December 2010

In This Issue

Parent Pitch

Board Breaking News

Violence Prevention

Member News

Community Outreach

Upcoming Events

Parent Pitch

Special New Year’s Training for Kids and Annual Meeting for Parents

Ensure your child’s enthusiasm and commitment to their karate training in 2011 by bringing them – and yourself - to a special New Year’s program we’re hosting on Saturday January 8 from 10:30 am to noon. The free event is for juniors, youth and teens age 12-14 AND their parents.

The kids will enjoy a special workout led by the team of TW’s staff instructors while parents meet with TW Directors, Nancy Lanoue and Sarah Ludden and Board Chair Pat Broughton. We’ll share exciting new offerings for kids at TW that will be starting soon and listen to parents’ feedback on how we are doing and how we might better meet your family’s needs. Read more details here.

Camp Kokoro 2011 – Registration Opens January 3!

Sarah Ludden, Camp Coordinator

Fun – Spirit – Community – Non-violence – Respect – Art – Courage. These words capture the essence of Camp Kokoro, enticing campers to return year after year and attracting new families looking for quality summer activities.  Registration opens January 3.  You will receive a $50 discount during the month of January and be assured of a spot in this very popular program.  The camp fills up quickly, so don’t wait!

Open to: Children age 6 to those entering 8th grade (fall of 2011)
    Junior Class: 1st and 2nd graders
    Youth Class: 3rd - 6th graders
    Counselors in Training (CIT):  7th and 8th graders

Session 1--Monday, June 20 to Friday, July 1. 
Session 2--Tuesday, July 5 to Friday, July 15.
Time:  9 AM to 3 PM

Scholarships are available.  To read more about Camp, click here.

Board Breaking News

Welcome New TW Board Members

This fall we elected four new members to the Thousand Waves board of directors for the 2011-2013 term.  We are so grateful to Michele Curley, Carolyn Master, Sophie Michals, and Lauren Schwendimann for stepping into this vital volunteer role!

Michele will serve as co-chair along with Katie Speth and Denise Coleman for the 2011 Spirit Challenge, while continuing her volunteer work with Jim Winfrey to coordinate our two annual dojo clean-ups and her teaching in the Adapted Seido Karate program. Carolyn will work with Jean Petersen on Member Relations and Volunteer Coordination.  She has some great ideas on special events to draw new members into the community which we look forward to exploring.

Sophie and Lauren will serve on the Marketing Committee, helping our ongoing quest to boost adult membership.  Lauren will also work with us on a lobby redesign to better accommodate parents and children in the busy afternoon hours. While Michele, Carolyn, Sophie and Lauren are new to the board, they are not new to Thousand Waves, and chances are you know them. Besides actively training, they also have generously and repeatedly volunteered their time in recent years. Please read their bios here to learn more about them.

To those board members stepping down – we cannot thank you enough for your dedicated service: Kristen Klecker, Diane Miller, Scott Rapacz, and Margarita Saona. 

Violence Prevetion

Dinner Table Defense: Holiday Edition

by Kate Webster, Associate Director of Violence Prevention Programs

“I was sitting at our holiday dinner table when my grandfather leaned over and muttered his usual racist aside. In times past, I’ve said nothing and then not succeeded in letting it go. Inevitably, it ruins my meal and my evening overall and I remain upset that I didn’t speak out against his hateful speech.

This last time, however, I used assertive communication skills I learned at Thousand Waves and said to him quietly, ‘I’m not going to listen to that anymore.’ Then I turned and talked to my other neighbor for the remainder of the dinner. While I wasn’t able to entirely let it go, the rest of dinner went smoothly and I did feel better by speaking up.”

Thousand Waves members often report stories like this to us. While visits with family are often filled with love and laughter, they can also have moments of stress and tension when negative dynamics surface and get re-enacted. At these times, our members use skills they’ve learned in our violence prevention programs to keep the peace and/or keep their sanity.

Click here for more Dinner Table Defense.

Member News

Celebration to Honor – and Roast! – Marie O’Brien,
TW’s Director of Violence Prevention Programs

Please join us on Friday January 14, from 7:30 to 9 pm, for a party to celebrate Marie. As many of you know from our announcement last month, after 17 years at Thousand Waves, first as a Seido and Kajukenbo student, then as a karate and self-defense teacher, and for the past 8 years as Director of Violence Prevention Programs, Marie will be leaving us soon to pursue a dream to live abroad. In fact, January 14 is her last day on staff, and we want to send her off with our whole community’s love and best wishes.

