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December 2012
In This Issue
Violence Prevention Near and Far
- Men Against Gender Violence in Bangladesh
- Standing Up to Street Harassment in India
- Girl Empowerment in Chicago at Young Women's Leadership Charter School
Support the Work of Thousand Waves
Upcoming Events
Member News
- Photo Essay: Junior Black Belt Test, Adult Black Belt Test, Punch & Kick-A-Thon, Tameshiwari (Board Breaking), Dojo Babies
- Report from New York: A Seido Tournament Experience
- ASK Students Win "All-Star" Award
Rank Advancements
Violence Prevention Near and Far
I'd Been Waiting: Men Against Gender Violence in Bangladesh
By M. Sophia Newman
M. Sophia Newman, an alumni and friend of Thousand Waves, is a Fulbright Scholar currently studying in Bangladesh. The following piece is reprinted with permission from her blog, msophianewman.com.
Man, life in Bangladesh can be satisfying.
Today I met my tutor in the library for a typical study session. While I finished up some writing practice, she went to the restroom. She came back and told me that there was something called a jatra in the courtyard. She explained that this is a traditional Bengali community theater sort of event, often with music. I finished up my worksheet and we left to check it out.
The jatra turned out to be part of the university's participation in the worldwide 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, which is happening now.
Read Sophia's report about the jatra here.
Standing Up to Street Harassment in India
By Erin H. Epperson
Erin H. Epperson is a PhD Candidate at the University of Chicago in the South Asian Languages and Civilizations department. She holds a green belt in Seido Karate and trains at Thousand Waves. She is currently in India pursuing research for her doctoral dissertation.
The youngest daughter of the family that runs my Sarnath guesthouse asked me to teach her self defense. So I met with her to teach her some of the basics covered in our Five Fingers of Self-Defense (Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell) courses. When I started on material from the “Yell” finger, I was both pleasantly surprised and dismayed to realize Tapu (17) already had an amazing command of verbal boundary-setting skills. I recalled that in the Five Fingers classes I had either attended or assisted with, many women often appeared uncomfortable or embarassed to practice verbal boundary setting skills, and needed encouragement from TW staff. Tapu displayed no such embarrassment. The dismay came when she told me why. “Here, it’s very necessary,” Tapu said. “Boys here are not so good. They will do all sorts of things…like this—” Tapu demonstrated by walking up from behind me and firmly stroking the front of my thigh as she passed. “So you have to say something right then.”
Girl Empowerment in Chicago at Young Women's Leadership Charter School
Thousand Waves Violence Prevention Instructors, Kate Webster and Hope Robinson, with Young Women Leadership Charter School members of the Fall 2012 Girl Empowerment afterschool club. This was a 12 week self-defense and violence prevention club run by Thousand Waves and funded by the Chicago Youth Centers. We are pleased to announce that YWLCS is bringing us back in the spring for another 12-week session!
Support the Work of Thousand Waves
End of Year Appeal
As a not-for-profit dedicated to fostering fitness, healing, empowerment and peacemaking, Thousand Waves means so much to so many. Together, we are:
— learners, pursuing a health practice that develops the mind, body, and spirit with an ever-evolving group of peer teachers.
— a family that loves and supports its members through difficult times of unemployment, surgery, or loss; that welcomes them back after long absences due to sickness, having children, or navigating life's shifting priorities.
— an organization dedicated to improving the lives of low income youth through our karate, violence prevention, and Adapted Seido Karate programming.
— a not-for-profit agency serving other NFPs with our innovative Violence Prevention programming.
— a strong voice for peace in a world that desperately needs it.
As 2012 draws to a close, we hope you can consider making a final, tax-deductible financial gift to Thousand Waves. If your year has been exceptional, won't you consider joining the more than 25 inaugural families in Thousand Waves' Plum Blossom Society, established by our volunteer fundraising committee to recognize families whose annual contributions to TW total $1000 or more?
Thank you so much for your support.
Kagami Biraki/Annual Member Meeting – Save The Date!
