News and Upcoming School Events
American Karate Academy has many upcoming events for our students and school families. Refer to this page to find out about upcoming tournaments, promotion testing, school functions and other school related information.
We will also be posting news bulletins or other pertinent information regarding the school, its students, its instructors, or the Master. The calendar will also list these items as well. Make sure you print out the school calendar each month for easy reference.
2009 Students of the Year 12/30/09 (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
On December 29th Master Chapman announced the students of the year for the AKA. The winners were chosen by the black belt instructors. The winners in the children's class are Sara and Matthew Conley. "It came down to a tie between those two so we decided to give the award to both," said Master Chapman. "They are both equally deserving." The Conley siblings both had excellent attendance records in 2009. They also served as Junior Instructors in the Lil Dragon class. "Sara and Matthew are great with the little guys," continued Master Chapman. "They were an invaluable aid to Sensei Stonerock" Sara and Matthew are brown belts and members of the Black Belt Club. Both are on track to test for black belt in 2010. The Student of the Year in the adult class is Sensei Cam Chapman. In 2009 Sensei Chapman attended Karate College, Camp Sidekick, and the IKSA National Training seminar. He assisted in classes in the Brentwood, Franklin, and East Nashville dojos. Sensei Chapman represented the AKA in a tournament in Brentwood in the Spring. He began attending the University of TN at Chattanooga in Aug and joined a nearby dojo to continue his training. "I am glad that Sensei Chapman's hard work and dedication was recognized by the black belts," said Master Chapman. Sensei Chapman is a 3rd degree black belt who has been training for 12 years.
Camp Sidekick 3/7/10 (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
The AKA hosted the 5th Annual Camp Sidekick on March 6th at the Brentwood YMCA. The guest instructor was Senior Grandmaster Floyd Burk of San Diego. There were 3 classes offered for children and 3 for the adults. Nearly 60 students from the Franklin, Brentwood and Nashville dojos attended. "It was a great day of training," said Master Chapman. "The children had a blast in their classes and the adults trained hard in their classes which featured self defense, katas, and sparring strategies and techniques." Master Burk was assisted by his students Master Ron Velarde and Eric Senior, and by the black belts of the AKA.
Karate Demo Night 3/26/10 (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
The 7th annual AKA Karate demonstration night was held recently at the Brentwood YMCA. Lil Dragons, Beg. and Adv. children, and adults all performed. Each group demonstrated a level appropriate kata. Master Chapman and his daughter,Sensei Lori Lynn, performed the traditional kata "Hangetsu". Some of the children demoed a nunchuck kata they had recently learned during Camp Sidekick. Four sets of the adult students sparred for several minutes as Master Chapman explained the intricacies of that portion of the arts. The grand finale of the demo showed black belts breaking boards with a variety of strikes and kicks. "We had a great turnout tonight with 77 students participating and about 125 guests and family members in attendance," said Master Chapman. "I would like to thank all who made the evening an unqualified success!"
AKA T-Shirts 3/26/10 (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
Master Chapman has announced the sale of AKA T-shirts. The shirts are short sleeved and black with the AKA logo on the pocket. Below the logo is the kanji of American Warrior Karate Do. The sale serves as a fund raiser for the YMCA's "We Build People" program. Cost of the shirt will be $18. The initial sale of shirts brought in $400 to the WBP program. "This is a really cool shirt which will promote our program and help the Y", said Master Chapman. "Plus students will be allowed to wear the shirts to Sat. classes during warm weather."
AKA Adds 3 New Sempais 4/18/10 (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
Master Chapman recently awarded 3 students the rank of Sempai. A Sempai is a senior student who assists with instruction in the dojo. A Sempai may be a black belt who has not yet earned the title of Sensei, or a brown belt who helps teach class on a regular basis. The 3 new Sempais are black belt Caroline Williams, and advanced brown belts Eric and Luke Donahue.
Master Chapman Leads AL Seminar 8/1/10 (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
On July 23/24 Master Chapman led a seminar in Enterprise, AL for IKSA member instructor Sensei Issachar James. On the 23rd Master Chapman, aided by students Mike Hoyal and Cam Chapman, assisted Sensei James in black belt testing. On Saturday Master Chapman taught 3 classes. On Saturday night Master Chapman and Master Hoyal led sessions in Sensei James's leadership conference. "It was a busy weekend, but very rewarding," said Master Chapman. "Sensei James always puts on a first class event."
IKSA National Training Seminar Coming in Sept 8/8/10 (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
On Sept 24/25 the AKA will host the 16th annual IKSA National Training seminar. There will be 2 adult classes on Fri night the 24th. One will be for colored belts, the other for black belts. On Sat there will be 6 classes for adults and 6 for children. The guest instructor this year is Master Rob Moses, a kung fu expert. Master Moses was the friend and instructor of the late actor David Carridine. On Sat night there will be a catered dinner. Afterward awards and promotions will take place. All students should receive a seminar flyer this week or next. All events are held at the Brentwood YMCA. Contact Master Chapman for more information.
Eric Donahue Earns Black Belt 8/23/10 (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
Congratulations to Eric Donahue. After many years of training he successfully tested for his black belt on July 17. The test, which consisted of a written exam, katas, self defense, sparring, and various endurance activities, lasted nearly 12 hours. “Eric has really worked hard these last few months preparing for the test”, said Master Chapman. “He did superbly and has now earned the title of Sensei.”
Please
Contact Us to get more information about any of these upcoming events or if you wish to add an item to our schedule.
