Fair week

Douglas County Fair is August 3-7. We will have a booth there again. Last year it was a blast. We met tons of people interested in getting involved in martial arts and others that have already been practicing martial arts. We had great conversations with a lot of really cool people. We also had memorable conversations with some odd characters. Anyway, we are putting together a list of volunteers to help out that week with the booth as well as helping take care of the dojo during the hours I will not be there. If you wish to help out, let Olga know so that she can put you an the list and fit you into a shift.

Sensei Keith

hot weather and hydration

Hot weather is upon us and will be for the rest of the summer. We are in the process of installing the A/C unit in the main mat room, but it will be a few more days until it is complete.

We are trying to keep the cooler stocked with cold water and G2 Gatorade to help keep everyone cool. We are also allowing more water breaks than usual. Be aware, you should hydrate yourself throughout the day before coming in for your classes. By the time you are feeling dehydrated in class, it is too late. On hot days, you should drink 16-24 oz of water 2 hours before practice, 8-16 oz 10 minutes before practice, and 8 oz every 15-20 minutes during practice.

If you are dehydrated during practice and start to feel light headed or dizzy, be sure to let the instructor know and stop your practice.

Also, we please ask that you throw away empty bottles at the end of your practice and if you bring your own bottle with you, take it with you when you leave.

certified SMAC

I am now a certified Specialist in Martial Arts Conditioning through the International Sports Sciences Association.

certified SMAC

Sensei Larry Keith (that's me) is now a certified Specialist in Martial Arts Conditioning through the International Sports Sciences Association.

Jason Houston

Congratulations to Jason Houston for winning 1st place at the Corvallis Judo tournament yesterday. Jason has only been back to training for a few days and has a sinus infection on top of it all. Yet, he managed not only to compete, but to win 1st place. Awesome job Jason...and welcome home!

May 8th Family Safety Day

We will be helping out with the Optimist International annual "Family Safety Day" on May 8th. We will be doing martial arts demonstrations and talking about our martial arts programs. Dynamic MMA member, Tiffany Netz will be a speaker for the "heroes corner" talking about her academic and martial arts successes.

The Roseburg Martial Arts academy will be there and I am sure they will do an impressive demonstration. It would be awesome if we could put together a demo team that would rival theirs. If you are interested in being part of the demo team and helping out, let me know by Monday and we will set aside some special times to choreograph a demonstration.

This is a great way to support your dojo and encourage youth in our area to better themselves through martial arts. It is also a fun way to practice and develop your skills as a Judoka or Mixed Martial Artist. Get in touch with me asap if you would like to take part.

April 29

Small MMA classes today. I think we have quite a few people out sick with the flu. The Judo classes were relatively small too. We had great practices in Judo. We did grip fighting drills and lots of throws. Hopefully everyone has a chance to get well over this weekend and get back to training next week. See you at the dojo.