Category Archives: Events

Events, New happenings around the Dojo, School Pictures and Videos

Another one for the books

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Words do no justice, yet here are a few that describe what transpired between the hours of 2:00 pm and 8:30 pm Sunday August 11, 2019 and the emotions that came with. We begin with a run…a bit more than two miles to warm up, and the day was nice. Afterwards more than an hour of intensive PT then material for hours on end. All of it. By the time we get to fight, no one knows which end is up. Minds are numb. Hearts and heads are pounding. For the hundredth time each of the candidates asks themselves why. Why am I doing this? When will it end?

The pain and the exhaustion is fleeting in the grand scheme of things, the anguish of your failures are temporary and most importantly; they are necessary. They are the building blocks of our character, that which defines us. The bruises and the blood are a badge of honor. A reminder that you are not only human and fallible, but you are resilient. You are a survivor. You are:

Warriors….every one.

There are only a few people in this world who can dedicate themselves to what we do. To the lifestyle that we choose. To the brotherhood /sisterhood that we embrace. A family that sweats and bleeds for and with each other. And there are even less people who will be able to understand why we do what we do day in and day out. Until they need us.

Because the warrior’s purpose in life, although we immerse ourselves in defending against the threat of violence, is to instill and keep peace. Peace within our hearts, peace within our minds, peace in our daily interactions. But if war comes our way, and our inner and outer peace cannot quell the rising tide;

We shall be prepared.


It is my honor to be your guide on this journey. It is our mission to continue to build on the foundation of integrity and honor, failure and success, honesty and the removal of ego, confidence, discipline, work ethic, and community. All these things that are needed for success, but are being forgotten by so many. Spread the Kempo love.

With great pleasure and the utmost pride and honor, on this day; Sunday August 11, 2019, I have gladly promoted the following warriors to the rank of Shodan…the first step.


Shodan Michael Gagliardi – Time in training 10 Years, 1 month

Shodan Anne Cavanaugh – Time in training 10 Years

Shodan Alex Mulhall – Time in training 10 Years, 8 months

Shodan Bradley Altman – Time in training 12 Years, 4 months

Shodan Abhinav Yadav – Time in training 6 Years, 11 months

Honor your rank, associates, fellow rank holding brothers and sisters, as well as yourself. May your rank forever uphold the standards set forth by Cutting Edge Kempo Karate as we continue to strive for unity and proficiency in the arts.

A special thank you to Grandmaster Rich Fescina for proctoring our exam, without you, we would not be doing what we are doing, at the level you have always demanded. We will never fold to the ideology that some things are ‘just too hard’ for the people of today. We will always uphold the standards and practices that you demanded of me. If necessary we will be the last bastion of hope in a society that seems to be losing it’s way.

We will keep the flame alive.

So here we are. Another group of dedicated brothers and sisters. Another generation of hope. Another bunch of bumps and bruises and broken bodies. Another band of folks who have earned something that not everyone can. Another pile of bodies that need to;

Get back on the mat.

Events, New happenings around the Dojo, Press Room / Media

Join us for a FREE anti bullying seminar

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Come on down to 975 Main Street in Holbrook on Sunday November 18th at 2:30 PM, BRING A FRIEND and get the world’s first look at

Cutting Edge Kindness - More than just an "Anti-Bullying" program

As many of our current students and parents already know, I have been working studiously with world renowned psychologists, motivational, and educational speakers in order to hone my skills working with those who struggle with being bullied. There is no “one size fits all” answer to the issues facing our children, but there are skills and techniques that you can practice, which will teach you how to be mentally RESILIENT and IN CONTROL of your own self-image and emotions and therefore STOP MEAN PEOPLE DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS! 

That’s where Cutting Edge Kindness comes in!

Our approach with Cutting Edge Kindness is to deal with the moments, months, weeks, days BEFORE a physical confrontation occurs. And the benefits go far beyond stopping the mean, hateful people in your life…the world can be a better place if we all use these skills as often as we can.

