Posts Tagged ‘Martial’
Earning A Black Belt In Martial Arts
Students at The Dojo of Karate can potentially earn a Black Belt in about 3-4 years…
One of the most common questions I get from students and prospects that come to my school is: “how long does it take to earn a Black Belt?”
My response, “about 3-4 years… that is if you come to class consistently for the entire time, and you or your child are a minimum of 10 years old”.
Some think that is a long time, others think it’s not long enough.
Here’s my reasoning behind a 3 to 4 year minimum to earn a Black Belt.
How long does it take to earn a college bachelors degree from an accredited university or state college? About 4 years rights. Now keep in mind students have summer vacation, spring break, and Christmas break. You can get a degree in 3 years by going year-round.
If you want to continue your education to achieve a Masters degree, than it can be an additional 2-4 years (depending on the major). And, if you are overly ambitious, then getting a Ph.D will take an additional 2-4 years.
Now, in Karate, why should it be any different…? I’ve heard of schools that make their students train 5-7 years to earn a Black Belt — even more! As a Martial Arts Instructor at The Dojo of Karate, I understand there are certain techniques one needs to learn, but I feel the one thing many instructors are missing is this…
Your Training Begins At Black Belt
As a Martial Arts Instructor, your goal is to teach them the fundamentals of your style, whether it be Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, etc. By teaching them this foundation, you are able to mold, shape, and create the type of student you envision for your school.
I expect my Black Belts to look better than all of my students in our school and to demonstrate progress in their training. More importantly, I look at their inner strength, such as attitude and will power.
A Black Belt should demonstrate the Will Power to continue and never give up, and have an “I Can” attitude. Obviously, there is more that just those two characteristics though.
By detaining your students longer than 5 or 6 years to achieve a Black Belt, you are simply creating a barrier to success. The same goes with college. If you require a basic bachelors degree to take 5-6 years — or longer; more students are likely to quite and drop out of college than continue their education.
But, if you make the goals attainable, however demand higher performance and expectations, than you will begin to get better students who believe in themselves.
A student with confidence in their skills is more likely to be successful than a student who has no confidence. As Karate instructors we are not just teaching, but building confidence.
So, the fact that The Dojo of Karate requires a minimum of 3-4 years of continuous training and a minimum of 10 years of age to obtain a 1st Degree Black Belt is a good thing. It’s an attainable goal. But, it’s not easy. 
Javier Lozano, Jr.
Owner / Head Instructor
NASKA World Champion
Certified Personal Trainer
Child Safety Instructor
3rd Degree Black Belt
Broomfield Children’s Martial Arts School
The Dojo of Karate is Colorado’s Premier Martial Arts School.
We teach kids how to gain more self-confidence, learn self-discipline, stay focused in school, improve their grades, exercise, all while having fun in Karate.
To learn more about our Kids Karate Classes, please call 303.920.4500 and ask about our Introductory Karate Special, which is only $19.95 to get started.
Feel free to check out one of our classes and see everything your child will learn.
Is Knowing Self-Defense Important?
If you are like most people, you are not quite familiar with basic self-defense skills.
Most of us live our lives without the slightest concern of learning how to protect you and your family because we live in a safe neighborhood, or your spouse can protect you.
In A Perfect World, We Don’t Need To Know Self-Defense
But, we don’t live in a perfect world…
This is why we believe it is important that everyone has an understanding and basic training in self-defense.
It’s not uncommon to experience a mugging at your local grocery store, an assault in your neighborhood, or feel threatened by an unusual person while going to the gym. These are all common locations that one may need to defend themselves.
All it takes is being off your guard. Not being aware of your surrounding. And being too scared and freezing to be a victim.
Many of us will say “well, that won’t ever happen to me.”
Are you willing to bet those words on Vegas odds? I think not because you don’t know.
Here’s the point. There is no guarantee you and your family will always be safe. However, learning Self-Defense will give you a fighting chance to not only protect yourself, but also the necessary confidence that comes with it.
The Dojo of Karate is the best Martial Arts school in Colorado that teaches Adult Karate & Self-Defense — combining the two most effective self-protection methods.. Meaning, this is an elite program that is designed for the common, working man, or stay-at-home mom.
