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Next Month’s Blackbelt Retreat!

August 28, 2024 by KMMA

Blackbelts and Future Blackbelts!

     I thought you may be interested in the plan for the next Blackbelt Retreat, Test and Graduation. You can read it below.

While the Retreat is only for Blackbelts, btw, students and guests are welcome to join in for the Saturday Krav Camp and/or Sunday Graduation!

Prepare To Live; Empower To Lead!

Grand Master Stephen J. Del Castillo
Founding Master Instructor, Krav Maga Martial Arts
TampaKravMaga.com         StephenDelCastillo.com

p.s. And don’t forget next week is stripe test! Your next step towards your Blackbelt Retreat!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KdKrwtTKzxaduYmijwKbskNdA6F9EbgOufIZhv_DIIo/edit?usp=sharing

MEMORANDUM FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE KMMA BLACKBELTS

SUBJECT: Operations Order, Fall Blackbelt Retreat, 27-29 September

  1. SITUATION:
  2. Enemy Forces. We face internal enemies of fear, complacency, and weakness, as is always true, and external enemy forces too. The worst of these is Distraction.  This insidious villain has always been a problem, but has aligned with too many other enemy forces today to become the prevalent threat today. Villain Distraction, “Dis” from here out, comes in all forms, from all kinds of people, media and technologies, and strives to keep the hero away from his or her hero’s journey through the myriad weapons at his disposal.

  1. Friendly Forces. Veteran KMMA Senior and Master Instructors, medical professionals and other experts join me and Team KMMA to ensure that this Blackbelt experience will be

optimal and excellent for EVERY Blackbelt and Blackbelt candidate. We are especially excited to have as our special guest of honor this event Grandmaster Jeff Smith, who is a 10th Degree Blackbelt and World Champion, as well as Grandmaster Del Castillo’s teacher.

  1. MISSION: We will deploy to the Area of Operations (AO), via 13247 Word of Life

Dr, Hudson, FL 34669, on Friday, 27 September to conduct training operations in KMMA American Martial Arts, to include KMMA Combatives, Kickboxing & Self Protection skills, but

also Blackbelt Leadership development and a historic Blackbelt test as well. Campers will have fun, train hard, learn something new, and become someone new too! You’ll make great memories and make new friends, and you complete this important milestone in your hero’s journey. At the Blackbelt Retreat and Test, 33Blackbelts and Blackbelt candidates will test to their next milestone on their Blackbelt hero’s journey, 14 blackbelt candidates will test to Probationary Blackbelt, Step 1 (probie), and 12 Probationary Blackbelts  to 1st Degree, Certified Blackbelt, 5 Certified Blackbelts to Blackbelt Leader, 2nd Degree (to include the great Sensei James!), Sensei Charlie will be testing for hs Senior Blackbelt Leader, 3rd Degree, and Sensei Thomas will be testing to Master Blacklbelt Leader, 4th Degree! 

  1. EXECUTION:

     

  1. Intent: It is my intent that all participants have a great training experience, learn

a lot of great krav maga martial arts, make new friends and form great memories and that we do it all in a fun and safe environment with no accidents or injuries. Blackbelts will of course also take the test to move on to their next Blackbelt Leadership level! The highest standards of excellence will be trained and maintained. The theme of this year’s retreat and Krav Camp is Freedom.

  1. Tasks to Subordinate Units:

  1. Ms. Barbara and Ms. Ruthe are responsible for all logistics and coordination with WOL, T-shirts and other special-order items, belts, certificates, and awards. Sensei James, Allie & Winston for kyu rank testing and providing list of who’s promoting.
  2. Shihan Harley is the OIC of the event.
  3. Paramedic Brittany Bishop will provide medical support.
  4. Trainers for the exercise: Shihan Harley, Shihan Kyle, Shihan Carolyn, Shihan Kremner, Sensei Sarah, Sensei Winston and Sensei Allie.
  5. Dr Drew Gold is in charge of video shoot and music.
  6. Kelly Honig is designing the camp t-shirts and graduation programs!

  1. Training timeline:

Monday, 19 August Command & Staff Coordination Meeting

Monday, 9 September  Execution Phase Planning with Team

Wednesday, 18 September Final & Coord with Facility Staff

  • Friday 27 September, Team KMMA Training with Grandmaster Smith

Friday, 27 September Blackbelt Presentations 

Saturday, 28 September  Krav Camp

Sunday, 29 September Blackbelt Test & Graduation

FRIDAY

1300 Team KMMA Leader Training with GM Smith, VOQ

1800 Welcome Keynote- Grandmaster Del Castillo, at TAC

1815 Blackbelt Presentations, TAC

SATURDAY

Saturday Krav Camp: (this is the part where all levels can elect to train with us!) 

