Classical Weapon Arts of Tampa Receives Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) Certification

Feb. 8, 2013 - PRLog -- Classical Weapon Arts of Tampa (http://www.tpaweaponarts.com) is proud to announce that it has become a chartered and registered club under the Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program. As a JOAD certified club, Classical Weapon Arts of Tampa can now award its students with nationally recognized merit badges, host tournaments and compete in local, regional and national competitions. Located near the HCC Dale Mabry Campus, Classical Weapon arts of Tampa is the only JOAD certified archery club in Tampa, and one of two in the Bay Area.

The archery program at Classical Weapon Arts of Tampa (formerly Tampa Kobudo-Kai) started as a series of seminars for members of Florida Aikido Center back in March of 2012. Fueled by the popularity of movies such as The Hunger Games, The Avengers and Brave, this series of seminars quickly turned into an ongoing program held on Saturdays from 12:30 to 1:30. The archery program has since grown exponentially and now has two sessions: “beginner” classes on Saturdays from 12:30 to 1:30PM, and “intermediate” classes from 1:45 to 2:45.

According to Bryce Smith, primary instructor for Classical Weapon Arts of Tampa, “We are really amazed at how quickly this program has grown and how popular archery has become in general. Our program currently has more than 30 students, with each class session having anywhere from 10 to 15 people in it. Becoming a JOAD certified club just seemed like a logical next step in our growth and evolution.”

Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) is a formal program – created by USA Archery – that teaches both recurve and compound archery to young people, provides opportunities for awarding achievement, and helps archers develop their skills through local, regional and national tournaments. JOAD certified clubs offer the opportunity to learn proper archery marksmanship techniques, range safety and equipment maintenance in an environment that also fosters focus, self-confidence, discipline, respect and team building. For more information, visit www.teamusa.org/USA-Archery/Programs/Junior-Olympic-Archery-Development.

According to Mark Irwin, lead archery instructor at Classical Weapon Arts of Tampa, “In the last year we have seen some of our students develop from nervous novices who had never touched a bow in their life, to very talented archers with amazing potential. JOAD membership will give them the opportunity to be recognized for their achievements, take part in competitions and even – if they have the level of dedication necessary – progress onto the national or international circuit. We’re proud to be the only JOAD club in the city of Tampa, and I am excited to see our students become active participants in the JOAD program in the future.”

About Classical Weapon Arts of Tampa
Classical Weapon Arts of Tampa is a martial arts school that focuses on the study of classical Eastern and Western weapon systems – specifically the sword, staff and bow. Classes meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to work on bladed weapon and staff fighting techniques, and on Saturday afternoons for archery. All classes are held at Florida Aikido Center, located just north of the HCC Dale Mabry Campus in Tampa. For more information, please visit http://www.tpaweaponarts.com.

About Florida Aikido Center
Open since 2008, Florida Aikido Center offers an open, encouraging and respectful training environment to anybody ready and willing to learn. Unlike some dojos and martial arts studios that focus on building “fighters,” the atmosphere at Florida Aikido Center is friendly, accepting and ego-free, allowing students can better focus on attaining their specific goals – self-defense, personal growth, physical fitness, or everyday stress relief. In addition to Aikido, Florida Aikido Center offers programs in Seidokan Karate, Tai-Chi, Iaido and more. Florida Aikido Center is located at 4405 W. South Avenue, Tampa, FL 33614. For more information, please visit www.flaikidocenter.com.