateful to the Little Angel Foundation for their recognition of our innovative approach through their multi-year financial support.
Co-Director Nancy Lanoue awarded Rev. Jacki Belile Thousand Waves’ coveted Peacemaker Award on Saturday, January 16th at the first Meditations on Activism event of 2010. The program included a showing of the compelling film The Power of Forgiveness followed by a discussion facilitated by Belile with a diverse audience of over 50 people.
Thousand Waves honored Belile for her years of peace and justice work as an American Baptist minister, where she fought for LGBTQ people’s right to a safe and nurturing place within that denomination while fostering respectful, non-polarized dialogue between those with opposing views. More recently, through her work with Living Well Ministries, she has focused on providing classes and retreats on wellness, spiritual journeys and forgiveness to groups and individuals who are committed to living engaged, compassionate lives.
In 2009, Thousand Waves initiated its Peacemaker Award to acknowledge and publicly honor the courage, commitment and hard work it takes to prevent, stop or reduce violence. In the spirit of “one wave setting thousands in motion,” the award honors the individual in order to illuminate the rippling affects of individual peace work.
In addition to Belile, Peacemaker awards have been presented to Anne Parry, Director of the Office of Violence Prevention at the Chicago Health Department; Aileen Geary, a local high school teacher who works to educate youth on tolerance and violence prevention, and who used her skills to bravely interrupt a potential fight on a CTA train; Lizzy Frazer, who at age six, stopped fighting in her classroom by teaching her classmates the “TAKE TEN!” system of anger management; and Marie O’Brien, the Director of Violence Prevention Programs at Thousand Waves.
Leadership Roles for Teens at TW
In January, several TW teen members generously volunteered their time providing childcare. Their kind actions enabled parents to attend the Annual Member Meeting on January 10th and the Meditations on Activism Program on January 16th. All those who have stepped forward in this way are deeply appreciated.
Teen members are also regularly assisting in Little Kick and Junior classes during the week and on weekends. Their focused presence enables these classes to run more smoothly. Many thanks to these Senpai for taking on this important leadership role.
TW wants all teens to remember that this type of volunteer work counts toward community service hours that many teens need to fulfill as part of their high school graduation requirements. TW needs teens interested in volunteering to step forward. Speak to Jun Shihan Nancy or Kyoshi Sarah if you are interested in childcare or if you are interested in making a commitment to regularly assisting in a Little Kick or Junior class.
ASK student is Inspirational Athlete of the Year
By Max Kuroda
Maribel Melendez received the Inspirational Athlete of the Year Award from Comcast SportsNet at last night’s benefit for the Illinois Chapter of the March of Dimes. Maribel was honored alongside professional athletes from the White Sox, the Blackhawks, the Bulls, the Cubs, the Fire, and the Bears.
Despite their reliance on wheelchairs for mobility, Maribel and her twin sister, Marisel, have diligently trained in the Adapted Seido Karate (ASK) program ever since they participated in the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Caring for Kids summer camp in 2007. Through their consistent and sincere effort they now hold the ranks of adult yellow belt (Maribel) and orange belt (Marisel). As co-directors of the ASK program, Senpai Rebecca Angevine and I were thrilled when Maribel first told us about the award. Maribel is an outstanding student who continuously amazes us and the other teachers and students in the program. Maribel does not use her wheelchair for much of her karate training, preferring instead to practice kata on her knees on the hardwood floor. When Maribel attempted tameshiwari (board-breaking), she drew upon her focus and commitment for a successful break because, again on her knees, she knew she would not be able to rely on height to leverage her downward tettsui (hammerfist) weapon. See Maribel’s break for yourself here!
Congratulations to all Karate-ka that promoted in January!
| A.J. Meyers Aaron Alberg Aaron Shafer Aidan James Randall Alenna Abbatemarco Aqil Young Arturo Jauregui Ashley Savoie Bahar Berksoy Ben Crotty Ben Rachlis Benny Rizzo Cesáreo Moreno Charles Laszuk Clare Hardiman Debra Swan Denise Zaccardi Dharma Seda Gonzalez Elliot Phillips Erin Sadler Everton Levy Gabriel Moreno Gavin Thompson George Day George McCoy Griffin Adaya Hannah Rachlis Heather Schannon Ian Speth Jack Herlihy Jack Savoie Jacopo DeMarinis Jake Hubert Jeremy Margolin John Shoemaker Joseph Lebensorger Kahlo Quinn Lauren Schwendimann Liam Dahlborn Liam Darrah Lilit Matar Louis Armstrong Malia Washington Maribel Melendez Mateus Jobes Matthew Dulberg Maxwell Buttny Melissa Ross Michael Youngblood Michele Curley Olivia Perris Owen Speth Payton Shearn Petar Veljkovic Quinn Straw Rebecca Epstein Ruben Whitaker Sarah Glynn Sophia Newman Teddy Bahu Wendy Lehman Will Glynn Yiorgos Takoudes |
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