Cocoa Beach Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate Dojo

 

Current News and Events:
February 26-29, 2004 Special Dan Level Test / Review

Cocoa Beach Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate Dojo and Indian Harbor Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate Dojo this weekend hosted a special Dan level test and review which was attended by over forty senior black belts around the country, beginning Friday evening at 6pm and continuing all weekend until late Sunday afternoon. Pictures of the event will be posted on the website this week.

We wish to thank Hanshi Scaglione for creating and presiding over this magnificent karate event and for his ongoing leadership and support upon which we are building. Dom Arigato Hanshi! Dom Arigato to Kyoshi Seeger (Sichi Dan, Shihan Pallisades, NY Dojo) ) and Kyoshi Baker (Sichi Dan, Shihan Midtown NYC, Hombu Dojo), the two highest ranking black belts under Hanshi in the Shorin-Ryu Karate USA organization, for their presence and leadership at this event and at all times. Dom Arigato also to all the Shihan from Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate Dojo and Clubs around the country and to all the black belts who made the trip and helped make this event such a resounding success. All who attended were no doubt inspired to train harder and do even better in their karate training!

The weekend included a host of invaluable corrections on karate technique imparted by Hanshi. Three key seemingly simple but intrinsically difficult techniques we will be focusing on here at Cocoa Beach Dojo include:

  • Step first -- Hanshi continues to emphasize Master Ueshiro's main theme of many years ago : "Teach them to step first and then punch hard". This principle of "Soku" is discussed in detail in Building Warrior Spirit (the green book).
  • Following right along with this is the principle of timing -- the technique is performed in a specific order with stepping first but in a dynamic rather than static way, as the sunlight enters a room when a door is opened, in a certain order but seemingly instantaneously.
  • Eyes up -- Hanshi used powerful metaphors to emphasize this key principle of "gan" also discussed in detail in Building Warrior Spirit (the green book). Judges were instructed to score a zero on anyone whose eyes looked down at the floor even once during a kata. A warrior would never "shut down" at any point during a battle, and neither do we at any point during our karate training, even during the warm ups.

    Instructors will be focusing on these key aspects in our training here at Cocoa Beach Dojo.

    The following Cocoa Beach and Indian Harbor Beach deshi were successfully tested and / or reviewed by Hanshi and high level black belt judges over the weekend and promoted to the next rank:

  • Sensei, Shihan Ken Oscarson, promoted to Go-Dan from Yon Dan
  • Sensei David Tamir, promoted to Go-Dan from Yon Dan
  • Sensei, Shihan, Des Chaskelson, promoted to Yon Dan from San Dan
  • Sensei Tom DuJardin, promoted to San Dan from Ni Dan
  • Sensei Ron Marchetti, promoted to San Dan from Ni Dan
  • Mr. Kurt Tezel, promoted to Ni Dan from Sho Dan
  • Mr Tom Quinn, promoted to Sho Dan from Ik-kyu

    We are all no doubt humbled and inspired to have participated in this gathering of the highest ranks of our organization and to have learned so much from Hanshi this weekend. Let us take that knowledge and experience and bring it into our training and share it with those who were not able to attend and thereby enforce it in ourselves. Keep training and moving forward!

    •  Cocoa Beach Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate Home Page