The annual Karate For Christ Kick-A-Thon is a highlight for Grace Martial Arts. We raise hundreds of dollars each September (almost $900 last year!) for the mission outreach of Karate For Christ through Asia Reach Ministries.
Our first Monday night back to class after Labor Day will be the Kick-A-Thon, so please mark your calendars for Sept. 13th. This is our annual fund raiser for Asia Reach Ministries, so please start talking with family and friends now about making a donation to the cause. Our goal this year is $1,000 and I believe we can do it!
I’ve been involved with Karate For Christ International since it was re-established in 1997. We’ve seen the membership grow from just a few people to tens of thousands around the world. I became a member of the original Judo and Karate For Christ in 1972, so it’s been exciting to see how God has blessed the ministry for a long time.
This will be the first Kick-A-Thon for some of you, so expect to kick hard and often and have a lot of fun! Having fun and raising money for missionaries does go together.
I began learning the kicking and striking aspects of martial arts in 1962. I had spent more than year training in Judo and Aikido (modernized version) when I was introduced to Shito-ryu Karate-do. Master Kenwa Mabuni used the first characters of the names of his primary martial arts instructors (Masters Yasutsune Itosu and Kanryo Higaonna) for the name Shito-ryu. Shito-ryu combines the powerful linear movements from Shuri-te and Tomari-te with the fluid circular movements of Naha-te. I began training in Shotokan Karate-do in 1963 and learned more about using the power of kicks and strikes to bring a violent confrontation to a quick and effective end. I later studied the kicking systems of many other Okinawan, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Chinese martial systems, and found them all to be effective and a lot of fun!
The first kicks we learn in Grace Martial Arts are Front Snap Kick, Front Thrust Kick, Side Kick, Stepping Side Kick, Back Kick, and Roundhouse Kick. As you prepare for next Monday night’s Kick-A-Thon, here are some kicking videos that may inspire you.
Blessings and see you next Monday night!
Mark McGee
Grace Martial Arts
Grace Martial Arts 