Hello, everybody, and welcome to 2012!!  For the new year, we've got some, let's say "exciting announcements"!  First off, for the Kids and Teens class; the Beginning Students (white belt thru purple belt) will be with Mr Rice ALL DAY on A Days, and with Mr Moench ALL DAY on B Days.  Parents, all this really means for you is that the Beginning students will need sparring gear on B Days now.  They don't need any extra gear for the A days this time around.

Intermediate and Advanced Students, it's the other way around.  You're with Mr Moench on A Days, Mr Rice on B Days (that means you guys'll need sparring gear on A Days).  Got all that?  Good!

Don't forget:  BOOM!'s Winter Parent's Night Out is Friday, January 13th, from 6:30 to 11pm in the Dance Barn!  Parents, you can drop off the kids with BOOM! for the evening, and we'll play games, have some food, watch movies, and generally have a BOOMtastic time!  The cost is only $30 for the whole evening, and they can bring a friend for FREE (note:  friend cannot also be a student at BOOM! Sorry)

What else?  Oh, yeah!  Buddy Week is next week, January 9th-12th!  The students can bring their friends into class all week for FREE!  It's gonna be awesome!  We had a presale on Buddy Week this week, and it was sweet! (I don't really know if that's the right term, but we did have some buddies in class this week!  They did great!)

Also, freestyle classes this month on the 7th and the 21st!  Advanced Brown Belts and above:  don't forget about the meeting with Mr Moench and Mr Rice this Friday, the 6th @ 7:30 in the Adult Center!  The requirements for Black Belt will be covered, and we'll talk about opportunities for you guys to get in some extra training as you work towards black!

That's a lot of stuff, but look for more info on our Spring Break camp, April 2nd-6th.  We'll be doing padded weapons sparring, which may be the most fun you can have.  Period.  There'll be a sign up sheet available starting next week.

Lastly, BOOM! will be hosting our first annual kick-a-thon coming up.  Details to follow...

Whew

Mr Moench

Here it is, in Mr Rice's own words, the Advanced Chuck Form!  Word  

(Intro) Bow 

left foot steps out with left downward punch, right downward punch 

circle arms up and behind body as you prep at thrust 

step feet together facing 1:30 

step left foot towards 10:30 as you set both hands out horizontally 

power wrap.

(Section 1) 

left side stance as you double left overhead strike 

shift into right side stance and double right overhead strike 

prep on right shoulder 

left front stance as you left downward diagonal strike 

reverse figure 8 up, forward figure 8 to a catch 

prep at thrust as to slide feet together 

double x block above head 

step into kick combo position as you set with hands out to the sides (everyone has their own kick combo)

kick combo.

(Section 2) 

Spin out of kick combo into a left side stance as you left overhead strike 

right leg steps into a right front stance 

double right horizontal strike 

backwards spin up, forward to a catch as you bring feet together set arms out as you step with left foot to 10:30 

feet together 

Bow.

Hey All

As Belt Testing approaches, thought you might like a little nunchuck study guide.  Broken down step-by-step; here's the beginning nunchuck form:

Attention stance (nunchucks in right hand)

Bow

Horse stance, nunchucks to the front

Right shoulder block

Shift to a right front stance (front leg bent; back leg straight, back heel on floor)

Left hand chambers

Forward spin down, off leg, backward spin up to shoulder.  Repeat

Triangle body strikes (strike to left hip, across to right hip, up to right shoulder) Repeat

Figure 8's down behind leg, backward spins back to shoulder

Left hand reaches across belly, grab the nunchuck

Horse stance, nunchuks to front

Left shoulder block, shift to left front stance (front leg bent, drive back heel to floor, back leg straight)

Right hand chambers

Forward spin down, off leg, backward spin up to shoulder.  Repeat

Triangle body strikes (strike to right hip, across to left hip, up to left shoulder) Repeat

Figure 8's down behind leg, backward spins back to shoulder

Right hand reaches across belly, grab the nunchuck

Horse stance, nunchucks to front

Nunchucks to right hand, step back to right front stance

Right leg skip kick, tornado kick

Step out into left front stance

Down block with left hand

Punch with the nunchucks as you kneel.

Attention stance

Bow

note:  for the purposes of this form front stance = guard stance (more or less)

Enjoy!!

Mr Moench

Just wanted to give a sincere thanks to everyone who has made BOOM! so successful over the past few months!  It's been amazing to see the progress the students have made!  Jake, Brayden, Carter, Dawson, Ryan; you guys have been ripping it up since the beginning!  (If I didn't drop your name here, I apologize, I'll get to it, though!!).  Cole, Matthew, and all the new Li'l Dragons, you guys have been awe-inspiring!

BOOM! has really started to grow these past few weeks as word has started to leak out (in spite of my best intentions...), and more and more kids are coming in to feel the BOOM!  Thanks to everyone who has been helping us out, talking us up (or down, there's no such thing as bad publicity...)

Next up:  Adult martial arts at BOOM!  We're not giving up on it!!!  Also, don't forget:  TIP Testing is the week after Thanksgiving!!

Mr Moench

Just wanted to let everybody know that BOOM! is gonna be at the Sudden Valley Halloween Carnival!  Come by and say hi!  Students, you can wear your Halloween costume to class on Monday, October 31st!  (There is no TEEN class on Halloween, but you guys weren't gonna come to class on Halloween, were you?)

Also, we'll be closed for Turkey Day Wednesday, November 23rd through Saturday, November 26th!  Enjoy the weekend, and remember:  don't let your loved ones drive after eating all that turkey!  (sorry)

Keep your eyes peeled for dates for our upcoming adult self-defense workshop!  Apparently, we just can't take a hint, but it will be a spectacularly informative workshop, with lots of great self-defense tips, and a lot of Big Ideas about self-defense!

