Congratulations to all the new 1st degrees, 2nd and 3rd degrees! You all did SPECTACULAR! I hope each and every one of you enjoyed every second of it. The music was FABULOUS and so powerful. I wouldn"t be surprised if we saw new faces at the studio on Monday to start a new journey!

yesterday was amazing!!!!! the atmosphere was great. everyone had great energy. it went by so fast that i wish i could do it again rite from the Qualification test. I would to thank my teammates who beared with me for 6 months. The instructers who paved the road to black belt for me. And to mr. fariborz for having such a great studio, TKC. i cant wait to see everyone tommorow in our first black belt class!!!!

-syed

Wow!  Yesterday was amazing!  Congratulations to TKC"s newest black belts.  Thank you to Mr. Fariborz, Mr. Faramarz, and others who made this year"s spectacular happen.  And, of course, thank you to the Morin family for hooking TKC up with a great location. 

I"m really looking forward to testing in 2009.  See you on the mat!

~Giselle

Spectacular was more than spectacular.  I kept on leaning over and saying to Winnie "I want to be Miss Linda when I grow up"  ......I want to be Terri R when I grow up".....I want to be Marnie when I grow up....I want to be....the list was so long yesterday.  Peer role modeling is such a great example for Maya, as well as our family.  Thank you.  Congratulation to everyone.

Today"s Journal Entries are rolling in and I keep logging off and back on to check them out.  With all the focus on The Team, from new Black Belts up through Team Florida, Second Degrees and to the Third Degrees, there is one TKC family member I know we haven"t mentioned lately, but who definitely is in our hearts.  That would be Mr. Ash.  Mr. Ash, I wish you could have been part of Team Elite this year.  You would have added even more to our experience.  (Although I"m not sure how we would have lined up on the mat with an odd number.)  Just kidding, Sir.  We would have made room for you.  And in case you didn"t know it, each of us kept you on our minds throughout the entire 6 months.  You were with us in spirit.  Now we get to cheer you on from the sidelines as you take the next step on your Journey.  We will be sharing your successes, and I know there will be many.  Considering those who may be testing with you in 2009, I know that your team of Third Degree Candidates will be a most powerful example of Black Belt Excellence.  I look forward to congratulating you and they on your big day.  Demo Team TKC HEAT heat was awesome, your demos were awesome, and you are an awesome instructor and friend.  With humble pride, the 50 Black Belt Candidates were GREAT IN EIGHT.  But I know the Mr. Ash edition will go beyond that, and be SO FINE IN NINE.  Or maybe they will SHINE IN NINE.  Or is it..........  

Here are a couple of memories I would like to share of Friday night and Saturday.

CONGRATULAIONS to all the new Black Belts, 2nd and 3rd degrees. I think we all did a great job. I"m proud of every one, specially the juniors. You guys were on top of it the whole day. I hope one day my kids are as sharp as you were on the mat.

Florida team, I was very impressed by your didcation to Sensei Jarett and TKC. you guys rocked, I am proud to have you as part of the TKC family.

One man"s observations of Saturday"s Black Belt Spectacular...

The Macro: I thought the overall production quality of the event was outstanding. I say that from a spectators point of view, who was there for over ten hours. Think of it, I was there for over ten hours not as a participant, but as someone who was only watching the festivities. Things I love to do, I couldn"t do for ten hours. I couldn"t watch a USC football game for that long. I couldn"t play golf for that long. A ten hour movie, forget about it. So to be so transfixed on something, and enjoying myself for so long, speaks volumes of just how entertaining the Spectacular was.

There was always something interesting going on. It moved along at a pace that the Academy Awards show should envy and try to emulate. It was quick and exciting. When Lauren would tug on my sleeve to go outside to get her a snack, I rushed her with some annoyance because I just knew I"d miss something really cool. (She was really good the whole day though and a real trooper)

The panel was a veritable who"s who of the Martial Arts community. Not only were all of our great instructors, past and present, there, but a plethora of dignitaries from the fight industry, ranging from Champion Boxers, to Olympic Gold Medalists, to a Martial Artist with screen credits as long as your arm.

And the percussionist...incredible. The music and the ambiance of the candle lit isle...breathtaking. Among Mr. Fariborz many talents is obviously event planning and production coordination. Bravo & well done Sir !

The Micro: There is so much and so many to mention, but I have to start with little Miss Ava. How precious was she? But make no mistake, she is not our mascot or a novelty act, but a real and fantastic Martial Artist. And that fact shouldn"t be overlooked because of how utterly adorable she is. But my-oh-my, what a cutie! Then in the same family, her mom Terri, doing the Student Creed Form in Thai and her brother receiving his 2nd degree Black Belt as well. It showed how family friendly and a what a friendly family TCK truly is.

