IKS Thoughts: Chris Joyal

Editor's Note: Prior to the 30th anniversary celebration that we had, I asked people to submit to me their thoughts about the school to share with the headmasters. I have gathered these essays and will be adding them to this blog as "IKS Thoughts" over the next several months. Today's submission was made by IKS black belt Chris Joyal. 

When I was a short, skinny seventh-grader at Elm Street Junior High School, I met an equally short Jason Kittredge and an equally skinny Craig Hutchinson. Both were students at Independent Karate. For Christmas in December of 1985, I received a 3-month gift certificate to try it.

Having Jason Kittredge and Craig Hutchinson as my mentors proved somewhat challenging for the headmasters of the school. Jason lived on West Hollis Street at the time, and my mother worked part-time downtown. She was always willing to let me walk over to Jason's house.

I was tested for my orange belt three weeks after I joined. Needless to say, I was also an accomplished uke by this time. Two weeks with Jason taught me three, six, and seven combination as well as the fine art of not falling and breaking open your coconut. I believe he was a green belt at the time and going for first degree brown.

Jason and Craig were often told not to teach me advanced techniques, but they never taught them to me. Not really. They just used them on me. I became a blue belt rather quickly. Purple belt is a blur.

I really enjoyed the school. I loved that it was open on Tuesdays. And I attended all three Tuesday classes and at least three Saturday classes. Sensei Pete enjoyed calling me up in front of class and throwing roundhouse kicks near my temple because I had one of those dorky bowl cuts and a mop of really fine hair. A flurry of roundhouse kicks made it look like I had a blow dryer to my head.

Having learned from Jason and Craig and having spent my lower belts sparring with a green and brown belt, I had a different level of aggression that didn't seem to be consistent with my own ranks. Jason and Craig made contact when they sparred with me, and I made contact with them as well.

During tournament preparation (we were getting ready to spar the Tae Kwon Do Karate Club at Bishop Guertin) one Saturday, Sensei Pete had a school sparring tournament. Around the same time, Jason had introduced me to another green belt at the school named Stacy Conroy. She was an albino girl, nearly blind, and extremely fierce. I remember her as on roughly the same advancement track as Jason. She had amazing form. She also had very good control when doing jujitsu techniques. When she had to start a technique without touching you for a point of reference? Not so much.

I was a blue belt and won my matches easily, but with several warnings for contact to the midsection. After I won the purple and blue division, Sensei Pete decided on the spot that it would be fun to see if I could beat the girl's winner of the advanced division. He put me up against Stacy in a sparring match with no points.

She didn't receive any warnings for contact. I don't think I scored a point on her. I remember her running me out of the ring a few times and one particularly meaningful thrust punch to my floating rib. I also remember learning that when Sensei Pete warned you to take it easy and watch your control with students of the same rank, you listened.

Incidentally, my parents learned that when you give karate as a Christmas present in 1985, you may still be giving it in 1991. I received my black belt in 1990.

Happy Birthday, IKS, and thank you for the discipline and the memories.

Man in the Arena

We always encourage our students to compete in our annual school tournament.   We feel that it's an important part of their growth.  Nothing catches the idea of why we think it's so important as much as Teddy Roosevelt's speech The Man in the Arena:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

IKS Thoughts: Chris Guerrette

Editor's Note: Prior to the 30th anniversary celebration that we had, I asked people to submit to me their thoughts about the school to share with the headmasters. I have gathered these essays and will be adding them to this blog as "IKS Thoughts" over the next several months. Today's submission was made by IKS black belt Chris Guerrette. 

Sensei Peter Desmarais
When I was seven years old my father took me to the Independent Karate School in Merrimack to sign me up for Karate. The dojo was in a small church basement with no signs outside to indicate there was a karate school there. The only indication one needed was the loud noise coming from within. When I walked in the dojo I was immediately intimidated by the loud noise and by the number of people in the class. However, the intimidation was quickly stifled when a man wearing a red gi top, black gi pants and a black belt which looked to be falling apart, came over to both my father and I with his hand extended to greet us. This man was Sensei Peter Desmarais, and little did I know this man would become an intricate part of my life and change it forever.

The Independent Karate School became a huge part of my life growing up. The school provided me with a positive outlet for my energy and the focus and patience needed to develop my mind. Furthermore, I’m extremely grateful for the time Sensei Desmarais took out of his own life to teach me the skills needed to develop into a martial artist. In addition, I credit a lot of my personal success in life to lessons taught to me by Sensei Desmarais.

It’s nearly been 19 years since I first step foot in that dojo, and still today I practice the lessons taught to me by Sensei Desmarais. I would like to thank him for his kindness, his devotion and his great influence on my life.


Hanshi Victor Nastasia
I first met Mr. Nastasia when I was a purple belt. I had an older cousin who was enrolled at the Independent Karate School in Nashua and had asked me to come join a Saturday morning class with him. It was then I was introduced to Mr. Nastasia and I can remember thinking how nice he was when he welcomed me to the class. He had a big smile on his face and like Sensei Desmarais, he made me feel right at home.

Although I was not as close to Hanshi Nastasia and I was to Sensei Desmarais (simply because I spent more time at the Merrimack school) I always admired how he treated people and made everyone around him feel important.  It did not matter if he was talking to a high ranking black belt or a tiny white belt, he made them feel equally important.

I have always admired Hanshi Nastasia for his dedication to his students, the time he has devoted and the difference he has made in everyones’ life. He truly is an example of greatness.


O-Sensei Desmarais
I first remember meeting O-Sensei Desmarais when I was about ten years old. He had come to the Merrimack school to demonstrate his style Enshudo to our class. Once I saw his style I could not wait to learn from him.

