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*2004 & 2005 NEWS LINKS AT BOTTOM OF PAGE*
2008 NEWS UPDATES
ADDED 7/8/08: PAK TEST On 6/23 Sensei Campos had the opportunity to attend testing at Mr. Pinney's club in Sherburne, NY. It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to visit a club and see the progress that people make in their training. While everyone did a great job, it was especially pleasing to see Ethan Waterman do his annual test as a Junior Black Belt. This was an idea that Ethan proposed after receiving his belt. He has lived up to his commitment to train and make progress AND subject himself to an annual test. His goal is to successfully pass his adult Black Belt test next year. SUPER SUMMER NEWS: Tom & Dana Arcuri have done a wonderful job organizing the 26th Annual SSS Camp. They have a wonderful line-up of Special Guest Instructors and other staff members but, more importantly, they have a fantastic turnout for their first attempt at running the camp - almost 260 participants and staff have registered!!! We are looking forward to seeing everyone at Colgate University on 7/18-7/20. It should be a great celebration and a new beginning. JOHNSTOWN NEWS: Bob & Bonnie Streeter continue to do a great job at HQ. It is hard to believe but it has been just over 4 years since they took over the dojo from Mr. Campos. He continues to visit and attend testing and instruct when needed. The Johnstown, NY ZDK has been active since 1969 and continues to offer quality instruction at the their new location on N. Perry St. Continued success!!
ADDED 6/23/08: NEWS FROM NEW ZEALAND - Our NZ representative, Johnny Kennedy, just sent us a message saying he was married in March and is expecting a child. Or as John put it, "a we girl, Baylee Anne Kennedy." We would like to congratulate Johnny & Samantha on all the news. John says his martial arts business is doing wonderful. It was great having them both here last summer for our 25th Super Summers and we hope to see them again soon.
ADDED 6/17/08: ZDK COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT: We are proud to announce the final total for 2008 of our fund-raising effort for the Wounded Warrior Project was $12,977. The following clubs & instructors participated and their effort is very much appreciated. The following list is in the order of donation submission: Derderian Academy - Raffi & Susan Derderian (RI); Massena ZDK Karate Club - Dave Pepe & Vince Perry (NY); Canton ZDK Karate Club - Dave & Lisa Guccione (NY); Kensho-Do Karate - Glenn Ward (NY); Red Dragon Karate - Jeff Melander (NY); American ZDK Karate - Bob & Bonnie Streeter (NY); Capital Area Martial Arts Club - Gail Tolley (NY); Pinney's American Karate - Bob Pinney (NY); Karate John's - John Annable (NY); Progressive Martial Arts - Rocco Alianiello & Todd Steiner (PA). Special congratulations to the two top fund-raising clubs: $5,200 for Progressive Martial Arts in Altoona, PA and $2,479 for American Zen-Do Kai in Johnstown, NY We also had a donation from John Annable (noted above) who is not a ZDK member but who wanted to be a part of our effort. Finally, Sensei Campos collected $395 from veterans at his MP reunion held last Oct. in Atlantic City. Better the WWP than the slot machines!!! See more about the WWP at http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org Thanks also to the students, parents, businesses and organizations who helped in our 2008 effort.
ADDED 6/9/08: TX WEDDING: Congratulations to Chandra Miller on her wedding to Martin Gehret in Houston, TX on 5/24. We heard it was a great party!!! N-NY PRE-TEST: Sensei Campos had the opportunity to travel to Malone, NY 5/30 to 5/31 to work with Dave & Lisa Guccione, Andre Secore, & Jovan Germano as they prepare for testing at Super Summers. This will be an historical event for the north country ZDK since the ranks involved are so high (three for Godan & one Yodan). It was great to see that everyone has demonstrated the necessary commitment to this endeavor. Many thanks to Ron Brown & Tim & Cheri Langdon for their hospitality and coordinating everything. Thanks also to all the Uke's who attended the 3 hour session. Mr. Campos truly enjoyed the golfing with Tim & Ron too!!! SUPER SUMMERS: Mr. Campos traveled to Colgate University on 6/3 to meet with Tom & Dana Arcuri, Bob Pinney, and the college staff in preparation for the 26th annual camp on 7/18-7/20. Tom & Dana are working hard to organize another great camp. They have a great website (www.super-summer-seminars.com) where participants can see camp information and can even register and pay for the weekend. Bob Pinney will be assisting as in past years and, at the request of the Arcuri's, Mr. Campos is one of the Special Guest Instructor's. After lunch Mr. Campos & Mr. Pinney played a round of golf. SSS TESTING: As in past years, we will have testing on Fri. morning - details will be emailed to all instructors. NEW MEMBER: We would like to welcome Mr. George Curbelo into the ZDK family. George is the Chief Instructor of Mountain Martial Arts in Stamford, NY. He has been an instructor for 37 years and has a lot of experience in several systems. We look forward to working with him in the years ahead.
ADDED 5/22/08: HANDGUN SEMINAR: Mr. Campos would like to thank John Annable (Karate John's, Cicero, NY) for hosting the three hour Handgun Defense seminar on Sat. 5/17/08. Participants included Syracuse PD, Border Patrol, NYS Police, NYS Parole, Educators, and martial artists from several clubs. The feedback from the participants (email and evaluation forms) has been really positive and we are pleased that the program was well received. Special thanks to Sam & Ellen Anagnostopoulos for helping to organize the event & for providing a great lunch for everyone. Also, Dave Castaldo who acted as the videographer and was also instrumental in getting the event organized. Finally, it was really great to have Tony & Shawn Irvin in attendance. They have been ZDK members for approx. three decades and have recently gotten back into training after a hiatus. Tony, a member of the NYS Police, assisted Mr. Campos with the seminar and you would never know he had been away from training. Thank you to all who took the time to attend! SSS TEST CANDIDATES: We also had an opportunity prior to the seminar to work intensively for two hours with Mr. & Mrs. Guccione and Jovan Germano from the Canton, NY ZDK on their test material. Sensei Campos is looking forward to the 4 hour pre-test intensive scheduled in Malone, NY on 5/31.
ADDED 5/16/08: CONGRATULATIONS - We would like to congratulate the newly certified black belts from Ms. Gillen's Bailey's Karate School in Rome, NY. Jr. 1st Degree: MaryAnn Bulawa, Jeffery Crippen, Danielle Famolaro, Aleesha Feole, Tavin Hunsiker. Jr. 2nd Degree: Jessie Flaim. Adult 1st Degree: Tabitha Cieniewicz, Kelly Condes, Britleigh Hawkins, Laura Segur. & Melissa Murphy Thompson. We look forward to seeing all of these dedicated students continue to progress as part of the ZDK. Sensei Campos would like to thank Mrs. Streeter for her assistance at the 9th Annual Sister to Sister Conference held at Fulton-Montgomery Community College on Wed. 5/14. We have been involved in this program since its inception and have been amazed by the growth of the program. S2S brought together almost 250 middle school girls from a three county area for learning and fun. We had a great day and the evaluations of our program, as always, were very positive. Our three week program at the Gloversville Middle School provided another opportunity for us to work on personal safety with area youth. We appreciated the assistance of Mr. & Mrs. Streeter, Richard Schuyler, and Rachael Bailey during the program.
ADDED 4/28/08: It is always nice to hear from students that our impact has been a positive one. This latest message was another in that vein:
Hello Sensei Campos!
It has been a very long time since I have seen you; a little over 10
years! I was a student of yours for about 3 years from around 1992-1995
along with my brother Ed Sprenger. I have often thought about you and the
Zen Do Kai School (very fondly); the discipline and training helped me in
all areas of my life. I know that is something that will benefit my kids
when they start going. I've told my kids about you and was so excited to
finally show him pictures of you on your website. He thinks you're pretty
cool. Both my brother and I have been doing very well, both with families of
our own. He lives in Schenectady and works with computers. Don't ask me what
he does precisely, I apparently was born without the computer literacy part
of the brain. He and his wife Kathy have 2 boys: Nathan 5 and Andrew 1. I
live in Washington near Seattle. My husband is in the Navy and we were
stationed here last summer. He is now deployed in the Persian Gulf until the
Fall. Our kids are Ethan 6, Emma 4 next week, and Tommy 9 months.
Neither my brother nor I continued with Karate after we moved from
Gloversville, but have always been positively affected by the training we
had. After my dad started training in Kendo, Ed started as well. I want to
start training again and have my kids join me, but that may have to wait
until James (my husband) returns from the Gulf. We will be going back to New
York (Saranac Lake) for the summer and if possible I will try and make my
way back to Johnstown for a visit. How are things with you and the school? I
hope you and your family are well and very happy in all things. Please write
back when you have the time. I hope you remember me, but I'm sure after
knowing so many students over so many years it may be difficult to remember
every single one! Take care!
