black (33)

nine_doctrines.gifMy life as a black belt will vary depending on my further goals and the type of black belt I want to be.

What are my goals upon having reached my black belt for my future training and learning?

I will go for instructor. This will require my own nunchuck/sword form (one of each), but I may need to improve my sword skills. I will need to learn new Chung kals and the back belt form. Then, I might go for master. While I am a black belt, I might teach classes, but not be too strict. I might also go

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What Being a Black Belt Means to Me

My definition of being a black belt has evolved over the years. When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a ninja and/or a Power Ranger, that’s what being a black belt meant to me back then. Now, it means being Batman, fighting crime and taking names… Kidding! When I started doing martial arts, I thought being a black belt would be to become proficient at self defense techniques and sparring. As I progressed through Mercer Island Martial Arts, I found that being a black belt was so much more.

 

When

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Please feel free to upload your photos and videos as well!   We can add them to the record of a memorable testing.  If you don't know how please ask, we would love to see your pics/videos.  I haven't processed my photos yet (technical difficulty), so more to come for sure.   Congratulations to you all!  And don't miss CGNs Nelson and Sams as they do a make up due to the weather in February.

3820640127?profile=original3820640083?profile=original3820640161?profile=originalannouncement and photo in the mercer island reporter

Also, check out this weeks MI reporte

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Black Belt questions

1. What are my goals upon having reached black belt for my future training and learning?

Black%20Belt%202nd%20Deg.jpg 

My first goal is to become a second dan before I graduate from high school. I look forward to mentoring future students working toward their black belt. In martial arts I learned to focus which helps me in fencing and in school.
           

2. What kind of black belt will I be?  (what kind of example do I expect to set?)

 

The kind of black belt I want to be is one that stands up for my community when someone i

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Hero Entry 5 - Karen Yuen

Friend! Yes, here would be a beautiful picture of my friend Karen. I assure you she has no problem with me posting this picture because it used to be her profile picture on facebook not too long ago. I also assure you there are more attractive pictures than this, but this face is too awesome not to repost. 

3820639818?profile=originalShe is telling me that she is writing an awesome recommendation for me, and from the tidbit she gave me I’m sure it will turn out great. Not because I’m an awesome person, but because she has

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Hero Entry 4 - Rosa Parks

3820639534?profile=originalI figured a good place to look for heroes was in history. The problem usually is, though, that on a closer inspection, despite all the good these people have done, often the heroes of history have a dark side. That is not true for Rosa Parks, though. She showed us all a single person, with a single action, can change society for the better. With simple civil disobedience, Rosa parks started a boycott that showed that the simple action of a community can change the world. The civil rights movemen

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Hero Entry 3 - Batman

I figured that as long as I was doing a fictional character, I might as well also get this one out of the way. Batman, the coolest superhero out there, shows us that you don’t need to be born with superpowers to save the world; you just need to inherit a lot of money from your murdered parents. Actually, that’s what Bruce Wayne teaches us. I’m don’t think Bruce Wayne is a hero. Batman is a hero, a spirit of justice in Gotham. Not a spirit of j3820639856?profile=originaludgment, though; while Batman is a vigilante, he neve

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Hero Entry 2 - Winnie the Pooh

3820639745?profile=originalThis next entry is somewhat ironic, because Pooh is a great example of everything a Campbellian hero is not. He ignores the call to action that is growing up, forever stuck in the Hundred Acre Woods of our innocence, while the rest of the world moves on. Luckily for me, this is not an English assignment and I can say that Pooh is a hero. I never really liked reading Joseph Campbell anyway.

Currently Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne sits at the edge of my bookshelf, right next to my computer. I admi

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community project wrapping gifts

    _vector-ribbons-preview2-by-dragonart.png?w=495&h=299 Sitting around in the center of Northgate Mall, ready to wrap gifts for the Cancer Children Careline. Although people were not coming, as anticipated by the organizer, at this early season. But, our presence drawed peoples attention to our little booth. I took out an ribbon and started pulling the flaps soon making a pretty blue flower. I pulled out a cell phone and checked the time, 5:30PM,yay. Just 3 and a 1/2 hours to go! As the clock ticks away I pass the time by going on the Kindle Fir

