Newsletter: May 2023

Greetings everyone!

As we wrap up another month of 2023, the team at Elemental Fitness and the EKA are thrilled to report that positive vibes are abound. We've seen an uptick in classes and members, with the gym bustling as everyone works hard to get ready for the summer season. Plus, we're excited to announce that our regular EKA catch-up for both kids and adults is just around the corner.

It's heartening to see more of you stepping up to assist with classes, as it shows that our members are willing to go the extra mile for their club. In addition, we're pleased to confirm that the new gym flooring is on its way, which is a welcome relief as we've been itching to see the gym's new side!

*Important Reminder* we will be closed on the following bank holidays throughout May: 1^st, 8^th and 29^th

More Assistance:

We are truly grateful for the overwhelming response from our members who have offered their help with the classes and shared some amazing ideas for the EKA. We value your input and appreciate your support.

Starting from May, we are thrilled to welcome Andy Williamson to our team, who will be assisting with the 19:30 Tuesday sparring class. With extensive martial arts experience, black belt qualifications, and competition experience, we are confident that Andy will make a valuable addition to our team.

With Andy joining us, we now have a total of 4 volunteers assisting with the EKA. Nikita, Leon, and Klaudia have been helping us out since March (if not earlier), and we couldn't be happier with their contributions.

We are continuously considering more applicants for assisting roles in the future, so stay tuned! We look forward to working with you all to create an amazing EKA community.

Fight Club:

Mark your calendars for our upcoming fight club on May 6th. We had a great turnout at our last event, with 15 members battling it out in intense matchups. As always, the more diverse and larger the group, the better the matchups will be.

We're thrilled to see the numbers growing and hope to continue the momentum by shortening the time between fight clubs. This is especially important as we approach gradings and our goal of creating a team within the EKA to compete in the coming months.

So, bring your A-game and get ready to rumble. We can't wait to see you all at our next fight club!

EKA Challenge:

In April, we had a fantastic Easter-themed challenge, as always devised by our skilled instructor Ryan. The challenge was to do as many bunny hops to the railings and back in one minute, with each return trip counting as one rep. Congratulations to our winners Jenson in first place with 10 points. Despite some cramping calves and dodgy counting, everyone pushed themselves to their limits and gave it their all.

For May, Ryan has come up with an exciting one! This month's challenge is to do as many jumping knee strikes as possible within one minute. Are you ready to take on this new challenge?

We can't wait to see everyone give it their best shot and discover who will come out on top. Good luck to all participants, and let's make this another successful challenge!

Member Mention:

We are delighted to announce this month's well-deserved shoutout to Lewis Kenyon! Lewis has impressed us all with his outstanding performance in recent classes and his remarkable progress since his return to training after a break. From his pad drills to sparring sessions, Lewis has shown incredible dedication and enthusiasm, which was evident in his impressive grading last month.

During the grading, Lewis faced a significant hurdle that almost caused him to give up. However, with a little encouragement and pep talk from the team, he overcame his fears and went on to smash the rest of his grading. His resilience, positive attitude, and determination to succeed are truly inspiring.

Lewis brought good spirit, great flexibility, athleticism, and excellent technique to the table. We are confident that with his unwavering commitment and hard work, he will continue to achieve great things and reach his full potential.

Keep up the excellent work, Lewis, and always remember that the sky's the limit when you put your mind to it!

We are excited to announce that the much-anticipated club day and night events are scheduled for June 10th! This year's day event, which is open to both kids and adults, will be held at Jump Inc. - the perfect place to let off some steam and have some fun. We have included a convenient link below, so you can easily purchase your ticket and secure your spot for the event.

For the adults-only night event, we plan to meet at Roxy Ball Room on Merrion Street, and from there, who knows where the night will take us! We promise you a fun-filled evening that you won't forget anytime soon. Just to give you an idea, during our last ‘grown-up’ night out, one of our instructors didn't return until the early hours of the morning (we won't reveal any names!). So, get ready to let loose and have a blast!

Please note that the night event is strictly for adults only, and we apologize to our younger members who will have to wait a few more years before they can join us.

We can't wait to see everyone at the club day and night events and make unforgettable memories together!

In addition to the regular grading scheduled for early June, we have an upcoming black belt grading. Joshua Fawn, who joined us a few months ago, will be going for his 1st Dan Black Belt in July. He will be assisting in several classes and will also undergo a full mock and graded class to demonstrate his instructing skills.

You might be wondering why Joshua is jumping into his black belt so soon. Well, his previous club follows a syllabus that is very similar to our own American freestyle and karate kickboxing syllabus. He had already graded for his black belt there, but he found our approach to training more intense and appropriate for a black belt grading. As a result, he wishes to be re-graded under the EKA.

For those who are interested, you can purchase an entry fee and join us for the 4-hour grading on July 8th. It will be a great opportunity to witness what a black belt grading entails and get a glimpse of what your own black belt journey might be like in the future.

Check out our blog page for insightful content on lifestyle, martial arts, training, and everything in between. Our team regularly updates the blog with newsletters and informative posts.

In addition to our team blogs, we also feature content from our members and clients. Whether you have something to say about yourself, training, or a deeper reflection on the history of martial arts and your take on fitness and health, we encourage you to share your thoughts with us and our readers.