Thursday, December 4, 2008

January 2009 Newsletter

Happy New Year!

Student of the Month


Student of the Month in Windsor

Our Student of the Month in Windsor is Red Belt Brendan Pfahler. Brendan is a member of our Tournament Team and Black Belt Club. He is a very dedicated young man with excellent attendance, and a Black Belt Attitude! He will be eligible to test at the BBX 2009 in May for his Assistant Black Belt. Great job Brendan!






Student of the Month in Lakeshore



Our Student of the Month in Lakeshore is Dimitri Godard. Dimitri is one of our most recent members in Puce, but he has been working hard, non-stop to reach his goals. His effort and cooperation in class make him an outstanding student. Great Job Dimitri!






Message of the Month
- The Sixth Tenet


One of the things that we as teacher hope to instill in our students is COMMITMENT. In our country today is this one of the virtues that is lacking, thus the problems our society and government have. If you follow this link, you will find an essay on why we are going from 5 to 6 tenets in our school.


Chad Barry Workshop

Master Chad Barry will be in town on Friday January 30th for a Bojuka Workshop. The event will start at 7:00pm and run until about 9:00pm. The cost of the session is only $25, so don't miss out! More information on this seminar is available at this LINK. For more information on what Master Barry does visit his website at http://www.bojuka.ca




Children's Safety and Awareness Seminar

On Sunday January 11th at 2:00pm Master Mason will be presenting a FREE information seminar on keeping your children safe in our unsettled world. Topic that will be cover are safety to and from school as well as on the Internet. Book your spot today as space is limited. For more information please visit http://www.kidsafecanada.net

Self Defense Workshop

On Sunday January 11th at 3:15pm Master Art and Master Curt will be presenting a FREE self defense workshop for adults (Parents). This event will run about 75 minutes and will give you some simple and easy techniques to use if you are ever in a situation calling for you to defend yourself. Space for this event will be limited to 24 people, so sign up ASAP!

Tournament Team at 1st Defense in Essex

Our Tournament Team was invited in November to attend a special tournament sparring practice at 1st Defense Martial Arts in Essex. Several team members, as well as some non team member students attended the session run by Master Joe Cammalleri. All the students present had a fantastic time at the event and learned a lot about the different style of sparring. We are hoping to do something like this with their school again in the New Year.

Our Thanks

I would like to thank all the parents and students who particiapted in this years Firefighters / Lion's Club Christmas Toy Drive. We did very well this year, especially consider the difficult times we are currently experiencing.

"A Christmas Story
"

Windsor student Luca Cunial recently played the character Flick in "A Christmas Story" at the Windsor Theater. I was unable to be present myself at this event, but the reviews were fantastic. If you follow this LINK you will see some great pictures from this play. Great job Luca!

2008 - A Year in Review

2008 was a great year for our school. We reached many milestones as a school and hosted several special events for our student body. Here are a few highlights of this great year.

  • BBX 2008 with special guests Steve Stewart & Chad Barry
  • The Chad Barry Seminar in January 2008
  • Our Open House in August
  • Get Fit Month
  • Parents Appreciation Month
  • New Colour Belt System
  • New Interactive Student Website
  • Novice Kyusho Jitsu Program
  • Special Student Awards (attendance, iron man, etc)
  • Parent's Night Out
  • Christmas Party
  • Parent's Self Defense Workshop
  • School Camping Trip to Rondeau
And the best news....2009 will be even better! We have many exciting events planned for 2009. Stay tuned!

Demo Team

Our Demo Team did a brief performance at our December Colour Belt Testing and Graduation. They did an outstanding job. We are looking forward to seeing more from them in the very near future!

Black Belt Demo

Select Black Belts from our school will be doing a Demonstration on Saturday March 21st at 10:00am at our Windsor School. The demo will feature performances from our Demo Team as well as Master's Art, Curt and Scott. See you then!

To keep up with all the latest news from our school visit our Student Website often. That concludes our January issue, see you in February!

Monday, November 3, 2008

December 2008 Newsletter

Student of the Month

Student of the Month in Windsor

Our Student of the Month in Windsor is Dillon Sacilotto. Dillon joined our school with his sister Ivana back in the summer of 2006. He is a very hard working young man, with an excellent attitude towards his training. He has shown a steady progression and improvement thoughout his time with us. Dillon will test for his Red Belt in the New Year which will put him in line for Assistant Black Belt in May 2010. Great work Dillon!





Student of the Month in Lakeshore

Our Student of the Month in Lakeshore is Taylor Laszewski. Taylor is a 3rd Bo Dan Black Belt who will be testing in 2009 for Adult Black Belt rank. He has been a Peaceful Warrior since summer 2000. He is a great example to other students of a Black Belt Attitude. Great work Taylor!





Christmas Schedule


Our school will be shut down for the Holiday Season beginning on Monday December 22nd and running until Monday January 5th. Our normal classes schedules will resume on Monday January 5th 2009. On behalf of the staff and instructors at Art Mason's Peaceful Warriors' we wish everyone a safe and prosperous Holiday Season!