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Hero Entry 1 - Alex Lambert

To start my hero blog I wou3820639556?profile=originalld like to honor my little brother, Alex, who has been kind enough to put up with me this past week and housesit. Though we like to act that we can’t stand another, the truth is that next year I will miss hanging out with him at home. One thing that separates Alex from any other family member is our mutual love of video games. He is still at the age where he can waste most his days in front of the television without any school conflicts, so in some ways having him play

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community project, carousel, redo

  seattle_carousel.jpg   I watched all the family members get off the carousel, all waving and smiling. I ask many of them if they want a bag, but only a few say yes. I looked over at the donation bucket and notice that there is more gifts in there. Yay! Another ride another crowd over and over again. Each time seeing more and more happy families. I hope that treehouse will get lots of people and let foster children be that way. Ahhhhhh, Christmas

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community project carousel

     Treehouse-logo-horiz-green-w.tagline-950x534.jpgThis project is to help treehouse a foster child program. Me and my mom are supposed to wait at the carousel exit and hand people donation bags. Lots of people came and many had donations and wanted a bag, then they would head to a shop and come back for another ride and give us the things they bought. All of a sudden lights are flashing in a nearby building and a annoying beep beep beep sound came out. About 20-30 minutes later the firefighters arrived and sat there for a long time. Figuri

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10 Living Heroes by Nathan Jackson

1:  My first hero is President Obama.  He is my hero because he is the first African-American president.barack-hussein-obama.jpg?width=138  Also, to become president, he had to have a good attitude, hope, and many other things that helped him become president such as brains, confidence, and good leadership. That shows me that anything can be possible if you just work hard and believe.

2:  My second hero is my mom because she helps me where I need help and artwork.gifalways has fun with me.  Also, she teaches me character, manners and the im

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Black Belt Candidate Essay


    Once I become a black belt I want to go for higher rankings. I want to
watch my friends that are a lower belt than me recieve their black belt as
well. And I want to stay in the dojang for as long as I can. I want to be a
black belt that is looked up to and admired. I want to also help other kids
fulfill their dreams of becoming a black belt and let them feel the same
feeling that seems to swell up in your chest whenever you get a new belt. I
want to see these kids become a black belt and once I l
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My experience of doing community projects.



      I thought that sorting clothes and filling up bags with clothes was
going to be super boring. But instead I had a great time! What made me sad
though was the fact that there were so many kids in this world with barely
any clothes. But then I thought of how happy they were going to be recieving
the clothes. All in all doing this made me proud!
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My Five Living Heroes

     My first hero is my gu-zheng teacher Shirley. She is great with the gu-zheng and I admire her for that.

     My second hero is my private gymnastics teacher Celia who is super flexible and nice and fun!

     My third hero is Dr.Bailey who was my flute teacher in fifth grade who was absolutely great with the flute.

     My fourth hero is Mrs.Larkin who is my 3/4 block teacher who really likes cultures and it is fun to tell her about China.

     My fifth hero is My Mom who always listens to me an

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Cameron's Heroes for Martial Arts

1 One hero is Master Strongheart because she has taught me from defense to sparing.  She gives me nice encouragement, trust, and respect since the first day of martial arts.  Also she is very enthusiastic.  Thank you Master Strongheart for everything that you taught me through out my life.

2 My next hero is my mom because my mom is very nice, thoughtful, and respectful to everyone.  Even if she is tired when she gets home from work she still has energy to take me to martial arts with no complaint

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Experiential Leadership Program

Mercer Island Martial Arts' program teaches real leadership skills experientially. Kids become mentors and leaders who make a real difference in others lives. They lead in the dojang and then take those skills into the community as well.

"Never doubt a that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens, can change the world for it is the only thing that ever has." -Margret Mead
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explanation of dojang etiquette

There are simple reasons, and more complex reasons, why etiquette is
still strictly enforced in traditional martial arts schools. Since I
keep getting asked about it, I thought I'd summarize the major reasons
why, in my experience, etiquette is so important in the martial arts.


1. SAFETY. I can't overstate this. So much of etiquette revolves aroundSafety_first.jpg
providing a safe and challenging training atmosphere. Don't talk while
the Sa Bum Nim is talking, or you might miss something crucial, which
could l

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