Martial Arts for the 21st Century

Dave McNeill's Blog (221)

NEW CERTIFICATE

We have always had a separate ranking certificate for Karate and Weapons. They looked different had different wording, were a different color and different size.

Thanks to Nashville's Sensei Larry Kooyman, Director of Goju-Shorei Karate, for…

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Added by Dave McNeill on December 7, 2010 at 5:00pm — 4 Comments

Master Ray Fisher is only the 3rd person to test for and earn their 7th degree Black Rank in Goju-Shorei Weapons. The test was attended by many of his students at his school, ACS Karate, in Chandler, Arizona. Congratulations Sir!!…

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Added by Dave McNeill on November 29, 2010 at 6:30pm — 5 Comments

CHEERS

Anyone who has sparred with cancer pays close attention to numbers. Numbers count when the results of regular blood tests come back. My tests are every three months and I'm a little bit nervous when that time comes around. My numbers just came back.

When the number is ZERO, ZIP, NADA well.... that's a…

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Added by Dave McNeill on November 20, 2010 at 3:46pm — 14 Comments

ORLANDO CAMP - 2010

For the the last 14 years Master David Turnbull has hosted a Tae Kwon Do camp just outside of Orlando, Florida. This was the second year I had been invited. The event was at the aptly named Camp Challenge.…

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Added by Dave McNeill on November 15, 2010 at 8:46pm — No Comments

SUNSHINE FOUNDATION & SEMINAR

Mark Goblosky owns a martial arts school in Omaha, American Academies of Martial Arts, and he has had reason to donate to the Sunshine Foundation - the original wish granting foundation. In return for his gift he was sent a package of sunflower seeds, and Mark thought of a way to enhance his donationto the Sunshine… Continue

Added by Dave McNeill on October 25, 2010 at 2:53pm — No Comments

FAMILY FIRST

Putting family first, before any others, is the highest calling..... except for making everyone your family.

Added by Dave McNeill on October 19, 2010 at 9:34am — No Comments

CHOICES

When faced with choices, the hardest choice is usually the correct one.

Added by Dave McNeill on October 7, 2010 at 9:30am — No Comments

EXPERIENCE

Experience comes packaged in mistakes we have committed or observed. Wisdom comes from not repeating those mistakes.

Added by Dave McNeill on October 3, 2010 at 10:00am — 1 Comment

MY PET PEEVE

The one thing that bothers me more than anything else in a class is when students are talking among themselves and not listening to the instructor.

When Grand Master Archie taught me (about the same time dirt was being made) there was never any talking between students when he was speaking. It never occurred to me that anyone would do that.…

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Added by Dave McNeill on August 30, 2010 at 1:30pm — 4 Comments

GOJU-SHOREI FIST

Many styles of martial arts teach the use of only two knuckles - the so called 'focus knuckles'.

Goju-Shorei teaches the use of 6 knuckles (roku yubikansetsu). They are used for a variety of strikes and defenses.…

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Added by Dave McNeill on August 16, 2010 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Family First

There was a unique belt testing last Thursday, August 5th, at the Elite Martial Arts dojo in Kingston Springs, Tennessee.

The Goju-Shorei motto of, Family First, was present in spades when Ken Latham, his wife Rachel and his kids, Catie, Patrick and Angele all tested for…

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Added by Dave McNeill on August 10, 2010 at 6:30pm — 1 Comment

MARTA AZZAM

Marta Azzam was born in Czechoslovakia in 1956. Performed professionally with the Slovakian National Philharmonic Orchestra. Provided critical health care services to many underprivileged communities in several different African nations for more than 5 years. Is a certified tobacco-cessation health educator from Arizona State…

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Added by Dave McNeill on June 23, 2010 at 2:30pm — 2 Comments

MEET THE NEW GOJU-SHOREI WEAPONS DIRECTOR

Master Katherine A. Wieczerza is a 7th Dan AAU Tae Kwon Do (7/2007), 6th Dan with the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (4/2002) and a 4th Dan Goju-Shorei Weapons (5/2010).

She started her Tae Kwon Do journey in 1979, and was promoted to 1st Dan in 1983. She has medaled in the United States Taekwondo Union National Championships as well and the AAU National Championships in her long career as a instructor, coach, competitor and school owner. Currently she…

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Added by Dave McNeill on June 5, 2010 at 12:58pm — No Comments

MEET THE NEW GOJU-SHOREI KARATE DIRECTOR

The 16th of May held an event that I will not soon forget. Sensei Larry Kooyman was tested for and promoted to 4th Dan in Goju-Shorei Karate.

Larry had sustained a concussion a week and a half earlier, so I cautioned him that he was to go slow. I was wasting my breath. Either that or Larry's slow is most people's fast.

The 11 member board represented 5 different styles with a total of 314 years of martial arts experience. Larry's two…

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Added by Dave McNeill on May 18, 2010 at 8:00am — 6 Comments

Flood Relief.

The picture barely describes what happened to Master Kathy Wieczerza’s house in the Nashville flood. The 40 year old house was a total lose, and like many, if not the majority, of the people in Nashville there was no flood insurance.

Kathy and her family got out with the clothes on their backs – literally the clothes on their backs. But they are alive due to her fast thinking and even…

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Added by Dave McNeill on May 10, 2010 at 11:00am — 3 Comments

PETE BOWIE

Pete Bowie, a long time student of Goju-Shorei, is a healthy 73 years old. Last summer he got it into his mind that he would summit 3 of the tallest peaks (the lowest being 10,611 feet) edging our valley. So he did, in one day.… Continue

Added by Dave McNeill on April 13, 2010 at 7:00pm — 2 Comments

ALCOPOPS

As part of the Ultimate Black Belt Test, Team 6, graduation I recently attended a presentation by the Marin Institute in Marin County just north of San Francisco.

The subject of the presentation was ‘Alcopops’, which they’ve defined as alcoholic beverages that are often bubbly and…

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Added by Dave McNeill on March 2, 2010 at 3:26pm — No Comments

FEBRUARY 2010 NEWSLETTER

Do you want to win this cane? Here’s a chance to pick up a custom cane for just $5.00.…

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Added by Dave McNeill on February 13, 2010 at 10:00pm — No Comments

1,000 One Day Later

The 1st day after doing 1,000 pushups, crunches and squats is, for me, always a little slow. The pain is starting to set in, but I know tomorrow it will be worse. Then it gets better.

A school in Florida, run by Master Turnbull, accepted my 1,000 challenge, and being martial artists they ramped it up a notch by adding in 1,000 punches to the pushups, squats and crunches. All day yesterday I was getting email updates on their progress. It… Continue

Added by Dave McNeill on January 2, 2010 at 8:30pm — 1 Comment

1,000 on the 1st

I know everyone is excited about doing 1,000 pushups on the 1st of January. After all we have been doing this for a number of years and everyone trains all year for this day.

I plan on starting very early and throwing in 1,000 crunches and 1,000 squats, but that’s just my plan. I’m sure all of you have your own plans.

For the very few that won’t be able to do the 1,000 pushups because of injury or time constraints I… Continue

Added by Dave McNeill on December 27, 2009 at 8:30pm — No Comments