ALL SOUTH SUMMER CAMP 2008. The 36th annual All South Karate Camp in Hammond Louisiana will be held Friday May 30, 2008 through Sunday June 1, 2008. You can find the camp brochure at this link. Special guest instructor will be Taniyama Takuya of the JKA Headquarters in Tokyo. Please make arrangement to attend this very important camp.

STUDENT OF THE MONTH. Reed Bellingham is student of the Month for May. He is our newest Shodan and is a great leader for a young man. Reed, and his whole family (father Steve and brother Nick) actively participate in all the All South events, including camps, clinics, and tournaments -- and it shows. As with any art, Karate is such that the more you put into it the more you will get out of it and Reed is a great example of this maxim. Congratulations Reed on your many Karate accomplishments.

KYU BELT TEST RESULTS. Please see the image below for the results of the Kyu belt exam. I thought that everyone did very well. Some of you will be very pleased with the results and some of you may be a little disappointed, but greater effort in your training at the dojo will yield better results on the test. In other words, it is up to you to make the grades better by harder and more concentrated training during your everyday class. If you are having trouble making out the image I am e mailing a pdf of the document to our mailing list and I am posting the results on the door of the dojo as usual for Sunday.

Don’t get a big head if you did very well and don’t get too upset if you didn’t do as well as you would have liked, moderation and the ability to endeavor is the key to success in Karate. Thanks for all the hard work and the efforts you put into the class and lets all work even harder for the improvement of our dojo and ourselves.

ALL SOUTH 2008. Special congratulations to all the participants of the 2008 Tournament from NIKI. We had 11 competitors and 3 ring officials and judges. Participants were Aaron Jeffreys, Jake Hebert, Kyle Jeffreys (3rd Kumite), Nicholas Bellingham (3rd Kumite), Reed Bellingham (3rd Kata), Candis Durand (3rd Kumite), Brandon Kongphongmany (2nd Kumite), David Jeffreys (2nd Kumite), Thomas Dean (2nd Kata, 2nd Kumite), Chase Norris (1st Kumite) and Cody Sedlitsky (2nd Kata, 1st Kumite). Officiating were Steve Bellingham, Candis Durand, Chad Norris and Sensei Scott Decuir. Here is a photograph of the team just before the tournament began.

I was very proud of all the participants because, whether they won or not, they competed with great dignity, character and poise. They all exhibited a strict adherence to the proper rules of conduct and they all participated with good sportsmanship. I was always taught that it doesn't matter if you win or lose, only how you play the game. Well, our team played the game with great class which reflected well upon their Sensei. Thanks to all. Osu, Sensei Scott.

APRIL STUDENT OF THE MONTH -- Haley Hebert. The April 2008 Student of the month is a black belt at NIKI and was a runner up for student of the year 2007. She is a very hard working student, both at the dojo and in her studies. She is currently working on her college applications and getting ready for her Senior Year in high school. Congratulations to Haley on all your karate and academic success.

KYU TEST -- Our Kyu test will be Saturday, April 19, 2008. There will be more information in the newsletter regarding the dates, the pre tests, the costs and the clinic. If you need any more information, please contact Sensei Scott.

GASSHUKU 2008 -- Was a big success and we had a great time Saturday, but Sunday was rather rainy. Please take a look at the collage at the dojo for more visual images of the event.

NEW SHODANS! Coy Watson, Reed Bellingham and Steve Bellingham all tested for their black belts (Shodan) this weekend in Greenville, Mississippi. All three participated in the weekend training, passed the test and received their Shodan Applications (which are submitted directly to Japan). They all had strong technique and good spirit and were rewarded for their efforts. At the next advanced class, (Tuesday 3/4 @ 7:15 p.m.) we will have the "official" belting ceremony and a couple of other surprises.

The common rate of passage of a Shodan exam is around 50%. To have all three candidates from NIKI pass together was a great accomplishment for the school and I appreciate the efforts of these guys and everyone who trains with us and pushes us on to greater goals. With three new black belts we matures significantly and immediately as a club and we can best use this momentum to build the group and club from within. As new black belts, Steve, Coy and Reed are accepting greater responsibility for the promotion and promulgation of our Karate in our club and in our region. Each now has their role or roles to fill, whether it be by example, as Sempai, as teacher, as judge, as student, as athlete or as artist. CONGRATULATIONS, GREAT JOB and BEST OF LUCK with your journey!

The STUDENT OF THE MONTH for March is Steve Bellingham. Steve is one of our newest black belts (see above). He tested in Greenville, MS this pass weekend and did an outstanding job. Way to go Steve! He and his sons, Reed and Nicholas, participate in many of the karate events thoughout the year. They are very enthusiastic and dedicated karateka. Congratulations, Steve, on your karate accomplishments and good luck on your future karate achievements. As a recipient of the March award, he is now eligible for the Student of the Year Award given every December. Keep up the hard work and keep the school spirit high.

2008 ALL SOUTH Karate TOURNAMENT. The 44th annual All South Karate Tournament will be held in New Orleans at the University of New Orleans Health & Physical Education Center on April 5th. Students should begin training especially hard for competition. Sensei Scott has kata videos for purchase. The videos follow the Best Karate Series. This is just another tool available for you to perfect your strength and technique. Students are encouraged to participate in the tournaments given throughout the year. It’s a fun way to test your skills against other karate clubs. If you’re not comfortable with participating in the tournament, you may attend as a spectator to get an idea of what a tournament is like and support the karate club. Also, if any adults are interested in running a table at the tournament, please see Sensei Scott for more information.

REMINDER. The GASSUKU 2008 is scheduled for MARCH 29th and 30th. Get your gear ready and check with Sensei Scott for registration forms.