Warrior Weekend

Please let us know now if you are testing or participating as a Board Member. We need to know so we can put your name on the shirts, and so the test day can be planned. This can be an email to info@dallaskenpo.com.

When

Friday, October 4 – Sunday October 6, 2023

Where

Lone Oak Ranch & Retreat
8484 S Farm to Market 372, Gainesville, TX 76240

Warrior Weekend & Black Belt Testing

At Warrior Weekend 2024, we will bring our ohana together to test, and to celebrate new members of the Yudansha.

Please register as soon as possible. You do NOT have to pay in full right now – but we DO need to know who is attending in order to plan for food, lodging, shirts, etc. We have options for payment in full or a down payment of $50 followed by 3 monthly installments. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Early Bird Registration – if you register before September 10th, use coupon EARLY10 to receive a $10 discount on your registration. (early20 if registering for 2 people, etc).

Warrior Weekend Participants:

Register by the rank you are testing for – the package includes:

  • lodging for the weekend – shared on-site hotel rooms (some have a mix of beds and bunks, but all have private restrooms).
  • food for Saturday and Sunday (purchase Friday night dinner separately)
  • one t-shirt – choose size
  • your testing fee

Not included:

  • Friday night dinner $12.50 (pizza) – Must be pre-ordered
  • Private hotel rooms – package prices are set for shared on-site hotel rooms. We may have a handful of private rooms available for couples/etc but they are additional $100 for the weekend.
Guests

Please let us know how many guests you are inviting! Even if they are just coming for the demos – we need to plan for chairs, etc. 

This means all family, friends, etc. who are planning to come in during the weekend. If they are planning on staying only for the day on Saturday, the cost for FOOD ONLY on Saturday night is $25. If they are staying the night, the full weekend rate of $200 applies.

Dinner and/or lodging for guests and any additional merchandise must be added to cart separately. For planning purposes, we need to know whether guests will attend Saturday dinner, stay on site, etc.

Guests staying on-site:

    • Lodging and food for the weekend: $225 (includes Saturday Lunch and Dinner, Sunday Breakfast)
    • Only Saturday Dinner $25 (no charge for kids age 10 and under)
Apparel

We will have jackets and hoodies in addition to the shirts; we  will let you know additional items as we have them set. 

One shirt is included in the participant/weekend package.

Itinerary

This is a rough itinerary, subject to change.

Friday

  • Load into the facility in the afternoon
  • Various groups are meeting at the dojo to coordinate carpooling
  • Arrive sometime Friday afternoon/night.  Make sure you pick up a Housing Arrangement Map that shows which lodge you are staying in.

Saturday

  • 7:00 AM – Breakfast. is on your own but we will have some items such as bananas, etc. available.
  • 8:00 AM – The test begins! We will go until noon with short breaks for snacks and water etc.
  • 12 pm to 1 pm – Lunch. Lunch is catered and included in the price
  • 1 pm – Testing resumes
  • 4:30 – Testing concludes and group photos are taken
  • 5 pm – Dinner. Dinner is catered and included in the price for testers and those staying on site. Guests must be paid separately.
  • 6 pm – Evening Activities: There will be presentations and demos by those testing for ranks in Black Belt.  This will be geared for the family, friends and classmates that came to join you and show their support.  A few self defense techniques followed by each person performing a break and then kata. Promotion ceremony and awards starting directly after.
  • Post-Promotion Ceremony: Adult beverages (no junior drinking), spam sandwiches and barbecue.

Sunday

  • 8:30 am – Workout conducted by our out-of-town senseis.
  • 10:00 am – Breakfast.
  • 11 am -12 pm – Load out. Help pack up the camp and head back to Dallas
  • 2 pm – Load in to the dojo
Helping Out

Keep an eye out for sign up sheets and emails where you can volunteer to help escort, carpool and/or house some of our out-of-town guests who will be visiting for this event. In addition, if you would like to help plan/organize in any capacity for the weekend, please get in touch with us at info@DallasKenpo.com

What to Bring

You are packing for Friday Night, all day Saturday and Sunday morning. This is a list of items that will help to make your weekend run smoothly.

