Current Events
On this page students and guests will be able to see and read a little about the recent activities we've attended.
2008
After a successful spring season with over 70 students attending our spring karate program, the Boys & Girls Club of Hawthorne have asked me to run a fall program. This program will begin the last week of October and will run until mid December. The program will be open to K-5th Graders. Class will be on Wednesday’s from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. anyone wishing to attend must be a member of the Boys & Girls Club. Please remember that space will be limited so don’t wait and be left out. I look forward to seeing you all there.
I will be teaching at the Boys & Girls Club of Hawthorne. Classes will be set up as a 8-week program open to children from kindergarten through the 8th grade. The cost of the program will be $50. per student. Registration is scheduled for March. Those interested will have to register as members of the Boys & Girls Club to be able to participate in the program. Classes will run from April 3rd - May 22nd ( every thursday night). for more infomation please contact me via e-mail at vargasdojo @yahoo. or contact the Boys & Girls Club of Hawthorne at 973-427-7777.
2007 Events
New Addition
We have a new addition to our family. Liana is the new daughter of my son Rodney Jr. I’ve already have a gi ready for her!
Classes in Paterson
I am currently working with a few students of Shihan Luis Colon. I’m trying to help them improve their use of the Bo. His Dojo is located in Paterson on River St just off the intersection of River St. and Lafayette Ave. I will have the actual address in the next few days. Any of my old students are welcome to attend. I am there on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm.
Sensei
Shihan Fumio Demura
Karate and Kobudo Seminar
Oct 19, 2007
It’s that time of the year again; time to train Kobudo with Demura Sensei. As usual the room is packed with people eager to have the chance to train with Sensei. Class goes fast and furious for just past the pre-scheduled hour. Just when I believed the class was about to end, Demura Sensei started explaining the basic applications of the bo kata, and finished off by having us work on partner drills. As always Demura Sensei was very friendly and approachable, willing to take photos and questions. It’s a pleasure to attend a class led by Sensei. All the credit and thanks must be given to Frank Bouchonville Sensei for organizing this event. I look forward to next year’s seminar.
2005 Events
On Sunday October 30th I had the opportunity to attend and participate in a Kobudo Seminar lead by Fumio Demura, 9th Dan-Shihan. Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Genbu-Kai of New Jersey, headed by Frank Bouchonville Sensei, sponsored this event.
This was a largely attended seminar that went over six weapons (Bo, Ecu, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Kama, and Sai) I met a lot of old friends and made many new ones. I hope to see future events held by Genbu-Kai of New Jersey, and plan to attend them.
We would like to congratulate Gina on her promotion to Shichi-Kyu Sho, orange belt on October 19th. Keep up the good work!
May 14th we attended the Dennis Melendez / Boys and Girls Club 3rd Annual Karate Shai. We expected this to be a small local tournament, but to our surprise there was quite a large turnout. Students representing our Dojo Were as usual, Vanessa and Xavier. The results were also what was to be expected from these two. 1st places in Kata and Kumite with only one point being scored on Vanessa and 1st place in Kumite with no one scoring on Xavier. Xavier missed his Kata division due to a last minute ring change but I’m sure he would have easily won that also. This was a fun well run tournament that we look forward to attending next year.
Above: Vanessa after her Kata division (division was boys and girls 11-13 yr old)
Below: Xavier along with the 2nd place winner (9-10 yr old boys kumite division)
For more pic’s on this event click here
2004 Events
attended. 
Hackensack PAL Tournament was attended by Vanessa and Xavier, both competed in one event Vanessa in Kata and Xavier in Kumite. Both were very successful obtaining 1st Places in each event!
Testing was held at the Dojo on September 4, 2004, below is a list of students who successfully reached their next rank.
Rodney Vargas Jr- Shodan- Black Belt (1st Degree)
Yeri Lavi - Shodan - Black Belt (1st Degree )
Vanessa Vargas - Yon-Kyu Dai - Advanced Purple Belt
Xavier Vargas - Go-Kyu Dai - Advanced Green Belt
Roselin Figueroa - Go-Kyu Sho - Green Belt
Irving Figueroa - Go-Kyu Sho - Green Belt
Jeff Risco - Roku-Kyu - Blue Belt
Rebecca Ruffini - Shichi-Kyu - Orange Belt
Regina Tiller - Hachi-Kyu - Yellow Belt
A Special Award was received by Mr. Marco Brunetti who was once a student of the Dojo and still continues to show his support by providing his time and energy.