Chad Barry Workshop

Master Chad Barry will be in town on Friday January 30th for a Bojuka Workshop. The event will start at 7:00pm and run until about 9:00pm. Information on costs will be available just after the New Year. This event is open to all Peaceful Warriors' Adult students, regardless of rank. For more information on what Master Barry does visit his website at http://www.bojuka.ca

Advanced Kyusho Jitsu

Our first Advance Kyusho Jitsu Course will be starting in January! Those who were promoted to 1st Dan Black Belt this year in Kyusho are all eligible to continue their Kyusho education and work towards a 2nd Dan if they so choose! If you have not already confirmed your attendance please do so now.

Christmas Toy Drive

It is hard to believe, but the Holiday Season is fast approaching us, which means it is once again time for our Annual Christmas Toy Drive. For the last 8 years at Christmas we have been asking student to donate toys for the underprivileged children in our community. With the current economic conditions I believe this becomes more important than ever.

So once again this year in conjunction with the Windsor Firefighters and the Windsor Lions Clubs we are asking parents and students to donate toys to this great cause. Please bring to your Peaceful Warriors' School any NEW / UNWRAPPED toy by Wednesday December 10th. These will then be collected and distributed to the Windsor Fire Fighter for re-distribution for those children in need.

I would like to thank everyone in advance for their very generous support over the past years.

Black Belt Pre-Test Dates

Attention all Black Belts, don't forget to mark your calendars with the pre-test dates! You must complete all your requirements before your next testing in order to qualify for promotion. The dates are available on our student website at this link.

The IMMAF

The IMMAF in London on November 1st was a great success. We had approximately 16 students of various ranks in attendance. Everyone had a great time! Our thanks to Dr Steve Stewart for making this event available to us. Sadly the IMMAF will not be held in 2009. It is tentatively scheduled for fall 2010. If you would like to see some pictures from this event please follow this link.

History in Pictures

The instructors at the head of this school have been involved in martial arts for most of their lives. Master Curt and Master Scott both started their training at the age of 41/2. If you would like to see a little bit of school / teacher history there are some pictures available at this link. Bookmark this as it will grow as more pictures become available.

How to Live a Long and Happy Life

Ever wonder how to live a happy life? Read this..........

Cyber Bullying

Most parents are very unaware of the latest bully issue confronting their children. This is 'cyber' bullying. Teenagers and children with cellphones, and computers who are being harassed by bullies via email, text messages and chat rooms. Here is a link to a website with a ton of information on how to go about solving this problem. Most parents are totally unaware that this is happening to their children. Girls are the most common victims here.

Children's Safety and Awareness Seminar

On Sunday January 11th at 2:00pm Master Mason will be presenting a FREE information seminar on keeping your children safe in our unsettled world. Topic that will be cover are safety to and from school as well as on the Internet. Book your spot today as space is limited. For more information please visit http://www.kidsafecanada.net

Self Defense Workshop

On Sunday January 11th at 3:15pm Master Art and Master Curt will be presenting a FREE self defense workshop for adults (Parents). This event will run about 75 minutes and will give you some simple and easy techniques to use if you are ever in a situation calling for you to defend yourself. Space for this event will be limited to 24 people, so sign up ASAP!

For more information on this or future events visit http://www.selfdefenseworld.ca

Black Belt Testing November 22 2008












Congratulations to the following Peaceful Warriors' students on their successful grading to the rank of Assistant Black Belt.
  • Rick Marion
  • Liam Ingram
  • Ben Rhude
  • Anthony Robertson
  • Mason Marietti
  • Dylan Baillie
Here is a LINK to some pictures from testing. Our Black Belt Registry has been updated to reflect this event. Great job guys!

Our New Demo Team

Master Curt has been very busy over the last few months totally rebuilding our Demo Team! So far the results have been very exciting! Watch for the demo team performing at upcoming Colour Belt Testings.

Tournament Team

Did you know that our school has a Tournament / Competition Team? If this is something that you think might interest you please contact our office for more details!

Video Games - Christmas is Coming


With Christmas just around the many children's minds turn to what video game they would like to have this holiday season. I came across a website called The National Institute on Media and the Family. This site discusses safe gaming and avoiding possible addition for children playing these games. They also go into details on which games are great for your kids and which to avoid at all cost. You can download their guide book, 2008 Video Game Report Card here.

From the teachers and staff at Art Mason's Peaceful Warriors' we wish you all a Safe and Happy Holiday Season. See you in the New Year!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

November 2008 Newsletter

Student of the Month

Student of the Month in Windsor

Our Student of the Month in Windsor is Black Belt Frank Romero. Frank currently holds the rank of Assistant Black Belt and is looking forward to attaining his 1st Dan at the BBX 2009. He is an excellent student who is always willing to help out his fellow students in class. Great work Frank!








