My wifes car is in the shop, so she has mine.  Parks&Rec students, I am at the rec building, just no Jeep today.

Attention Parks & Rec Students

Due to the weather, all classes for today, February 6th, 2025, are canceled. My apologies for any inconvenience, but as you may have guessed, I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Stay safe and warm! Kids, if your parents need help shoveling, be sure to listen and do your best to help them out.

Thank you!

YMCA Students, Please Take Notice:

It’s that time of year again—the Renaissance Faire season is kicking off! Unfortunately, this means a few class cancellations here and there. This weekend, we’ll be heading to the Vermont Winter Renaissance Faire, which is about 2.5 hours away. To avoid an early morning drive, we’ll be traveling up the day before.

As a result, all classes on Friday, January 31, 2025, are canceled.

Don’t worry, though! These classes can be made up during any class throughout the week at either the YMCA or Parks & Rec locations. If you’re unable to attend another day during the week, you’re welcome to make up the missed class during the Interim Week on that Friday.

If anyone is up for a little adventure, we’d love to see you at the Vermont Winter Renaissance Faire this weekend!  Click Here for more information.

Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
Master Andy

Below are the rules, tentative schedule, and sign up sheets for the Tiger An’s Tournament at the end of March 2025.

Tiger An’s Invitational 2025 Poster
**Sign up sheet** early registration ends March 15.
Poomsae rules
Breaking rules
Weapon rules

Tournament Announcement

We’ve been invited to participate in the Tiger An’s Invitational Tournament! This is an exciting opportunity to compete in Poomsae, Breaking, and Weapon Forms. For students new to competing, Breaking is a fantastic way to ease into the experience.

Referee/Judge Opportunity: Tiger An’s school is also seeking referees and judges. If you are a black belt aged 18 or older and interested, this is a great chance to get involved. You may need to attend a Referee Seminar at Tiger An’s school in Lowell to familiarize yourself with the tournament rules and procedures.

More details will be shared soon, but for now, ask yourself:

• Do you want to compete?
• Are you ready to prepare?

If you’re interested in competing, let’s start training now. Black belts interested in refereeing, please let me know as soon as possible.

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New Shirts

The design process for new school shirts is underway! Here’s what to expect:

• General Shirts: Black t-shirts with yellow ink, paying tribute to my old Kenpo teacher’s school.
• Weapons Class Shirts: Black t-shirts with red ink.

I’ll share the finalized designs once they’re ready.

Question: Would anyone be interested in hoodies? Let me know in class if you’d like to see those added to our apparel options.

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YMCA & Parks and Rec Classes

Classes at both the YMCA and Parks & Rec are in full swing! A few reminders:

• Have you paid your (or your child’s) tuition? If not, please take care of it as soon as possible.
• Some of you still owe for December testing. Please submit payment by the end of the month if possible.

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Thank you, everyone, for your continued dedication. Let’s make January a great month!

Tomorrow is the Big Day!… or today, depends on when you are reading this lol!
Our annual Tea Ceremony is here, honoring the hard work and dedication of our black belts and bodans. We’ve prepared a special evening to celebrate this milestone together. Please take a moment to review the details below to ensure a smooth and meaningful event.

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Event Details

• Date: January 4th, 2025
• Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
  • Please aim to arrive by 5:30 PM so we can start promptly at 6:15 PM.
  • If you’ve informed me that you’ll arrive late, thank you for the heads-up—life happens, and I truly appreciate it!
• Location: Goffstown Parks & Rec Center:  155 S Mast St, Goffstown, NH 03045

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Attire Guidelines

• Uniforms:
  • Please wear a clean and pressed uniform.
  • While the preferred attire is the black belt uniform, due to the end-of-year rush, any official Bulajo TKD uniform will be acceptable (matching pants and shirt required).
• For Black Belts and Bodans not in uniform:
  • We warmly welcome you and are thrilled that you’re able to join us.
  • You will still receive tea to drink and will take part in that portion of the ceremony.
  • While you won’t participate in the “Big Bow” or other formal parts of the ceremony, we kindly ask that you wear neat and semi-casual attire to honor the occasion.

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Pre-Ceremony Preparations

We’ll go over the “Big Bow” and the evening’s schedule before the ceremony begins.

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Potluck Contributions

A big thank you to everyone who has signed up to contribute! Below is the updated list. We could still use paper plates, bowls, utensils, and additional main dishes, sides, and drinks to round out the spread.

Appetizers:

• Veggie platter – Bill
• Fruit – Roland
• Chips and dip – Jim
• 7-layer dip with chips – The Hoell Family
• Chips with homemade salsa and/or artichoke dip – Tracy
• Fruit with dip – Tracy

Sides:

• Mac & Cheese (could be a main dish too lol) – Plummer Family
• Additional sides like salads are still needed!

Main Dishes:

• Stuffed Shells – Beaudoin Family
• Pizza – Lee Family
• Korean Popcorn Chicken – Drury Family
• Additional main dishes are still needed!

Desserts:

• Chocolate chip cookies – Beaudoin Family
• Brownies/desserts – Morrison Family
• Whoopie Pies – Roland
• Cookies (and possibly a non-alcoholic drink) – John Fladd

Drinks:

• Pack of water – Beaudoin Family
• Coca-Cola – Jim
• Additional non-alcoholic drinks are still needed!

Miscellaneous:

• Utensils/plates/napkins – Bill
• Additional paper plates, bowls, and utensils are always appreciated!