If your life at Thousand Waves has been touched by Marie – as her training partner or testing mate, as a student in her karate classes, as a participant in a self-defense workshop or course she taught, as someone she mentored to teach violence prevention, as a member of our Speakers Bureau, or a performer in Empowerment Stories in Action, or in any other capacity – please come and share a story.

Those of you who remember the days when all TW celebrations were an excuse to create and perform in silly but entertaining skits are cordially invited to revive this dormant tradition and treat us to some irreverent impersonations of Marie in one of her many roles.

Please bring a beverage and a snack to share if you can, and consider writing a card to remind Marie how keenly she will be missed.

Recent and Upcoming Black Belt Tests: Congratulations and Good Luck

Hundreds of training members plus dozens of friends and family members came together last month to bear witness, learn, give support and receive inspiration as TW members Matt Birnholz, Sayira Khokhar, Allison Branen and Jacob Laden-Guindon tested for black belt.

The crowd watched in rapt attention throughout the long afternoon through five grueling hours of basics, breaking, self-defense, kata and sparring, plus conditioning and agility challenges. They held their breath during the final kumite rounds, willing spirit and determination to overcome exhaustion. And they roared with celebratory joy when the gong rang announcing that the black belt test was complete. Thanks to Jason Birnholz for his photographic documentation available for viewing here.

Please join us in congratulating our four newest shodans. Since Thousand Waves’ inception 25 years ago, 130 students have achieved this rank. At the end of the belt ceremony, Jun Shihan Nancy and Kyoshi Sarah extended provisional invitations to test to the following members:


Yondan on April 3:
Sally Wigginton

Sandan on July 8:
Sara Brodzinsky, Max Kuroda, Kate Webster

Nidan on July 8:
Pat Broughton, Denise Coleman, Marcia East, Brandon Garcia, Mary Nolan, Kate Phillippo,
Gigi Silverstein-Tapp

Shodan on Sat April 9: 
Thomas Keene, Sophie Michals, Margarita Saona

Junior Nidan on Sat April 2: 
Ben Chesler 

Junior Shodan on Sat April 2:
Gabrielle Afable, Ian Kidwell, Max McCoy, Aidan Robert-Fitzgerald

Pearls from Promotion Essays

“I wouldn’t have believed anyone warning me at the onset that my quietest, most closely guarded insecurities could surface through this martial art.  My practice has begun to reflect how I truly see myself, as someone who struggles at times to balance proud versus guilty consciences.  Passion, humility, focus, consistency, and intensity: these are behavioral and emotional gauges of my self-esteem, and my training at Thousand Waves made them all visibly transparent.” 
– Senpai Matt Birnholz

“I would imagine an obstacle or a situation I was currently dealing with and fight through it as I practiced kata.  I would think of solutions to my problems and figure out ways of dealing with them directly.  Sometimes I would even think of nothing and just empty my mind.  In these moments I would find that center of peace that I had worked hard to create during my years of training.  Here I could truly focus on repairing the damage that life’s hardships had created.”  
– Senpai Sayira Khokhar

“Even on those days that I practically force myself to go to class, I always leave feeling fulfilled.  While I’ve been a member, there have been several students who’ve sustained injuries and undergone surgeries, and even cancer treatments.  Nothing has been more inspiring than watching them come back to the dojo and begin training again.  These are the people who inspire me.”
– Senpai Allison Branen

“Prevalent in the philosophy of martial arts is the idea of däo, the do, the Way. The importance is not to come to the end of the path, but to walk along it.  The point of perfection is not the goal; the act of perfecting is all that matters. Enduring joy does not come from the achievement of a new ability but from the identification of new levels of ability and the struggle to attain these levels.”
– Senpai Jacob Laden-Guindon

Juniors who tested on 11-20-2010
A.J. Meyers – 6th Kyu
Aiden Choslovsky – 9th Kyu
Aiden Grant – 5th Kyu
Alex Boyle – 9th Kyu
Angel Machuca – 6th Kyu
Anna Byrne – 9th Kyu
Bryce Bargowski – 9th Kyu
Bryce Wolf – 6th Kyu
Charles Laszuk – 6th Kyu
Clayton Baime – 9th Kyu
Danny Horowitz – 9th Kyu
Elisa Fogarty – 9th Kyu
Elizabeth Collins-Ward – 6th Kyu
Ella Bruks – 7th Kyu
Gabrielle Wolf – 6th Kyu
Isaac Collins-Ward – 6th Kyu
Jack Boyle – 9th Kyu
Jack Larson – 9th Kyu
Jack Mulvaney – 9th Kyu
Jonathan Norber – 7th Kyu
Joshua Arias – 7th Kyu
Josie Martorana – 9th Kyu
Julian Meadows – 6th Kyu
Kamille Hamilton – 7th Kyu
Leo Daly – 7th Kyu
Liam Brigden – 9th Kyu
Lily Montalvo – 9th Kyu
Lucas Cose – 9th Kyu
Lucas Frisancho – 8th Kyu
Marcus McDermott – 8th Kyu
Michael Fogarty – 9th Kyu
Myles Church – 9th Kyu
Nate Savoie – 9th Kyu
Nick Iyer – 9th Kyu
Noam Levinsky – 8th Kyu
Ozan Yalaz – 9th Kyu
Ryan Hardiman – 7th Kyu
Sarah Day – 6th Kyu
Tommy Cosgrove – 8th Kyu
Willa Marie O'Donnell – 8th Kyu