Student of the Month in Lakeshore

Student of the Month in Lakeshore is Eligh Corchis Scott. Eligh is another long time student and a 1st Bo Dan Black Belt. He started with us back in 2002 and has worked very hard over the years doing what he loves. He is a long time member of our tournament team and participates in every tournament he can. Great job Eligh!




Perfect Attendance Award

The following Peaceful Warriors Students had perfect attendance for Summer 2008. This was the period of July 1st to September 30th.

  • Dinu Abeysinghe
  • Jokob Cote
  • Champa Danappanavar
  • John Fahey
  • Jordan Humber
  • Isabella Lapico
  • Louise St Jacques
  • Riley Garant,
  • Anthony Robertson
  • Dustin Lesperance
Great job everyone!


New Kyusho Black Belts

Our congratulations to the following Peaceful Warriors' on attaining their Black Belts in the art of Kyusho Jitsu.

  • Robert Thibert - 1st Dan Black Belt Kyusho Jitsu
  • Heather Durand - 1st Dan Black Belt Kyusho Jitsu
  • Bruno Lapico - 1st Dan Black Belt Kyusho Jitsu
  • Gary Herriot - 1st Dan Black Belt Kyusho Jitsu
  • Philip Welch - 1st Dan Black Belt Kyusho Jitsu
  • Louise St Jacques - 1st Dan Black Belt Kyusho Jitsu
All these students are also Black Belts in our root art of Hon Sang Mu Sa Hapkido.

Congratulations also go out to Master Scott Mason and Steve White who tested and were promoted to the rank of 2nd Dan Black Belt in Kyusho Jitsu. Master Scott will be testing at the BBX in 2009 for his 5th Dan Black Belt in Hapkido, and Steve White will also be testing for his 4th Dan Black Belt in Hapkido. Great work everyone!

Peaceful Warriors' Invitational Tournament

It is with much regret that I must announce the cancellation of our 2nd Invitational Tournament scheduled for Saturday November 15th at Talbot Trail School. Unfortunately we do not have enough students registered to make the proper divisions, purchase metals and pay for the gym we would be using.

My sincere thanks to those who registered for the tournament. Your support is greatly appreciated by Master Curt, Master Scott and myself. Master Curt will be making arrangements next week to refund those paid applications.


Black Belt Testing and Pre-Testing

November is pre-test time for Black Belts! Mark Saturday November 22nd on your calendar! The pre-test start at 2:00pm sharp! Those testing for Assistant Black Belt will be testing at 1:00pm. Classes are suspended this Saturday in preparation for these tests.

Chris
tmas Holidays

This year our Christmas Holiday Shutdown will be from Monday December 22nd to Monday January 5th. Classes are canceled during this period.

Chad Barry Workshop


Great news for our adult students, Master Chad Barry will be returning to our school sometime in the New Year for another Bojuka (Reality Based) Self Defense training workshop. I was back last January when Master Barry was here in Windsor doing a session that left everyone talking for months! More news to follow on our website.

Black Belt Extravaganza 2009

The Black Belt Extravaganza 2009 is set for the weekend of Saturday May 30th and Sunday May 31st 2009. Black Belts and Black Belt Testing Candidates mark your calendars for these days. The event will be held at Talbot Trail School. There will be a public Graduation Ceremony, a day full of Seminars and guest instructors! More information will follow after the Christmas Holidays.



I.M.M.A.F

As this newsletter is being released many of us will be up in London Ontario training at the International Modern Martial Arts Training Conference (Formerly known as the CMATC). The turnout of Peaceful Warriors' students was excellent as always. Anyone who has an experience or pictures from this event they would like to share will us, please contact Master Art at master@thepeacefulwarriors.org. These can be added to the December Newsletter as well as our Student Website. The next IMMAF is scheduled for fall 2010.

George Dillman in London

Adult Students, Grand Master George Dillman (10th Dan Black Belt) will be in London Ontario at Steve Stewart's Modern Martial Arts this coming March. Keep your eyes on our Student Website for dates, times and cost. It has been about 4 years since GM Dillman has been in the area and you won't want to miss this! Stay tuned!


Message of the Month

A new segment in our Monthly Newsletter will be our Message of the Month. Parents love the message of the week we have in class each day. This new message will start in January and will be directly off the desk of Master Art. I am sure everyone will enjoy this!

Instructor Certification

Are you aware that the Teachers on the floor of our school go through a bi-monthly training sessions before they are allowed to teach a class? This assures that our certified teachers and those in training are giving you and your child the best possible martial arts education. If you would like to read more on this program visit our Instructor Certification Website.

Kid's Safety Seminar

On Sunday January 11th our school has schedule a FREE to the public Kid's Safety and Danger Awareness Seminar at our Windsor School. Time and further information will be available very soon. For more information on our Kid's Safe programs visit Kid's Safe Canada.


Woman's Self Defense Workshop

Also on Sunday January 11th our school has schedule a FREE to the public Woman's Self Defense Workshop at our Windsor School. More information will follow very soon on this. You can also keep updated by visiting Self Defense World.