Sincerely,
Karen (Sprenger) Reilly
ADDED 4/28/08: Sensei Campos had a wonderful trip this past weekend to the Malone, NY ZDK for Friday testing, Saturday seminars, and the N-NY ZDK Banquet on Sat. evening. Congratulations to newly advanced students Austin Bush (Jr. Shodan), Sam Anagnostopoulis (Shodan), and Ernesto Perez (Nidan). Congratulations also to their respective instructors for getting them prepared for the test - Mr. Pepe & Mr. Perry (Massena, NY), Mr. Guccione (Canton, NY), and Mr. Secore (Malone, NY). On Sat. morning Mr. Campos presented three training sessions starting with a children's seminar, followed by an adult seminar, and ending with a black belt only ZDK curriculum class. Every session was very well attended and all had fun learning new material. We ended the weekends festivities with the N-NY Banquet at the beautiful Malone Country Club. It was great to see all of the N-NY instructors, black belts, and students. Congratulations to all who received an award. Many thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Langdon (Cheri is Mr. Brown's daughter) for once again organizing the weekend. We also look forward to seeing Mr. Brown recover fully from his knee replacement, assuming he follows his doctors orders (any bets?). Sensei can't wait to get back on the golf course!!!! Many thanks to everyone for the support and effort on Mr. Campos' behalf.
ADDED 4/24/08: Our annual trip south was great except for the rain and cold. We heard that it was warmer here in upstate NY!!! Our first stop was Washington DC where we were treated to a fantastic tour of the Capital building, including a visit to the U.S. Senate chamber, by our own tour guide Robert Cutter and his son, Remington. Mr. Cutter, a senior student of Vince Anthony (SSS 2007 instructor), is a member of the Capital Police so our tour was expedited. It was also nice to touch bases with Dan Kurtz, a Capital Police officer whose son trains with Mr. Anthony. We want to thank Mr. Cutter for his hospitality since he took a day off to take us touring. We had a wonderful visit with Ms. Susan Jackson in Orlando, FL. As always, we appreciated the opportunity to present a seminar at her Traditional Martial Arts club and enjoyed the time to socialize over lunch afterwards. Now it is time to get into our spring schedule - first stop N-NY this weekend for testing, seminars, and banquet. It will be good to see everyone up in the north country!
ADDED 3/30/08: Vicki Gillen's Copper City Championships in Rome, NY went off without a hitch yesterday. It was a well-run, friendly, and competitive event. The usual cast of senior ZDK instructors was on hand to keep things moving along - Mr. & Mrs. Arcuri, Mr. & Mrs. Brooks, Dave Bruce, Mr. Melander, Troy Rodman, Mr. & Mrs. Streeter, Mr. Campos and many others too numerous to mention. The new generation of competitors put on quite a demonstration of spirit, energy, and enthusiasm. Congratulations to Mr. Melander on taking the Grand Championship in Kata (again!!!) with a phenomenal demonstration of power & technique!!
ADDED 3/27/08: Wounded Warrior Project fundraising event on 3/26 & 3/27. Both events had a large number of participants and spectators. One of the spectators on Thursday evening was an active duty reserve recruiter (in uniform) who had two kids participating. He had heard of the WWP program and was happy to be a part of the event. While all the pledges are not in yet, we understand that the amount raised was considerable. Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Streeter on organizing the event on behalf of the WWP. We have been hearing from several instructors who are participating in this year's event and are hopeful that we can surpass our effort last year. We will post the final results as soon as everyone indicates that they have completed their event. Mr. Campos hopes to stop by the WWP offices in Jacksonville, FL on his upcoming trip.
ADDED 3/16/08: Congratulations to Rick Rinaldo, Gennady Julien, and Dallas (apologize - brain fade on last name) from Mr. Bob Pinney's Sherburne, NY dojo on moving ahead in the Brown Belt ranks. Mr. Campos was at testing on Fri. 3/14 and was VERY impressed with the performances of these three students. They truly exemplified the technical proficiency and energy that a brown belt should demonstrate, and they left no doubt that they earned the right to wear the rank. Congratulations to the other students who tested too! On Sat. 3/15, Mr. Pinney ran his 12th annual tournament at Colgate University. There were enough Black Belts on hand to keep things moving along and everyone seemed to have a good time. It was nice to be able to head for home at 2 p.m. This was another friendly, smooth running, low stress competition that are hallmarks of events run by our members. ***KIRCH ALERT: Mr. Kirch just sent us a video of him getting TASERED. No, this was not a party where he got out of control and had to be subdued by government agents. He was taking part in training/testing the effectiveness of the taser with several other U.S. Marshal's. He apparently VOLUNTEERED to be zapped. We can say that, while it was clearly a painful experience, he managed to stand through the whole process - though he did use some expressive language when it was over. The question is what does he do in his spare time for excitement?
ADDED 3/10/08: Congratulations to Mr. Bob Pinney (Pinney's American Karate, Sherburne & Hamilton, NY) on achieving Godan at testing on 3/8/08. Mr. Pinney demonstrated the spirit and perseverance necessary to be successful - no easy task at 52!! Every test is a cooperative effort and this was no different. Special thanks go to Mr. Cox & Mr. Tomlinson who took time out of their personal schedules on several occasions to assist in his training over the last couple of months. Thanks to the test board - Mr. Cox, Mr. Streeter, & Mr. Tomlinson - & to the Uke squad for volunteering their bodies for the effort. It was also great to see Mr. & Mrs. Guccione, Mr. Kenna, & Mr. Germano come down from Canton, NY to get some training in preparation for testing at Super Summer Seminars 2008 camp. Rumor has it that a large number of candidates plan to test this summer but we are especially looking forward to seeing Mr. Guccione test for Godan rank at 66 years of age!!!
ADDED 3/6/08: The SMAF event at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga on 2/22-2/24 was a great way to break up the mid-winter blues. Sensei Campos drove over on Sat. & Sun. and had a great time visiting with everyone. Mr. Pearlman has put together a great weekend of training similar to Super Summers. The Holiday Inn was the new venue and the staff, including several old hands at SSS, was fantastic. Mr. Pearlman was gracious enough to congratulate Mr. Campos on his 64th birthday after he talked him into doing a demonstration at the last minute. Many thanks to Sensei Kevin Suggs, Joe Ansah, & Roland Lavigne for stepping up to the plate to be the Uke's on five minutes notice. The favor was returned when Mr. Suggs did a demo a few minutes later. Mr. Campos & Jeff Melander trained in the floor fighting class that Tom & Dana Arcuri presented as a last minute addition to the program. We saw Joe Mansfield, Mark Cardona, Vince Anthony, Chris LaCava, Paul Fracchia, John Borter, Charlie Moore and many other participants and instructors at the event. Congratulations to Steve Pearlman on his 8th SMAF.
ADDED 2/20/08: From the desk of Sensei Campos: I had the opportunity to attend testing at the Johnstown ZDK last night and I was treated to an amazing display of commitment and resilience. A young man of 14 tested for green belt. Nothing unusual there except that this young man has no arms. Mr. & Mrs. Streeter and the staff at the Johnstown studio modified the test to accommodate this disability. The rest was was up to the candidate and he did a phenomenal job with a phenomenal attitude. Certainly this test is an example of why we teach. It is also an example for anyone who has an excuse for not stepping up to the plate. My personal congratulations go out to Gorsha as he continues on his journey to Black Belt!