MORNING:

0900- Welcome, Mind-set, Squads & Team Building, What’s Important Next (WIN)

0945- Master Demos

1015- Warm-ups

1030- KMMA 1-3 Combatives/Combinations

1100- KMMA 4 & 5 Punch & Kick Defense

1200- Lunch

1230- KMMA 6 Foundations Self Defense

1300- KMMA 8 & 9 Bearhugs/Grabs & Holds Standing

1330- KMMA 12 Stick Defense

1430- KMMA 13 Avoiding The Cut (Knife Defense)

1530- KMMA 14 Line of Fire (Gun Defense)

1600- Sparring Clinic with 7 Time World Champion Grandmaster Jeff Smith 

EVENING:

1700- Dinner

1800- Study Hall 

2000- Warrior Walk

2100- Campfire

2200- Lights Out

SUNDAY

0900- Blackbelt Test

1300- Blackbelt Extravaganza & Student Graduation

  1. Coordinating Instructions:

  1. All Blackbelts intending to test need to be registered for the Blackbelt Retreat.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR BLACKBELT RETREAT or see Ms. Barbara or Ms. Ruthe before/after class.

  

  1. All ranks may register for the Saturday training. All ranks that will be attending Krav Camp on 28 September need to be registered. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR KRAV CAMP.

         

  1. SUPPORT:

    

  1. WHAT TO BRING:

  1. ALL: Equipment bag (boxing gloves, focus mitts, groin cup, mouthpiece and shin guards) bug juice. If you have your own training knife and/or gun, please bring it with you.

  1. IF STAYING FOR BLACKBELT RETREAT: Bunks, chow and training pads and some training weapons will be provided. Bring a sleeping bag and/or blankets and pillow,

underwear, towels and toiletries and multiple training shirts and socks, a camp chair for sitting around the fire. Closed toe shoes for all training and the walk. You may also want to pack some additional snacks.

  1. UNIFORM – Class A (full gi) for Friday night for those testing for blackbelt, Class C (KMMA t-shirt with pants or MMA/board shorts and belt) for training and testing.

  1. CHOW will be provided by Word of Life award-winning dining facility!

  1. COMMAND AND SIGNAL:

  1. GM Del Castillo will be the commanding officer for the operation.

     

  1. Signal: POC this order is GM Del Castillo at sh*********@ta***********.com .

STEPHEN J. DEL CASTILLO

Founding Instructor, KMMA and Krav Camp!

sh*********@ta***********.com 

About Grandmaster Stephen J. Del Castillo: Grandmaster Del Castillo is the founding Master Instructor of Krav Maga Martial Arts and has been empowering lives in Pasco and Hillsborough Counties since October of 2000. He is a 7th degree Blackbelt, MBA, author, mentor and success coach, a US Army Veteran and a proud father and grandfather. He is married to Ms. Barbara Del Castillo who helps him run the school. Grand Master Del Castillo began his training in the early 80’s and has high level blackbelts in Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Premier Martial Arts and Krav Maga Martial Arts as well as experience in kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do and Jiujitsu. He has high level instructor certifications from BBSI, IKMF, and KMG and has been featured in numerous Martial Arts publications and also Success magazine. He was a competitive sport karate and American Kickboxing instructor until he enlisted in the US Army where he served in the 82nd Airborne Division, where he won an Army Green to Gold scholarship and proceeded to ROTC and the University of Tampa. He was commissioned in 1992 and went on to serve in Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division and then in several other posts in the US until he left military service to pursue his dream of creating KMMA in 2000.  Today I continue to train, learn, sow and grow under the mentorship of World Champion Grandmaster Jeff Smith, who regularly visits the academy to help sow into my teams and students as well.

The Krav MagaMartial Arts Headquarters is in Lutz, FL at 1900 Land O’ Lakes BLVD and now our new location in 8836 US 19, Port Richey! Krav Maga Martial Arts serves Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Port Richey and surrounding areas.

See stephendelcastillo.com for more information and to order my book, Developing Your Superpower, Meditations on Mastery, Volume 1.

Also, check us out on Fun4TampaKids & on Go2Karate.com