Summer Policies

As you are no doubt aware, summer is fast approaching. For many, this means vacations, swimming lessons, and other activities that may interfere with the ongoing pursuit of martial arts training. I would like to take this opportunity to explain the school’s policies regarding vacations and summer scheduling, as well as provide you with some information about events that will be happening during the summer months.

In my experience, those that are able to maintain their training during the summer are at a huge advantage for a variety of reasons. The vast majority of students who do take large chunks of time away from their training end up not returning to it, in spite of the best intentions. Those that do take significant time off generally take about as long to get back up to speed as the amount of time they took off in the first place. Since class sizes are generally smaller during the summer, there is much more opportunity for personal progress and individual attention. The extra availability of private lessons, camps, and other special events help propel this growth even faster.

In order to help students maintain their skills and keep their momentum during the summer months, here are some additional options:

• Check out our morning classes. The current schedule will continue through Saturday, June 15th, and as of June 16th, we will be adding several classes and making some small adjustments.  Details about the new schedule can be found here.
• During the summer, it is a great time to add training to your schedule! Because of the increased availability of class times, your skills can really skyrocket by adding additional private lessons during the week.  Also, in preparation for summer, remember that our Anniversary is coming up the first weekend in June, which provides the perfect opportunity to upgrade your experience!
• There will also be two week-long karate camps for kids this summer.  The first will run July 8^th – July 12^th and the second will be August 5^th – August 9^th.  Details can be found here.
• If none of these options work for you, we will of course credit missed time when you return, provided you let us know in advance how much time you will be away (in writing, please, so there is no confusion later).

Over the summer, there are also several other special events, so check out what’s going on here!

If you have any questions regarding the summer please feel free to call, email, or speak with us at any time. Thank you so much for your continued support of the school, and I hope everyone has a safe and pleasant summer!

Kenpo Lineage Association

A lot of people have been asking me about the Kenpo Lineage Association, so I wanted to get some information about it out to you.

Of course, the most obvious question is “What is it?”

But before I answer that, let me back up a step and tell you a little about it from my perspective. There are all kinds of events that happen in the martial arts world, and I am fortunate to be part of an organization that believes in the value of not only the classes and regular dojo experiences, but also those “out of the ordinary” things that can inspire a student (or instructor for that matter) and help bring them to the next level. This kind of thinking provides the opportunity to be part of a community through local, regional, and even national events. While many people choose not to take part in them, they are still out there, and those that want to grow beyond the four walls of their own dojo find that there is a real community out there connected under the Z-Ultimate umbrella.

Summer Schedule

With about a month left in the school year, we wanted to get everyone a copy of our Summer Group Class Schedule. As I am certain you will notice, there are a couple of changes, mostly in the form of additions.  Click here to get a copy.

In summary:

• We will be offering two morning kids classes during the week. Tuesday, the Little Dragons and Wednesday the Older Children. Both classes meet at 9:15 for those early risers. Please note that these classes will not occur the week prior to the Tournament (August 20th and 21st), but will still happen during Summer Camp Weeks.
• We are expanding our Saturday group schedule during the summer.
• We are combining the Teen and Adult classes during the summer to give everyone a wider variety of people to work out with.
• Sparring classes are available for Orange Belts and above. Emphasis during the summer will be on preparing for the Tournament to be held in Bellevue on August 25th.  Please remember that you must provide your own gear in order to participate in the sparring classes.
• We are adding a Performance Class on Saturdays.  This will be open to kids and teens who are interested in pushing the boundaries of their regular training and developing a “performance” mentality.  This is an exclusive class designed to develop a demonstration team from committed students who regularly participate at a high level. Please note that not all students are qualified, and eligibility for the class will be determined on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested, please ask.

Have a question about the schedule? Email mercerisland [at] zultimate [dot] com.

Dojoversary RSVP

For those that have already read through our Dojoversary! post and just want the chance to RSVP to the different events.  If you want to update your response, fill it out again and it will replace your prior indications.

In order to better anticipate how to manage our energy, time, and available space, please call or email the school, or use the form below to indicate the events you are interested in:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Kids Bring A Buddy Class (Free)

Kids Movie Night ($10/person)

Bagels and Breaking (Free)

Women's Self Defense (Free)

2-Person Staff Class ($79/person)

Please list any guests you plan to bring:

Questions, Comments, or Suggestions:

Submit

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Important Dates for the Summer

Here’s a quick preview of some events coming up in the near future.  Follow the links for more information!

• Saturday, May 18th – Northern California Tournament
• Monday, May 27th – School Closed for Memorial Day
• Friday, May 31st and Saturday, June 1st – Mercer Island Dojo Anniversary Weekend
• Sunday, June 9th – Summer Grand Championship Tournament in Irvine, CA
• Friday, June 14th – Special Seminar in Washington with Shihan Nesta and Grandmaster Taylor to launch the Kenpo Lineage Association.  Here is what I think about it, in case you are wondering.
• Saturday, June 15th – Colorado State Tournament
• Sunday, June 16th – New Summer Schedule Begins
• Thursday, July 4th – School Closed for Independence Day
• Monday, July 8th through Friday, July 12th – First week of Summer Camp
• Saturday, July 20th – Brown and Black Belt Test
• Monday, August 5th through Friday, August 9th – Second Week of Summer Camp
• Sunday, August 25th – Washington State Championship Tournament (Early Registration Opens Shortly)

Plus more to be announced soon….  Looks like it is going to be an incredible summer!