Youth who tested on 11-20-2010
Allison Elkins – 9th Kyu
Ben Hartman – 9th Kyu
Bryce Bezirgan – 4th Kyu
Clara Laden-Guindon – 3rd Kyu
Grace McCarthy – 8th Kyu
Jacob Kline – 9th Kyu
Jason Dulberg – 3rd Kyu
Joshua Baumstark – 5th Kyu
Julia Ruth – 6th Kyu
Lazar Sestovic – 4th Kyu
Lilit Matar – 2nd Kyu
Lulu Daly – 6th Kyu
Michael Marling – 2nd Kyu
Michael Youngblood – 6th Kyu
Owen Patterson – 3rd Kyu
Parker Ljung – 2nd Kyu
Sara McCoy – 7th Kyu
Sophie Ishiwari – 4th Kyu

Adults who tested on 11-17-2010
Elesabeth Bacherta – 7th Kyu
Elizabeth Savoie – 8th Kyu
Ellen Gibbon – 9th Kyu
Erin Epperson – 9th Kyu
Jen Brown – 6th Kyu
Lauren Schwendimann – 5th Kyu
Matt Trigo – 6th Kyu
Michele Curley – 5th Kyu
Patrick Coicou – 6th Kyu
Samuel Brown – 6th Kyu
Will Glynn – 5th Kyu

Community Outreach

Thousand Waves Launches New Adult Member Drive

A healthy balance of Adult and Child training members is a good thing!  To help us keep it going at Thousand Waves, During December and January we’re holding a New Member Drive for our adult Seido karate program. All new adult members can join Thousand Waves for half-off the introductory package you probably received when you joined.  Click anywhere in the image to the left for a printable flyer detailing the offer - please share it widely with any adults in your lives you think could benefit from training in Seido Karate at Thousand Waves!

Our ambitious goal is 20 new adult members by January 31, 2011 – about double our normal number for this time period.  To help us along, current members who refer another adult who joins TW will receive 25 Dojo Dollars – just have your friend write your name on their visitor information form when they come in for a free trial class!

With One Voice

The community choir, With One Voice, is holding a benefit for Thousand Waves!  With One Voice performs powerful, inspiring music while partnering with social justice organizations to bring awareness and support to their causes.  They sing dynamic choral music from around the world that celebrates diversity and humanity. We are honored to be selected as a beneficiary for their January 16 concert, 3pm at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1218 W. Addison.

The upcoming show “We Dream a World,” commemorates Martin Luther King, Jr. 30% of proceeds from this concert will benefit Thousand Waves. Please save the date and join us.

A printable flyer is available here.

Upcoming Events

New Year's Events

Special New Year’s Training for Children/Annual Meeting for Parents
Saturday, January 8, 10:30 am to Noon

Kagami Biraki / Annual Members Meeting for Adults and Older Teens
Sunday, January 9, 8:00 am to Noon

Self Defense/Violence Prevention Programs

Self-Defense Course, Mixed Gender.
Runs four Saturdays, January 22 to February 12,
from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

Learn verbal assertiveness, peaceful conflict resolution, escapes from holds, physical defense techniques, and how to respond to harassment.

Cost: $140/$125 if you register by December 30
(scholarship assistance available).
Instructors: Susan and Ryan

Flyer available here.

Celebration to Honor – and Roast! – Marie O’Brien

Friday, January 14, 7:30 to 9 pm.

Join the community in honoring her with a party at the dojo and create an opportunity for all of us to extend to her our love, respect, gratitude and best wishes.

Community Choir “With One Voice” Holds Benefit for Thousand Waves

Sunday, January 16, 3pm.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church,
1218 W. Addison.

Click here for a printable flyer.

Promotion Tests

Closings/Class Cancellations