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July 2015
In This Issue
30th Anniversary
Project Updates
Community
- Special Training in Lansing Draws Women & Girls from TW
- Thousand Waves Member Spotlight: Ten Questions for Senpai Amy Jones
Important & Infrequent
- We Break to Strengthen: Why Thousand Waves Teaches Board Breaking to Children
- Facing the Board: Success Regardless of Whether the Board Breaks
- Beach Training!
Violence Prevention News
Promotions
Thousand Waves will hold a performance and dinner to celebrate our 30th Anniversary on October 3 & 4, 2015.
Happy 30th Anniversary Thousand Waves!
By Jun Shihan Sarah Ludden
6th Degree Black Belt and TW Co-Executive Director
What a joy to reflect on our path to this moment, the people involved in the early days of The Women’s Gym, the leaders who helped us re-organize and transform to our present day not-for-profit community center, and the members who come to the dojo to enjoy our programs today. And what better way to celebrate than to have a performance and a dinner party?
The Art With Heart performance of Spirit Challenge 2014
included synchronized board breaking.
You might ask, why have a performance? Thousand Waves is not a dance troupe, a chorus or rock band. Our training is about personal and collective growth, health, violence prevention and peacemaking, not performing per se, but it IS beautiful and generates compelling performances.
Demonstrations are an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our training community, and communicate who we are and why we train. It is also a chance to combine our unique movement style with music, spoken word and visual art. Performance pieces can be designed to commemorate, honor, or convey a social justice message. We collaborate with others, explore group choreography, and have a joyous time creating together. And of course our performances are very entertaining and inspiring to family and friends. Many of our current students started training with us after seeing one of our shows.
On Sunday, October 4th we will have a catered dinner party at the dojo. Please join us for an evening of good food and lively conversation, and a relaxing, celebratory evening together. Again, more details to follow.
Happy Anniversary!
Spirit Challenge 2015 Report by the Numbers
WE DID IT!! Our annual Spirit Challenge fundraiser is complete, and we’re thrilled to report that we surpassed our $75,000 fundraising goal – our total stands at $81,735 – a truly impressive number! Following is a list of some of the other numbers that made that big number happen:
7 Days in a row of Challenge events
125 Registered Participants
536 Dollars raised, on average, by individuals
1,636 Dollars raised, on average, by families
949 Donations made
18 Individuals raised over $1,000
14 Families raised over $1,000
7 Prize Packages were donated to reward our top fundraisers
10,000 Thousand Waves branded stickers ordered to pass out during the Pride parade
0 Injuries requiring medical treatment during the week
Thank you so much for your support of our event. At the top fundraiser dinner party at the home of Sei Shihan Nancy and Jun Shihan Sarah on July 11, we distributed prizes to the following folks – check out their astronomical fundraising totals:
Individuals
1. Senpai Michele Curley: $3,500
2. Senpai Amy Jones: $2,300
3. Sensei Katherine Nichols: $1,650
Families
1. Senpai Pat Kane and Senpai Kim Osgood: $3,775
2. Senpai Todd and Senpai Nastasia Scales and family: $2,811
3. Senpai Carla Riggs and Senpai Becky Kidd: $2,400
4. Mark Hubert, Erica Eichleay and Jake Hubert: $2,185
Pride! The final event of Spirit Challenge.
Sogo Winners
Participants who completed all but one event for which they were eligible and who raised $1,000 or more are honored as Sogo, which means “Best-All-Around Champion”. The following Sogo winners will have their names engraved on a plaque to be displayed at Thousand Waves:
|
Aileen Geary Amy Jones Becky Kidd Carla Riggs Charlie Mazzeo Christopher Dork Denise Coleman |
Jane Kollmer |
Nancy Lanoue Natalie Kendall Patricia Broughton Rebecca Angevine Ryan Libel Sarah Ludden |
Please join us in congratulating all of our Spirit Challenge Superstars!
A sample of the new dojo floor lays on top of the existing floor.
The new floor is a state-of-the-art hardwood fitness flooring product that is mounted on brackets to protect the joints of its users. The chunk displayed in the photo above is out in the hallway at TW for all to see. The flooring is manufactured by a company in Indiana that will bring a crew to Chicago for the installation. We’ll be closed the week of August 31 through Labor Day to support the project, and while we’re at it we’re planning on doing some sprucing up of the storage spaces surrounding the training floor too. Thank you so much for your support, and don’t miss out on your opportunity to get a piece of the action by making a $300 donation today! – Ryan Libel
Young Martial Artists of all styles perform together at the Saturday night demo. That's Senpai Ana in the center.