Black Belt Demonstration


Every 2 years we have been holding a Black Belt Demonstration for our student body and their families. This coming spring or late winter we will be doing so once again. Watch this newsletter or our student website for dates and times. 2009 is going to be a great year!


Night of the Living Dead in Windsor

Gemma Cunial, a Windsor student recently starred in a local remake of the classic movie "Night of the Living Dead", which payed at the Mission Theatre on Victoria Drive. She played the daughter Karen Cooper, the daughter of one of the main characters in the movie. This was a multimedia event which combined preshot movie footage with live acting. This young lady has been involved in several plays over the last few years and loves every minute of it! Her brother Luca will be in "Christmas Story" this coming December. AWESOME job Gemma! There will be picture from this show featured on our student website.

To see some pictures from the play please follow this link.


Have a great November and I look forward to seeing everyone next month!

Monday, September 8, 2008

October 2008 Newsletter

Student of the Month


Student of the Month in Windsor


Our Student of the Month in Windsor is Matthew Pizzo. Matthew has been with our school for 1 year now. Matthew show his Black Belt Attitude each and every class by his hard work and perseverance. His attendance is excellent and he loves to participate in every new class activity. He will become an outstanding Black Belt one day!










Student of the Month in Lakeshore


Our Student of the Month in Lakeshore is Black Belt Cheyenne Doe. Cheyenne recently made the jump from kids class to adults class and has been excellent. He is currently the rank of 1st Bo Dan Black Belt and is looking forward to progressing more in the art of Hapkido.












Peaceful Warriors' Invitational Tournament

Our annual invitational Tournament is being held on Saturday November 15th 2008 at Talbot Trail School in Windsor. The event will start at 10:00am sharp. Applications are not available at each branch of our school. Tournament are an important part of your martial arts education and we respectfully request all students to attend this event regardless of rank. There will be a division for everyone! For more information on this exciting event follow this link to our student website.

The I.M.M.A.F Training Conference in London.

We are fast approaching what was formerly called the CMATC is London Ontario. This exciting event is open to all students, both adult and juniors. This is your chance to learn about other martial art styles and meet some world famous martial arts masters and grand masters. The event will feature Grand Master Steve Stewart, Grand Master Frank Trejo, Master Ken Smith and many, many more. Please contact our office for more details on this event. To register call 1-800-622-7880. Classes are canceled on Saturday November 1st 2008 due to this event.

Martial Arts and Children with ADHD.

Here is the link to the 4th part in the article on Martial Arts and Children with ADHD. I also realized that the link in last months newsletter for Part 3 was left out . You can follow this link now to read part 3

Just for Parents

We have a section on our student website that is just for parents. It is an area that containg many, many different articles on parenting, the martial arts and children's issues in general. Follow this Link to have a look. There are 27 different articles as of this writting. More are added on a continuing bases so bookmark the site.

Halloween

Halloween falls on Friday October 31st this year. All locations of Art Mason's Peaceful Warriors' Martial Arts Institute will be closed that day. Normal class schedules will resume on Monday November 3rd.

Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

Our school will be closed Saturday October October 11th and Monday October 13th for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Normal classes schedules will resume on Tuesday October 14th.

Schedule Changes in Puce/Belle River

There has been a minor schedule change in Puce / Belle River starting Friday October 3rd. The schedule changes only reflect those eligible to attend Friday Classes. Right Click and save here to download.

Black Belt Extravaganza 2009


The Black Belt Extravaganza 2009 is set for the weekend of Saturday May 30th and Sunday May 31st 2009. Black Belts and Black Belt Testing Candidates mark your calendars for these days. More information will follow after the Christmas Holidays.

Bullying and the Arts,

Follow this link to an article written by St Clair Beach Instructor Kevin Miller on the problems children face with Bullies! This is some very good reading.


Kyusho Jitsu Rank Exams

Several Peaceful Warriors' Adult Students were tested in September for various Black Belt ranks in the art of Kyusho Jitsu. Everyone did very well on their tests and we offer our congratulations! As of this writing we are waiting for the final results from Grand Master Steve Stewart. Graduation for those who tested is schedule for Saturday November 1st at the I.M.M.A.F is London Ontario. Those who were tested this fall are as follows.

Bruno Lapico - For 1st Dan Black Belt
Heather Durand - For 1s Dan Black Belt
Philip Welch - For 1st Dan Black Belt
Rob Thibert - For 1st Dan Black Belt
Gary Herriot - For 1st Dan Black Belt
Louise St Jacques - For 1st Dan Black Belt

Steve White - For 2nd Dan Black Belt
Master Scott Mason - For 2nd Dan Black Belt

These ranks are in addition to their current Black Belt rank in the art of Hapkido. For more information on the art of Kyusho Jitsu, please visit kyushojitsu.ca

That is all for October. See you next month!

Monday, August 4, 2008

September 2008 Newsletter

Student of the Month


Student of the Month in Windsor

Our Student of the Month in Windsor is Austin Gignac. Austin has been with our school since late late year. He is extremely hard working, very inquisitive about what he is doing and rarely ever misses a class. His effort in class is truly admirable. Great work Austin!







