Best Men Seminar

June 3^rd, 2005

Grand Avenue Middle School

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Master Yamashita conducted the annual year end Martial Arts seminar for the Best Men organization on Friday, June 3^rd, 2005 at Grand Avenue Middle School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Best Men is a youth development program with a character-building curriculum for adolescent boys that challenges them to abstain from socially unacceptable violent behavior, sexually activity, drug abuse and alcohol usage.  Curriculum topics include respect, decision making, drug abuse, AIDS and STD’s, and physical fitness and nutrition.  There is also a fitness component to the program in which Yamashita Shorin-Ryu karate is taught.

Master Yamashita began the seminar with fundamentals.  He said you need strong basic skills if you are ever to grow because without a strong foundation, you have nothing to build on.  Then he went over kicks, blocks, and the importance of stances.  Master Yamashita then proceeded to run the boys thru Kihon 4 and broke it down for them.  He was very impressed with the focus, effort, and respect the boys put forth.

Grand Avenue Middle School had 2 boys showcased at the seminar.  Darren Fuller, an orange belt, preformed Pinian Nidan and Larry Cowser, a green belt, performed Naihanshi Shodan.  These 2 students are some of Sensei Kopish’s top martial artists in the Best Men program of 500+ boys.

Master Yamashita’s main message for the boys was one of spirit, heart, and perseverance.  This is what it takes to be a leader.  Anyone can learn a physical technique, but one needs more than a strong physical technique to be a good martial artist and a good leader.  He was delighted to see the enthusiasm of all the boys which ranged in rank from white to green belt.  For the 80 boys who attended the seminar, meeting Master Yamashita was the highlight of their year in Best Men.  All of the boys received Master Yamashita’s autograph on their belt, something they will cherish for a lifetime.

Yamashita International Budo Association (YIBA) has been connected to the Best Men program since its inception.  YIBA’s director, Sensei Phil Sauer, has a strong commitment to Best Men.  He became connected with Best Men in 2000 through his student, Jeff Fries, a colleague of Best Men director Sheryl Gotts.  He then designed the martial arts curriculum to coincide with the Best Men curriculum.  Because of Master Yamashita’s love for the spiritual commitment and physical growth of children, he has made a commitment to support the program.  In 2003, Sensei Sauer passed the torch to one of his top black belt students, Aaron Kopish, in order to pursue other commitments in YIBA and to develop other programming.

Sensei Kopish graduated with his Masters in Athletic Counseling from Springfield College in Springfield, Maryland in 2002.  He then returned to Milwaukee to assist Sensei Sauer with the martial arts program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  Sensei Kopish has been training in the martial arts for 13 years and currently holds the rank of 2^nd Dan.  Under Sensei Kopish’s guidance, Best Men has produced exceptional leaders not only in the martial arts program, but overall. 

The martial arts component of the program has seen exceptional growth in the past two years because of the commitment and consistent instruction of Sensei Kopish.  Since the inception of Best Men in Milwaukee, the martial arts classes have been the strongest component of the program.  Even Best Men’s director, Kyle Witty has himself become an enthusiastic student of karate.  He currently holds the rank of purple belt.

Undoubtedly the strongest program exists at the host school, Grand Avenue Middle School.  The success would not be possible without the support of their coordinator, Mark Schimanz.  Mr. Schimanz is an exemplary example to students and colleagues as to what it takes to be successful in the Best Men program.  Sensei Kopish not only considers Mark a leader and colleague, but a friend.  He would not have been able to achieve such great success in the martial arts students if not for the support and assistance of Mr. Schimanz.

This year’s martial arts seminar was the most successful one in the history of Best Men.  80 boys representing 8 schools throughout Milwaukee were invited to the seminar.  The schools and their program coordinators are:

        Grand Avenue-    Mark Schimenz

Bell-                  Mike Kopeski

        Audubon-           Jim Hron

        Walker-             Jerome Smith

        Kagel-               Rick Peranovic

35^th Street-        Rodney Jackson

Clarke Street-     Mr. McGee

        Edison-              Antonio Robinson

The seminar, which was emceed by Sensei Sauer, was a huge success.  Master Yamashita, Sensei Sauer, and Sensei Kopish look forward to working with Best Men again next year and to continuing to work with kids who show exceptional interest in having a chance to train in karate.

Sensei Sauer has offered scholarships to some of the boys in Best Men to train with his students this summer at Ki Mind and Body in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.  A great experience for any boy who chooses to put forth the effort and time.