Speaking of families, Max and Cassidy V. made Ms. Linda proud with their outstanding performances. Same goes for Hailey and Ryan W. in making Ms. Leah the mother of two new Black Belts, while being one herself. Mr. Jamal, you were very inspirational with your courage in the face of pain and how you persevered. Ali, you not only passed your test, but I give you an A+! And of course, Mr. Jason, Mr. James and Miss Jennifer, your family is this year"s standard bearers of TKC because of your excellence and dedication to the practices and principles of the Martial Arts.

Team Florida. You thanked us for having you there. No, no, no, we thank you for coming. You added so much style and flair to the program with your own versions of the Blend, and were fantastic in incorporating our Forms into your own routines. And Miss Marissa, you are one of the best Martial Artist I have ever seen. Your Forms looked as beautiful as they did lethal. All of you guys were terrific! Please keep in touch for you will all be missed.

Mr. Joe and Mr. Tim. Stuart and I hope to be like you guys in a couple of years...Like a fine wine, the older we get, the better we get, right? Way to go guys, you were flying!

Messer"s Lance, Shawn, David and Jake. TKC"s future is so bright because of the likes of young men of your caliber. With your kindness and respectfulness, your skill and willingness to share what you have learned, we the students of TKC all are the beneficiaries. Your hard earned Black Belts epitomize the Excellence that Mr. Fariborz  preaches. Congratulations Gentlemen.

Miss Mishelle and Miss Roxy, the kicking line is your stage. Your kicks were so crisp, so sharp and way HIGH !!! Such balance and grace. And Miss Mishelle, your Demo with those trident things looked perfect!

Miss Lily, you are your Daddy"s daughter! But to be so young and so good right now, I"m guessing you"ll even pass him up too some day! Mr. Amir, I can only imagine the pride you must be feeling towards your baby.

Ms. Marnie. Maybe you were like a duck in water at the Spectacular...calm on the surface, but paddling frantically underneath, I don"t know. But you appeared so calm and collected, that it seemed like you have been doing Hapkido for a decade. You are that good. And you amaze me. Your Demos were spot on and you deserve all of the accolades that you have received thus far...and you"ll only get better!

The demonstration by Mr. Ash"s Junior Demo Team was really sharp and a joy to watch. The kids did great. The early Saturday morning practices paid off in a big way.

The fighting demonstration by Mr. Ash and Mr. Terry was, to use a term from my generation, bitchen! Fast and furious. Where were you guys when I could have used you in a bar a few years back? :-)

My only contribution to this year"s big event was to go get an extra chair for one of Ms. Nina"s guests. I"m not sure if I did it out of respect for her, or out of fear of her because of the Muy Tai fighter she is becoming! Yikes! Did you see her Demo with Sensei Pete? Lauren said "She could beat you up daddy." "Yep" I said, "she could." Congratulations Ma"am on you third degree Black Belt :-)

Finally, I want to take a moment to say that I had been warned that the Black Belt Spectacular can be a very emotional and moving experience, not only for the Candidates, but for family members and friends as well. I thought that I was too excited and fascinated by it all, to be over come by emotions, or to cry tears of joy for my friends. That is until Teresa walked up the candle lit path to Mr. Fariborz to receive her Black Belt. Suddenly, I was walking in the shoes of another human being whom I hardly know, but can relate to so well from the honesty and insight of her journals. The lump in my throat, the water in my eyes and the chill going down my spine, were verification of what I already knew, that I have never wanted something for someone so bad, as I wanted this for her. You did it Ma"am, you did it.

To everyone else, too numerous to name, you were all fantastic, and I look forward to seeing you in your new Black Belts and bowing to you all in the coming days!

****

Last night in class, we were treated to the ultimate, awesome surprise. Mr. Fariborz himself, taught our class. It was an honor and a privilege to study with you Sir.

We did inside and outside crescent kicks to front, side and back kicks ten times a piece on each leg. Walking out to my car on the way home was a chore, but as the ladies in the morning classes say, it hurt so good!

****

The 2008 Black Belt Spectacular may be in the history books now, but the year is not over yet. Mark your calendars for the Black Gi Bonanza, October 16th at 7:00pm at Team Karate Centers. Formally known as the Green Belt Grand Ball, this years event will star Mike and Stuart and feature as the bumbling side kick, yours truely. (side kick as in buddy, not as in my Kicking Combination # 3) Come and watch as a half a dozen or so Yellow Belts try to enter the ranks of the Black Gi"s and give the term fresh meat a whole new meaning. I hope Mr. Robert will be there to offer up some encouraging words of advice for us, like he did for those other Candidates :-)