Click to be linked to additional pic's.
Sensei Vargas recently attended a Goju Seminar conducted by Tetsushiro Hokama Sensei in Hackensack NJ. Hokama Sensei heads his own Goju Organization that is located in Okinawa, Japan.
Hokama Sensei is also a master calligrapher and is seen here in action creating a banner for Sensei Vargas, which reads "Through humble beginnings great things are formed."
In attendance at Kyoshi Anthony Marquez Okinawan Kobudo Seminar, were two of Sensei Vargas's students Vanessa and Roselin (posing below with Kyoshi) they spent their Sunday afternoon sharpening and learning new Eku skills.
Sensei Vargas is a personal student of Kyoshi Marquez (pictured above) and recommends that anyone having the opportunity to train under Kyoshi should, anyone doing so would gain a great deal. In August Vargas Sensei flew to California for the weekend to train under Kyoshi at his Dojo prior to this seminar, it was a great experience. Training was personal, just one on one, and Sensei had the chance to see Kyoshi in action. Kyoshi's technique was superb and his energy was never ending. One would think that a man of such abilities and of such a background being trained in Okinawa would be arrogant and distant, but quite the contrary he is a warm and approachable person. As of this year Vargas Sensei has become a member of Kyoshi's International Organization, and starting next year Sensei will have all his students also become members.
Mt Arlington FOP Karate/Kung fu Championship were held on Oct. 24. Two Karate-Ka represented our Dojo. Xavier and Vanessa they both excelled and showed how hard work in the Dojo pays off. Xavier participated in two events Kata and Kumite, in Kata he tied for 1st Place forcing a tiebreaker which he won! In Kumite he won his first match, during the second match he was ahead on points and hit his opponent in the chest causing him to cry, after this officials seemed not to notice any more points scored by Xavier on the larger child, helping Xavier's opponent to victory.
Vanessa competed in Kobudo,which she took 1st Place, in Kata 1st Place, and in Kumite 1st Place! She had to stay to compete for the Grand Championship in Kumite ages 5 - 11. After calling the event to begin the event was held because the defending Grand Champion was not in attendance. Making all other 1st Place division winners wait one hour and forty-five minutes for the GC to arrive. Finally the event was started, Vanessa's first match against the brown belt female's division winner was her most difficult, falling behind on the score 2 to 1 she came back to win the match and easily defeat all of the other division winners. She went on against the defending GC, she fought fiercely but did not win, only later to find out the young black belt was 12 years of age and should not have been able to defend the Championship. He was still awarded the win.
Vargas Bushi-Te Dojo
COMPETITOR’S OF THE YEAR
Our yearly awards for Male and Female Competitor's Cup winners were handed out on Friday February 25th 2005. The winner for the Female Competitor was again for the 6th year in a row Vanessa Vargas. She went about winning the award this year by placing 1st in every event she entered. For the Male Competitor the winner was Xavier Vargas. This was a very big accomplishment for him not just because he placed 1st in all of his events, but also because he has not competed for five years in any Karate tournaments since his retirement at the ripe old age of 5. Congrats goes out to both of them.
We will soon have a listing of all our previous Competitor’s Cup winners posted on this page.
Puerto Rico Karate Trip
In March we were scheduled to attend the Puerto Rico Shoto-Cup Karate Tournament. Unfortunately it was cancelled. Having already purchased our plane tickets, and reserved the hotel and car rental we decided to go anyway. We stayed in San Juan and visited the north side of the island as far east as Fahardo and as far west as Isabella. Some of the places visited were Old San Juan, San Juan, Isla Verde, Fahardo, Luquillo Beach, Dorado Beach, Isla Verde Beach, Hobo’s Beach, and El Yunque. We had a great time, it was just too short of a visit. To view a few photo’s of our visit click the view additional photo's tab on the left of this page.
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