ADDED 2/12/08: ZDK TOP SCHOOLS FOR 2007: Congratulations to the following Instructors/Clubs on achieving a Top School award: BRONZE SCHOOLS: #8 (Three Way Tie): Derderian Academy/Raffi & Susan Derderian/RI; Portchester Karate/Kevin Suggs/NY; Capital Area Martial Arts/Gail Tolley/NY; #7: Kensho-Do Karate/Glenn Ward/NY; #6: Kennedy's Karate/Johnny Kennedy/New Zealand; #5: Rick Eierdam/TX; #4 (Two-Way Tie): Texas Martial Arts/Wade Kirkpatrick/TX; Dynam-Kicks/Travis Thornton/GA; #3: Canton ZDK/Dave & Lisa Guccione/NY; #2: Kicks & Sticks/Ernie Laberge/MA; #1: Adirondack Karate/Jerry Charbonneau/NY. SILVER SCHOOLS: #7: Shotokai Karate Club/Randy Veinotte/Nova Scotia; #6: Greene Dragon Martial Arts/Cathie Bagnall/NY; #5: Lone Star Karate/Todd Kelly/TX; #4: Progressive Martial Arts/Rocco Alianiello & Todd Steiner/PA; #3: Cherry Valley & Cobleskill ZDK/Brian Cox & Keith Stevenson/NY; #2: Brooks Karate School/Larry & Laura Brooks/NY; #1: Red Dragon Karate/Jeff Melander/NY. GOLD SCHOOLS: #3: Traditional Martial Arts/Susan Jackson/FL; #2: Bailey's Herkimer/Tom & Dana Arcuri/NY; #1: American Zen-Do Kai/ Bob & Bonnie Streeter/NY. SUPER SCHOOLS: #4: Pinney's American Karate/Bob Pinney/NY; #3: Northern NY ZDK/Ron Brown Director/NY; #2: Bailey's Rome/Vicki Gillen/NY; #1: Safety America/Bob Gifford/TX. We appreciate the support of every club that is a member of the ZDK family. We hope to be able to award every member club a Top Schools award in 2008!
ADDED 2/6/08: Congratulations to Larry & Laura Brooks on another fine tournament on 2/3. All of the usual instructors were in attendance and the day went very smoothly and ended in time for everyone to get home to see the Super Bowl. We noted that David Foster (Mr. Melander's Club) & Blaze Cox (Mr. Cox's Club), both new black belts did very well for their first time out in those divisions. A highlight of the day was the announcement by Mr. Campos of the promotion of Mr. Brooks to 6th Dan. Larry has been a ZDK member for almost 20 years and has been an active competitor, promoter, and instructor. He has been ranked as a Godan for 17 years!!! He really has to thank Laura for advocating on his behalf for this promotion. We look forward to many more years of affiliation as part of the ZDK family.
ADDED 1/11/08: The 20th Annual Choices Program was held at Fulton-Montgomery Community College on Jan. 9 and Sensei Campos, Arlene Card, & Richard Schuyler were there to instruct area H.S. students in the fundamentals of self-defense. This has been a very popular presentation among the students every year because they have fun and learn something useful. Channel 9 News (Albany) took some video during the program and aired it that evening. During the keynote presentation, Sensei Campos was recognized for being a volunteer presenter for all 20 years. A couple of adults in attendance requested a similar program in their school district and we are in the process of discussing their needs. Being retired is not for the lazy!!! LINK TO NEWS-9 STORY & VIDEO - You may need to copy & paste this link: http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/headlines/?SecID=33&ArID=229169 LINK TO SCHENECTADY GAZETTE PICTURE & STORY: http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/jan/10/0110_fitsummit08/
ADDED 1/4/08: SPECIAL VISIT: Sensei Campos had a surprise visitor show up unexpectedly at his house right after Christmas. Marc Hickok and his dad, Dan, stopped by to catch up on the latest news. Marc tested for his black belt with Cara Nielsen at Super Summers while still in H.S. In college he played football (kicker) for UCONN and has been down in sunny Florida since graduation. His goal has been to get picked up by a major league team as a kicker and he was briefly by the Giants last year. Currently he is a personal trainer and still working hard to achieve his primary goal. To say that Marc has grown is an understatement - he is a big guy and is in phenomenal condition. If you didn't have the opportunity to see Marc test or compete (he spent several years as an A.A.U. competitor and has a roomful of trophies to show for it), you missed something special. It was great to see Marc and Dan and I hope to get together with him again soon. NEW ZDK CLUB: We would like to congratulate Heath Waterman on the opening of his club in Oneida, NY. Heath is a student of Mr. Bob Pinney's and has taken the leap into full-time instruction with the purchase of a building and all the equipment of Owen's Martial Arts (Johnny Owens is an long-time instructor who has retired & moved). We are proud to have Heath as a ZDK member and wish him great success in this new venture!
2007 NEWS UPDATES
ADDED 12/2/07: Sensei Campos had the privilege of being a part of the test board yesterday at Jeff Melander's Red Dragon Karate in Ballston Spa, NY. Congratulations to David Foster on achieving Shodan ranking by a unanimous decision of the board. That was a good thing because his mother, Joelle, would probably have passed out if he didn't!! The board included Bill Eddy (Red Dragon), Al Blakely (Nemaru Karate), John Borter (Jujitsu), & Adam Grogin (Pil-Sung Martial Arts). After the test, Sensei Campos presented a seminar on application of joint locks to a very receptive group of participants. Additional instructors in attendance included Brandi Collesides (Skidmore College), and Jovan Germano, who traveled from Canton, NY to participate and ended up being the primary Uke for the class. Jovan is a Border Patrolman and was able to discuss how he is able to utilize the techniques being taught. As always, it was a pleasure to get together with Mr. Melander and his students. His hospitality was greatly appreciated.
ADDED 11/11/07: NEW ZDK MEMBER: We would like to welcome John Borter as a member of the ZDK family. John runs a self-defense oriented club in Albany. John has attended several ZDK events over the last few years and has been an instructor at SMAF. We look forward to many years of working together and appreciate his decision to join the ZDK.
ADDED 11/9/07: Sensei Campos was at HFM BOCES yesterday to instruct DT classes for the Criminal Justice students. The two-2.5 hour sessions went great and the students had an opportunity to work on new drills and material in the ongoing program. This was the 5th year that Sensei Campos has provided this free service for Mr. Pecora's students at BOCES. Assisting were Richard Schuyler from HQ (Animal Control Officer for the Amsterdam PD) and Lt. Mark Gifford of the Johnstown PD.
ADDED 11/4/07: Sensei Campos was at Colgate University on 10/30 to present a class on personal protection to the college students in Mr. Pinney's program. They were a great group to work with and it was nice to have Harry Tomlinson attend to assist. He will be presenting there in a couple of weeks. After the class, Sensei Campos presented a short Kata seminar to members of Pinney's American Karate club. As always, it was a fun evening and Mr. Pinney was a great host. ROME, NY SEMINARS: On 11/3 Sensei Campos was in Rome, NY at Sensei Vicki Gillen's Bailey's Karate School presenting two seminars. The morning session covered Improving Your Kata for Testing and Competition. The afternoon seminar focused on Finger, Wrist, & Arm Locking Techniques. Both classes were at capacity and it was nice to see Instructors Dave & Lisa Guccione, Bruce Kenna (Canton, NY), Bruno Danielle (Syracuse, NY), and Brian Cox (Cherry Valley, NY) there, as well as a couple of Cobleskill ZDK members. Mr. Cox had the pleasure of being Sensei's Uke for the afternoon seminar and the use of his body was much appreciated. It was nice to receive a couple of post seminar "thank you" messages. It is always nice to know that we have had a positive impact on people.
ADDED 10/22/07: Tom & Dana Arcuri hosted another fun, friendly, and efficient tournament on Sat. (10/20). The usual cast of characters were present to see that everything ran smoothly. It was great to see Larry & Laura Brooks, Vicki Gillen, Brian Cox, Bonnie Streeter, and all the other instructors and students having a good time. Special congratulations to Tom Arcuri on being promoted to 6th Dan!!! Congratulations to all the competitors!!
ADDED 10/9/07: ZDK CRUISE PLANNED. Go to the Upcoming Events page and scroll down to 2008 to see information. Note: Registration deadline is 11/8/07. Don't delay!!!
