From the Desk of Sensei Reshel

Dear parents Students and Friends
The October cover letter is written by my colleague and dear friend Sensei Andre Harwell. Please read it for his words of wisdom.

Respectfully
Sensei Reshel



Hello Parents, Students and Friends:

What was it that brought you to be with those you love? Was it fate, friends or family? For many of us it was probably a combination of the three, however, I have been brought close to what, and those, I love through the martial arts. Specifically, what I speak of is the relationship I have come to enjoy with my family at Elite Martial Arts.

It has been the martial arts that brought two completely different lives together, and now the combination can't be separated. Two things that come together to produce something wonderful is an occurrence that has probably been experienced by most people. For example: salt and pepper, vanilla and chocolate ice cream, peanut butter and jelly, two different colors to make one, chocolate and peanut butter (Reese's), Batman and Robin, Tom and Jerry (laugh). These are just a few of the many combinations of things that go well together.















The combination I would like to speak of is myself and Sensei Rick Reshel. We were raised in two totally opposite backgrounds. Him a white male from a remote rural area of Wisconsin, and me, a black male from the inner city of MIlwaukee. Through the arts we have found that diversity has enabled us to bring to the families of Elite Martial Arts a teaching that reaches beyond the walls of the Dojo, and into the hearts and minds of every person associated with our school. The hearts and souls of the students here at The Elite Dojo have, and continue to develop into very caring and productive citizens of our society. Certainly this could have been accomplished without the aid of myself or Sensei Reshel, however, it is our belief that we have contributed to making it stronger.

Seems simple huh? It is...as humans, if we can find value in our diversity. For in the martial arts, we can find value in our diversity for life.

So, the message is, look to others as an object of strength and not as an object of negative difference. With an open mind we can all work to live together and live to work together towards a common goal. That goal is peace throughout... I believe that "kindness should not be a practice, it should be a given." It shouldn't be taught, it should be felt.

With love, peace, and respect... yours truly in the martial arts.

Instructor Andre Harwell

Black Belt: Kelsey Kasmerchak

On May 3rd 2008, I finally reached the point of culmination of 6 years of effort, practice, and perseverance. I don’t want to over-dramatize this event, but I do wish to reflect on what the title of “Black Belt” means to me. It is so much more than knowing how to execute a 360 degree round kick or throw a hard right hook.

It is about the person I was, the person I have grown to be, and all the winding roads in between. It is about what I have learned and what I have been able to teach others. For me, being a black belt means making the right decisions. It means choosing loving over hating, swimming over sinking, and giving over taking. A black belt is a person who is so accustomed to pushing and persevering that the thought of quitting does not even occur to him or her. A black belt is not merely a measure of performance, but a quality of character.

I was expecting this to change me; however, I have come to realize that becoming a black belt is not a hop or jump, but a gradual change. Honestly, I do not feel differently because over the years I have grown into this new role. I know all of the areas I still need to improve: my hands need to be faster and my kicks harder. My growth and learning do not stop here.

I never truly thought about the words we say every time before beginning class. I have become fond of them after so many years of repetition and have used them as advice on how to live my life.
Peace. Don’t cause unnecessary drama and don’t get caught up in it. Forgive and forget.
Unity. Reach out to others. Be there for your friends.
Respect. Accept others as they are. Do what makes you happy.

My black belt has not been “achieved,” but rather I have grown into the person it requires me to be. It will continue to evolve with me as I strive to find purpose and meaning within my life, wherever that may take me.

So thank you to those who have given me instruction and inspiration. I will carry your “warrior spirits” with me always.

Sincerely,
Kelsey Kasmerchak

CONGRATULATIONS BELT GRADUATES

Mighty Mite Yellow
Daniel Kacsur

Mighty Mite Purple
Drew Buckholdt
Sean Jensen
Neha Kurpad

Mighty Mite Blue
Ian MacDonald
Kayleb Kuchenbecker

Yellow Belts
Drew Kacsur

Orange Belts
Abby Guenther - Part 2
Cameron McDonald - Part 2
Madison McDonald - Part 2
Colin Mayhew - Part 2
Will Buebendorf - Part 2
Frank Smogoleski - Part 2

Purple Belts
Michelle Miller - Part 1 & 2
Matthew Miller - Part 1 & 2
Michael Poker - Part 2

Blue Belts
Travis Gurlik - Part 2
Joseph Ochowicz - Part 2
Connor Caponi - Part 2

Green Belt
Zachary Breider - Part 2

Brown Belts
Alexis Cera - Part 1
Connor Cera - Part 1
Brady Perkins - Part 2

Adult Yellow Belt
Genna Parrer

Adult Orange Belt
Tony Miceli - Part 1

Adult Green Belt
David Crosby - Part 1 & 2

Student of the Month: Will Buebendorf

I’m going to call Will Buebendorf Mr. Protocol. He is early to class, focused, disciplined, and has a great work ethic. His energy flows in harmony with our instructional format. I make a correction, and he pursues it as long as I ask. His energy is so balanced sometime I don’t even notice him in class. However, I always notice him on sparring days. He methodically puts on ever piece of equipment and has it all on in time for the start of class. This is not usually accomplished by most students. Will is a transfer from another Martial Arts school, and I am glad he chose this one. He is a joy to have in class. He makes each student around him follow our protocol more efficiently. Congratulations on being named the student of the month Mr. Buebendorf, the best is yet to come.

Brown Belts – Moving on Up

We have a large enrollment of dedicated advanced students. They have patiently honed their martial arts skills and are ready to move up in rank. We want all the brown belts to start thinking about their black belts. In October we want to get several brown belts tested for Part 1 of their next level of brown. The first or second Friday of November we want to get them tested for their Part 2.

Awards Day

Thursday October 23rd 6:45pm
(This day is subject to change depending on the remodeling of the club.)
All are invited to attend awards day. See the elite demo team perform. Winners will be notified in advance by phone, if you have won an award. If you did not win an award in this contest keep trying. As your Sensei, I don’t care if you would ever win an award, as long as you were trying your best. Effort is what we are looking for in the student body.

School House Rocks Demo

We like to keep the beginning and intermediate students inspired. We want them to know the skill level they can acquire. The Elite demo team is an excellent example of this, and they will be doing a short demonstration between classes, Saturday October 11th 9:45am, Monday October 13th 5:45pm, and Tuesday October 14th and 5:45pm. Beginners class stay and watch the demo team. Intermediate class will start a few minutes later than normal.

Extra Sparring Classes

There will be extra sparring classes this month in preparation for Challenge Matches.