by kurly11 | Feb 17, 2015 | Uncategorized
Part of this year’s commitment to expanding the number of students with special needs that we can serve is to partner with other communities. For example, the cities of Cypress and Buena Park often work together to promote one another’s classes. Last week we reached out to the city of Cypress to see if they would cosponsor our class in Buena Park. The two cities are close in proximity and as stated above, often work together. We were a bit disappointed to find out that Cypress will not be cosponsoring us at this time. They are unsure whether or not their current Karate instructor will be leaving and are hopeful that a new instructor will offer an adaptive class as well. We wish them luck in their search for a new instructor and hope that they will be able to offer a special needs class whether or not it is provided by Unlimited Possibilities.
The next community we plan to reach out to is the city of Cerritos. We have been informed that Cerritos excels in the number of programs it offers to those with special needs. Currently, they do not have have a martial arts program, so hopefully we will be able to fill this need.
Be sure to watch for our next blog as it will help you understand a little better what exactly we are teaching. And no, it’s not Karate.
by kurly11 | Feb 4, 2015 | Show on Homepage
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am not good at keeping people informed about what is going on with me. Hence, the long period of time without a new post. Well, with the new year comes a chance to do many things better. So, here’s to keeping you informed about what’s going on with Unlimited Possibilities.
First an update on the end of last year. On Dec. 7th, 2014, Team UPMA once again was part of the annual Walk Now for Autism Speaks. As usual, it was a great event. There were vendors from all over Southern California and hundreds of new friends to meet. We had a booth complete with a punch out type game where everyone could earn prizes just by doing the most basic move in all of martial arts. It was a big hit! On top of that, Team UPMA was able to raise $820.00 for Autism Speaks. Money that will be spent on research and providing services to people with autism in our community. We owe a big thanks to our friends at Koral US for donating one of their amazing gis for our raffle and to our brothers and sisters at Brazilian Top Team Long Beach for all of their support.
We all thoroughly enjoyed a break over the holidays to spend time with family. Come the first week of January, we were back to it with all of those bright, shining faces returning along with a few faces that had been absent for a long time. With the new year comes new goals. Our number one goal this year is to increase the number of students that we serve. Martial arts has so many benefits to the individual and we want to share those benefits with a community that is grossly under served, the special needs community. Our biggest obstacle is getting the word out. There are thousands of people in Orange County and Long Beach that can benefit from our classes, we just need to let them know that we exist. This includes bringing fliers to Regional Center and partnering with community centers in different cities.
We hope that 2015 will bring great things for Unlimited Possibilities and that we can truly live up to our name. Stay tuned for more of what we have planned for 2015 and updates on our progress. As always, we welcome your feedback and assistance in helping us grow.
by kurly11 | Nov 26, 2014 | Uncategorized
We here at UPMA would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
The challenges of living with (or having a loved one with) a disability can make it hard to focus on the positive sometimes. Use this day to take some time to find those positive things, however small they may seem, and give thanks.
We are thankful for the ability to serve those who are in need and to create opportunities were there were once none. Enjoy your loved ones this week and we will see you back on the mats next week!
by kurly11 | Nov 19, 2014 | Show on Homepage
There are less than 3 weeks left before the walk at Anaheim Stadium. We will once again have a booth, so please stop by and say hi. Our goal is to raise $1000 for Autism Speaks this year. The money raised goes toward autism research and providing therapy to individuals with ASD.
You can donate or even better, join Team UPMA and do your own fundraising. Just follow the link below to get started.
http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1105437&lis=1&kntae1105437=842B6B8163B44068A8B0344FEC5CA777&supId=0&team=6144219&cj=Y
by kurly11 | Nov 5, 2014 | Show on Homepage
This weekend Coach Kristen competed in the IBJJF Masters World Championship in Long Beach, CA. This is the largest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament in the world for people over 30 years old.
We would like to congratulate Coach on placing second her division. This is a big accomplishment, so make sure to pat her on the back when you see her. If you’re lucky, maybe she’ll show you the hardware.