ADDED 10/8/07: Sensei Campos was in TX from 10/4-10/7. It was nice to travel down without a hurricane to worry about and great to see all the ZDK members that are a part of Mr. Gifford's Safety America organization. Thursday night we were at testing and congratulations are in order for Shodans Josh Kelly, Majeed Peffley, & Paige Fenderson (who at 14 demonstrated more spirit, desire, & determination than many adults do on a test). We also want to congratulate Lauren Zamora on receiving her Nidan rank. Friday evening was the annual seminar and, as always, the room was packed with over 70 participants. This year the focus was on drills to mimic an adrenaline dump and drills using pads. Sensei Campos threw in a little bit of wrist & finger locking at the end. It was great to see some old faces like Paul Obmaces, Bill Hickl, Rick Eierdam, & Chandra Miller sweating along with the rest of the group. Saturday was the annual tournament which had about 150 competitors and was over by 2:30 pm. The best part of the tournament was watching people like Bill Hickl, Bob Ryan, and Wade Kirkpatrick come out of retirement to fight. This was one tough and competitive executive division!!! A highlight of the tournament was the announcement to all in attendance that Bob Gifford was promoted to Hachidan (8th Dan) and that as the most senior member of the ZDK, he will inherit leadership of the ZDK upon the retirement or passing of Sensei Campos. There is not enough time to list all of Mr. Gifford's personal accomplishments in the martial arts. He has proven his leadership skills by growing a huge organization in TX since his humble beginnings as a part-time instructor at the Magic Circle. Today he oversees several clubs and hundreds of students in the Houston area. Bob and his wife June (the real boss), have also managed to raise four great kids (Shyla, Nikki, Brianna, & Billy) who have all achieved Black Belt rank. Bob was the first instructor of our Northern NY ZDK group, having established a club in Ogdensburg, NY in the mid 1970's. Most importantly, he has remained a loyal and highly supportive member of the ZDK for almost 40 years. It is always fun to visit TX and spend time with everyone. Thanks especially to Bob Ryan, Bill Hickl, & Sensei's personal shopping assistant, Shawn Vicknair (aka Kwai Chang & Count Dante) for the extra time and effort they made to make the trip special. If you go to Sugar Land, TX be sure to visit Fernando's Restaurant (Latin Cuisine) for a great meal. It is the only place we know where you can order a STEAK BILL HICKL!!!
ADDED 9/24/07: Sensei Campos spent the weekend as the guest of the N-NY ZDK in Massena, NY. This is his bi-annual trip to attend testing and instruct members of the North country ZDK clubs. Congratulations to Josh Premo, a student of Mr. Perry & Mr. Pepe, on achieving his Nidan rank. He demonstrated both technical expertise and determination on Friday evening. On Sat. morning the children's seminar was well attended for such a beautiful day. This was followed by the 2 hour adult class. One brown belt even came from the Cobleskill ZDK to participate! As always, the program instructors and N-NY black belts made the weekend memorable. Many thanks to Mr. Brown, Perry, Pepe, Bass, Secore, Kenna, Nadeau, Tim & Cheri Langdon, and the other black belts and students for supporting the event.
ADDED 9/14/07: Sensei Campos had the opportunity to visit Mr. Pinney's club on Wed. 9/12 for testing. Congratulations to all the test candidates on a successful evening. We were especially impressed with Mr. Rick Rinaldi's effort. He has lost 60 pounds in a year and, at 34, he tested like a 20 year old. It is always great to see someone give a 110% and overcome obstacles!! We won't talk about the golf game we had before testing!!! Sensei Campos needs to practice...
ADDED 7/25/07: Wow...What a weekend at Colgate University. Super Summer Seminars was amazing this year as evidenced by just a couple of the emails we have already received: After last year I thought it could get no better. I was VERY wrong. Asa and I enjoyed ourselves even more than than last year. What a wonderful job you did with the weather. We will see you at our NNY Seminars and at SSS08. Thank you, Brad and Asa Kershner. I truly enjoyed my second year at Super Summers. You really do put together an informative, and enjoyable weekend. Thanks for all the hard work and loss of sleep that you endure to put it on for the rest of us. I just want you to know that your efforts are truly appreciated. Thanks, Todd from Texas
This is my third SSS and my
Son's second, we had a "BRILLIANT" time and look forward to next year.
I
have been to other seminars but nothing
comes close to what SSS has to offer. Dave Castaldo
Mr. Campos, Although my son Paul was one of the youngest participants at Super Summers, he had an amazing time. The staff this year were especially kind towards him and always made sure he had an appropriate partner to work with. We know that it's a weekend for adults, so we don't expect any special consideration for him (and appreciate that he is allowed to attend), but it was very special for him when an instructor took a minute or two to work with him. He (and we, as his parents) felt honored that he was able to work with so many 'masters' who display a wonderful sense of commitment, confidence and competence to their respective disciplines. We are grateful that Paul trains with Mr. Stevenson and Mr. Cox here in Cobleskill, but truly enjoy the exposure to other martial arts that he gets during Super Summer weekend. Thanks again for putting together a first class event. Dana Vedier The weather was like January on Friday, but Sat. & Sun. were perfect! 270 participants came to train, learn, and have fun at the 25th Anniversary of Super Summers. TESTING: Congratulations to Blaze Cox from the Cherry Valley, NY ZDK on achieving his Shodan and Arlene Card from the Johnstown, NY ZDK on achieving Nidan at testing on Friday morning. Both candidates impressed the judges and the crowd. COBB HALL OLYMPICS: This event was held Friday evening and saw Chris LaCava (not Chris Dammann - my mistake and this is serious competition folks!!!) become a two time Cobb Olympian! Congratulations to Chris on his accomplishment! Organized by Ms. Sue Jackson from Florida, the Cobb event has become a late-night tradition at Super Summers. This year's events included basketball, hockey, and golf. We also noticed that Cobb Hall had a set of dorm rules posted this year - the first one was "No sleeping after dark." Bob Ryan, AKA Blender Bob, from TX was on hand with appropriate libations for contestants and spectators alike. SAT. EVENING: The evening started out with the introduction of Sgt 1st Class Barton Owen, a three tour veteran of Iraq who was wounded twice. He spoke about the Wounded Warrior Project and how helpful they were when he was in the hospital in Germany. The demonstrations and presentations on Sat evening were appreciated by the audience. All of our "special" guest instructors were fantastic and the demonstrations put on by Master Kevin Thompson and Raffy Pambuan on Saturday night were awe-inspiring! Ama Guro Pambuan gave parents a new tool to tame their teenaged children and made believers out of the "volunteers" who participated in his demo. Master Thompson and his son and nephew put on a fantastic high energy performance to end the evening. There were a couple of surprise events Sat. evening. The first was when Bill Hickl read a letter congratulating Sensei Campos on the 25th Anniversary of Super Summers from Chuck Norris! Next was the promotion of Bob Gifford, the most senior ZDK member to Hachidan (8th Dan). Bob has been a student of Mr. Campos for 37 years. Then Bob Gifford presented Mr. Campos with a beautiful framed ZDK Tree of Black Belts that was put together by Sam Anagnostopoulis, a student of Mr. Guccione. It was an amazing gift and a wonderful evening but it wasn't over yet... THE PUB was the next stop for entertainment by Oldy-B-Goldy the camp DJ. He played and we danced from 9 pm until 1 am and then Oldy played a special set on his guitar until 2:15 for the TX and FL participants - another camp tradition. STAFF: The comments we have received about all of the instructors has been outstanding. Yes, we did a lot of martial arts training in between all the fun. Getting the right mix of staff is difficult but we apparently did it again this year! We also had a several staff members who had DVD's and other items for sale. Even Mr. Campos had his first DVD "Essential Gun Defense" officially released at SSS. To get a copy go to: www.singlestepproductions.com Finally, we have to ask how it came to be that a certain Kevin S. was seen wandering the halls of a dorm dressed in just a towel and why later that same day he was seen running frantically away from a squirrel? Then there is the story of a certain Dillon E. - surely a first at Super Summers! It all boils down to our credo that "what happens at Super Summers, stays at Super Summers." Just tell your friends so they will want to come experience it all next year! VIEW/PURCHASE PICTURES
http://gregtroupphotos.lifepics.com
ADDED 7/10/07: We are one week out from Super Summers and we are at capacity. If you were planning to attend we are sorry but we are not accepting any more registrations. We were unable to accommodate more than 275 participants this year. Additional registrations will be returned with regrets. Thank you for your support. We hope to see you in 2008 for our 26th Year!!!
ADDED 6/11/07: Sensei Campos, Sensei Brian Cox from the Cherry Valley, NY ZDK, Sensei Bonnie Streeter from the Johnstown, NY ZDK, Sensei Keith Stevenson from the Cobleskill, NY ZDK, & Sensei Harry Tomlinson from the Johnstown, NY ZDK had the honor of attending testing at Sensei Cathie Bagnall's Greene Dragon Martial Arts club in Greene, NY on Sun. afternoon 6/10. In addition to the ZDK System instructors several of the GDMA staff were on hand to participate including, Mr. Clark Wallin, Mr. John Pezzino, Mr. Andrew Brown, Mr. Cary Najarian, Ms. Pam Branigan, & Ms. Julie Lenga. Congratulations to Ms. Amanda Shank on achieving Shodan by unanimous vote in a very demanding test. Ms. Shank overcame many personal obstacles in order to reach this point in her training. After testing we were treated to a fantastic dinner at Baron's Restaurant where we were able to relax and socialize with everyone. Many thanks to Ms. Bagnall, Clark Wallin, and Bob Bagnall (Cathie's Dad) for the hospitality - Excellent day!
