A.K.K.S. October 2005 Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS

10/8 – Tae Kwon Do Sparring Principles Seminar conducted by Joe Cooper right here at AKKS. 12 pm start time with a $15 seminar fee. Mr. Cooper is a police officer who is very well versed in Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo, and Ju-jitsu. He at one time was the #1 ranked heavyweight in both the NBL and NASKA associations. He has been team captain for 3 national fighting teams. And lastly, he has won numerous Colorado State Titles and some prestigious events such as the Las Vegas International. You don’t want to miss this!

10/15 – CKA Fall Classic at Denver Merchandise Mart (AAA event)

10/22 & 11/5 Art Sports Gymanastics 9-11 am $15 Gymnastics that enhance our karate

SEPTEMBER BELT PROMOTIONS

Pictured left to right: Esa Hall (Yellow), Julia Dobyns (Purple), Christian Campbell (Orange), Mr. Coppock, Tristan Heffner (Orange) , Jill Dobyns (Purple), & not pictured – Faith Glidewell (blue)

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS

Anna Jennings 10/8	Blake Ayotte 10/14
Justin Zalewski 10/9	Amadeus Zalewski 10/21
Scott Phelps 10/10	Greg Fitzsimmons 10/21
Manuel Smith 10/11	David Klug 10/28
Nancy Phelps 10/12	Chet Phelps 10/29

Could everyone make sure that birthdays are listed on respective attendance card. Thanks!

TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Our own Mr. Coppock wrapped up his 4 th NBL #1 seed (there are only 4 to be had!) by winning 1 st place in the 35+ Super Heavyweight Sparring Division at the 3 rd Annual Mexican Open held in Acapulco over the long Labor Day weekend (He also owns 3 out of 4

#1 seeds in his Forms Division). As a result of his continued winning ways, Mr. Coppock will be seeded

#1 (in both Fighting and Forms), when he competes at the National Black Belt League Super Grands sometime in December. Also, for good measure he finished in 3 rd place in the 35+ Hard Creative Forms Division. Mr. Coppock wasn’t the only one who tasted success in Mexico. Larissa Lonergan, competing in her first international tournament, took 1 st place in the 18+ Beginner Division by smoking her opponent 10-6 in the final.

Mr. Coppock also had a very successful visit to the city of Layton, Utah as he competed in the 20 th Rocky Mountain Karate Championships that took place September 16th & 17th. Mr. Coppock earned 4 wins in various events and his efforts also included a victory in the Senior Black Belt Fighting Grand Championship.

AKKS SPOTLIGHT

Jessica Cervantes

This month’s AKKS spotlight is on Junior Blue Belt Jessica Cervantes. Jessica recently turned 8 and is currently attending Canyon Elementary School. Her interests outside karate include playing soccer and participating in her local Brownies troop. She has been studying Kenpo for almost 2 ½ years and will soon be testing for her Junior Green Belt. Jessica also competes at local CKA tournaments and some regional events as well. She enjoys learning all the Kenpo self-defense techniques and forms, but her favorite technique is Shield & Sword (defense against a left step through straight punch). What’s Jessica’s favorite subject in school? You guessed it,

math. What does she want to be when she grows up? If you answered a lawyer, she would not object. And lastly, Jessica indicated that her favorite food is pizza. Thank you Jessica for sharing a little about yourself!

OUTSIDE THE DOJO

We’ve all seen and heard about the devastation that Hurricane Katrina inflicted upon the gulf states of Louisiana and Mississippi. One of our own decided to help the only way that he felt appropriate. 2 nd Degree Black Belt Anthony Christoff, or better known as “Doc”, decided to go to Louisiana with an RN from another local practice to work with the local medical society to provide medical attention to those in need. “Doc” received 4 suitcases of medicines from other local doctors in the community and also received approximately $5000 dollars in donations. United Airlines waived all weight restrictions and Advantage allowed “Doc” to get a van for the price of a compact rental. “Doc” is a credit to his profession and we all are proud to train along side him.

Also, Dave Snider is now home recovering from a serious leg infection that put him into the hospital August 20 h. Dave was having an outstanding CKA Tournament season; through Summer Fistival he was in second place in both Fighting and Forms in the 43-49 Senior Black Belt Division. We at AKKS will miss Dave and his hammerfists from above as he gathers his strength and comes back even stronger!

KENPO EXTENSION SEMINAR

If you missed it, you shouldn’t have. Mr. Coppock taught advanced kenpo extensions at a seminar held in Denver on September 10 th at the ABMS School in Denver. There were over 30 participants who learned the black belt extensions for Thundering Hammers, Reversing Mace, Snapping Twig, Obscure Wing, and Swinging Pendulum. If you have not seen some of these extensions you definitely missed out on some great karate but also you missed out on some great Saturday afternoon fun. The next seminar will be Mr. Joe Cooper’s Sparring Seminar to be held at AKKS on October 8 th at 12 pm. Mark it down on your calendar and don’t miss out on the fun!

EGG FOO YOUNG FOR THE SOUL

“The Purple Belt”
by Chuck Norris

A few years ago, I organized the Kick Drugs Out of America Foundation. It is an organization designed to work with high-risk, inner-city children. The idea is to teach the kids martial arts to help raise their self-esteem and instill discipline and respect for themselves and others. Many of the kids, boys as well as girls, come from broken homes and are having trouble in school and in their lives in general. I’m pleased to say that the program has been working phenomenally well. Most young people quickly adapt to the philosophy of the martial arts. After more than thirty-five years in the martial arts, competing and training thousands of young people, there is one story that is engraved in my memory. It was told to me by Alice McCleary, one of my Kick Drugs Out of America Black Belt Instructors.

One of her young students showed up for karate training without his purple belt. Alice reminded him that part of his responsibility as a student was to have his karate uniform and belt with him at all times.

"Where is your belt?" she asked. The boy looked at the floor and said he didn’t have it. "Where is it?" Alice repeated. After pressing the boy to answer, he quietly lifted his head and looked at her and replied, "My baby sister died and I put it in her coffin to take to heaven with her." Alice had tears in her eyes as she told me the story. "That belt was probably his most important possession," she said. The boy had learned to give his best, unselfishly. (Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul)

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO, HMMM

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” -Zig Ziglar

What do you call a pig that knows karate? A pork chop of course!

“The intensity of your desire governs the power with which the force is directed.” - John McDonald

MR. COPPOCK'S CORNER

Too often people come to Karate class, do the stuff in class, and then go home and not do anything until the next Karate class. Your Martial Arts training should encompass more than just training at the dojo. There are so many ways that you can enhance your martial arts training through cross-training. You could lift weights to become stronger and hit harder (also making your skeletal and connective tissues stronger). You could do aerobic activity to increase your cardiovascular fitness. It takes something as simple as practicing your crane stance to improve your balance, or stretching while watching television to improve your flexibility. It does not even have to be karate related, any type of physical activity that will benefit your overall health will make your karate better.