classes at Polander Academy are a very different experience from the Kyu rank classes.
At this level the students have as much a mental challenge as a physical challenge training RyuTe, the family art of Taika Oyata. This is where all the pieces begin to come together and you move beyond learning motions of a Kata to learning the meaning behind the motions to find true technique for self-defense.
Many new Black Belts come to class for the first time and feel that they are beginners all over again but in a good way. The class has great camaraderie and many of the students have been studying Taika’s art under Kyoshi Polander and studying together for 10, 15…20 years. As you progress in the Black Belt class you start to see that throughout the Kyu ranks your study was like learning the alphabet and beginning to form words; at the Black Belt level you begin speaking in sentences and the motions flow together with grace and fluidity.
Kyoshi Polander’s emphasis on speed and power pushes us to stretch our abilities. The level of detail and personal attention received in Black Belt classes is not always available in introductory and intermediate classes. There is a greater emphasis on individual development and self-directed learning.
Black belts (and first and second Kyu brown belt) also train with weapons which reinforces our open hand kata, technique, and strategies. Kyoshi’s approach also ensures that we are exposed to different weapons and understand how they relate to one another and to the broader practice of RyuTe Kempo Karate.
Come join us and study as part of a very special group of people.
