Hello! As I'm sure you know considering you're here, I practice karate at Thousand Waves, a not-for-profit dojo. I've been part of thousand waves for over 11 years now, and I assures you, it's not just for the karate. Thousand Waves is a community so beautiful, I regard it as a second home. The dojo is a place where we accept everyone, no matter what, and in many ways, Spirit Challenge is how we support that commitment.

Through fundraising, we support the Adapted Seido Karate (ASK) program, as well as our scholarship fund. In ASK, karate is adapted for students with disabilities of all kinds as self-defense, part of a physical therapy regimen, or just providing enrichment when it is often ore difficult for these students to access it.

Our scholarship fund functions to allow anyone to be a part of Thousand Waves -as students of Seido Karate, members of the fitness program, or to attend workshops- regardless of whether or not they can afford it. We have never turned away a student because they couldn't afford tuition. 

Our self-defense program is one of those programs that the scholarship fund often assists. Because of the scholarship fund, our instructors are able to teach underserved communities and others who are not able to afford the cost. (You can learn more about that here: http://thousandwaves.org/self-defense/)

In addition to just how important I think these programs are, there are very important people in my life who I would not know if it weren't for the scholarship fund: teachers who have shaped me for the better, fellow students who support me, and the diverse group of some very interesting people I've met as participating in outreach programs. I hope you'll lend your support to this fantastic place I call home.