Junior and Youth: ONE WORKOUT FOR ALL, Saturday, January 5 from 10:30-noon, parent meeting held concurrently
Adults and Teens: Sunday, January 6 from 8:00 am – noon.
Seido members all around the world – from white to black belt – gather at their dojos early in the morning on the first weekend after the end of the holidays for a traditional strong-spirited workout to create positive energy for the new year.
We will reflect back on 2012, remembering and appreciating its opportunities and challenges, and then look forward, setting our personal training goals for 2013. Please lend your energy to this special workout and ceremony.
 During Kagami Biraki, every inch of the |
 Kids meet in small groups to share their reflections and set goals for the new year. |
The same day, we will hold our annual meeting when the board of directors and staff meet with adult members, and separately with the parents of our young members.
We will report on Thousand Waves finances and program planning for the new year and talk about ways members can get involved and make a positive contribution. And we will listen to feedback on how our members think we are doing.
Please come be a part of this conversation. You’ll learn how Thousand Waves is doing much more than you think.
 |
Is your preschooler wild about karate from cartoons and video games? Good news! Little Kicks Karate for 4 and 5 year old kids is returning to Thousand Waves in a new and improved format. |
Calendar: December through February
December
- Monday, December 24 – Tuesday, December 25. Dojo closed for Christmas.
- Monday, December 31 – Dojo closed for New Years.
January
- Tuesday, January 1 – Dojo closed for New Years.
- Wednesday, January 2 – Meditation Program – Annual Goal setting within the Context of a Lifetime Practice, 6:45 – 9:30 p.m.
- Saturday, January 5 – Kagami Biraki for Kids and Annual Parents Meeting, 10:30 a.m. – noon.
- Sunday, January 6 – Kagami Biraki for Adults & Teens and Annual Member Meeting, 8 a.m. – noon.
- Tuesday, January 8 – New Four-year-old Karate program starts, Tuesdays through 3/27, call (773) 472-7663 for info.
- Wednesday, January 9 – New Four-year-old Karate program starts, Wednesdays through 3/28, call (773) 472-7663 for info.
- Wednesday, January 9 – Teacher Training Meeting, open to all green belts & up. 7:45 – 9:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, January 16 – Senior Black Belt Class, 7:45 – 9:00 p.m.
- Saturday, January 19 – Color Belt Promotion Tests for Kids. Juniors, 9 – 10 a.m.; Youth & Teens, 4 – 6 p.m.
- Monday, January 21 – CPS Holiday Day Camp, $50. (also 2/12 and 4/17. 10% off when you pre-register for all three by Sat., 1/19)
- Wednesday, January 23 – Color Belt Promotion Test for Adults, 6:45 – 9:30 p.m.
- Thursday, January 24 – Board Meeting.
- Wednesday, January 30 – Violence Prevention Teachers Workshop, open to all green belts & up. 7:45 – 9:00 p.m.
February
- Friday, February 1 – Sunday, February 3 – 11-Hour Weekend Intensive Self-Defense Course for all genders, teens & adults. Friday, 6 – 9 p.m., Saturday & Sunday, 1:30 – 5:30 p.m. $135 if you register by January 18; $150 to register after January 18. Scholarship assistance available.
- Wednesday, February 6 – Meditation Program, 6:45 – 9:30 p.m.
- Saturday, February 9 – Meditations on Activism, Co-presented with IMPACT Chicago, Film screening: “The Invisible War”, 4 – 6 p.m., Free.
- Tuesday, February 12 – CPS Holiday Day Camp, $50.
Photo Essay: Junior Black Belt Test, Adult Black Belt Test, Punch & Kick-A-Thon, Tameshiwari (Board Breaking), Dojo Babies
View photographs of recent events at Thousand Waves.
Report from New York: A Seido Tournament Experience
By Senpai Kate Phillippo
Nidan
Back in October, I attended my fourth Seido tournament, but also had the opportunity to spend a full week in New York City. The tournament itself was a blast! I broke boards in competition for the first time, saw some incredibly talented martial artists at work, and had the amazing experiences of winning my sparring division (against one of the most intimidating and powerful karateka I've ever fought) and fighting in the grand champion round, in which I faced one of my sparring heroes in front of the entire tournament audience with Nidaime as the center judge!