Student of the Month in Lakeshore

Our Student of the Month for Lakeshore is Avi Garg. Avi is one of the most focused young men I have ever had the privilege to teach. He is truly a pleasure to have in our class room. Avi is currently a Blue Belt - white stripe. Keep up the great work Avi!







Student of the Month in St Clair Beach

Our Student of the Month in St Clair Beach is Assistant Black Belt Sean O'Donoghue. Sean was promoted to the rank of Assistant Black Belt back in May is is working very hard to be ready for his 1st Bo Dan in May 2009. Keep up the great work Sean!






Martial Arts and Children with ADHD Part 3

Part 3 of the series on Martial Arts and Kid's with ADHD can read read by clicking on the this link. Part 4 will be available next month.

Labour Day Weekend


Our school will be closed Friday August 29th, Saturday August 30th and Monday September 1st for the Labour Day weekend. Our normal class schedules will resume on Tuesday September 2nd. Everyone have a great holiday!

Sudoku

The puzzle game Sudoku is now available for registered users to play on our Student Website. This is an excellent game to build brain power! There are levels for all ages. If you are not yet registered on our site simply go to http://students.thepeacefulwarriors.org and fill out the information required. Registration is FREE and only takes a few minutes.

C.M.A.T.C 2008

The Canadian Martial Arts Training Conference is fast approaching! This event happens every 2 years and will be held at the Lamplighter Inn in London Ontario on Saturday November 1st and Sunday November 2nd. Every person who has attending this conference has come back energized and re-focused on their martial arts goals. UPDATE: The name if this event has changed to I.M.M.A.F, which is the International Modern Martial Arts Federation Training Conference.

All students regardless of rank are welcome to attend this event! For more information please CLICK on this Link.

This year our school will have several graduating Kyusho Jitsu students who are testing for various Black Belt Ranks. The graduation this year will also feature a demonstration by Kyusho Jitsu Master Art Mason. Book your spot today!

School Tournament

A reminder that our Peaceful Warriors' Invitational Tournament will be held on Saturday November 15th at Talbot Trail School. This tournament is highly recommended for all students regardless of rank. More information will be available in September.

How to Excel in the Martial Arts

When someone first starts to train in the martial arts they want to attend every class they possible can. They are eager to learn as much as they can, in as short a period of time as possible. This will often cause a student to burn out very fast, and lose interest in something they love. What is the best way to excel at the arts, and not burn out. Follow the simple guideline below.
  1. Attitude - Develop a Black Belt Attitude toward your training.
  2. Attendance - Come 2 times per week
  3. Academics - Practice your skills at home for a few minutes each day.
This will help assure your success!

What is Mixed Martial Arts?

The martial arts world is once again abuzz, with a new set of buzz words - Mixed Martial Arts. A few years ago the latest craze was Kickboxing. This was a basic knockoff of the Billy Blanks' Tai Bo craze of the early 90's. The fad lasted a few years and died a horrible death. Today there are a few Kickboxing Clubs left, but for the most part, the fad is finished.

What is MMA? It is another in the long string of terms used for "full contact ring fighting". Will it last? No......most of these events are illegal in Ontario because of the high risk of injury to the competitors. Currently in Windsor there are about 5 MMA clubs going. That is a lot of clubs for the number of people who don't mind getting elbowed in the face. Currently many have reverted to teaching some type of martial arts program to children to try to make ends meet. Many of these instructors are Black Belts in some art, but few are qualified to teach the art they hold rank in. What is one of my greatest concerns about the MMA craze? The fighters will become role models for our children. Do we really want 'ring fighters' as role models?

Also, MMA events are illegal in the Province of Ontario. Another great concern is insurance. I am not aware of any company that will insure a school who open advertises MMA.

Learning and progressing in any martial art requires systems. Systems of teaching, curriculum, and testing. Following systems will help a student achieve not only a Black Belt, but a martial arts education; they will reach their potential in the arts and in life as well.

Instructor Certification

The instructors here at Art Mason's Peaceful Warriors' Martial Arts Institute must meet ridged guidelines to become certified instructors. Candidates must complete a course, examination and have a certain number of hours on the floor to be eligible to be certified instructors. Below are the breakdowns of the classes.
  1. International Master Level Certified Instructor
  2. Master Level Certified Instructor
  3. Certified Instructor
  4. Assistant Instructor
If you would like to see the profiles of the instructors in our school and their credential please follow this link. For more information on this program please contact Master Curt Mason.

Attention all Black Belts


There is an some important information for all Black Belts on our school website. Please follow this link to read this important information on getting a private lesson with Master Mason.

