Sensei Jim’s Monday night hardcore class is back!

Monday’s from 7:00pm-7:45pm Green through Black Belt Adults and Teens, and all
Jr. Black Belts who are currently attending Adult classes.

Sensei Jim’s Monday Night Hardcore Class will give you the workout of a lifetime! A staple class from the “old days,” this class will propel your training to the next level. Let’s bring the positivity, gratitude, and most of all WORK ETHIC to this class and re-build a WNY Karate tradition. “Excuses at the door, prepare for the dojo floor!”

November Grading dates & candidates!

To all students, families, and friends,

Please join us for this incredible occasion that only happens once or twice a year. Mark your calendars now!


Adult Black Belt Pre-Tests:

Pre-Test I   ~ Wed. Oct. 4th, 2023;   8:30pm-?

Pre-Test II  ~ Wed. Oct. 18th, 2023;  8:30pm-?

Pre-Test III ~ Wed. Nov. 1st, 2023;    8:30pm-?

Final Exam: Saturday Nov. 11th;   12:00-8:00pm

The following candidates are testing/grading for:

SHO-DAN(1st Degree Black Belt)

Sempai  Angelina Tang

Sempai Emma Wu

NI-DAN (2nd Degree Black Belt)

Sensei Chase Allard

Sensei Harbir Singh

SAN-DAN (3rd Degree Black Belt)

Sensei Kevin Lesniowski

YON-DAN (4th Degree Black Belt)

Sensei Mark Crisafulli

Sensei Nick Kotrides

Sensei Kelly Smith   

Black Belt grading november 2022

The following candidates are testing for:


SHO-DAN (1st Degree Black Belt)

Sempai Brady Cline

Sempai Mrudula Samant

NI-DAN (2nd Degree Black Belt)

Sensei Andrew Sutherland, Ph.D. Ed.

SHICHI-DAN (7th Degree Black Belt)
Shihan Kevin Jenney, D.PT.

(Shihan Kevin wants to dedicate his testing to our late Karate brother Shihan Chris Bonaventura)

PRE-TESTS:
Phase I ~ Wed. Oct. 5th;  8:30pm-?

Phase II ~ Wed. Oct. 19th; 8:30pm-?

Phase III ~ Wed. Nov. 2nd; 8:30pm-?

FINAL EXAM:
Saturday November 12th;  12:00pm-8:00pm

 

Back to school special! $19.95

2 weeks of Unlimited Karate Classes Only $19.95! Includes a Karate Uniform!

Call or Email to Sign Up (716) 631-5065 | wnykarate@gmail.com

Children’s Beginners Classes:

Mon.    4:00 – 4:45 pm

Tues.   5:30 – 6:15 pm

Thurs.  6:15 – 7:00 pm

Sat.      9:00 – 9:45 am

Adult Beginners Classes:

Mon.  7:00 – 7:45 pm

Tues. 7:00 – 7:45 pm

Thurs.  7:00 – 7:45 pm

Sat.  10:30 – 11:15 am

Summer Camp is back!

                  4 WEEKS for $49.95                         W/UNIFORM                 

Please call (716) 631-5065  or email wnykarate@gmail.com to sign up!

                SESSION I JUNE 20- JULY 16

                SESSION II JULY 18- AUG 13

                SESSION III AUG 15-SEPT 10

COME AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE, UP TO FOUR(4) CLASSES EACH WEEK.

    CHILDREN (3-12 yrs old)

    Mon. 4:00-4:45pm,  Tues. 5:30-6:15pm,  Thurs. 6:15-7:00pm,  Sat. 9:00-9:45am

    ADULTS (13 yrs old & up)

    Mon., Tues., and Thurs. 7:00-7:75pm and Sat. 10:30-11:15am

Board breaking and Yoga – but not at the same time :-)

BOARD BREAKING ALL CHILDREN’S CLASSES THIS THURSDAY AUGUST 10th!

Gentle Yoga with Sensei Tara

  • Tues. & Thurs.   1:30-2:30 p.m.  Starts Sept. 12th
  • Saturdays           7:30-8:30 a.m. Starts Sept. 16th
  • 8 class pass  $ 70
  • 4 class pass  $ 40
  • Drop In         $ 12
  • Private session     $ 60 an hour
  • Semi-private 2-3 people   $ 90 an hour
  • For more info. check flyer at the dojo or

Text or call Tara Philipps 716.913.5741 or e-mail tjphilipps@yahoo.com

Pre-registration recommended

Isshin-ryu no kamisama

Western New York Karate Center
Shihan Bill

Isshin-ryu no kamisama

Master Uezu tells one version of the origin of the Isshin-ryu symbol and Sensei Advincula has another.  You don’t have to pick one or the other.  I use these stories to analyze any particular version of the Isshin-ryu symbol I see and guess at whether the artist was following Master Uezu’s version or Sensei Advincula’s. Regardless, I think the image should be called, Isshin-ryu no kamisama, the guardian spirit of Isshin-ryu.

Mizu-gami – The Dream
According to Master Uezu Angi, after working out, Master Shimabuku fell asleep on a water tank in his courtyard and he began to dream.  In this dream, a man entered the courtyard and challenged Master Shimabuku to a fight.  Shimabuku refused and held out an open left hand (meaning peace) and shook his closed right hand in a fist over his head (meaning the ability to destroy). The man then encircled Shimabuku in flames before he disappeared.  Shimabuku took a bucket of water from the tank he was standing on and poured out the water and extinguished the flames.

Mizu-gami – The Design
The next day, during a business trip to Naha (capital of Okinawa), Shimabuku was confronted with the image of Mizu-gami, the Shinto Water Goddess, hanging as a print in building and realized that the image was a parallel to his dream and incorporated Mizu-gami into the symbol for Isshin-ryu that we know to this day. Mizu-gami in the center.  Three stars above representing Master Shimabuku’s three teachers.  A red oval border representing the vertical punch and the flames that surrounded Master Shimabuku in the dream.  An ocean symbolizing purity. And a dragon representing good fortune.

Megami – The Dream
According to Sensei A.J. Advincula, the US Marine that designed the original Isshin-ryu patch, Master Shimbuku’s dream was of a spirit, a megami, who spoke to him and said, “you have new ideas on how to improve your techniques. Go ahead and teach them publicly.”

Megami – The Design
Later, Master Shimabuku passed a shop in Shuri and saw a picture similar to the megami from his dream, Ryuzu Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, who is sometimes depicted as a woman riding on a dragon.  Master Shimabuku began studying Okinawan mysticism with his uncle, Ganeku Shinko, when he was 13 and continued to train with him in Okinawa mysticism until he was 20.  Ganeku hoped that Master Shimabuku would become a sanjinso, a fortune teller, like him, who uses the I Ching and other Chinese occult lore to predict personal futures (Ganeku also introduced Master Shimabuku to To-de and thus Master Shimabuku discovered his life’s calling).  Thus, Shimabuku recognized Ryuzu Kannon and knew it was she who had visited him to inspire him to start his own dojo. Master Shimabuku borrowed the image and took it to an artist, Nakamine Shosu, to create the image of the Isshin-ryu no kamisama (Protecting deity of Isshin-ryu), a woman as the upper body and lower body as that of a dragon; the system being both soft and gentle like a woman and hard and fierce like a dragon. The border is to be the Isshin-ryu vertical fist in gold.  There are three to five stars representing ALL of Master Shimabuku’s teachers. The dragon represents Master Shimabuku whose karate name means, Dragon Man.  The ocean is typhoon which stands for ever present danger and the megami, as the protecting deity, is calm in the heart of the storm.