ADDED 6/10/07: On Thur. 6/8 Sensei Campos did a presentation on karate at the Jansen Ave. Elem. school in Johnstown. This was part of the Career Day at the school. He was assisted by Kaleb Walker, Richard Schuyler (both Jansen Ave. alumni), and Ian Santangelo from HQ. The emphasis of the program was on the benefits of martial arts training. The students got to see a demonstration and got to do some very basic karate as part of the program. SURPRISE TEXAS VISITOR: Early Thursday (6/8), we received a call from Bill Hickl, one of Mr. Gifford's senior students in TX. Bill was flying into Albany for a company business meeting and wanted to see if Sensei Campos was available for dinner that night. After stopping to pickup a sweatshirt because Bill was unprepared for the weather here in the "great" northeast, they had a great meal while attempting to solve the problems of the world. Bill is an accountant/business manager who happens to count Chuck Norris & George Foremen as his personal clients. He even appeared a couple of times on Walker, Texas Ranger. It was great to get a chance to visit and we look forward to seeing Bill and all the other TX people in July at Super Summers!
ADDED 6/6/07: Sensei Campos was at the Edinburg Common School in Saratoga County yesterday to introduce the students to the martial arts as part of their Wellness Day. He was ably assisted by Rhonda Holland and Ian Santangelo from HQ in Johnstown. It was a fun day! NEW MEMBER: We would like to welcome Mr. James Eddings of Vagabond Martial Arts in Marietta, GA as a member of the ZDK. We look forward to working with him in the future.
ADDED 5/25/07: As we get ready to celebrate Memorial Day 2007, I would like to thank the following clubs and instructors for participating in our Wounded Warrior Project fund-raising effort. Our original goal back in the fall of 2006 was $10,000. We gave the clubs that participated several months to complete this project and I am VERY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT THEY RAISED $22,085. This is amazing and the WWP has been impressed with our effort. Club contributions ranged from $505 to $6,050. The following list of the 13 participating instructors is alphabetical: ROCCO ALIANIELLO/TODD STEINER - PROGRESSIVE MARTIAL ARTS, ALTOONA, PA; JERRY CHARBONNEAU - ADIRONDACK KARATE, FORESTPORT, NY; BRIAN COX/KEITH STEVENSON - CHERRY VALLEY & COBLESKILL ZDK, NY; RAFFI & SUSAN DERDERIAN - DERDERIAN ACADEMY, WEST WARWICK, RI; DAVE & LISA GUCCIONE - CANTON ZDK, NY; SUSAN JACKSON - TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS, ORLANDO, FL; CHERI & TIM LANGDON - MALONE ZDK, NY; JEFF MELANDER - RED DRAGON KARATE, BALLSTON SPA, NY; DAVE PEPE/VINCE PERRY - MASSENA ZDK, NY; BOB PINNEY - PINNEY'S AMERICAN KARATE, SHERBURNE, NY; BOB & BONNIE STREETER - AMERICAN ZEN-DO KAI, JOHNSTOWN, NY; GLENN WARD - KENSHO-DO KARATE, SIENA COLLEGE, LOUDONVILLE, NY. ***SPECIAL THANKS TO RON BROWN FOR MOTIVATING THE N-NY ZDK CLUBS. Thanks to all of the students and others that helped to make this project so successful!
ADDED 5/21/07: We would like to welcome Ms. Gail Tolley and the members of her Capital Area Martial Arts Club to the ZDK. Ms. Tolley was a student of Mike Boettcher (RET) for many years and after attending Super Summers last year decided to affiliate with the ZDK. We look forward to working with the CDMAC students in the future. BASIC GUN DEFENSE DVD: Sensei Campos recently traveled to Clifton Park, NY to complete the handgun defense video that was initially filmed at the Saratoga Martial Arts Festival. Sensei Campos would like to thank Charles Moore (FLETC), Mark Mau (NYSP-RET), and LT. Mark Gifford (JPD) for their help in making the video. This will be a very professionally produced training aid for our handgun Defense curriculum. The DVD will be available at Super Summers. There are future video's being planned. KNOX JHS PROGRAM: On Fri. 5/18 Sensei Campos and Lt. Mark Gifford presented 3 sessions on self-protection to the students at Knox JHS in Johnstown for their annual Wellness Day. This was another in what has been a very busy fall and spring for school presentations. All of these programs are presented as a community service. SHERBURNE, NY TESTING: Sensei Campos was at Pinney's American Karate on 5/17 to oversee testing and to personally work with Mr. Bob Pinney and Heath Waterman on curriculum material. The two plus hours of training prior to testing was designed to reinforce technical mechanics for basic combinations and kata. We always appreciate the opportunity to visit member clubs and share idea's on enhancing curriculum. SISTER TO SISTER PROGRAM: Sensei Campos was invited instruct at the 8th Annual S2S Conference at Fulton-Montgomery Community College on 5/16. This program for Middle School girls has been very successful with approx. 200 participants from Hamilton, Montgomery, & Fulton counties in attendance. Sensei Campos was assisted by Lt. Mark Gifford of the JPD. The self-protection sessions have always been one of the most popular presentations since the beginning of the program. HQ TESTING: Sensei Campos at the Johnstown, NY ZDK on the evening of 5/16 to attend testing and personally congratulate Mike Clarke & Mark Gifford on successfully passing the 2nd kyu test. The new location at 490 N. Perry St. is doing fantastic and Mr. & Mrs. Streeter are very proud of the new facility. It was great to see the large number of adult students offering their support at the test.
ADDED 5/15/07: TWO MARTIAL ARTS SUCCESS STORIES: Marc Hickok started training with us in Johnstown at age 7. He was a national A.A.U. champion and traveled extensively competing in tournaments and winning several dozen trophies and awards. He was finally awarded his black belt after a grueling test at Super Summers at 16. After H.S. he went off to the University of Conn. where he was a walk-on kicker for the UCONN football team. Marc has had a dream since graduation of being signed by an NFL team and has trained since his graduation with that goal in mind. Well, his dream has been achieved with a 2-year contract with the N.Y. Giants! Today's NY Times tells his story and we are very proud of his achievement - Congratulations Marc! Spencer Paige started training with Dave Guccione at the Canton, NY-ZDK when he was 6 years old. He eventually earned his black belt under Mr. Guccione. After going to college he got interested in mixed martial arts and is now known as Spencer "The Punisher" Paige. Spencer has been traveling to places like Boston and Atlantic City to fight. He currently holds the Full Force cage fighting title and plans to continue his career in this dynamic sport. Congratulations to Spencer on his achievements!
ADDED 4/30/07: We have been very busy over the last couple of weeks: - Our annual trip to Florida (4/4-4/17) was full of martial arts activities. Sensei Campos had an opportunity to tour FLETC (Federal Law-Enforcement Training Center) in Glynco, GA. on the way down. He spent 2 days there and had a chance to train and teach a seminar. Many thanks to his host Chuck Moore, a FLETC staff member, for making all the arrangements on his behalf. He also enjoyed working with the instructors and students at Travis Thornton's Dynakicks club in Brunswick, GA. Everyone was great!
- Next we stopped in Orlando, FL for two days and presented a seminar for Ms. Susan Jackson. This is an annual event and the Traditional Martial Arts club members are always very enthusiastic and open. As always we are very appreciative of Ms. Jackson's hospitality. We were finally able to get some R & R in Daytona Beach before heading into a blizzard on the way home!
