​Sensei Joe Gilbert will be running a clinic on Uechi-Ryu Karate at ZenQuest on Saturday March 21st.  Sensei Joe started training at the Okinawan Karate School (the original name for ZenQuest) back in 1973.  He has trained and taught consistently since then and has a longstanding dojo in Bennington, Vermont.  Sensei Joe has visited Okinawa several times including in 2007 when he joined Senseis Connie and Mark on one of their trips (see photo.) On that trip Sensei Joe was promoted to 8th Dan or 8th Degree Black Belt Master of the traditional Okinawan style.
This clinic will be from 10:00 AM to 11:25 AM.  This is open to all ranked students ages 12 years old and up.  There is no charge for the event, but donations to the ZenQuest fight team are welcome.  Please join us!
 

Senseis Connie and Mark recently went back to school!  They were invited to run some gym classes and introduce grades K through 6 to the martial arts back on December 5th and 13th.  Each class started with some Karate and Kickboxing fundamentals like stance, guard, blocking and striking.  The kids then did some target drills where they punched and kicked targets, and blocked attacks with ‘pool noodles’.  The classes finished with some escape strategies taken from Jiu-jitsu.  Over the two days over 350 kids participated in the classes, and all had a blast!  The classes went off without a hitch thanks to the professionalism and structure set by Lee PE teachers Jennifer and Julia.
Senseis Connie and Mark are scheduled to run similar classes at Richmond Consolidated Elementary School, and visiting Lee Elementary again soon for their ‘Screen Free Week.’
 

Silvio Moraes was at ZenQuest for a seminar on Saturday, January 25.  As usual, the 2-Stripe Black Belt under Jiu-jitsu wizard Demian Maia provided an incredible learning experience in the three hour hands-on clinic he provided.  Professor or instructor Moraes covered many strategies and principles for the single-leg takedown, passing the guard, half-guard, and ’side-control’ position. 

After demonstrating a move, Professor Silvio typically checked to see if anyone had any questions or concerns about the technique by asking if there was “any doubt.”  However, in seeing the effect that the move usually had on the person receiving the move, there wasn’t. 

​Huge thanks to Professor Silvio for making the journey from Brazil to be with us and share his knowledge.  Thanks, too, to everyone who joined us for the training.