Read more about Senpai Kate's Tournament Experience.
ASK Students Win "All-Star" Award
Alexis Winkelman, advanced orange belt, and Sam Daly, advanced green belt, received the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s Caring for Kids “All Star” award at a special ceremony on October 19th during the Institute’s 31st Annual Sports and Fitness Awards Dinner. Alexis has been training in Seido Karate since 2009, and Sam, who is dual-enrolled in Thousand Waves’ Youth Program, has been training since 2008.
Left to Right: Sam Daly, Senpai Carmina Andruzzi, Senpai Max Kuroda,
Alexis Winkelman,
Senpai Rebecca Angevine and Senpai TJ Nakano.
The “All Star” award commemorates kids who participate in multiple Caring for Kids activities. The award also recognizes Alexis and Sam for their good attendance, positive attitudes, good examples they set for their peers, and their mentoring of younger kids. ASK students receiving the award in years past include Joshua Bustos, Daniel De Jesus, Joe Longhini and Elis Ok.
Pearls from Promotion Essays
Shodan Testing Group, October 2012
Senpai Annie Gregory
On the surface, so many of the people I train with at Thousand Waves appear much more confident and fearless than I often feel inside. Reading about the challenges, insecurities, and fears of my senpai, and how their training has helped them meet these has been inspirational and revealing. We are sometimes taught to remain as calm as the surface of a lake, but I have been reminded that we rarely know what is going on beneath the surface. …
I have experienced many ups and downs during my training – physically, mentally, and spiritually. When dealing with challenges …I have felt at times like the “old, dark, falling-down building” behind a façade of serenity. But more and more, I find that the calm façade is not a façade at all because, by helping me keep my center during difficult times, karate training cultivates in me a sense of inner peace.
Senpai Becky Kidd
To say that I use my karate training every day is far from an exaggeration. Sometimes it is the letting go of the previous moment in traffic. Sometimes it is about taking up more space on a crowded train or bus. Sometimes it is choosing to walk in a more martial way down the street. It’s also in how I greet my coworkers with enthusiasm and respect. It’s about choosing not to be dragged into a pattern of negative thinking in the break room. It’s about doing what my boss asks without arguing about technique or motivation. This is not to say that I never grumble around the coffee pot or secretly think that my way is better. I do. We probably all do. I do find that I am more aware of these patterns and behaviors in myself than ever before and that sometimes I can even choose to take a different path toward a slightly more positive and constructive goal.
Senpai Debbie Edwards
Setting my own kumite goals made small instances of progress possible. Small progress snowballed into confidence building success. I gave myself the chance to like sparring – to love my growth in it. I started to consider whether this attitude could translate into other areas of life. It does. Now, I believe that I am my own best goal setter – only I can truly describe success. Success should be very personal. Once the cheers and jeers have died down, I am really only left with my own thoughts and feelings.