HQ 4/21/07: PICTURE (L): The participants in the Iaido class instructed by Sensei Kiyonaga who is just to the right of Mr. Streeter (Black Gi). PICTURE (R): Arlene Card demonstrating self-defense techniques on Lt. Mark Gifford. These were taken at the re-grand opening event. ZDK RE-GRAND OPENING EVENT: On Sat. 4/21 Mr. & Mrs. Streeter held the grand opening of the new HQ location at 490 N. Perry St., Johnstown, NY. Mr. & Mrs. Campos were on hand to assist and as part of the festivities they held a Kick-a-Thon & a Spar-a-Thon for the WWP. They even had a small competition for the students and gave out trophies and awards. Finally they hosted Sensei Kiyonaga, Mr. Streeter's Iaido instructor from Albany, for a Jo staff seminar. Sarah Slingerland, the mayor of Johnstown attended to congratulate them on the new modern facility and, after breaking a board, was awarded an honorary black belt. Their new location has proven to be a very positive move and the studio keeps growing thanks to their efforts. PICTURE: (L) N-NY ZDK Black Belts at the banquet Sat. evening. (R) N-NY adult seminar class on Sat. morning. NORTHERN NY ZDK WEEKEND: April wound down with Sensei Campos traveling to Malone, NY on 4/27-4/29 to oversee testing, present two seminars, and attend the N-NY ZDK Banquet. TESTING: Congratulations to Dave Nadeau & Tim Langdon on achieving Nidan, and Cheri Langdon on being promoted to Sandan. Anytime you see a 54 year old guy (Nadeau) out there working for his next rank it is a reaffirmation of why we do this. SEMINARS: The children's seminar was fun and the kids were excellent to work with. The adult seminar was packed and we spent most of the time on ZDK curriculum. The positive feedback from the parents & participants was appreciated. BANQUET: This year the banquet was held at the Malone Golf Club in a beautiful banquet hall. It was great to see everyone together including, the N-NY instructors Mr. & Mrs. Brown, Mr. Secore, Mr. Bass, Mr. & Mrs. Langdon, Mr. & Mrs. Guccione, Mr. Perry, Mr. Pepe, and several other black belts from their clubs. Mr. Campos awarded Mr. Brown a Bushido award for his dedication to the ZDK and the development of the N-NY organization. Mr. Campos also thanked everyone for the work they did on the WWP fund-raising effort. The whole weekend was organized and coordinated by Mr. & Mrs. Langdon and Mr. Secore. In the words of Mr. Kirch, we "have evolved." Great job!!!
ADDED 4/17/07: The following letter was a nice surprise!
Martial Arts Studio Offers Invaluable Training The lessons I have learned from my martial arts training have been vital to
my success. The physical conditioning and the mental discipline of this
experience have provided the tools that I rely on every day of my life. This
invaluable training and the lessons learned of respect, perseverance,
discipline, and many more are very much a I consider chief instructors Bob and Bonnie Streeter and founder Sensei
Michael Campos close and dear friends. I believe that martial arts training can
benefit anyone, and I recommend it highly. Best wishes and continued success to
the Johnstown Zen-Do Kai.
ADDED 3/28/07: Congratulations to Heath Waterman from Pinney's American Karate on achieving 3rd Dan (Sandan) at the association testing on Sat. 3/24. Many thanks to Bob & Bonnie Streeter for the use of their new dojo and, Ron Brown, Brian Cox, Dave & Lisa Guccione, & Harry Tomlinson for making the trip to Johnstown to lend their expertise as board members. Special thanks to the people from Mr. Pinney's club who acted as Uke's for Heath. After testing we had a very nice lunch before everyone had to head for home. We look forward to continuing to work with PAK members in the future. We also understand that Vicki Gillen's Tournament in Rome, NY, that was held on the same day, went very well. Unfortunately, due to the conflict with testing, several ZDK people were unable to attend and participate.
ADDED 3/10/07: The Child Safety series "Safe & Secure" personal protection programs were presented by Sensei Campos & Lt. Mark Gifford of the JPD for all the students at Knox Junior H.S. on Wed. & Thurs. March 7 & 8. The Johnstown School District contacted them to provide information on child safety and anti-abduction at the schools after some suspicious activity and complaints in the district. The next presentation will be for all the H.S. girls on April 23.
ADDED 3/5/07: SELF-DEFENSE PROGRAM: Sensei Campos had the honor of presenting a session on self-defense as part of the program coordinated by Sensei Pinney at Colgate University on 2/27/07. The group of girls in attendance was VERY motivated and aggressive which made the time fly by. Many thanks to Mr. Tomlinson for HQ for coming to assist and Mr. Pinney for the invitation. COLGATE TESTING: After the self-defense training we attended testing in Mr. Pinney's dojo at Colgate. It was a pleasure to see the continual progress that all the PAK members are making. NEW MAIN DOJO: On 3/1/07 Bob & Bonnie Streeter were up and running at the new HQ location at 490 N. Perry St. in Johnstown. After almost 33 years at the same location they felt it was time to take the next step and move into a spacious & modern facility. After spending the month of February building out the dressing rooms and moving everything out of the old location, they got the new dojo up and operational on schedule. Sensei Campos would like to congratulate them on their vision and commitment to keeping the ZDK program moving forward into the future! COLGATE TOURNAMENT: On 3/3/07 Sensei Campos was back at Colgate for the 11th Annual Colgate University Karate Tournament hosted by Sensei Pinney. This event is always friendly and fun. There were several ZDK Course Instructors in attendance including: Tom Arcuri (Herkimer), Larry Brooks (W. Winfield), Brian Cox (Cherry Valley), Bob Streeter (Johnstown), as well as a number of black belts from the ZDK & other clubs to assist. Congratulations to Sensei Pinney on hosting another nice event. WHY WE TEACH: We received the following email from an old student on 3/3/07: Hello Sensei Campos, Its been almost 30 years since a young colored
male came to your studio with his mom and his sister. I remember observing the
training and the excitement of just learning. Shortly after I joined the
training. I was strong enough to compete under your leadership at the MARS in
Cleveland. These small achievements changed my life and gave me the discipline
to see a clear path in life. Your service to the community builds strong and
secure man and women. I stand with all your past students looking back at my
Sensei with respect. I am sure students/customers have said thanks before. Let
me join them! I never forgot you Sensei. Mr. Campos if you can send a message to all in the Zen do Kai community for me. Follow the path of life with honesty and respect. Do the best for people and give all the love you can before its to late. I will never forget you Sensei. Peace and love! LOREN C. LAWYER, MSGT, USAF
ADDED 2/5/07: Tournament: Larry & Laura Brooks hosted another fast and friendly "Friendship" Tournament in W. Winfield, NY on Sun. 2/4. As always there was lots of help from a number of black belts including ZDK Instructors Brian Cox, Jeff Melander, Bob Pinney, Keith Stevenson, Bob Streeter, Harry Tomlinson and others. Vicki Gillen & Tom & Dana Arcuri were there to coordinate the event. A highlight of the day for Mr. Campos was having the opportunity to judge Jon Winstral, a traditional Japanese stylist perform. He personified the technical skills that make karate an "art" and went home with both the fighting and kata Grand Championship awards. Child Safety: Channel 9 News (Albany, NY) was at Warren St. Elementary School in Johnstown, NY on 2/5 doing a story on the first of a series of "Safe & Secure" personal protection programs presented by Sensei Campos & Lt. Mark Gifford of the JPD. The Johnstown School District contacted them to provide information on child safety and anti-abduction information to the four elementary schools, Jr. H.S. and H.S. They will be doing these programs until spring. Gun Defense DVD: Sensei Campos will have a Handgun Defense DVD available by summer. This will be professionally produced and will be endorsed by Certified Tactical Trainers who are active in Law-Enforcement and DT training. More information will be posted once the project is complete. Super Summers Update: Plans are moving ahead on what will be another great weekend of training at Super Summer Seminars. To see the latest updated info go to: www.zdkusa.com/2007_sss.htm
ADDED 1/29/07: It was VERY COLD & windy outside but the reception inside was warm & hospitable. Sensei Campos would like to thank Sensei Randy Veinotte and his wife Robin for a wonderful trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia on Jan26-28, 2007. Sensei Campos instructed a 4-1/2 hour program on self-defense which included several drills and varied skills to deter & neutralize a threat. Approximately 40 enthusiastic participants braved the below-zero weather to attend the class. Sensei Veinotte instructs Shotokai karate, a very traditional system along the lines of Shotokan and he is very open-minded and interested in learning new things. We look forward to continuing our relationship with him and the other instructors and students in beautiful Nova Scotia.
ADDED 1/18/07: Congratulations to Wade Kirkpatrick and his wife, Karen on 1/12/07 they welcomed a son Kaden Thomas Kirkpatrick into the world. He is 7.7 lbs and 21 ½ inches long. A new warrior! We wish them the best.