The Art of Kyusho Jitsu


What is Kyusho Jitsu? It is the study of the meridian and pressure point system of the human body. Kyusho has also been called Dim Mak over the ages. Why study Kyusho? Kyusho Jitsu, once learned and applied will make everything you do in our root art, Hapkido, much more effective. It will equalize things such as size, strength and sex. How do I learn more? On Friday September 26th at 7:30PM at our Windsor Main School, Master Art Mason will be conducting a special Kyusho Jitsu Pre-College Course for all interested adult students. This workshop will be an information session on the upcoming Beginners Kyusho Course starting this fall, and will also provide some practical examples of Kyusho Jitsu at work.

This will be you only chance at training in Kyusho until fall 2009. Space is limited in the Beginners Course to 12 people and we are already about 50% full. Master Mason will also, starting in January be teaching Advanced Kyusho for all those who have successfully graduated from the Novice (Beginners) Course. For more information please contact Master Mason at 519-962-9820. Also visit our Kyusho Jitsu Canada Website.

Busy is a Choice

Black Belt Gary Herriot submitted an excellent article for our website called Busy is a Choice. You can read this article from this link.

Saturday Schedule Changes in Windsor


Affective September 2nd there will be a scheduled change that will affect Saturday's at the Windsor School. The schedule can be download via this link.

This concludes are September Newsletter. See you in October.

Monday, June 30, 2008

August 2008 Newsletter

Student of the Month



Student of the Month in Windsor


Our Student of the Month in Windsor is Kristelle Canlas. This young lady just tested for her Yellow Belt Green Stripe and did an amazing job. See is an excellent student, who has set a definite goal for Black Belt. We are looking forward to see some great things in the future from this lady!






Student of the Month in Lakeshore

Our Student of the Month in Lakeshore is Jake Denomey. Jake was with us originally when he was a young child back in 2000. He returned to training with us last fall. Now in our adult class he is enjoying his training very much and has set his sites at Black Belt. Jake is an excellent student and we are looking forward to some great things from him in the coming months and years.



Student of the Month in St Clair Beach

Our Student of the Month in St Clair Beach is Zak Burns. Zak is one of the senior (junior) Black Belts in our system and is currently holding the rank of 3rd Bo Dan Black Belt. Zak is a great example and role model for the younger students exhibiting our 5 Tenets. Keep up the great work Zak!





Perfect Attendance Award

Every 3 months we award students who have achieved perfect attendance during a specific 3 month interval. Perfect attendance is a student who is in class 2 times per week for the period specified. This period is from April 1st to June 30th. Our congratulations to the following students.

Ana Armstrong, Dylan Baillie, Jan Fielder, Brendan Pfahler, Julia Zheng, Alexandra Brown, Riley Garant, Dustin Lesperance, Yves Quenneville and Heather Snow.

Great work everyone!

Master Mason's Self Defense Workshop

On Saturday July 12th Master Mason hosted a Self Defense Workshop for our junior Green and Blue Belt students. In attendance were students from all 3 Peaceful Warriors' Schools. Everyone had a great time and learned a lot about real self defense on the streets.

Open House

As everyone should now be aware our Windsor School will be hosting an Open House on Saturday August 9th from 10:00am to 3:00pm. There will be demonstrations by our demo team as well as by our instructors and staff. There will be prizes, raffles and draws, so don't miss this one!

Martial Arts & Kids with ADD/ADHD Part 2

Last month I gave some surprising information on how to increase a child's focus who has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. In part 2 I will elaborate on this more as well as give some advise on how to keep building focus in your child.

Back in the 80's when ADD/ADHD first started to appear people often considered these children to be 'slow' since they did so poorly in school. Now we know it is just the opposite. These children are highly intelligent, often far above average.

Part 3 or this article with appear in Septembers Newsletter.

Read Martial Arts and Kids with ADD/ADHD now. You can also visit our New ADHD Information website


The Cornerstones to Building Focus.

Building Focus in children is a primary goal of our school (in adults too). One way in which we accomplish this is with our 3 Laws of Concentration. They are as follows;

  1. Focus Your Eyes
  2. Focus Your Mind
  3. Focus Your Body
If you are trying to get your child to focus on a particular task at hand, use these 3 laws to help. Remind them to focus using the 3 Laws and see how much better the results will be!

Chat with the Masters

Sometime in the near future we will be setting up a web chat on our Student Website for the purpose of allowing our students to ask the instructors anything they would like to know about training, history and personal martial arts experiences. This looks like it will be an amazing events. Watch our website for more details. Click Here to go to our Student Website.

School Camping

We had a fantastic time at school camping as usual! It rained on Saturday, which was a drag, but for the most part it was a great event. I know the kids really enjoyed the Snake hunt! To view pictures of our school camping trip please visit the picture gallery of our student website! Next year camping will be held from Friday July 17 to Sunday July 19th 2009.

Labour Day Weekend

A reminder our school will be closed over the Labour Day Weekend. There are no classes Saturday August 30 and Monday September 2nd. Our normal schedule will resume on Tuesday September 3rd 2008.

C.M.A.T.C 2008

The Canadian Martial Arts Training Conference is fast approaching! This event happens every 2 years and will be held at the Lamplighter Inn in London Ontario on Saturday November 1st and Sunday November 2nd. Every person who has attending this conference has come back energized and re-focused on their martial arts goals.

