Aqabah Karate Newsletter

Your Source for Aqabah Karate News, Health, and Fitness

ISSUE 04 - January to March 2011

Photo courtesy of Anaara Media, LLC.

This Issue

What’s new with Aqabah P.1

Dan, Women’s Corner P.2

Fitness, Director’s Desk P.3

Delicious Health Recipes P. 4

Self Defense/Awards Pics P. 5

Upcoming Events P.6

First Annual Aqabah Karate Awards

Dinner Highlights Aqabah Karate's 1st Annual Awards Dinner was a complete success. Hundreds of friends and family members of all ages came out to support the students and their achievements. This was the first time Aqabah Karate hosted an event of this nature since the start of the full-time martial arts program in 2007-2008. The night began with Sah Bum Nim Muhib welcoming the crowd and thanking all the volunteers in-volved in putting the event together. Then Kyo Sah Nim Hernan took the microphone to express his gratitude, as well, and gave a breakdown of the night's agenda. There was a slide show presentation showcasing a number of pictures of Aqabah Karate classes and stu-dents from 1999 all the way to 2010. Everyone was full of joy as they watched and reminisced on the past and the people who were part of the earlier years. The slide show also consisted of photos of Aqabah Karate's tournament participation, classes, seminars, and self-defense techniques. The night continued with dinner as everyone enjoyed the various dishes and desserts that were contrib-uted by friends and families. The table spread was like an international buffet full of ethnic dishes from chicken biryani to Spanish empanadas, and from shrimp lo mein to pizza for the children. The desserts were even more mouthwatering with a delicious array of brownies, cookies, fruit salad, coconut treats, and all types of pastries. However, the most decorative desserts of all were the two Aqabah Karate in-spired cakes provided by Dreams in Sugar. The two were dressed up in their very own candy-coated ka-rate uniforms with logo patches and black belts. It was a tasty treat for the guests and Aqabah Karate students. Shortly after dinner, the awards ceremony started with Sah Bum Nim Muhib prepping the crowd to cheer on all the recipients by drumming on the tables and making noise as they were called up to receive their awards. He informed them that this is a great way to show them love and encouragement in lieu of clap-ping or whistling. The first set of certificates that were presented was for Student of the Month; in recog-nition of the student who has gone beyond the expectations of his instructor and demonstrated signifi-cant progress and skills throughout the month. (Continued on page 4…)

Award Recipients:

Rookie of the Year

Ayesha Mustafa

Samir Kabir

Most Improved Student

Ayisha Korme

Arbaz Khatib

Student of the Year

Haajar Eberle

Zakaria Korme

Family of the Year

The Korme Family

Congratulations to all the

recipients and their families.

Keep up the good work!

When you, as an individual, make the decision to become a student of Mar-

tial Arts, you must make a commitment to yourself on three levels; a spiri-

tual level, a mental level, and a physical level. No single aspect is more im-

portant than the other. You make the choice to strive to develop yourself in

a positive manner avoiding anything that may restrict your spiritual, mental

and physical advancement.

Attaining the rank of Cho Dan in Tang Soo Do means one exemplifies the

philosophy of Aqabah Karate. A Dan member is loyal, obedient, loving, re-

spectful, faithful, just, disciplined, intelligent and fearless in the face of all

that he or she is confronted with. A Dan member teaches without knowing,

emulates without copying, and continues to be taught by teaching.

The Responsibilities of a Dan member run parallel to the responsibilities of

a parent. In many cases the Dan member is the owner, the keeper, the one

who serves as head of the household, the one whose teachings or doctrines

are accepted by followers. What a Dan does inside and outside of the Do-

jang, in many ways becomes the recognized standard for a community of

individuals. A Dan member has the responsibility of unearthing and devel-

oping strong minds, strong bodies, and immovable spirits. A Dan member

can take none of this lightly because a Dan member is in many ways a re-

flection of mastery.

The term mastery is defined in many ways. One who displays mastery is the

architect of impressive and correct skill, whose work serves as a model or

ideal. One who exhibits mastery has the ability to carry on an art independ-

ently and teach others. To reflect mastery is to think independently and not

robotically.