Special Training in Lansing Draws Women & Girls from TW
A group of eleven women and girls from Thousand Waves traveled to Lansing, Michigan July 15-19 to attend Special Training, an annual event put on by the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation. If you are a long-time reader of Kiai!, you may remember our coverage last year of PeaceWorks, which was TW’s version of this camp, organized by Sei Shihan Nancy and Senpai Amy. This year members of the TW group were able to simply enjoy a weekend of intensive martial arts training (except for Sei Shihan Nancy, Jun Shihan Sarah, and Sensei Martha Thompson who each taught a few classes).
See more photos from Special Training.
Kiai!: Briefly, how did you come to train Seido Karate at Thousand Waves?
Senpai Amy Jones: People often ask me why I moved to Chicago. There are a couple of true answers to that: I wanted to live in a big city, and I wanted to live in a place that has winter. But there’s more than one place that fits those two requirements. The reason I moved to Chicago specifically was to train at Thousand Waves. After training for many years at Sun Dragon in Austin, Texas, there really wasn’t anywhere else I’d consider moving and anywhere else I’d consider training. And while I loved (and still love) Austin, it was time for a change.
Kiai!: What is one thing you’d like to change about the world?
Senpai Amy: I’d like everyone to be able to communicate directly and kindly to each other, especially to friends and loved ones.
Kiai!: What is one thing you do well?
Senpai Amy: I’m quite good at keeping track and following up with people. It’s one of my super-powers. I can also roundhouse kick pretty high.
Kiai!: What is one thing you do not do so well?
Senpai Amy: I’ve always been a behind-the-scenes kind of person. I like to be part of everything that happens. So I’m not particularly good at (or comfortable with) performing, and I’m not particularly good at not trying to get involved with everything going on around me. Also balancing on one leg is challenging.
Kiai!: Who from history do you admire, and why?
Senpai Amy: Abraham Lincoln. I slogged through Team of Rivals a few years ago, and was really struck by how completely the Civil War defined his presidency. It shouldn’t have taken a great leader to end slavery, but it did, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude.
Kiai!: Other than Chicago, where have you most enjoyed spending time?
Senpai Amy: Austin! It’s a great little city, and I highly recommend it if you can’t be in Chicago. But don’t go to Texas if you’re not going to Austin.
Kiai!: What quotation have you found inspiring or interesting?
Senpai Amy: “Your heart is a muscle the size of your fist. Keep loving, keep fighting.” I have it on a t-shirt – it comes from the protests against the World Trade Organization in Washington state (the “Battle in Seattle.”)
Kiai!: What foods do you like best?
Senpai Amy: My favorite dessert is ice cream. I don’t really have specific favorites otherwise.
Kiai!: What is a book that has been significant to you?
Senpai Amy: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Especially the quote, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” I was once told I fetishize futility. There’s probably some truth to that.
Kiai!: What are your musical favorites?
Senpai Amy: As with food, I don’t have many specific favorites. I’ve enjoyed all genres I’ve been exposed to, except for opera (sopranos give me a headache) and a lot of jazz, though I dig old jazz standards. I like folk, country, heavy metal, pop, classical – the list goes on. I’m constantly searching for new favorite music, but don’t often find it.
“Thousand Waves Member Spotlight: Ten Questions for…” is a regular feature of Kiai!
In the next issue, Fay Cheng will answer these same ten questions.
We Break to Strengthen:
Why Thousand Waves Teaches Board Breaking to Children
Henry Lamitie with his stack of broken
boards.
Karate Parent and Green Belt
My son, Henry and I have been members of Thousand Waves for a few years. We have been aware of the tameshiwari (board breaking) workshops, but life seemed to keep us busy when the workshops were scheduled. In February this year, we were able to let Henry attend a tameshiwari workshop – he was eight at the time. As a parent, it is difficult to view my child not as the baby I remember. The thought of letting him smash parts of his body into wood filled me with dread: “Will his hands break? He’s still growing! Why do we do this stuff?! He really wants to try this but he’s my baby!” Henry and I love our time at Thousand Waves, but parental instincts and fears are powerful things. In the end, we allowed him to go, he had a great time, learned important things and he broke a few boards.
I recently asked him about his experience with board breaking:
Chris Lamitie: “Do you remember what your first break was?”
Henry Lamitie: “My first break was a downward hammer fist.”
CL: “Did you break it on the first try?”
HL: “I broke it on the first try. It was fun. Jun Shihan Sarah held the board. We were only breaking the half inch boards, not the inch boards.”
art. We are teaching the
full art of Seido Karate to
all our students.”
—Sei Shihan Nancy Lanoue
HL: “Yeah, I broke 4 boards.”
CL: “Did you do a lot of practice before you broke?”
HL: “Yes. Three practice [strikes] is the limit. And then when you say ‘osu!’ to your senpai or sensei, you do the break you’re going to do.”
CL: “Did you think you were ready to break?”
HL: “Yes, I felt I was ready to break.”
CL: “Were you scared?”
Interview with Henry continues, plus Chris’ interview with Sei Shihan Nancy about board breaking and its benefits for kids and all karate students.