I remember spending a lot of time in his class at the Nashua school learning all sorts of great styles, such as Jyu-Jitsu, Brazilian Jyu-Jitsu, Judo, Aikido, and Boxing. I credit O-Sensei for opening my eyes to the other styles out there and for helping me become a more well-rounded martial artist.

Like Sensei Desmarais and Hanshi Nastasia, O-Sensei has made a difference in my life and has been a positive influence to me as a martial artis and a human being. O-Sensei is an inspiration to all and I would like to thank him for being a part of my life.

Photo: Black Belts at tournament

IKS Thoughts: Sunish Oturkar

Editor's Note: Prior to the 30th anniversary celebration that we had, I asked people to submit to me their thoughts about the school to share with the headmasters. I have gathered these essays and will be adding them to this blog as "IKS Thoughts" over the next several months. Today's submission was made by IKS black belt Sunish Oturkar.



Someone once asked me, "If you relocated, what would you miss most?" Without a thought, I immediately responded, "The Independent Karate School." This says a lot considering I was born and raised in the area, having lived there for upwards of two decades. The IKS has played an enormous role in my life. I often tell people that if it were not for the school, there is no doubt in my mind that I would be a completely different person. True, whether for better or worse is uncertain, but I can confidently attribute my ability to carry out many of my accomplishments to the lifelong development acquired in the dojo. 


I have seen how much the misguided Western perception of the martial arts has infiltrated other schools in the area, and I am very proud to be apart of a dojo that never lets go the art's original intentions of self improvement in all aspects of life. I am constantly trying to find ways to better who I am as a person, either physically, mentally, or emotionally, and that motivation comes directly from my time at the IKS. When I note the receipt of my first degree black belt as being one of my life's greatest achievements, I refer not to belt itself, but my decision to a lifelong commitment of exhibiting all of the core values the school is founded on: responsibility, respect, perseverance, and the refusal to settle for anything less than my best.


Along with my own self improvement, there are few things in my life that can compare to the feeling of paying it forward at the IKS. Much of my time at the dojo has been dedicated to working with my colleagues, all of whom walked the same path I did, to impart our knowledge to the current students of the school. As time passes, the worst influences in our society continues to push its way further into the lives of children, reaching them at an earlier age each year. More communities need a force such as the IKS to counterbalance these influences, giving kids the tools they need to steer clear of choosing the wrong path. Knowing how effective the school has been for me, it is great to be a part of that experience for today's youth.


The dojo is my second home, the people my second family. I'd be lost without the Independent Karate School. Its a place I can come to and leave all my troubles behind. Its a place like no other, and I am forever in its debt.

Breaking Classes

Breaking class will be held at the Nashua school on Feb 20th at 9am,  March 2nd at 5:10pm and March 13th at 9am. Boards will be sold at the school for $1.30 each.


Students are not required to break wood in our system.  However, it is a great training tool that helps build confidence, and can help students to refine their technique.  Our school tournament does include a breaking event.


For safety reasons, we discourage students from practicing breaking without proper supervision.  These classes are intended as an opportunity for students to try breaking, and practice for the upcoming tournament.  

Commercial

We are very excited to announce that we are making a commercial to try to boost our school enrollment.  For the past 30 years, we have successfully relied on word of mouth to attract new students and run what we consider to be a very important resource in the lives of our students.  After doing some research, and looking at resources that we have at our disposal we are planning on gathering footage at the school on Saturday February 13th to use in a commercial.

We are asking everyone to come and participate.  If you're available to come into class this Saturday, please do so.

IKS Thoughts: Andrew Trexler

Editor's Note: Prior to the 30th anniversary celebration that we had, I asked people to submit to me their thoughts about the school to share with the headmasters. I have gathered these essays and will be adding them to this blog as "IKS Thoughts" over the next several months. Today's submission was made by IKS black belt Andrew Trexler.



I attribute my character to only two major influences: my parents and the Independent Karate Schools. The IKS is a cornerstone of my life, has shaped my personality, and has defined my philosophy. I cannot possibly express how meaningful and important the school is to me; the words necessary have not been invented yet. In a single decade, a relatively short period of time despite being more than half of my lifetime, I have learned things at the IKS, both martial and otherwise, that will serve me for many more decades to come. Throughout my years here I have developed trusted friends and attained living heroes. I am honored to simply be in such an audience as the ones I find every time I walk in the door. The IKS has trained me, and is training me, to face challenges in all paths of life. To me, and to many, the school is more than simply a means of learning self defense; it is a lifestyle. The IKS is truly a candle illuminating the darkness. 

IKS Participates in TD Bank Fundraiser

The Scholarship foundation has an exciting and easy new way for you to support it.  If you have an existing bank account with TDBank, or are planning to set one up in the near future, here’s what you can do:

• Go to your local branch and say you want to support the Independent Karate School Scholarship Foundation through the TDBank Affinity program (ID Number A1280)
• THAT’S IT! 

At the end of the year, TDBank will take the average of all supporting accounts and a percentage of that balance will go directly to the scholarship as a donation!  There is no extra obligation from you, except to spread the word about the program to your friends and family.  TDBank will not disclose any individual or business financial information to the IKSSF so all information will stay confidential.  If you are thinking of opening anew bank account, TDBank offers several great incentives to do so.  They will be promoting their programs through the school on a semi-regular basis and their representatives would be happy to answer any and all questions you may have. 

We hope you can help us with this effort by affiliating your account today, and spreading the word to your family, friends, colleagues and businesses.  Thank You!