Packing List for Warrior Weekend

Packing List

  • Test reports. These are due 2 weeks BEFORE Warrior Weekend. If testing for Yellow Belt then just the KENPO report. Everyone else testing - Curriculum book report. Shodan Candidates: Bring Book Report AND Founders Report (if you forgot this, Friday night is going to be a LONG night!)
  • Typed test material. One for you and one for Professor, Shihan and the testing board.
  • Full Gi with appropriate patches, Belt, sneakers, etc. You will be getting very wet, so bring some old ratty sneakers for Battle Beach. The open toe and flip flop idea has been tried and discarded since rocks and things get sucked under your feet.
  • We recommend a second Gi for when the first one is wet and stinky... or a hanger to let the first one dry out!
  • A small backpack is a good idea since we will go offsite at times. Things to put in it include: water, sunscreen, bug spray, towel, snacks, old sneakers, etc.
  • Towels, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, changes of clothes, etc.
  • Phone, charger, camera, etc.
  • Don't forget your belt...Replacements are $25 for white to green, $40 for brown, and for Black... you don't want to know.
  • Drinks: water: the dojo will provide some water but you may want to bring some of your own as well (Sports drinks, etc.) Remember, it can still be very hot in early October.
  • Did I mention snacks?
  • Flashlights
  • Ear plugs! No, not for shooting, for sleeeeping!
  • Bug spray, citronella candles.
  • Don't just throw everything in the car, prepare for this like any trip and pack it in a suitcase, bag or trash bag (be careful, these have been thrown away by mistake). Inside, consider bringing...
  • Toiletries: (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, brush, shower flip flops, towels, shampoo, soap, one roll of toilet paper), Allergy medicine (if needed), Medicine (if needed), T-shirts - minimum 2, Undergarments, Socks, whatever casual clothes you would like to change into during weekend
  • Breakfast for Saturday morning.
  • Air mattress, pillow and linens and/or sleeping bag.
  • Weapons for Kata portion of test (Bo, Kama, Sword, Sai, etc.)
  • Boards or concrete pavers for your breaking demonstration
  • For those 21 years and older: feel free to bring beer, wine, sake, etc. for after our test.

Purposes of Testing

Mudansha/Colored Ranks

If you have recently started training with Chamberlain Studios or have a couple of ranks under your belt (so to speak), then you will be interested to know how you progress in your Kenpo rank and work towards your Black Belt.  As a rough outline, CSSD runs belt tests every 4 months – February, June & October (with October being Warrior Weekend and Black Belt testing).  All 3 of these annual tests are an opportunity to gain rank in Gasan Ryu Kenpo.  Think of this more in line with a college degree.  Instead of being “invited” to each individual test, you are instead EXPECTED to prepare and be ready to test every 4 months.  Once you get to Brown Belt, you will need to skip one of these tests in order to have enough “time in grade” for your Black Belt.  Try to make the February or June test your “skip” test, NOT Warrior Weekend.

Yudansha & Yudansha Candidates

In response to your questions, Professor Chamberlain has posted the information below in regards to those individuals planning to test for any of the Yudansha (black belt) ranks.  This serves as a reminder of the requirements Professor Chamberlain laid out for the potential candidates, so hopefully there will be no last minute surprises regarding either who is eligible to test, or what is expected.  If you are having trouble with any of the guidelines below, please discuss these with Professor Chamberlain NOW!!  Don’t wait and just show up to Warrior Weekend assuming the guidelines don’t apply to you.

Message from Professor Chamberlain

*Testing for ranks within black belt requires you to have fulfilled the basic “time in grade” requirement, along with knowledge of the techniques in our curriculum for White Belt through your current rank.  Beyond that, if you are testing for Nidan or higher, you need to be teaching on a regular basis, and your personal development training in the dojo should be on an average of at least 1½ times per week.

In addition, it cannot be overstated how important it is for the higher ranking black-belts especially, to be actively involved in the dojo.  One of the things that sets our school apart from others, is our close-knit, family atmosphere.  These values are things that trickle down from the top ranks and get passed along as new students join the fold.  All black belts who desire to continue moving up in the ranks of Gasan Ryu Kenpo need to be helping out at dojo events such as the Tournament, belt tests (kids & adults), school carnivals, seminars, women’s self defense workshops, etc.  There are many, many things during the year in which we need people to help out.   Our goal as a dojo is to continue to grow and impact our community in a positive way.  With help, we will be able to do more community outreach, get our name out there more, teach at more schools, and ideally, open additional dojo locations!!  High ranking black belts need to be invested in the success of our school.  Please bear this in mind as you prepare for your upcoming belt test.

Here are two quick stories that have helped shape my understanding and help put this in perspective.

1.   My good friend Tony, whom I have known since high school, retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel after a brilliant career as a pilot and flight instructor.  He had more ribbons on his chest than most high ranking Generals.  I asked him why he held his current rank and he said that to remain doing what he loved (which was flying every minute he could) he had turned down promotion opportunities on a regular basis.  For him, promotion meant that he would be at the Pentagon or commander of a base and he would then be behind a desk instead of in a cockpit.  He made a choice, more flying or more rank and responsibility.  Now retired, he flies private jets for a living – “Blue Skies!”

How does this relate to our ranks?  If you want to devote yourself to just working out and training and remain out of the areas of responsibility that go into the success of the dojo, you will be limiting your advancement to the higher ranks in Gasan Ryu Kenpo.

2.  Some friends took my wife and me to their church for service on a Sunday morning a few years ago.  When the priest got up for the sermon it was his first opportunity to speak with the congregation as he had just joined the church as their new leader.  He spoke simply and honestly about his plans for the future and one thing in particular has stuck with me ever since.  He stated that he intended to measure his success not by how much money he was able to collect in the offering, but in the sense of community and family he was able to create within the congregation.

How does this relate to our ranks?  A sense of family and community is developed from the top down and takes involvement and commitment from the higher ranks and instructors as well as the new students.  It is maintained by seeing each other at dojo activities and renewing friendships during events, by sharing responsibilities and by supporting each other in our lives and goals as martial artists.

Thanks, and Happy Training!