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Tea Note

This is a special tea that I have been tweaking a little every year, featuring a blend of carefully selected ingredients. Please note:

• One ingredient contains nuts and seeds.
• A second tea option will be available—plain green tea with nothing added—for those with food allergies or sensitivities.
• Water will also be available as an alternative for anyone who prefers it.

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Thank you for your enthusiasm and contributions. Let’s make this year’s Tea Ceremony a truly special celebration of our shared journey!

WOW! What an incredible year it has been—and it’s hard to believe it’s nearly over! I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your hard work, dedication, and effort in class this year. You’ve truly made 2024 a fantastic journey, filled with growth and determination.

I’m excited for what lies ahead in 2025! Together, I know we can achieve our martial arts goals if we keep moving forward and maintain the same spirit we showed this year.

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End-of-Year Reminders

• Testing Fees and Tuition:
  If you haven’t already paid your testing fee or Parks & Rec tuition, please send payment via PayPal or Venmo to BulsajoTKD@gmail.com.
• Black Belt Tea Ceremony:
  Date: January 4th
  Time: 6 PM – 8 PM
  Location: Goffstown Parks & Rec
  Please check the main website or Facebook for more details, or shoot me a message/text/email.
  Let me know if you’re attending and what you can bring for the potluck!

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Thank you all once again for making this year so special. I hope you have a wonderful New Year’s celebration, and I can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together in 2025!

Best regards,
Master Andy

Dear Students and Families,

We’re starting an exciting and busy couple of weeks as we tackle testing, strive to reach new milestones, and prepare for the holiday season. Please review the details below to stay informed about all the important events!

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Testing Weeks

Testing is here! Over the next two weeks, students will be tested during class at both locations.

Why not a Saturday test?
Due to scheduling conflicts, our usual group test time wasn’t available. This format, however, allows for a more relaxed and thorough testing experience as we approach winter break.

Reminders:

• Testing is a formal event, so students and families should approach it with respect and seriousness.
• Attire:
  • If you have a full dobok (uniform), please wear it, ensuring it’s clean and wrinkle-free.
  • If you only have dobok pants, pair them with a plain shirt.
  • Brand-new students without a dobok can wear comfortable workout clothes.
• Week 1: Basics (stances, blocks, punches/strikes, kicks, and combos).
• Week 2: Forms, self-defense, sparring, breaking, and awarding of belts.

Testing Fee:

• $20 per student for normal belt testing.
• $10 for bodan/black belt refresher testing.
• Dahn testing fees vary; please speak with Master Andy for details.

Belt Ceremony:
Belts will be awarded during the second week of testing at the end of class.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out before or after class, call/text at 603-703-1914, or email me at BulsajoTKD@gmail.com.

Good Luck to all students testing this week! We’re excited to see you all push yourselves and achieve new milestones.

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Annual Black Belt Tea Ceremony

When: January 4th, 2025, from 6 PM to 8 PM
Where: Goffstown Parks & Rec

This cherished annual event is a time to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our Dahn belts. It’s an opportunity to rekindle our passion, honor those who’ve achieved new ranks, and reconnect with fellow students and friends, including those who’ve moved away but return for this special tradition.

Exciting Update:
Bodan belts (junior black belts) are now invited to participate in the tea ceremony! You’re part of the Dahn belt family, and we’re thrilled to include you.

Details:

• Attire:
  • Bodans and Black Belts must wear a full, clean black belt or poom dobok.
  • If you cannot wear a uniform, please dress formally. Tea will still be provided, but you won’t participate in the “Big Bow” or proceed through the black belt line.
• The “Big Bow” will be taught before the end of the year or reviewed on the ceremony night.
• Families and participants are asked to contribute to the potluck. A signup list will be posted on Facebook. If you don’t use Facebook, contact me directly, and I’ll help you decide what to bring.
• Please arrive 15–30 minutes early so we can begin promptly at 6 PM.
• If we are snowed out, an alternate date or plan will be shared.

Let’s come together to celebrate the journey we’ve shared and look forward to what’s ahead.

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Black Belt & Poom Uniform Orders

Need a new uniform for the ceremony? Here are the current prices:

Kids (0000 to 2):

• Poom (black & red collar): $55
• Black belt (black collar): $55
• Diamond Club (premium black collar): $65

Adults (3 to 8):

• Poom (black & red collar): $65
• Black belt (black collar): $65
• Diamond Club (premium black collar, up to size 7): $75

Diamond Club doboks are crafted from a unique textured fabric and feature distinctive black stripes along the arms and legs, giving them a sleek and uniquely stylish appearance.

Orders must be placed soon to ensure arrival before winter break.

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Winter Break

Our winter break this year runs from December 23rd, 2024, to January 3rd, 2025.

Thank you for an incredible year! I wish you all a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year. I’m looking forward to seeing you back in January, ready to kick off another amazing year of Taekwondo!

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If you have any questions about the events or reminders in this newsletter, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Warm regards,
Master Andy

Class Schedule Reminder

• YMCA Students: We will only have classes today, Monday, November 25. Please see the image below, posted this morning on the YMCA Allard Center Facebook page, for additional details. It may also be available on their main site. If you have any questions, you can call the YMCA Welcome Center at 603.497.4663.

• Parks & Rec Students: Classes will only be held tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26. There will be no class on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 28).

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Board Breaking Opportunity!
Today and tomorrow only, you have the chance to break boards at the end of class!

• Cost: $4 per board
• Limit: Up to 4 boards per student
• Availability: Today and tomorrow only, while supplies last

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to show your skills!

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Wishing You a Wonderful Thanksgiving!
I hope you all have a happy and restful Thanksgiving surrounded by friends and family. Enjoy the holiday, and I’ll see you back in class soon!