Lastly, anyone who's got some graduation photos, feel free to send 'em to Mr. Moench, or post 'em up on BOOM!'s Facebook page!  Just click the links to either drop me an email, or link to the Facebook page!  Salutations

Mr Moench

Hey everybody!  School's right around the corner, and yet I'm still waiting for summer to get here.... 

Anyway, the Intent to Test Notices should be going out next week.  

The class schedule is gonna change after Labor Day!  If you were in class on Wednesday August 24th, the schedule you got may be changing again!  We should know by the Friday the 26th for sure.  I apologize for any inconvenience, and I promise we'll get the final schedule up ASAP!  It turns out there's other stuff going on in Sudden Valley besides BOOM! (who knew?), and they want to use the Adult Center, too!

Belt testing will be the week of September 26, and Graduation will be Friday, September 30th @ 6pm in the Dance Barn!  Good luck, BOOM'ers!

Hey everyone, August is gonna be a blast!  Glad summer is finally here! 

Come down to Bloedel-Donovan Park in Bellingham on Saturday, August 6th from 11-3 for KidsFest!  KidsFest is an annual event put on by Parks 'n' Rec of Bellingham!  It's full of games and activities for kids, food, and a whole bunch of fun!  Stop by and say hi to us at the BOOMBooth!

Freestyle classes this month on Saturdays now!  The 13th and the 27th!  Freestyle classes are 11:30am-12:30pm in the Adult Center!  These classes are included in your membership, but you do need your sparring gear!  Join us for this great class, and really take your training up a notch!  BOOM!

Parent's Night Out this month is Friday the 12th, from 6:30-11pm in the Dance Barn!  The theme for this month's Parent's Night Out is "take me out to the ballgame"!  We'll be playing all different kinds of ball games!  Kickball, Warball, Indoor baseball, Karate ball, and much, much more!  Just 30 bucks for one BOOM! student and their friend!  Includes food and a movie!  Don't miss out on all the fun!

Saturday, August 20th is our first ever BOOM! Adult Self-Defense Seminar!  Come learn some great, easily applied, and easy-to-remember self-defense moves!  The seminar starts at 11:30 in the Adult Center, and lasts until about 1:00 or so!  Tell all your friends!

BOOM! is going to be doing a back-to-school safety seminar in early September!  Stay tuned for date and time!  (I know it said September 10th in the newsletter, but that's not gonna work out...)

Big thanks to everyone who took part in Camp BOOM!  Congratulations to the following BOOMCampers for "surviving" two weeks of Camp BOOM! and passing their belt test!  Stay on that quest, guys!

Brannagh Palmer:  Beginning Orange Belt

Eamonn Palmer:  Beginning Orange Belt

Colum Palmer:  Beginning Orange Belt

Brayden Stang:  Beginning Orange Belt

Zane Thompson:  Yellow Belt

Liam Poulton:  Dragon Yellow Belt

The word of the month for August is CONFIDENCE.  CONFIDENCE is a belief is someone or something.  CONFIDENCE in ourselves allows us to try new things, and give them our very best.  It allows us to strive to achieve our goals, believing we can overcome any obstacles.  Belief in others allow us to form a network of friends and family to support us, supporting us when we're weary; cheering us on as we push on towards our goals.

Think about who and what you believe in; who or what do you have CONFIDENCE in?  What are the things you want to do?  What does it take to do those things, and how can you accomplish them?  Once we know what the road ahead holds, it is easier to feel confident about the obstacles that road may contain.

The week of June 27th (that's the week after Graduation), BOOM! is going to be hosting a special week of classes for everybody!  BOOM! students; bring your friends, these classes are open to everyone in the community! 

That week, we'll be doing a Stranger Safety Week!  With summer upon us, the kids are at home, at mom and dad at work, the kids are going to be out and about with their friends, and less adults around!  Help them learn the skills they need to stay safe this summer!

The classes will held at regularly scheduled times (see the Schedule on the About Us page), and again, are open to the entire community!  Call BOOM! at (360) 303-3334 with any questions about class times or to RSVP for this spectacular week of classes!

Mr Moench

Hey everybody!  This summer, BOOM! is going to be hosting it's first ever summer camp event!  July 18-29, Camp BOOM! will be achieving liftoff! (sorry, that's a bad pun)  

Oh, the days, they will be packed with awesome!  In the morning, campers will have martial arts lessons-mostly-indoors.  The campers will practice everything form Xtreme Martial Arts, to kenpo, jiujitsu, and kickboxing!  In the afternoon (following lunch!), training will be held outdoors (weather permitting, always) in the sunshine (if it's around...)

In addition to martial arts training, the kids'll have a blast with the games and activities involved, as they spend an intense two weeks becoming phenomenal martial artists!  Not only will their physical martial arts technique improve; but spending all that time showing the focus, the self-discipline, and the perseverance necessary to train martial arts will really show everywhere they go! 

The two week camp is going to consist of more hours of on-the-mat martial arts training than the students would normally receive in three months of twice-weekly classes (that's a pretty complicated way to say that...); because of that, any student who attends the entire two-week camp will be able to test for their next belt on the last Friday of camp, July 29th! 

That's a lot of details, but here's what everyone really wants to know: 

2 weeks of Camp BOOM! is just $249

1 week of Camp BOOM! is just $149

All campers will need to wear the official Camp BOOM! t-shirt to camp everyday - it makes it easier to keep the students together outside.  When you enroll, every camper will receive one free t-shirt; additional shirts are available for just $12!

Call BOOM! at (360) 303-3334 if you have any qeustions or to enroll today!

Mr Moench