Welcome Merrick P.A.L. judoka (judo students), both new & returning ones. The Fall, 2009 season has started and is going strong, and now is the time to see Sensei about purchasing gis (judo uniforms). So you ask, 'Why does my child need a judo gi and not regular clothes or even a karate gi?' Well, in Judo, as in most Japanese martial arts, we wear a traditional white judo uniform. We are constantly practicing our grip and grabbing onto each other, and while a karate gi might look the same, most kids' karate gis are not heavy enough of a material to withstand the constant tugging and grabbing, and the light-weight gis and kids' clothes can rip very easily. So it's in everyone's best interests to wear judo gis. Not only for your kid's comfort and to save your clothing bill, but their training partners can properly practice kumi-kata (gripping the opponent) when they correctly grab on to their gi. So try to pick them up ASAP.
The site has a few new updates such as a "staff" portion on the right side of the page, and is moving along little by little. In the staff portion, you will find pictures of who you see on the mat teaching and training alongside your kids. Jon Abrams, Brian Solomon, and Leo Bazil are all dads of students who are training in Judo. As this website develops, you will find bios on the staff so you can really get to know us (even if we don't get a chance to talk during class). So check up on us every so often.
Now that we have gotten started, we invite and encourage parents to train alongside their kids. While learning Judo alongside their kids, parents get a chance to not only get a little exercise, but also learn self-defense. There is also Judo & Jui-jitsu training available to parents after class. The only requirement that we ask is that the parents sign up with USJA, United States Judo Association. The USJA is a major governing association which the Merrick P.A.L. Judo club belongs to and it provides tournaments, training, and ranking. Most important about the USJA, is that it also supplies insurance for its members. The fee is minimal, $45.00 per year, so go to http://www.usja-judo.org/ and go to 'Join the USJA' and support the organization. When registering, the dojo is listed as Merrick P.A.L./Ronin Judo, and the instructor is Rick Calabrese. The kids are insured through Merrick P.A.L. so they don't need to be registered through USJA, but parents certainly do.
Another great source for Judo information is http://www.kodokan.org/. The Kodokan is the head Judo dojo (school) in Japan, and the site has every piece of information that anyone could ask for in their quest to expand their Judo knowledge.
The site has a few new updates such as a "staff" portion on the right side of the page, and is moving along little by little. In the staff portion, you will find pictures of who you see on the mat teaching and training alongside your kids. Jon Abrams, Brian Solomon, and Leo Bazil are all dads of students who are training in Judo. As this website develops, you will find bios on the staff so you can really get to know us (even if we don't get a chance to talk during class). So check up on us every so often.
Now that we have gotten started, we invite and encourage parents to train alongside their kids. While learning Judo alongside their kids, parents get a chance to not only get a little exercise, but also learn self-defense. There is also Judo & Jui-jitsu training available to parents after class. The only requirement that we ask is that the parents sign up with USJA, United States Judo Association. The USJA is a major governing association which the Merrick P.A.L. Judo club belongs to and it provides tournaments, training, and ranking. Most important about the USJA, is that it also supplies insurance for its members. The fee is minimal, $45.00 per year, so go to http://www.usja-judo.org/ and go to 'Join the USJA' and support the organization. When registering, the dojo is listed as Merrick P.A.L./Ronin Judo, and the instructor is Rick Calabrese. The kids are insured through Merrick P.A.L. so they don't need to be registered through USJA, but parents certainly do.
Another great source for Judo information is http://www.kodokan.org/. The Kodokan is the head Judo dojo (school) in Japan, and the site has every piece of information that anyone could ask for in their quest to expand their Judo knowledge.
