Why study at Villari’s Self-Defense Center?
We feature a long-term, committed curriculum, with rewards on the path to an attainable goal unlike any other achievement. As the student progresses, they receive not only a good foundation in the martial arts, but sound approaches to life’s challenges. Students will work in a safe and structured environment, allowing them the chance to grow with their classmates and as individuals.
Don’t forget: Entry fees for the Medway Classic go up if you don’t register before February 19th! Take advantage of the lowest entry fees of the year and register today!
Signups for the Medway Classic are now open at VillarisOnline.com. Everyone is strongly urged to register now in order to take advantage of early bird rates! If you sign up before Sunday, February 19th, registration is only $45 for 1 or 2 events, $15 for each additional event.
If you have any questions about what to sign up for, see Sensei Joe.
First thing on everyone’s mind is the Medway tournament on Sunday, March 25th. This tournament is a well-organized, smaller tournament that is great for first-timers and more experienced competitors alike. Every student should be prepared to challenge themselves against classmates or friends from other studios in sparring, forms, weapons, or any other event. Tournaments are not just about the kids; adults should be looking to compete as well.
All the participants should plan on making a day of it and cheering on everyone once their events are over. Everyone in this case includes some of the adults, some of the blackbelts, and myself. Lets get some new names up on the trophy wall!
Part of tournament preparation is taking advantage of opportunities to work at the studio. Saturday mornings are picking up, particularly the new fighters working on new sparring techniques. Now that most people have their own equipment, please be sure to arrice a few minutes early in order to get your gear on before class. It will make for more sparring work during class, and get the parents some practice getting gear on in a hurry.
Still taking signups for the “Steps of the Dragon” sword clinic. Again, we need commitments from signups by February 10 to insure the delivery of everyone’s weapons. This form is absolutely appropriate for intermediate and beginner students, and will be an exciting addition to anyone’s tournament events!
We’ll be holding a kid’s test during vacation week, on Wednesday, February 22nd. The test will take place during regular class times, and regular class schedules. Beginners should plan on staying from 4:30 until 6 PM, and advanced kids, teens, and adults who are being tested will be staying from 6:30 until 8:00 PM. Please check the new posting board for invitation announcements.
We’ll be continuing our tradition of monthly Movie Nights on Friday, February 24th, from 6:00-8:30pm, featuring Iron Man 2. As always, pizza and beverages will be provided, and costs will be $15 for students, $20 for guests.
Now that the new wall is finished, its time to get the PowerCards and the Path of the Tiger back into the front of our minds. Keep watching for the next part of this character development program.
Finally, thanks for everyone that brought their friends in during buddy week. Remember that your friends are welcome to attend most studio events, including movie nights, birthday parties, demonstrations, and parades.
See you at the dojo!
Happy 2012! We hope that everyone had an awesome holiday break.
January is shaping up to be a great month, starting with a Tots’ Stripe Review and Test on Thursday, January 5th. Cameras are encouraged, sharing the pictures doubly so.
We’ll be open on Martin Luther King Day, January 16th. Student with private lessons on Saturday should check in with Sensei Joe to confirm that they will be coming in on the 14th.
January will also feature Buddy Week, during the week of January 23-27. Students are welcome to bring friends to any basic class for free. You can pick up invitations for your friends and permission slips for their parents at the studio. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to allow buddies without forms to participate in class, but they will be more than welcome to watch.
We’ll be continuing our tradition of monthly Movie Nights on Friday, January 27th, from 5:30-8:00pm. Our movie selection has yet to be determined, but as always, pizza and beverages will be provided, and costs will be $15 for students, $20 for guests.
In February, we’ll be holding First Steps of the Dragon Karate Camp on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of school vacation week: February 21-23. Tuesday and Thursday will feature the Dragon Sword form, using the Chinese Broadsword, while we’ll be doing work on tournament forms and demo routines on Wednesday. It won’t be all work, though — we’ll have breaks for lunch, snacks, and games. Snacks and games will be provided; kids should either bring their own lunch or money for Subway. Camp will run from 12-4 each day, and will cost $120 per student, plus the cost of the sword. Sign up deadline is Friday, February 10th.
The preparation we do now will benefit us greatly for the tournament, parades, and demonstrations we have scheduled for this spring and summer. We’ll see you at the dojo!
Our first time participating the the Mashpee Christmas parade on Saturday night, December 10th, was a fun (if very cold) time! The parade itself is a beautiful event, and even in the cold, the crowd made the walk seem much shorter then it was.