ADDED 1/14/07: Under the "it is always nice to hear you did something right" category. Here is an email we recently received: Sensei Campos, It has been over 20 years and I apologize for not keeping in touch. The internet is a wonderful tool and this evening I used it to stir up some old memories. I reviewed every page of the ZDK-USA website and thought it very well done. Once again I am drawn back to Martial Arts and have recently trained in a studio within walking distance of my home in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the (Club Name Removed) and the discipline is (Style Removed) Karate. I attended a group class last evening and as I have done several times in the past with other dojos, left the class disappointed. The training I received from you at Zen Do Kai over 20 years ago is still with me and is undoubtedly the best martial arts instruction I have or possibly ever will receive. Your standards of excellence are unmatched and your attention to detail remarkable. I still punch, kick and block with the intensity and control that you instilled in me years ago. There was only one other student that attended last evening’s class that had the desire to match my enthusiasm. I miss those Saturday afternoons in Johnstown doing knuckle pushups on the hardwood floor and endlessly sparring with Chuck Brooks and Jim Simek. Thank you for providing the best martial arts training, discipline and guidance to not only succeed in the dojo but in life. V/R, Paul Onorato
ADDED 1/11/07: ZDK TOP SCHOOLS AWARDS Congratulations to the 2006 ZDK Top School Award recipients. They are listed below by category and we thank them for their continued support of the ZDK. BRONZE SCHOOLS 5- KENSHO-DO KARATE, ALBANY, NY, GLENN WARD; 4- DERDERIAN ACADEMY, WEST WARWICK, RI, RAFFI & SUSAN DERDERIAN; 3- KENNEDY’S KARATE, NEW ZEALAND, JOHNNY KENNEDY; 2- ADIRONDACK KARATE, FORESTPORT, NY, JERRY CHARBONNEAU; 1- PROGRESSIVE MARTIAL ARTS, ALTOONA, PA, ROCCO ALIANIELLO & TODD STEINER SILVER SCHOOLS 8- CANTON ZEN-DO KAI, CANTON, NY, DAVE & LISA GUCCIONE ; 7- SHIN RI TAN KYU M.A.A., WESTCHESTER, NY, KEVIN SUGGS; 6- KICKS & STICKS, EASTHAMPTON, MA, ERNIE LABERGE; 5- GREENE DRAGON MARTIAL ARTS, GREENE, NY, CATHIE BAGNALL; 4- TEXAS MARTIAL ARTS, SUGAR LAND, TX, WADE KIRKPATRICK; 3- BAILEY’S KARATE, CORTLAND, NY, TROY RODMAN; 2- RED DRAGON KARATE, BALLSTON SPA, NY, JEFF MELANDER; 1- TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS, ORLANDO, FL, SUSAN JACKSON GOLD SCHOOLS 4- ZEN-DO KAI CANADA, MONTREAL, DANIEL BRUNETTE & REAL MARTEL; 3- BROOK’S KARATE, W. WINFIELD, NY, LARRY & LAURA BROOKS ; 2- COBY & CHERRY VALLEY ZDK, KEITH STEVENSON & BRIAN COX; 1- BAILEY’S KARATE, HERKIMER, NY, TOM & DANA ARCURI SUPER SCHOOLS 5- AMERICAN ZEN-DO KAI, JOHNSTOWN, NY, BOB & BONNIE STREETER; 4- P.A.K. COLGATE UNIVERSITY, BOB PINNEY; 3- BAILEY’S KARATE, ROME, NY, VICKI GILLEN; 2- N-NY ZDK MALONE/MASSENA, NY, RON & PHYLLIS BROWN/D. PEPE & V. PERRY; 1- SAFETY AMERICA, SUGAR LAND, TX, BOB GIFFORD
2006 NEWS UPDATES
ADDED 12/5/06: Sensei Campos had the honor of visiting Ms. Gail Tolley's Capital Area Martial Arts Club on 12/4. She instructs a small group of very dedicated students in Albany, NY and had been a part of the ZDK, as a student, twenty years ago. We spent a little time getting to know the students and working on some self-defense skills. Another session is planned for the future. Sensei Campos & Lt. Mark Gifford of the Johnstown, NY Police Dept. presented a personal protection class for Lexington Center on 12/5. The class covered common-sense strategies for staying safe on the street, in your car, house, etc. They also covered several simple physical techniques. Lexington donated a check at Mr. Campos' request for the Wounded Warrior Project in appreciation for the program.
ADDED 12/3/06: The special seminars at the Johnstown, NY ZDK dojo went excellently and we filled to our limit of 25 participants. Sensei Campos instructed the morning session covering basics and Sensei Streeter taught the afternoon tournament kata session. The weather cooperated and it was great to see our newest member Sensei Jerry Charbonneau (Forestport, NY) attend with some of his members. Other ZDK Course Instructors in attendance included Mr. & Mrs. Guccione (Canton, NY), Mr. Cox (Cherry Valley, NY), & Clarke Wallin representing Ms. Bagnall's GDMA club (Greene, NY). Additionally a number of black, brown, and lower belts were there from HQ & the other clubs. We would like to thank everyone who came to spend the day in training. Have a great holiday!
Who is the guy to the right of Mr. T?
ADDED 10/31/06: We have been busy this Oct. SUNY PURCHASE SEMINAR Sensei Campos would like to thank Sensei Suggs for the invitation to instruct a 3-hour self-defense seminar at his club in Westchester, NY (State Univ. of NY - Purchase, NY). He arrived Fri and had a great meal at the Suggs house (there was even hot water this time!!). That evening some of Mr. Suggs students came over to hang out. Saturday morning we were at the campus teaching a great group of instructors and students. We could have easily gone 1-2 more hours as we were just getting warmed up but had to meet a facility deadline. It was great to have several SSS instructors attend including Mark Cardona who came 5 hours from Rochester, Chris LaCava from CT, Chris Dammann from Long Island, and "Smiling" Joe Ansah from CT. We also had several senior Goju instructors in attendance including GM Ralph Viggiano, who was a student of Johnny Kuhl (Martial Arts History buffs will know the name instantly), and Steve Moliterno who was a skillful & willing UKE for Sensei Campos for most of the event. After the seminar everyone went out to eat and socialize. Mr. Suggs has to be proud of the great group of students he has. Many thanks for the wonderful hospitality.
Pictures: (L) Steve Moliterno, Sensei Campos, GM Ralph Viggiano. (R) The black belt participants of the seminar.
COLGATE SELF-DEFENSE CLASS On Tues. 10/24 Sensei Campos had the opportunity to instruct as one of the presenters at the annual Colgate University Women's Self-Defense program. This series of classes covers many topics and has about ten participants. There were also several members of Mr. Pinney's club in attendance. Afterwards Sensei Campos spent two hours reviewing curriculum with Mr. Pinney and his students. Check out the following link for pictures of the S-D presentation: http://www.realestateshows.com/104346 Note: Many thanks to Lorna Wilson, a black belt member of PAK, for taking the pictures and creating the presentation above.
HERKIMER TOURNAMENT Unfortunately, Sensei Campos had to miss the Herkimer, NY Tournament hosted by Tom & Dana Arcuri on 10/14/06. He heard it was a great event and, as always, well run and friendly. Congratulations to the Arcuri's on another successful event.
ADDED 10/9/06: Thur-Sun, 10/5-10/8/06 saw Sensei Campos traveling to Houston, TX to present a seminar, oversee testing, and attend Bob Gifford's Safety America Tournament. Sensei's annual visit to Texas has been a tradition for about three decades and he truly appreciates Mr. Gifford's loyalty and support for so many years. The seminar Thursday evening was packed with 65 participants and the topic was self-defense with some small-circle finger locks thrown in at the request of Mr. Gifford. Friday evening was Black Belt testing and saw four Junior Black Belts receive their adult level rank. Saturday was the annual Safety America Benefit Tournament which had 240 competitors and was held right at the Safety America dojo. As always it was great to see everyone including June Gifford, Bill Hickl, Susan Jackson (FL), Bob Ryan, Wade Kirkpatrick, Paul Obmaces, Rick Eierdam, Shawn Vicknair (Count Dante), Sean Brauen, and many other black belt members of the TX ZDK. Many thanks to all for making the trip such a great experience.
ADDED 9/29/06: On Sept. 23 Sensei Campos had the opportunity to visit the N-NY ZDK for the bi-annual seminar program. It was great seeing all of the instructors and students again. Many thanks to Mr. Brown & Mr. Perry for arranging his visit. The children's & adults seminars went well and were well attended and the participants were enthusiastic. Thank you all for supporting this event. NEW MEMBER: We would like to welcome Sensei Jerry Charbonneau as a new affiliated Course Instructor in the ZDK. He was recommended to us by Greg Troup (SSS Photographer). Sensei Charbonneau teaches Shorin-Ryu Karate in Forestport, NY.