All students regardless of rank are welcome to attend this event! For more information please CLICK on this Link.

This year our school will have several graduating Kyusho Jitsu students who are testing for various Black Belt Ranks. The graduation this year will also feature a demonstration by Kyusho Jitsu Master Art Mason. Book your spot today!

School Tournament

A reminder that our Peaceful Warriors' Invitational Tournament will be held on Satuday November 15th at Talbot Trail School. This tournament is highly recommended for all students regardless of rank. More information will be available in September.

Testing in August

Coloured Belt testing will be held on Saturday August 23th with the Juniors at 2:00pm. Our first Black Belt Pre Test will be held on Friday August 22nd at 7:30pm. Please see your instructor for more information.

Important Updates on St Clair Beach School

As everyone in the St Clair Beach School is aware the schedule for the summer is rather complicated due to the construction project at St Marks Church. Please CLICK HERE for updated dates, times and places.

Novice Kyusho Sessions this Fall

Starting sometime early this fall, we will be starting a new Novice Kyusho Jitsu Certification Course in Windsor. This is open to students age 15 and over. More information will follow very soon. To read more about the art of Kyusho Jitsu visit our NEW Kyusho Support Website.

This will complete our August 2008 Newsletter. See you again in September!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

July 2008 Newsletter

Student of the Month


Student of the Month in Windsor

Our student of the month in Windsor is Louise St Jacques. Louise is a 1st Dan Black Belt. She is currently a Novice Kyusho student and will be testing this fall for her 1st Dan Black Belt in Kyusho Jitsu. Louise loves to be challenged. When an event comes up at our school she is always one of the first people to be involved. We are looking forward to watching her progress over the next few years.




Student of the Month in Lakeshore

The Student of the Month in Lakeshore is Riley Garant. Riley is currently a Blue Belt with his first stripe. He is a member of our Master's Club and has definitely set his sites on becoming a Black Belt. He is a student who is always demonstrating the 3A's that our school finds so very important. Great work Riley!







Student of the Month in St Clair Beach.

Our Student of the Month in St Clair Beach is Mikal Fakhreddin. Mikal is a very dedicated students who works hard each and every class. She is looking forward to being a Black Belt someday. Keep up the great work Mikal!







The 3 A's

Ask any student of our school and they will tell you what the 3 A's are, and why they are so important.

1)Attitude - "A Black Belt Attitude"
2)Attendance - 2 Classes per week.
3)Academics - Practicing what is taught.

The 3 A's are the cornerstone of martial arts training and advancement. Without these steps in place it is not possible for the student to advance in the martial arts. But just as important as understanding these concepts as applied to Art Mason's Peaceful Warriors' Martial Arts Institute, these also translate into real life. In real life no one will ever succeed without a great attitude. We use the term Black Belt Attitude, because it truly relates to excellence. Attendance is also a critical area. Whatever career a child chooses for their future they must learn the habit of going to work, school or what have you and also being ON TIME. The final trait is Academics, which simply relates to understanding and studying whatever field or endeavor you are involved with. The 3 A's are the key to success in any walk of life.


Iron Man Award

Our first "Iron Man" Award recipient is Kayla Snow. Kayla is an Assistant Black Belt in our Lakeshore school. Kayla has shown to be a true Iron Man or Woman after breaking her wrist at school the week after Black Belt testing. When this type of thing happens many people disappear from the arts until the problem is healed, but not Kayla, she only missed one class! Now she is limited in what she can do in class, but she knows and understands that the learning does not need to stop! Great job Kayla!



Martial Arts & Kid's With ADHD

Almost every doctor who deals with child or adults with Attention Deficit Disorder will agree that martial arts, if taught correctly, will help kid's or adults with ADD/ADHD, but why?

Well first any parent who has ever talked with me about this problem knows that I am apposed to drug use unless the child's safety is at risk. Drugs are a band aid solution at best. So, why does martial arts training work? Well it is a combination of exercise (aerobic) and having to focus or concentrate on what you are doing. What his means is that lung capacity and focus have a direct relationship.

It has been show that intelligence can be increased in any person, if the proper learning steps are taken. Unfortunately school in the traditional sense will not accomplish this. If you look at history you will see many examples of this phenomenon in action. Albert Einstein is one such example. As a child he was considered to be mentally retarded, horrible in math, and a waste of teaching resources.

Please Click Here to read the rest of this article.

8th Annual School Camping

That's right, it's time for our 8th Annual School Camping trip to Rondeau Park. The event starts Friday July 18th and runs until Sunday July 20th. Reservations can be made via the Rondeau Park Website. If you don't wish to camp, everyone is welcome to come visit on Saturday. Many students come up for the day. See everyone there!



Peaceful Warriors' Invitation Tournament

Our annual invitation tournament will be held on Saturday November 15th 2008. More information will be available soon, but mark your calendar now as not to miss this great event!