Dojoversary!

Our Anniversary is Coming Up!

That’s right! This June marks 4 years for the Mercer Island dojo, and we’re having a little celebration in honor of the occasion!

We’re so lucky to be a part of the Mercer Island community, and as part of our way of saying a great big “THANK YOU!” to all of you who have supported the dojo, we’re offering several special events the first weekend of June as well as a special sale on all things martial arts related!

As part of the weekend, we will also be hosting several special events, so check out some of the extra fun we have lined up and get ready to have a great time at the dojo!

Drop your kids and their friends off for a

Summer Camp for Kids

Many of you have asked for information about Summer Camps, so here it is!

We are planning to hold two Camps this summer:

• Camp Week 1: July 8th – July 12th
• Camp Week 2: August 5th – August 9th

The details:

• Camps are open to kids age 6 – 13, including non-students.
• Camps run from 9 AM – 1 PM.
• In addition to extra martial arts classes and practice time, students will also have the opportunity to work on and explore other skills. Some possibilities include:
  • Sparring and related skills
  • Origami
  • The game of Go
  • Board breaking
  • Fight Scene Choreography
  • Tournament skills
  • And many other fun activities and exercises
• Healthy snacks and drinks are provided on a daily basis for all attendees.
• The final day, we will also watch a martial arts themed movie TBA and have a pizza lunch.
• Space is limited to 16 people, so reserve a spot today!
• Day rates are available if there is room, but priority will be given to full-week participants.

How to reserve a spot for your child:

• Contact the school by email (mercerisland [at] zultimate [dot] com) or phone (206-232-2723), or make a deposit via PayPal (for Week 1, click here, for Week 2, click here).
• A non-refundable deposit of $100 per child for full week participants is required to secure your space. Full tuition for the week is $269.
• For Camp Week 1, reserve your spot on or before Saturday, June 1st and receive a $25 “Early Bird” discount for the week.
• For Camp Week 2, reserve your spot on or before Saturday, July 13th and receive a $25 “Early Bird” discount for the week.

In the past when I have run Camps, almost 100% of the attendees returned for future Camps because they had such a great time, and I look forward to making that a tradition here as well!

Thanksgiving Week

Next week is a big week at the dojo. Not only is it my FAVORITE holiday, but it’s also SuperSaver Week!

A couple of notes about scheduling for next week:

• I know all the kids have shorter school days next week, so if you have make up classes to schedule, it might be a great time to do them since we have lots of availability. Please also let me know if you will be unable to attend a scheduled class so that we can use that time to help others.
• We will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving, so if you need to reschedule a Thursday lesson, let me know so we can get it set up.
• Hopefully you’ve all read the SuperSaver letter I sent out (if not, it’s also here), and have noted the change for the Monday evening Teens class and the Friday afternoon Kids and Sparring Classes.

A couple of notes about the Specials, and I’ll be sending out details on all of them later..

• I’ve just gotten the word on the startup specials for new and returning students next week, and they are even better than I thought, so if you or someone you know is interested in trying it out (or resuming their lessons after a leave of absence), please contact us so we can help them get started.
• We have one Black Belt Program available as well, so if you have an interest, please contact me to see if it would be a good fit for you.
• If you are looking for items, you can check out this site or this one, and for other weapons purchases, you can also try this one. We will be offering at least a 10% discount on items, and possibly more….

As always, please contact the school with any questions or concerns, we look forward to helping you progress in the martial arts!

SuperSaver Next Week!

SuperSaver Week is coming up!
Here’s all the information that you need to know:

First of all, why is it called SuperSaver?

This is the one week out of each year that we offer our best pricing on all things martial arts related! This includes extra specialty lessons, sparring gear, uniforms, T-shirts, home equipment like punching bags and stretching machines, and even enrollment discounts for new students! THESE SPECIALS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE BETWEEN MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH @ NOON AND SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH AT 3 PM, so if you are interested in any of them, please make sure to schedule a time to talk with your instructor about how to take advantage of the great savings we will be offering.

As part of the week, we will also be having several special events, so check out some of these classes to see which ones fit your interests:

Ninja Night!

As October rolls on, I realized that it’s time to get ready for NINJA NIGHT at the dojo!

What in the world is NINJA NIGHT???

It’s an all-out super fun kids Halloween party (and a night off for you parents)!

The plan:

It’s going to be a fun-filled Friday, October 26th!  The fun begins at 5 PM with:

• Tons of special Sensei Ben games and contests
• Nerf Gun Wars
• Pumpkin Decorating
• Special prizes for attendees
• A kid-appropriate movie TBD
• Food for all participants and helpers
• and much more!

You can sign up at the studio to attend, and bring a sibling or non-karate friend for 1/2 price! We are looking forward to having you there!