We can end the torment that so many of today’s youth suffers through, without violence. We can learn to be STRONG yet KIND without being weak, and lead by example. Cutting Edge Kindness is an adjunct to our Cutting Edge Kempo Karate program, where we speak about and promote all these ideas while focusing mainly on the physical attributes of resilience, practicing self defense techniques, and getting our bodies in better shape. Although these physical techniques are a large part of our curriculum, I have come to notice that there could be MORE.

That is why I began mentoring under people who are already out there making a difference by teaching and demonstrating psychological techniques to help people remain strong in the face of adversity. By combining the physical strengths our students presently gain through their training at Cutting Edge Kempo Karate with the proven psychological techniques that I have learned from my mentors, I am building so much more than an anti-bullying program. I am proud to introduce Cutting Edge Kindness, currently in its infancy, a program designed to let everyone of all ages know that they can persevere. They can survive. They can

BE STRONG.

BE COOL.

and

BE KIND.

Join us for a sneak peak of our upcoming program and engage in this FREE motivational speech and see how well these skills can be applied in this fun, interactive event. Sign up spots are limited, so click the link below to get on the list for our first event, which is FREE to everyone in the surrounding communities, and open to all ages!

More to come…stay tuned.

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Visit Cutting Edge Kindness

Events

…and our annual Cutting Edge Kempo College Scholarship Award goes to…..

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Congratulations Nidan Ashley Fuchs!

All your hard work and dedication has paid off. As you embark on this new chapter in your life, your Cutting Edge Kempo Karate family is right there with you every step of the way!

Nidan Ashley is enjoying a month long backpacking trip through Alaska at the moment, an epic undertaking that would make any outdoors person jealous. Then upon her return it’s already prep time to begin her new schooling adventure!

Our students excel at everything they put their minds to, and become members of society that we can all be proud of, making great strides and accomplishments through hard work and dedication.

Don’t forget to get in and visit us on those breaks in between sessions and Holidays, practice vigilantly, find training partners to keep your skills sharp, and most importantly after all the hard school work is done…

…Get back on the mat.

Events, New happenings around the Dojo

Join us for this event! All are welcome.

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Please join us on Sunday, February 18th here at

Cutting Edge Kempo Karate

 

 

for an afternoon of

Guided Meditation with a Vibrational Sound Bath.

 

Kim Schiano, Reiki Master Teacher/ Vibrational Sound Therapist will guide you through a 30 minute meditative journey followed by 30 minutes of a Vibration Sound Bath with hand hammered copper bowls.  Experience peace as you focus on a journey within your mind and learn how to spend time within.

Please arrive by 2 p.m. and set up your spot on the mat.  You will be still for 1 hour, so you may want to lie down for the duration. Feel free to bring a pillow and a small blanket for comfort.  Meditation will begin promptly at 2:15 p.m.

Class size is limited, so please sign up ahead of time so we may accommodate everyone.

Men and women doing a seated meditation

Cost is only $10 per person.  Please sign up at the front desk today.

Events, New happenings around the Dojo

Holiday Party 2017 and Closing Dates

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It’s that time of year already! Time to get together and have some FUN!

Our annual Holiday party for the kids will be held on Friday December 22nd for the following age groups;

4-7 year olds 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

8 – 12 year olds 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

There will be no classes on Friday December 22nd. The kids can wear street clothes that they can run and play in, and if you would like to bring something you may sign up at the Dojo! (Remember we get ALOT of stuff to eat, so don’t go crazy 😉 )

Please also note that we will be CLOSED for our regular classes from Saturday December 23rd through Monday January 1st and re open on Tuesday January 2nd for our regularly scheduled classes.

When we return, after all the festivities, food and family…

Get back on the mat.

Events, School Pictures and Videos, Sensei's Musings

Congratulations Gentlemen

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Our second Black Belt test as Cutting Edge Kempo couldn’t have gone much better.

A true test.

These three young men deserve all the accolades they worked so very hard for. Three people. Five hours of non stop movement. A two mile run. Every technique in the system. Right handed, left handed, Mushin (no mind), grappling, weapon defense, sparring and Kata…we did it all. Each and every one of these young men put their all into this exam, as well they should. Nothing short of one hundred percent would have been acceptable, and each had their moment to shine as they excelled at their strongest attributes and powered through to overcome their weakest. These three men emerged victorious, and should be proud of their dedication.