It is reality-based self-defense, with traditional Japanese fighting methods that will teach you proper striking techniques, pressure points, and confidence to do whatever it takes to fight back. It’s easy to learn, and almost anyone can learn our curriculum in 3-4 months.
Are you interested in actually learning how to protect yourself?
The longer you wait, the more likely you can become another statistic.
One last note… The Dojo of Karate is conveniently located in Westminster. We service residents in the Broomfield, Westminster, Thornton, and Denver area.
Call 303.920.4500 to learn more about our Adult Karate and Self-Defense Program.
Broomfield Karate School Hosts 1st Inner School Tournament
Westminster, CO – February 24th, 2010 — Local business owner and Martial Arts expert, Javier Lozano, Jr. will be hosting their 1st Inner School Karate Tournament for students & members of The Dojo of Karate.
This is a great opportunity for kids and adults training at The Dojo of Karate to apply their new learned skills in a safe and fun setting — by competing against fellow classmates.
During a Karate Tournament, competitors will typically compete in various divisions or events, such as the Olympics, where athletes enter different events to win medals. Most Karate Tournaments have divisions that include Empty Hand Forms, Weapons, and Free-Style Sparring.
Each division essentially has different requirements, making it challenging for competitors to become “complete” Martial Artists.
In the Empty Hand Forms division, competitors will perform a floor routine, in a sequence, which includes kicks, punches, and blocks, while showcasing their strength with low stances, displaying their focus and balance with difficult kicking combinations, and exhibiting power and precision with strikes capable of injuring an opponent.
The Weapons division has the same type of format as Empty Hand Forms, however, it requires competitors to use a traditional Okinawan weapon, such as a Bo Staff (long stick to carry water) a Kama (a modified sickle designed to cut wheat), or Nunchaku (two sticks with rope holding them together to break down wheat).
Free-Style Sparring is where competitors actually apply theirs skills of body movement, punching combinations, kicking precision, and timing in a setting against an opponent. This teaches the competitor how to react in a real self-defense situation. Free-Style Sparring is always performed with proper safety equipment in order to protect competitors from injury, as well as controlled contact when executing techniques.
The Dojo of Karate will have two events for competitors to compete in - Empty Hand Forms and Free-Style Sparring. Students will be required to compete in both divisions, as this will assist in creating well-rounded Martial Artists.
The purpose of this Martial Arts Tournament is to help students hone their Karate skills in a competitive format. Students will learn several characteristics of how a Black Belt should carry themselves, since that is what all of our students are training to become.
For instance, students will learn about Sportsmanship and how to win humbly, yet lose gracefully. In addition, they will develop their confidence because it takes courage to compete against others, when they are in the spotlight. Students will also find their indomitable spirit – a characteristic that Michael Phelps is widely recognized for.
Why are these Black Belt Principles important? Because The Dojo of Karate teaches Life Skills in all of their Karate classes. This will prepares a child to become better people in society with integrity and perseverance. Something that our generation of kids are missing out in.
To add a spin on this Inner School Karate Tournament, Sensei Lozano decided to setup the Free-Style Sparring a little different from most typical tournaments, known as the bracketing system, which is widely accepted in all major sports.
Instead, he is establishing a Spar-A-Thon format. Basically, students can spar in as many matches as they desire. This allows students to take full advantage of the tournament, and not experience a “one-and-done” match if they lose their first outing.
In order for a competitor to achieve a Gold Medal, they will need to score a total accumulation of 60 points throughout all their matches. For a Silver Medal, competitors need to score 40 points. And for a Bronze Medal students need to score 20 points.
This Spar-A-Thon format teaches kids about goal setting skills and determination. Not only that, but the students leave the tournament like they achieved something, and most importantly — with a smile on their face.
The Inner School Martial Arts Tournament will be hosted on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 from 10am to 1pm MST at The Dojo of Karate, which is located on 12910 Zuni St. #200, Westminster, CO 80234 in the Safeway Shopping Center.
To learn more about their martial arts and fitness programs, please call 303.920.4500 and a representative will be more than happy to assist you.
By PDBLINK BlinkLoans