A Dan member does not confuse independent thought with defiance. Dan

members honor traditions but are not afraid to explore and expand the pos-

sibilities that lie within the same traditions they are tasked with upholding.

A Dan member is not driven by emotions or desires and do not find mas-

tery in what they wear around their waist. A Dan member is humble, gener-

ous, just, and ferocious when he or she needs to be. A Dan member learns a

lesson from every action and reaction, and never forgets his or her strength

truly comes from The All-Knowing, The All Powerful: The Creator.

Still want to be a Dan?

Jamal Pender is the Master Instructor of Aqabah Karate.

WOMEN’S CORNER

What is Martial Arts?

The women of Aqabah Karate define the term in their own words:

Martial Arts is something I cannot think my life without now that I have started training. It is a soothing way of relieving stress after a whole day's work and differ-ent activities. It means to practice practice practice. -Ayesha Akhtar Martial Arts is a healthy way to let ones anger out. -Areege Jendi Martial Arts is awesome! You learn to push your own boundaries and limits, to exceed our own expectations, to demand more of our bodies, minds, and our hearts. If you truly have your heart in it, the experience is at once gut-wrenching, draining, and exhilarating. -Ayesha Mustafa Martial Arts is amazing; you can develop coordination, balance, strength, and flexi-bility! -Nadia Ali Martial Arts is what teaches one to gain control rather than lose control on his/her opponent. -Anam Khatib Martial Arts is awesome, amazing, fun, action-packed, and makes you feel like you can do anything no matter how long it takes. It's something that helps you build self confidence, determination, strength, flexibility, stamina, focus, concentration, and courage, -Aisha Ali Martial Arts is an art you can do and brag to your friends about. -Sarah Ali

Martial Arts is what we do! -AK

Being a Black Belt is Not a Piece of Cake The Responsibility of a Dan Member, By Jamal Pender

Awards ceremony cake made by Dreams in Sugar.

Exercise of the Month: Superman Banana FROM THE

DIRECTOR’S

DESK

A message from

Muhib Rahman

Assalamu Alaikum! Peace be with you!

Recently I saw a video online that compelled me to set aside my initial topic for this newsletter. A social psychologist setup a mock child-abduction scenario in a busy intersection of New York. It was staged over and over for more than an HOUR! Yet, not one single person came to aid or even make a phone call to the police.

What would you have done? Would you have called the police? Would you have stepped up to help the child knowing that you yourself could be at risk? I am sure most of you would say some-thing like, “I can’t believe no one helped, I would have helped out for sure.” Not so fast, read on.

The psychologist goes on to explain the “bystander effect”. This is a phenomenon that refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present. Sound familiar? Masjid work, charity, trash on the road...it’s always some-one else's problem.

Dear readers, we can't be bystanders. Actually it would be sinful of us to be bystanders. Our way of life, as Muslims, demands that we step up for what is right. If we really believe that Allah selected us to lead by example then we have the responsibility to defend that honor with courage in all situa-tions.

In no way am I advocating that we do foolish things in dangerous situations. But it does take courage to take the right action. Courageous action comes from confidence. Confidence comes from security and security comes from prepara-tion. Allah IS the best of protectors, no doubt. But we also know that this belief has to be fol-lowed by courageous action. Now back to the questions above. If answered honestly then most of us would realize that we need to do something. Let me suggest that you take up Martial arts training. It is one of the best (if not the best) ways to discover and prepare yourself. But you must make sure that the train-ing is being done in a way that is pleasing to Allah e.g. no bowing, because bowing to humans is an act of shirk.

At Aqabah Karate we aim to instill the quality of courage across students of all age groups. So when the situation arises where courage is re-quired, then Insha-Allah, none of us will be by-standers.

More about this topic can be found on page 5 under The Unanswered Call.

Muhib Rahman, Program Director Aqabah Karate, 301-551-5119 www.aqabahkarate.com

Don’t let the name fool you! Although Superman Banana is as fun as the name suggests, it is also an intense exercise which requires flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. To maximize your performance, you will need a soft surface to work on, preferably two yoga mats or a carpeted floor.

