National Martial Arts Day

October 14, 2006

What a great day for the NPTA!  From start to finish, the day ran smoothly, and EVERYONE had a geat time!  The Kickathon went well, with 33 people throwing 84,006 kicks.  We are still waiting to hear the national totals, and will post whether the record was broken as soon as we find out.  Also, we are hoping to receive another award for the most kicks in our club size.  Great job, NPTA!  Totals are also pending on the dollar amount raised for the scholarship program---again, the information will be posted just as soon as it becomes available.

Character Ed showed up early, and spent a couple of hours helping out wherever he could.  What a great example of the character traits we are trying to teach our children!  The kids all enjoyed hanging out with Character Ed, and were sad when he had to leave.

However, they became excited again very quickly, because the Springfield Police Department showed up with McGruff the Crime Dog just a couple minutes after Character Ed had to leave.  The kids were very attentive during the presentation on Stranger Danger, and enjoyed the picture opportunity with McGruff.

The Kickathon started promptly at noon, and everyone gave it their very best.  Everyone stayed upbeat, with several adults moving around the room to encourage the kids.  Almost everyone beat their totals from last year, and the kids all amazed us with how hard they worked!

The Just-4-Kicks Demo Team performed only 30 minutes after the Kickathon, and still managed to put on a great performance.  Some people even said it was the best show of the year!  Many audience members were amazed that the team could be up kicking so soon after the Kickathon.  Great job to the Just-4-Kicks Team!

The silent auction turned into a very popular, fun, and extremely competitive event, with the bidding continuing long after the scheduled finish time.  Look for it to be back next year, with some fun twists!

The Springfield Fire Department brought Engine No. 7 over to the Training Center in the afternoon, and let the kids climb all over it!  The firefighters were very patient, and answered all the questions.  They even got out the equipment, and showed us how the "Jaws of Life" worked.  No cars were damaged, but anything could happen next year!  Mr. Estes tried, but failed, to get the firefighters to turn on the deck cannon. 

The evening classes gave several people the opportunity to try some basic staff techniques, and also gave the ladies a chance to get some self-defense information.  The day finished up with bid-winners receiving their items, and plenty of good-natured kidding all around. 

The NPTA would like to thank the City of Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the Springfield Police Department, and the Springfield Fire Department for their participation in making National Martial Arts Day 2006 an overwhelming success for the NPTA.  Also, thank you to the students and families of the NPTA for your support!

Keep watching this site for information on National Martial Arts Day 2007!