Canadian Martial Arts Training Conference

The CMATC in London Ontario is fast approaching! It is being held on Saturday November 1st and Sunday November 2nd at the Lamplighter Inn in London. This event is open to all Peaceful Warriors' Students. I don't have any schedules for this event as of this writing, but more information wil follow soon. There are special sessions for both adult and junior students. Special guest instructors this year include Grand Master Steve Stewart, Grand Master Frank Trejo, Master Ken Smith and many, many more! Mark your calendar as you won't want to miss this one! You can download the information packages by right clicking and saving the appropriate links here. Adult & Juniors.

Summer Training

One of the most important aspects of martial arts training is summer training. Often times with the warmer weather, school being out and vacations, martial arts training get put on the back burner. So just how important is summer training?

One of the keys to success in life is establishing healthy routines. These routines when started young are the keys to a successful life! Children need routine, especially in the summer when school disappears. I had one parent say to me many years ago that her son worked very hard during the year (he was 9) and he deserved to do nothing in the summer. now he is no longer a student, but it came as no surprise when one summer out of boredom and lack of direction he got in trouble with the law. If you would like to read more on this topic please follow this link.

Open House

The Peaceful Warriors' will be holding an open house at the Windsor School on Saturday August 9th starting at 9:00am and running until 3:00pm. This event will be open to all school members as well as the general public. There will be demonstrations, a BBQ and much more! More information will be sent out to students as the date comes closer.

Congratulation Sean O'Donoghue!


Odyssey of the Mind is the world's largest international competition for creative thinking, problem solving and team work.

It has been running for 29 years.


Sean and his team won first place in their category at the Provincial Championships in March and were invited to the World Finals

which attract more than 800 teams of up to seven students resulting in 15,000 in attendance from around the world. It was a great

honour to be invited to participate, as not all provincial or state winners qualify to attend the World Championships.


Sean's team was in the Road Rally Division and had to devise a vehicle adhering to outlined specifications and able to accomplish

4 tasks in an 8 minute time interval while presented in a story or play form. A second part of the competition involved Spontaneous Responses where by the team was asked questions and had to respond within an allotted time. The more creative the answers

the higher the scores obtained. Sean's team did a good job, as this is their school's first year in the program. They placed 26 out of 50 teams.


At the World Finals, there was also a Float and Banner Parade Competition. Sean's team created and carried a banner in the parade. Judges rate the top ten banners and the winners are awarded a plaque. Their team represented Ontario and was awarded one of the ten Finalist positions. Part of the team's experience included pin trading with other participants from around the world. They had a lot of fun and had a unique souvenir to take home in the end.


June Testing Rescheduled


Our June Coloured Belt Testing has been rescheduled to Saturday July 5th at 2:00pm. The storm that we had on Thursday June 26th caused a lighten strike to the transformer behind the building cutting our power till after midnight. If you have any questions please contact our office.


The Kids Safe Canada Network


We are very pleased to announce the creation of the Kid's Safe Canada Network website, which is dedicated to helping parents keep their children safe on our streets, in their homes and on the Internet. Drop by the website and take a look around. The address is http://www.kidsafecanada.net


Monthly Events Calendar

We have changed the format of our school events calendar. At one time I was using Office to create and publish a calendar that was posted to the website on a monthly basis. It work OK, but was difficult whenever something came up and an event changed. We now have a new, much better format to keep up on all school events! On our Student Website you will find the new School Event Calendar. This calendar is able to give you information on events months in advance! If you have not yet seen it, go check it out now.

An Afternoon with Master Art Mason


On Saturday July 12th at 1:30pm Master Mason will be holding a Self Defense Workshop for all Green and Blue Belt Junior Students. This event is open to all 3 locations and is being held at the Windsor Main School. The event runs for 1 hour. There is no cost for this workshop. See you all there!

August Coloured Belt Testing

Just a note for anyone who is expecting to be testing in August. Because the Labour Day Weekend falls a little early this year, the August Coloured Belt Testing will be on Saturday August 23. Junior students at 2:00pm and adults at 3:30pm

An Artist's Work

As some of you already know my wife Mireya (Miyo) is a very talented artist. She has been having a great time the last few weeks drawing pictures of various students at various events. If you would like to see some of this work CLICK HERE.

The Newsletter

We have been publishing this newsletter each and every month now since January 2006. I changed the format and started using this blog back in January 2008. There has been some great feedback on this format too!

Typically it takes me about 5 hours to write, edit and process this newsletter. This is done over the entire month, so the time does not really seem like that much to me. I do however need a little help! If you have something you would like to see written about here, something special outside of our school that a student has done, some interesting family event or anything else please send me an email! We would love to include it in our newsletter.

My thanks to Mr and Mrs O'Donoghue for the information sent on Sean this month.

Black Belt Pre-Test Dates

Attention all Black Belts! The dates for all the Black Belt Pre-Tests are now available on the Student Website. Note these dates on your calendar. If you are unable to make certain dates please advise your instructor.

This concludes the July 2008 Newsletter. See you all next month!