Target Area: Core muscles

Difficulty Level: Moderate to Advanced

Repetitions: 2 sets of 10= 20

Instructions:

Step 1

Lay on the floor belly down and raise both arms, shoulders, and legs keeping them off the ground. Ideally, the lower abdominal area surrounding the navel should be the only body part touching the floor. Your position should resemble “Superman” flying in the air. Hold for two breaths or three counts. These should be slow and steady.

Step 2

Turn over only using your stomach and back muscles to turn yourself on your back. DO NOT use your arms or legs. Lift your arms , shoulders, and legs up in the air keeping them parallel so that your body is shaped like a banana. Ideally, only your lower back should be touching the ground. Hold for two breaths or three counts.

Step 3

Turn over only using your stomach and back muscles to turn yourself on your stomach. Repeat Step 1.

Useful Tips:

Take your time. Breathe!

Engage all your core muscles to optimize your workout.

Wait between 15 to 30 seconds between each set.

Have your family or friends join you in the fun!

Need a way to get energy? How about

a little bit of “Renergy”?

The famous Gracie family, founders of

Gracie Jiu Jitsu have inspired many

through their impressive fighting skills.

They attribute some of their success to

their traditional Gracie Diet. This sand-

wich, named after Rener Gracie, is one

of the recipes you will find in their

book.

The Renergy Sandwich

Ingredients:

1/2 ripe avocado

2 slices of whole grain wheat bread

1 scoop of almond butter

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 bunch of spinach

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Wash spinach well and sauté in the

olive oil. Toast bread and spread al-

mond butter on one piece. Peel avo-

cado and spread it on top of the al-

mond butter. Place sautéed spinach on

top of the avocado and cap sandwich

with the other slice of toast.

Serves: 1

Modify as needed to fit your taste.

Enjoy!

A HEALTHY CHOICE

Delicious recipes with healthy benefits

(Continued from page 1…)

Sah Bum Nim Muhib then proceeded by promoting two exceptional students to the

rank of Midnight Blue Belt or Black Belt Candidate. Mumin Odeh and Tahmid Hossain

were surprised at this special promotion in front of a crowd of over one hundred peo-

ple. They joined the ranks of Talha Muhib, Muhammad Zakaria, and Adnan Zaber to

complete the "Furious Five."

The program continued to the main awards of the night, starting with Rookie of the

Year followed by Most Improved Student, Student of the Year, and finally, Family of the

Year. This was the portion that everyone was waiting for. Sah Bum Nim Muhib handed

out every award and mentioned a few words on each recipient’s qualities, characteris-

tics, and accomplishments for the year.

There was one student who stood out above the rest of the award recipients. Haajar

Eberle was recognized as the Student of the Year. Aside from being an active student,

Haajar has assumed responsibilities that no other student her rank has tackled and that

comes much later on in training. Due to the high demand for female classes, Haajar has

taken it upon herself to instruct the women’s weekday and weekend classes. As a re-

sult, women can now train 4 to 5 times a week. This has allowed Aqabah Karate's

Women-Only program to flourish.

The final award that was given out was the Family of the Year Award. So many families

have contributed their time and support to the growth of the program, but none like

the Korme Family. Three of the four children (Zakaria, Ayisha, and Adam Korme) are

students in the program with the fourth (Maryam Korme) coming on board soon. They

have been keen supporters of the program since Zakaria started his training at the age

of 5. Now, 13 years later and with two Black Belt candidates in their midst, they con-

tinue to invest their time and give their children the encouragement they need to suc-

ceed.

The night came to close, but not before one more award was presented. Kyo Sah Nim

Hernan grabbed the microphone to announce the most memorable and most deserved

recognition of the ceremony: a tribute to Sah Bum Nim Muhib Rahman for his years of

dedication to Aqabah Karate.

Kyo Sah Nim Hernan read the inscription on the plaque to the crowd, acknowledging

the years of distinguished service that Sah Bum Nim Muhib has invested into the estab-

lishment of the program. However, unselfishly, Sah Bum Nim Muhib could not take all

the credit. He took the opportunity to present an unfamiliar face to most of the atten-

dees and a key supporter and contributor to Aqabah Karate. Sah Bum Nim Muhib intro-

duced Sah Bum Nim Jamal Pender to the audience and wished that this recognition be

shared with him as he was one of the early people involved in establishing Aqabah Ka-

rate years back.