Senpai Shelby Donahue
I am very grateful for having tried a trial class at Thousand Waves more than four years ago. My time there has been both challenging and enjoyable. I know that my journey is not over and that I will continue to encounter obstacles in the dojo and outside of it. However, the skills that I have learned at Thousand Waves Martial Arts have made me better prepared and I know that if I am having a hard time handling something that I can count on others to help me
Congratulations to September 2012 Promotees
Junior Color Belts
| To 4th Kyu Green Belt, Graduating to Youth Program Elyse Fernando |
To 5th Kyu Advanced Yellow Belt Alex Kramerich Anan Bauman Caroline Rosen Joey Caruso Kumiko Muro |
To 6th Kyu Yellow Belt Caroline Hart Massimo Franco Nadia Becker |
To 7th Kyu Advanced Blue Belt Andres Pesch Ethan Lerch Henry Lamitie Leneke (Lenny) Knapp Lydia Missey |
| To 8th Kyu Blue Belt Ayush Mitra Jackson Menendez Luca Ladner Nathan Delaney Sydney Nicholas Tlaloc Ugarte-Roman |
Youth & Teen Color Belts
| To 1st Kyu Advanced Brown Belt Bahar Berksoy Malia Washington Ruben Whitaker |
To 2nd Kyu Brown Belt Auden Litke Jack Savoie Joshua Arias |
To 3rd Kyu Advanced Green Belt Ashley Savoie Jake Caruso Julia Ruth Sara McCoy |
To 5th Kyu Advanced Yellow Belt Alex Savkovic Jake Phillips Lukas Maksin Takato Muro Yiorgas Takoudis |
| To 6th Kyu Yellow Belt Amber Mayernik Francesca (Chessie) Sadovi Sara Causevic Tom Jankowski |
To 7th Kyu Advanced Blue Belt Caroline Bedell Frederick Hilgart Justin Heather Luke Hilgart |
To 8th Kyu Blue Belt Josie Schoendorff |
Adult Color Belts
| To 4th Kyu Green Belt Fay Cheng June Kirk Tabitha Balakumar |
To 6th Kyu Yellow Belt Jane Kollmer |
To 7th Kyu Advanced Blue Belt Pat Shaw |
To 8th Kyu Blue Belt Douglas Knapp Paula Clayton Rosalia Scholle |
Congratulations to New Junior Black Belts
October 6, 2012
| To Jr. Nidan Graham Burleigh |
To Jr. Shodan Ana Gore Ava Swan Clara Laden-Guindon Evan Burleigh Gianna Trimarco Hannah Rachlis Jason Dulburg John Rittereiser Joseph Freidman Owen Patterson |
Congratulations to New Adult Black Belts
October 13, 2012
| To Shodan Annie Gregory Becky Kidd Debbie Edwards Shelby Donahue |
Congratulations to November 2012 Promotees
Junior Color Belts
| To 4th Kyu Green Belt, Graduating to Youth Program Sonia Anderson |
To 5th Kyu Advanced Yellow Belt Aiden Choslovsky |
To 6th Kyu Yellow Belt Julian Lopez |
To 7th Kyu Advanced Blue Belt Alexander Omiotek Gabrielle Van Fleet Jackson Humphrey Jackson Menendez Owen Brown Tlaloc Ugarte-Roman |
| To 8th Kyu Blue Belt Cameron Grant Hunter Whitney Lillian Kaufman Noah Kevo Pierce Bakker Quinn Deighan |
Youth & Teen Color Belts
| To 1st Kyu Advanced Brown Belt Aiden Grant Alexis Fernando Bryce Wolf Lazar Sestovic Sophie Ishiwari |
To 2nd Kyu Brown Belt Josh Palles Payton Shearn |
To 3rd Kyu Advanced Green Belt Ainslie Evans Anna Byrne Ben Hartman Brody Schwartz Ethan Balakumar Keaton Schwartz Leo Daly Owen Balakumar |
To 4th Kyu Green Belt Aidan Hartman Lucas Frisancho Michael Goodall Nate Savoie Shael Murthy Willa O`Donnell |
| To 5th Kyu Advanced Yellow Belt Bryce Bargowski Kimo Smith Liliana Schommer Molly Jones Sophie Dekoven |
To 6th Kyu Yellow Belt Alex McBride Benjamin McBride Destiny Wilson Evan Birks Kealani Mayernik Lillian McCloskey |
To 7th Kyu Advanced Blue Belt Julian O'Hern Luka Gebhardt Zoe Jordan-Baker |
To 8th Kyu Blue Belt Ezra Danzig Henry Jones Karen Weiner |
Adult Color Belts
| To 2nd Kyu Brown Belt Danielle Wash |
To 5th Kyu Advanced Yellow Belt Kenji Muro Laura Glenzer |
To 6th Kyu Yellow Belt Farhana Becker |
To 7th Kyu Advanced Blue Belt Christopher Lamitie |
| To 8th Kyu Blue Belt Marlana Carlson |