Devin Newton and Phoenix Rising Martial Arts continue to reach new heights.
After taking some time off to care for his family, Mountain Home Sensei returned to teaching at a small dojo in town. This time she is helped by several brand new black belts, the first graduates of her dojo.
Her fellow black belts include Aaron Bristol and his two sons, Gideon and Isaiah, Colton Means and Sangin Driocourt.
“Each belt rank has a set of skills and techniques, as well as kata and forms, that you need to know as you move through them,” Newton said of his new team of black belts. “Even when you go to get an orange belt, you have to know the techniques of a yellow belt, albeit at the level of an orange belt. The same goes for black belts, you know them all. I know more, and more.”
To earn a black belt, each student had to take a skills test over the course of a day. During that time, each student had to act out the kata they had created, detailing why they had created the kata and how they would use and apply the kata during their practice.
Kata is a system of personal training exercises for karateka. It most closely resembles a choreographed dance in which karate techniques flow into each other, often appearing to respond to imaginary fighters.
During kata practice, Newton and an attending black belt who is a family friend of hers and her father's, asked the students to perform the kata without visual cues from their surroundings. I often tried to thwart the mold by having it point in a different direction. dojo.
While Kata helped pass the exam, students were also quizzed on the knowledge of techniques they had learned before stepping into the “ring” and were able to put that knowledge to use when sparring with experienced black belts. did it.
While teaching at Phoenix Rising, Newton has focused on self-defense and applying the techniques learned in real-life situations.
“We set a slightly different standard because there were things that didn’t work out in the real world,” Newton said. “They worked for my father, but I don't have to ask him what to do if it doesn't work out because I'm a woman or because of my size or height. I have all the black belts and it still didn't work for me. So I put myself on the chopping block and let them pick their brains and try to reinvent some techniques rather than reinvent the wheel. I helped with the design.”
Newton's first new black belt is Aaron Bristol. Her family friend, Ms. Bristol, became interested in self-defense and martial arts several years ago, and after hearing stories from her husband about her father's time as a martial arts instructor, Ms. Newton told her about Phoenix Her Rising. recommended opening a store.
At the time, Newton said he was struggling with previous addictions and was on the verge of relapsing.
“That was a turning point,” Newton said. “It was during COVID-19 and businesses everywhere were shutting down. I was on the verge of doing something stupid because I know what it's like before it comes back.” There was a really big hole in there that we were trying to fill and we were going to go in one direction or the other.”
This push paid off, and Newton embraced the idea of opening his own dojo and used the momentum to start a new successful life for himself. After that, Ms. Bristol helped her find a place to open her shop and began attending lessons with her son.
“I asked her if she wanted to teach karate again,” Bristol said. “I don't know anything about running a dojo, but I know a thing or two about renting a place. Maybe I can help you find a place. And she started making plans and writing them down. He came with a notebook full of information.'' That night we talked and I tried to encourage her and guide her by telling her that you're not just running her dojo, you're also running a business. It's two different jobs. Then, maybe next week, I looked her in the eye and said, if this doesn't work, why don't we try it anyway? She looked at me like, “No, you think you're going to fail?” I said, “I'm not saying you're going to fail, but are you going to fail?” she said so. ”
Bristol is joined by two sons, Gideon and Isaiah.
At 15 years old, Gideon quickly rose through the ranks of Phoenix Rising. Gideon, a confident teenager, uses his time in Phoenix Rising to adjust the way he thinks about how he speaks and treats others, and how childish it is to pick a fight with someone. He said he did.
The black belt said he developed a love for sparring while participating in Phoenix Rising. He plans to take up other martial arts in the future, and he said he would like to work at a dojo after graduating from high school. He is also interested in learning about real estate.
Gideon said of the changes he experienced while learning karate, “in the way I think and the way I approach conversations and physical confrontations with others.” “Before I started karate, I remember that my idea of what it was like to fight with someone was very naive and innocent compared to now. Don't seek out conflict.''
Gideon's younger brother, Isaiah, is a soft-spoken black belt with a big heart.
Isaiah said he enjoys martial arts because he gets to interact with other students who have become friends. While at the dojo, the 14-year-old black belt gravitated toward practicing and perfecting kata.
“I like the structured part,” Isaiah said. “I don't know how to explain it exactly, but I feel like I can actually do it. Sparring is more difficult because you don't know what's going to happen.”
Both Gideon and Isaiah will be joined by two young black belts, Colton Means and Sangin Doriocourt.
Colton, another quiet student, said he enjoys coming to class with other students. As a martial artist, he is into performing kata and practicing kicks.
The 15-year-old said the most difficult part of achieving his black belt was having the stamina to continue performing for several hours straight. He wants to be an interior designer when he grows up.
“I’m drawn to kata and kicking,” Colton said. “I like that they can be creative and do something traditional or hard and fast. For the test, it was endurance. Just stand there and prepare for what they're going to say. How long did it take?”
Sangjin, 15, said he was drawn to the theory and sparring of martial arts and was able to pour all of his emotions into his training.
He said he most enjoys understanding his opponents and how they react in sparring sessions.
Sangjin said he is still trying to find his place in the black belt world alongside adults who are more experienced than him. The young black belt hopes to one day open his own dojo while earning a degree in psychology, he said.
“Black belt is a very broad field, so how do you teach others and how do you see yourself compared to others,” Sangjin says about finding his place in the world of martial arts. Told. “Some people just got their black belts a year ago, some people got their black belts 50 years ago. I’m experimenting with ways to talk and teach.”
Devin Newton's southern karate pedigree is extensive. Newton, a 7th degree black belt, has studied with Grand Master Tim Kietzman, Grand Master Bruce Hodge, Grand Master Osborn, Logan Lee, Aaron Bristol, and others.
Her father, Grand Master Curtis Futch, was a 10th degree black belt with over 35 years of teaching experience before his death in 2014. Futch, a Vietnam veteran, was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in Orlando, Florida as a Grand Master. Master of the Year.
Newton spent her youth under the tutelage of her father and had a promising martial arts career, but her life began to change after going through the “party scene” in 2004.
For the next 10 years, she abandoned karate to live a life of addiction. She was kidnapped and trafficked through several states, ending up in California and then Oregon.
After hitting rock bottom and being sent to prison multiple times, she began to seriously consider changing her life and eventually entered a rehab facility in California after escaping from an Arkansas prison. did.
She now has a family of her own and teaches over 100 karate students in Mountain Home. In fact, her leadership qualities are so great that the World Patriarchal and Soke Rights Council, the martial arts organization to which Newton belongs, named her the 2023 American Freestyle Kempo Master of the Year. is scheduled to be appointed.
And the award is well-deserved. Newton doesn't just hold his basic 5 o'clock class for kids after school. She holds special classes for homeschooled children. She hosts classes for women who want to learn self-defense. She teaches classes to local Arkansas MMA fighters Anthony and Stagner to adults and teens who want to step into the Octagon world.
There is also Newton's “Little Dragon” program for young children. It uses a “treasure chest” reward system to reward students in lower grades, such as kindergarten, with small gifts for learning certain skills or completing assigned tasks in martial arts classes. Allows you to concentrate. .
This reward system is further enhanced for upperclassmen, who not only leave their stripes on their belt but also have the opportunity to begin the process of becoming a qualified instructor by becoming a student leader.
Phoenix Rising is located next to Mel's Diner at 860 Highway 62 E Suite #5 in Mountain Home.