All three head instructors stood in front of the crowd as pictures were taken and the

room exploded with the rumble of tables and chairs from the joyous multitude to cul-

minate the night.

Kyo Sah Nim Hernan thanked everyone for attending and contributing. "The event

would not have been a success without each and every one of you", he commented.

With the success of this occasion, Aqabah Karate looks forward to hosting more social

events where family and friends can come together and enjoy time off the mat.

The Unanswered Call: The importance of self defense, by Hernán Guadalupe

Based on “Stranger Dangers” a report by NBC Today Show

The other day I watched a very shocking and disturbing video of an investigative report on the

reaction of people if they witnessed a child being attacked and harassed by a stranger.

Before I saw it, my initial reaction was that people would automatically inquire or call the au-

thorities, but much to my surprise that was not the case. The investigative team did a study to

answer the question, “If you saw a child being kidnapped, would you help?” You would not

believe how people reacted. A young actress was asked to pretend that she was being kid-

napped while the undercover security guard, who was part of the investigative reporting crew,

snatched and pulled her across the street yelling to her to keep quiet and go with him. The girl

frantically yelled and pleaded for help, but no one answered her call.

People simply walked by as if nothing was happening. Some would look at the situation, but do nothing, not even phone for help. When asked

why they didn’t intervene they said that they assumed that someone else would.

This is a frightening situation we are living in if this is the case. Can you imagine your child or teenager walking the street alone, coming home

from school, and some stranger tries to harass or kidnap them? Imagine your child crying and screaming for help, but no one answers? As a

parent, this is an alarming and serious situation. It makes me want to shelter my child from the illnesses of the world so much more. Although

this is the ideal situation, we all know that it is not reality and one day they will have to walk alone, but as parents we can give them the tools

they need to make sure they overcome any situation (Allah willing).

This leads to my main point which is the importance of teaching your children self defense. I don’t mean teaching them how to do front flips

and leaping from building to building pumping side kicks, after all that only works in Hollywood. What I mean is teaching your children simple

and effective techniques that can make the difference between life and possibly death (May Allah protect us).

The unfortunate reality is that we live in a crazy world and we have to take the necessary steps to be prepared for matters like this one. Encour-

aging our children to partake in self defense classes or martial arts classes will not only give your children the confidence they need, but also

useful techniques to defend themselves from predators.

Based on this report, we can’t expect anyone to lend a helping hand and therefore we should make it a priority to equip ourselves and our chil-

dren to face the challenges of the real world. Don’t think that because a man is a man that a child cannot defend themselves against them. Size,

age, and strength are factors, but so are leverage, timing, and technique. These are key tools that can give anyone the advantage to come out

ahead in any given situation. So go ahead, give yourself and your child the tools they need to succeed.

Hernán Guadalupe is one of the head instructors of Aqabah Karate.

Aqabah Karate Awards Dinner in Pictures

Aqabah Karate friends and family enjoy an exquisite

international buffet and good company at the First

Annual Awards Dinner.

Student of the Month

The staff and students of Aqabah Karate would like to recognize the following individuals:

November 2010

Ayisha Korme

March 2011

Nadia Ali Tasneem Mansour

Stay tuned for our next Student of the Month by checking our website:

www.aqabahkarate.com

Don’t forget to visit us on YouTube, FaceBook, and Blog!

Aqabah Karate Newsletter

ISSUE 04 Jan.-March 2011

Upcoming Events

AQABAH KARATE

5301 Edgewood Road

College Park, MD 20740

301.551.5119 ph

info@aqabahkarate.com

www.aqabahkarate.com

Words of Wisdom

"There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and

free time for doing good." - Prophet Muhammad, pbuh. (Bukhari)

April 18 - Spring Gup Testing Week

May 22 - Aqabah Karate 1st Black Belt Classing

May 29 - Islamic Games – Martial Arts Tournament, NJ

June 11 - Movie Night: Kung Fu Panda 2

June 24 - USGTSD National Championships, Virgina Beach, VA

*Check our website, fan page, or blog for updates on upcoming events.

Editor-in-Chief: Wendy Diaz

Layout and Design: Wendy Diaz

Contributing Writers:

Hernan Guadalupe

Jamal Pender

Muhib Rahman