ADDED 9/20/06: Congratulations to Sensei Vicki Gillen on being inducted into the Rome, NY Hall of Fame for her martial arts accomplishments. Here is an excerpt from the article which appeared in the local paper on July 28: "Gillen was a martial arts competitor for over 20 years. She won numerous grand championship awards on the professional karate circuit, was rated the No. 1 woman fighter and No. 1 women's form competitor in the New York-New Jersey Region, and was ranked in the top 10 nationally. She won the Canadian Nationals in 1988, and in 1995, when she earned her fifth-degree black belt, she was named Woman of the Year by an international martial arts association. Gillen, who opened Bailey's Karate School in 1980, was honored by the Rome Police Department in 2005 for "her tireless efforts to keep the children of our community safe."
ADDED 9/11/06: September 11th has arrived and after five years we are still embroiled in the fight with enemies determined to attack us again. We undoubtedly will have to continue on this path for many years to come. Those of you interested in helping our troops in some small way are urged to support The Wounded Warrior Project. This organization assists severely wounded soldiers from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Go to their website: www.woundedwarriorproject.org to see how you can help.
Fall tends to be a busy season for seminars, tournaments, etc. Please go to the Calendar page for upcoming events.
ADDED 8/7/06: Our 24th Annual Super Summer Seminars Martial Arts Camp was another great weekend of training and fun at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. All of the approximately 200 participants and staff had a good time in spite of the monsoon we had all day Saturday. Sunday was typical SSS weather - sunny & warm. All of the evaluations and people who spoke to us were excited and pleased about the entire weekend. Tokey Hill was popular and we will certainly consider having him come back in the future. Many thanks to everyone for helping to make SSS a success for 24 years! FRIDAY TESTING: As always we had testing on Fri. morning of SSS and would like to thank those who assisted and congratulate the following candidates on achieving Black Belt rank: SHODAN: Tammy Behr (Mr. Cox/Cherry Valley, NY ZDK). NIDAN: Pam Branigan & John Pezzino (Ms. Bagnall/Green Dragon Martial Arts, Greene, NY). SANDAN: Sean Brauen & Shawn Vicknair (Mr. Gifford/Safety America, Sugar Land, TX). HERE IS A TYPICAL EVALUATION TO SSS FROM A 2006 PARTICIPANT: "I just wanted to tell you again in addition to my evaluation that I had another great weekend at SSS. I have noticed that each year that goes by I seem to take home more and more techniques that I have learned at SSS. Thanks again for putting another informative, fun-filled weekend together."
ADDED 6/27/06: We would like to thank Sensei Jeff Melander for hosting Sensei Campos at his club in Ballston Spa, NY on Sat. 6/24/06. Sensei Campos instructed a kid's seminar and afterwards did a 2-1/2 hour self-defense seminar for adults. There were non-martial artists and everyone from white to black belt ranks in attendance. In addition to Mr. Melander's Red Dragon students, Mr. Brooks (BKS-W. Winfield, NY) was there with a couple of students, as well as, students from Mr. Pearlman's group. Afterwards we had a relaxing lunch and, since the day was nice, went to the local golf course and pretended to play. ADDED 6/4/06: We have been busy here with several requests to present at area schools and just completed a personal safety program at Warren St. Elementary School in Johnstown, NY this past Thursday. We do these events as a public service and they are always popular with the students. Mr. Cox recently informed us that he did a presentation for the Cherry Valley, NY schools as well. Speaking of Mr. Cox, he hosted Sensei Campos on Sat. June 3 at his club in Cherry Valley for a seminar on self-defense and kata. Nineteen instructors and students from Johnstown (HQ), Cobleskill (ZDK), Sherburne (PAK), and Cherry Valley (ZDK) braved the torrential rain to train for the day. Many thanks to those who supported the event and to Mr. Cox for hosting it.
ADDED 5/21/06: Under the category of Why We Do This:
We recently received this email from a former student -
Hello, I just wanted to write you and
say thank you for the years I spent attending ZDK in Johnstown from 1982 - 1986.
The discipline I developed as a child while attending ZDK has been useful to me
in my career as a computer programmer/manager. It is nice to see you are
still practicing. I wish you the best.
ADDED 5/20/06: On Fri. May 19 Sensei Campos, Ian Santangelo, Arlene Card, Lt. Mark Gifford (JPD), & Matt Sminicski from the ZDK HQ kids class presented 3 seminars on self-defense to the 7th & 8th Graders at Knox Junior HS in Johnstown, NY. This was another in a series of community service programs designed to familiarize local students with the benefits of martial arts training and with practical advice and techniques for self-protection. Upcoming events in June include 2 more school presentations and a program for seniors at Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville, NY sponsored by Healthlink.
ADDED 5/17/06: On Mon. 5/15 over 200 Middle School girls representing 15 schools from Fulton, Montgomery, & Hamilton counties attended the Sister to Sister Conference at Fulton-Montgomery Community College. ZDK instructors Sensei Campos, Bonnie Streeter, Arlene Card, Harry Tomlinson, & Mark Gifford were on hand to instruct basic self-defense to them. The day-long program included 17 different seminars. This was the 7th consecutive year the the ZDK has been invited to present at this event. What is nice is that every seminar is chosen by the participants and the self-defense session has always been popular.
ADDED 5/8/06: We would like to welcome a new member in the ZDK, Mr. Bruno Daniele from Syracuse, NY. Sensei Daniele has over 20 years experience in Kempo and USA Goju. We appreciate the trust he has placed in us and look forward to working with him as a ZDK member.
ADDED 5/7/06: Sensei Campos had a wonderful time visiting the N-NY ZDK members on the weekend of 5/5-5/7. Congratulations to Frank Quimby (instructed by Andre Secore) on achieving Shodan and to Bruce Kenna (instructed by Dave Guccione) on his Nidan promotion. Both candidates did a great job on Fri evening and at ages 42 and 53 respectively certainly demonstrated the commitment and fortitude necessary. On Sat. Sensei Campos presented a seminar for the children and one for the adults. The children were really enthusiastic and energetic.
The adult seminar (picture) was full and everyone worked hard on the new curriculum material. We even got some time at the end just for the black belts. It was nice seeing several members of the Canadian ZDK come down with their instructors Mr. Brunette and Martel. Sat. evening was the 2nd Annual N-NY Awards Banquet where many students received well-deserved awards. The last event was "golfing in the Arctic" early Sun. morning. Just because the temperature went down to 22 degrees on Sat. night didn't stop Mr. Brown, Tim Langdon, Andre Secore, and Sensei Campos from getting out on the course. It was great to see all the instructors and students and Sensei Campos appreciates their hard work and support.
On Sat. 4/22 Mr. Campos, Brian Cox (Cherry Valley, NY ZDK), and Keith Stevenson (Cobleskill, NY ZDK) all traveled down to Cathie Bagnall's Greene, NY club to attend testing. Congratulations to Lucas Osborne on achieving 1st Kyu and, Julie Lenga on being promoted to Shodan. The energy and commitment of everyone at Greene Dragon is always exceptional. Everyone on the test board also enjoyed the wonderful dinner at Baron's Inn after testing! Wade Kirkpatrick sent us a message recently: He hosted his first tournament and had a little over 200 competitors on April 1st at Stevenson Middle School in Houston, TX. It was organized with John Kurek’s Chun Kuk Do (Chuck Norris System) club. He also got married on March 17th to Karen Ivy and is very happy - she runs the books, attendance, orders, etc. for our dojo here in Katy, TX. Dojo is doing great and he plans on having a summer camp during June. We congratulate Wade on his marriage and success with the new dojo. He is instructing at SSS this year and we look forward to seeing him in July.
ADDED 3/26/06: TESTING: Congratulations to Clark Wallin on achieving SANDAN (3rd Dan) rank at a demanding test on Fri. 3/24. He demonstrated, at 52, the fortitude and skill necessary for advanced black belt rank. Clark is the husband of Cathie Bagnall, owner and chief instructor of the Greene Dragon Martial Arts club in Greene, NY. Many thanks to the test board and the people who assisted on the test.
Many thanks to the ZDK System and interested Affiliated Instructors and many Black & Brown Belts who came to learn. Chief Instructors included: Rocco Alianiello (Altoona, PA), Ron Brown (Malone, NY), Brian Cox (Cherry valley, NY), Dave Guccione (Canton, NY), Dave Pepe & Vince Perry (Massena, NY), Bob Pinney (Hamilton, NY), Keith Stevenson (Cobleskill, NY), Bob & Bonnie Streeter (Johnstown, NY), & Clark Wallin representing Ms. Bagnall/GDMA (Greene, NY). Both nights we all did some socializing and celebrating at the Holiday Inn. Now that we do not host an annual awards banquet program it is much easier to enjoy the company of everyone who makes the effort to attend this event. Thank you. |
