UPCOMING EVENTS/LINKS


Belt Exams March 5th and 6th, 2010
Exam Applications
Registration due by Wednesday, 3/3


Belt and Award Ceremony
Tuesday, 3/9/10

Photo Days
March 16th and 17th
*
see below

View the RPKC Demonstration Team at last year's Battle of L.A.

Click Here



 
 

We would like to hear from you! 

 
If you have feedback about our newsletter, or would like to contribute an article about your Martial Arts experience, please
 
 
RIFKIN PROFESSIONAL KARATE CENTER
Newsletter February 2010

Beyond the Target
The power you possess


We often go about our daily training in a way that removes us from the reality of what it is we train for!  As practitioners of the martial arts, we use buffers that protect us (and rightly so) from the impact of a kick or technique.  We are careful not to injure ourselves or others as we employ a control technique or when we spar. So oftentimes, we become removed from the power and speed we as students have developed and the skills we have honed.

I remember a story told to me by one of my advanced women students where she was at a dance club with her girlfriends one evening when a man refused to take no for an answer.  Now mind you this woman is quite small, and as the story was told to me, the man was overly aggressive to the point where he became physical.  After repeatedly telling the man to back off, but to no avail, his uninvited overtures were met with a single, quick technique that landed him to the floor, moaning in pain.  Needless to say, her friends stood agape, astonished at what their small-framed friend had done....and so effortlessly.  As I recall, they were no more astounded than she herself.

She had never struck someone in a "real" situation, and the outcome was far beyond what she had imagined.  After training (at this point) for several years in our program, she had executed the strike hundreds of times, but always into a focus target or with control as in sparring.  She had become dis-associated with the "stopping power" and speed she had developed.  In fact, it took far less to stop this man than she could have thought.  She told me that as she stood over him, ready to complete whatever combination she had in store, she was amazed....he was not getting up.  She had done this...she had!  After returning to her training, this student had far more appreciation for the skills she had developed, far more understanding for the power she possessed. 

I am not advocating that our students go in search of vilification, walk the streets with one hundred dollar bills hanging from their pockets, waiting to test their skills.  Absolutely not.  But rather the understanding that they must not underestimate themselves.  We all have the potential to be powerful, given the opportunity. 

-Master JD Rifkin
Battle of LA

*to view past month's articles, please visit the Master's Blog on our website, www.rifkinprokarate.com
photo plaque Photo Days March 16th and 17th
Be on the plaque!

Tues, March 16th 3pm-7pm
 Wed, March 17th 3pm-6pm

Sign up for a 10 minute photo session with Shinya, our Martial Arts photographer.  Sign-up sheet at the front desk!
Packages are VERY affordable. 
We want your photo on our 2010 PLAQUE at your newest Rank, so even if you choose not to purchase a photo package,
STILL GET YOUR PHOTO TAKEN!

Attendance is Key

Please remember that your attendance is ultimately the key to your success in Martial Arts.  Whether it is fitness, weight loss, increased flexibility, endurance, self-defense skills, self-discipline, or any of the other benefits you seek from your training, coming to class consistently is the only way too achieve. 

With Belt Exams coming up the first week in March, remember you need your class requirements met. 
See you in class!

Battle of LA Haiti Donations a SUCESS!

To all of you that donated to our collection for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake, we THANK YOU!  The generous donations are being collected by a representative of the American Red Cross and will aid in in some small part with the massive challenge that lies ahead for the people of Haiti. 

We are proud to have concerned families like you in our school!
facebook Rifkin Professional Karate
Goes Facebook!

At long last, RPKC has joined the millions and many of you! on the internet social networking site, Facebook.  To become a fan, go to RPKC on Facebook

Please support your school and click the SHARE button on the footer of the newsletter to link your Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter account to this Newsletter

By utilizing the power of the internet, and with your help, we can broaden the reach of our school and what we have to offer.
The Benefits of Martial Arts Training for Kids
by John Phung - Published 12/16/05

Admit it. When the going gets tough at home, we've all plopped the kids in front of the television and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we can get started on dinner, maybe check email or sort that massive pile of laundry.

But when your five-year old yells at you "Mom, Kids Rule!" or your ten-year old horrifies you with language that would make a sailor blush, you realize there must be something amiss with what these "family programs" really teach our kids. And sadly, its happening all over the media today, from sports to cartoons, and our children are learning things that we, as parents, vowed we would never teach them. Old fashioned values like respect and self-discipline, seems to have been forgotten, replaced by the dreaded "bling bling" pop culture of today.

Just the thought of your angelic three-year old morphing into a designer-clad, smart-mouthed, money-worshipping, me-obsessed, lay-about is enough to make any parent consider that threatening military school brochure, but there is a solution out there to consider.

Martial Arts training.

From Ninja Turtles to The Karate Kid

You and your kids have all seen the flying kicks, battle cries and mighty chops of their favorite TV characters, as they beat the bad guys to submission - but, you may ask, how on earth can these acts of violence teach my child anything worthwhile?

First, know that what you see on television (save perhaps the Karate Kid) is a far cry from what real martial arts are all about. The fact is, martial arts training is based on non-violence.

Originating in Asia (mainly Japan, China and Korea, although Thailand and Vietnam have their own practices as well), martial arts range from a variety of types and styles, all of which are based on well-rounded, moral teachings. The beauty of learning martial arts is that it encompasses not just the physical aspect of the "sport", but mental and emotional lessons as well.

Comparing that to other kid's activities and sports, where fierce competitiveness and "winning at all costs" seems to be the order of the day, it's not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.

Now imagine your child actually learning valuable life lessons, skills that he will take throughout life, laying the foundation for a happy, well-adjusted and fulfilled adult life. If only karate for kids was popular in the 70's, when I was growing up!

The Advantages
· Karate, and other martial arts for kids, builds confidence and self-esteem as well as self-discipline, respect, concentration and courtesy.

· Many martial arts schools also offer leadership courses for kids, in conjunction with their karate for kids programs, or similar lessons.

· Martial Arts is ideal for children who do not do well in team sports, giving them the ability to flourish this activity, while combining physical and mental practices.

· Many do not realize this, but it is a fact that martial arts training are safer than most school sports.

· Children with special needs, such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), learning difficulties and hyperactivity are often recommended to participate in martial arts for kids because of the clear benefits in its structured training techniques.

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