The next board breaking workshop for kids is Saturday, August 15 from 4-5:30 pm. Cost is $25. Register here or at Thousand Waves.
The next board breaking workshop for adults is Saturday, October 31, and costs $25.
Facing the Board: Success Regardless of Whether the Board Breaks
By Erin Epperson
Advanced Brown Belt
I’ve had an on-again/off-again relationship with tameshiwari (board breaking) over the years. There are days when I’ve felt strong, confident, and empowered. And there have been days I’ve felt disempowered, frustrated and disappointed in myself. In the past, those days have always corresponded precisely to whether or not I was “successful” in my attempted breaks. In other words, how I felt about tameshiwari was always dependent on whether or not the board broke.
Erin Epperson faces a board during the board breaking event of Spirit Challenge.
I had a different experience during the Spirit Challenge 2015 Beginner/Intermediate Board Breaking workshop on Saturday June 27.
I attempted four different breaks that day. I “successfully” broke two boards, each on the first try. And I attempted two other breaks, each with two attempts. In total I hurled bits of my body at wooden boards six times throughout that workshop.
And I consider it to be six successes.
You see, when the board represents a fear or a challenge in your life, whether or not the board broke may not ultimately be the most important thing.
What is the most important thing about board breaking? Read on…
The most special karate opportunity of summertime is upon us – Beach Training! It’s a wonderful occasion to gather with our karate friends to experience our martial art amid the elements of nature. No matter what the weather, we will be at Montrose Beach meditating, punching, kicking, practicing kata and playing karate games. You might go in the water too, so wear your swimsuit under your karate uniform.
Beach Training for kids is this Saturday, August 1 at 10 am, and is followed by a picnic in the park. Kids' karate classes at the dojo are cancelled. Check your email for more detailed information, or pick up a flyer at the dojo.
Adult and Teen Beach Training is Sunday, August 16 and begins with a sunrise meditation at 5:15 am. It continues through the morning with classes for all levels. Adult paragraph, insert as 3rd sentence: Karate classes at the dojo are cancelled. Check your email or pick up a flyer for more info.
Staying Busy With Self-Defense
June was a busy month in the Thousand Waves self-defense world. We kicked off the month with sessions three and four of a 6-session series for teens at Casa Central in Humboldt Park. Casa Central is celebrating its 61st anniversary this year, and is the largest Hispanic social service agency in the Midwest. Thousand Waves had the opportunity to partner with the Y. O. U. (Youth Opportunies Unlimited) program to teach self-defense to a group of shy but determined teens. On June 5th, we welcomed long-time clients the Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture for their summer session workshop. June is also Pride month, of course, and we partnered with the Center on Halsted to present a 90-minute workshop for the LGBTQ community on June 6th. And that was just week one!
In the second week of June, we had a private program for a group of young teen girls getting ready for high school, which included two Thousand Waves alum, one of whom was a Peacemaker award recipient! Later in the week, we finished up the series at Casa Central, and had our summer Intensive for adults taught by self-defense instructors Senpai Hope and Senpai Ryan. Somewhere in the midst of all that, we were on local news show Windy City Live!
Senpai Amy, Senpai Yesica and Senpai Ryan in the green room, preparing to present TW's
principles of self-defense on Windy City Live.
Watch Senpai Amy Jones teach Thousand Waves self-defense on TV!
We slowed down a little towards the end of the month, but still did programs for staff of the Shedd Aquarium, and for staff who make home visits at both the Carole Robertson Center for Learning and the True to Life Foundation.
July has been a quieter month than June, but includes two trainings for teens. We presented a 90-minute self-defense workshop last Saturday, and our annual teen intensive weekend starts tomorrow, Friday July 31 and runs through Sunday August 2nd. Call us or visit our website to sign up! — Amy Jones
My Junior Nidan Test: Not What I Expected
Senpai Ana Gore during her test for
junior nidan.
Junior 2nd Degree Black Belt
Senpai Ana tested for junior nidan (2nd degree black belt) on May 16, 2015. Her testing group was comprised of Evan Burleigh, Sophie Ljung, Joseph Friedman and herself for junior nidan and Jack Savoie, Michael Goodall, Joshua Arias, and Bahar Berksoy for junior shodan (1st degree black belt). Here is Senpai Ana’s account of the test.
My junior nidan test was certainly not what I expected. We studied Japanese terms for weeks, and practiced the kata we’d started learning when we were so young we can barely remember when we began. We spent hours together just going over stances with our eyes closed over and over until the words were stuck in our heads like songs.
The day of the test I was a nervous mess. I felt like I’d forgotten everything I’d learned, and how to do things that are normally natural instincts at the dojo (like saying osu) – things that I even do outside of the dojo (like bowing.) I felt like I hadn’t even prepared (let alone prepared for weeks straight.)
How did Senpai Ana get through her test? Read on...
Congratulations to our May and July 2015 Promotees