Warriors. Every one.

Words do no justice in explaining how very proud I am to hold the honor of being your instructor and brother in the arts. Each and every one of you have survived, thrived, and will continue to excel, not only on the mat, but in the real world as well. Your respect for the arts and others, the discipline you have shown, and the indomitable spirit that it takes to reach this level of training with us is commendable, especially in a world where our art has been brutalized by others through the adoption of the “It’s just too hard” mentality of society today. We stand strong in the face of adversity. We will be the last bastion of real world life lessons. We will never fold to those that would take the easy road, for that is not how real life works. Reality is hard. Life is full of loss and failure. What defines you is how you learn from those losses and failures. How you overcome and grow.

How you RISE.

Let it be known, I have proudly promoted the following people in the art of Kempo on November 12, 2017;

Congratulations to:

Shodan Andrew Gansrow (1st degree)- Time in training = 8 Years

Nidan Peter Poliey (2nd degree)- Time in training = 20 Years!!! – Time from Shodan to Nidan = 2.5 Years (Time from candidate to Shodan 11 YEARS! Way to stick it out sir!)

Nidan Joseph Nuzzi (2nd degree) – Time in training = 11 Years – Time from Shodan to Nidan = 2 Years

When you see them, give them a big hug and congratulate your brothers, there is no doubt they earned it. I could not have asked for more out of you three.

A special thank you to Sandan Josh and Sandan Matt for helping me to proctor this exam, your input was invaluable. And now you all know the routine. Heal your bodies, get a day’s rest and then…

Get back on the mat.

Events, New happenings around the Dojo, School Pictures and Videos, Sensei's Musings

To My Faithful Students, Senior Grandmaster Rick Kingi, and Grandmaster Rich Fescina

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First and foremost; For those of you that came and represented Cutting Edge Kempo Karate and had the honor to train with Senior Grandmaster Rick Kingi, thank you. Thank you not only for upholding the standards of true Martial Artists with your never ending want to learn and expand your knowledge, but thank you for your dedication to our art , your level of training, and your respect for Senior Grandmaster’s time and efforts. Thank you for inspiring me to continually strive for the best; you are all my inspiration, and you all make me proud to be given the privilege of sharing what I learn. I am so very honored that Senior Grandmaster got a chance to see what we here at Cutting Edge Kempo Karate are all about, and your performance of SGM Kingi’s forms was second to none. I applaud you all.

Senior Grandmaster Rick Kingi; Once again thank you for your time and guidance on my journey through this life of a Martial Artist. Thank you for all your kind words about my students and their performance. Your accolades are so very appreciated, and it was our honor to show you how we do what we do. Thank you for your unending support of my instructor and friend, Grandmaster Rich Fescina. Without you and he, we would not be where we are today. Thank you for being a true human being, your personality and ability to share without the presence of ego is so very refreshing, and is something I constantly strive for in my own life. I was so very happy to have my students who could attend see someone in your venerable position not only on the mat, but really there with us, not above us. Thank you for the opportunity to let me show you some of the knowledge I have attained in the Kajukenbo system, and you have my word that I shall represent you and your family with all the honor and integrity I have always put forth in the past.

Thank you for the promotion, sir. I am honored to be a Fourth Degree Black Belt in Kingi’s Kajukenbo, and I look forward to either your next trip to the east coast, or my next trip to the west.

Thank you Grandmaster Rich Fescina for your unending support and your friendship. Words cannot explain what it means to me. Without you, sir, only God knows where I would be.

…and finally Thank you Sensei Walter Chan for joining your Cutting Edge Kempo family on the mat for this event, it was wonderful seeing you back on the mat with your brothers and sisters training the way training was meant to be done. Now don’t be a stranger.

And now for you all, the mantra of the life of all martial Artists, all students, instructors, and Grandmasters and Senior Grandmasters alike…

Get back on the mat.