Students who braved the cold and walked were Matt, Luke, Nick, Jacob, Emma, Troy, Grace, Ethan, Michael, Justin, Savannah, Chris, Jackson, Meghan, Ryan, and very special thanks to Ben.
Thanks to everyone who had cameras out and running in the cold. Any pictures should be sent to ucvillaris@aol.com so they can be shared as soon as possible.
It would be exciting if we had something we could do when the parade pauses, and while we’re walking. To that end, we’re looking for interest in re-establishing the demo team. All interested students can find a sign-up list at the dojo.
Don’t forget to sign up for our Christmas Movie Night, which will start right after the Kids test on December 17, and will run until 8:30 PM. This one features movies, sword fighting, and snowball fights, so be ready! This event costs $20 per guest attending, and $15 per student. Signup will be at the studio or online.
Again, great job by all the students, family members, and friends who came out tonight. I look forward to sharing the pictures!
Just a little more information from the organizers of the Mashpee Christmas parade:
I just want to remind of a few changes and additions to this year’s parade. At 5pm, we will have a pre-parade show that will include an opening ceremony, ribbon cutting, and a performance by the Avalon String Mummer’s Band from Philadelphia. We are asking that all [other] entries to be in place by 4:30 pm. There will be volunteers by the Library Green to direct you to your location in the parade line-up. Floats will be situated along the road that lines the perimeter of the Library Green. Walking units and all other units will line up on the Green itself. Volunteers will be in place to direct you.
Parade headquarters is located inside the Mashpee Library, and will be offering free hot chocolate & cookies. Rest Rooms are also available. Steeple Street and the parking lot BEHIND the library will be open and available for drop off until 4:30pm. After that, Steeple Street will be closed to allow for the parade line up. Parking is available throughout Mashpee Commons. No parking is allowed on Steeple Street in the near the Library from 2pm to the end of the parade.
If there are any questions about where we’re meeting, please call me at 508-615-7841. Looking forward to Saturday!
December events will start on Thursday, December 1st with a Tots Stripe Test. The tots who have shown that they can focus and perform throughout class will be awarded stripes for their belts appropriate to their material and behavior. Parents should bring cameras and prepare to support our youngest students during this class.
Immediately after this class, we will conduct a poll to determine which additional times will be most beneficial for additional Tots sessions. We are looking to divide the Tots into multiple classes in order to continue to provide a safe and focused environment. We ask that parents stay for a few moments after class so everyone understands the options.
The next weekend is the Mashpee Christmas Parade! This is a chance for our younger students to take part in a short event that doesn’t take up the whole day. Parade line-up is at 4:30 PM on Saturday, December 10th at the Mashpee Library, with the parade step off at 5:30 PM. The parade ends at South Cape Village, with a block party, complete with Santa! This is an evening event, so be sure to have warm layers for under your uniform, hats, and lights for safety. Parents are welcome to join us walking to help keep track of everyone. This will be one of the outreach events from Creative Connections, so card collectors should attend if they want to earn another card.
On Saturday, December 17th we will be holding a Kid’s test, so keep an eye out for an invitation. This event will be held in the evening, starting at 4:30 PM and running until 6:00 PM for the beginners, and until 7:00 PM for any advanced students that take part. Invitations to the event will be handed out by the end of class on December 8th.
The Kids test will stack up with the December 17th Movie night! Traditionally this was our only movie night, to give parents one last night out for shopping or a break before everyone gets out of school for vacation. Movie night will start right after the Kids test and will run until 8:30 PM. This one features movies, sword fighting, and snowball fights, so be ready! This event costs $20 per guest attending, and $15 per student. Signup will be at the studio or online.
With Christmas Day and New Years Day being on Sundays, there are no closed days for the upcoming holidays! All classes and private lessons are as regularly scheduled.
Don’t forget to give us a call if you can’t make it to a scheduled lesson. If schools are closed due to weather, please be sure to check on this website or the studio phone before heading out to class.
Congratulations to those students that attended the Beginner’s test on Friday, November 11th! Everyone who attended did a wonderful job with their material and attitude. Students that start like this can certainly set their sights on black belt! For those students that did not attend, don’t worry; there will be another soon after the holidays. Work hard, stay focused, and you may be selected to participate in the next test!
New ranks at the November 2011 Beginner Kids Test
