Saturday, February 22, 2014
GOLD BELT
Grady Allen
Jr.GOLD BELT
Caedan Griffith
Dylan Kiatoukashy
Brandon Kiatoukashy
Charlie Miller
Dominic Rivera
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
February 2014 Newsletter
YOUTH GATHERING FOR SPARRING & JUDGING
On Tuesday, February 18th there will be a gathering of Mr. Pina, Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Williams’ students. The purpose is for the youth ages 12 and under to get in some sparring time and the adult brown and black belts to get some experience judging and refereeing matches. There will be no adult classes that evening. This class will be from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm. Be sure you have all of your sparring gear including groin protection and shin guards. We look forward to networking like this on a quarterly basis.
TOURNAMENTS
Kent Clayborn’s Brotherhood Tournament
Saturday, February 1st, 2014
117 North Gordy
El Dorado, Kansas
CONTACT: Kent Clayborn 316-321-2380
Mickey Gomez Wichita Open (February) TBA
Wichita, Kansas
CONTACT: 316-838-8210
Seibukan Karate Invitational
Saturday, March 22nd, 2014
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
600 North Greenwich Road
Wichita, Kansas
CONTACT: 316-516-4101 Ksseibukan1@yahoo.com
St Jude Hospital Benefit Tournament
Saturday, March 29th 2014
Christ the King Church
25th and Wanamaker
Topeka, Kansas
CONTACT: Pam Johansen 785-844-0050
KANSAS SUNFLOWER STATE GAMES
The Sunflower State Games is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to providing a forum that initiates and encourages camaraderie between different ages, socioeconomic and cultural groups through athletic competition. The event promotes the development of healthy lifestyles and physical fitness for the participants, their families and the communities where they live. The Sunflower State Games is the largest amateur multi sport festival in Kansas conducted annually three weekends in July. The martial arts games are tentatively the second weekend of July. This year we plan to have as many of our students attend as possible. Start warming up at local area tournaments not so we can all make the trip to Topeka.
Mr. Williams, Chief Instructor
FLEXIBILITY: Mental and Physical
Two recently written articles have caught my attention as I think about entering a new year: one challenges my mental flexibility and the other, a challenge to be physically flexible. The following thoughts are excerpts from those articles.
Mental Flexibility: Change is hard. It is our human nature to resist change because we feel more comfortable with keeping things "the way they have always been." Doing things differently requires effort and it is normal to feel a bit frustrated and out of sorts when attempting to change habits. Being able to "roll with the punches' and adapt to change is helpful in obtaining any type of goal in life. As it relates to wellness, what areas in your life could you change for the better with a little mental flexibility? For example, fill in the blank: just because you always......... (watch too much TV in the evenings, go to bed too late to get adequate sleep, super size it when eating out, snack too much between meals, spend too much money on "wants", find the closest parking spot, dish up 2nd helpings) ....... doesn't mean you can't change and start doing things differently.
Physical Flexibility (from the Mayo Clinic): Although studies about the benefits of stretching are mixed, stretching may help you improve your flexibility, which in turn may improve your athletic performance and decrease your risk of injury. Understand why stretching can help — and how to stretch correctly.
Benefits of stretching
Studies about the benefits of stretching have had mixed results. Some show that stretching helps, while others show that stretching has little if any benefit. The main benefits of stretching are thought to be:
Stretching also increases blood flow to the muscle. And you may come to enjoy the ritual of stretching before — or better yet, after — hitting the trail, ballet floor or soccer field.
Stretching essentials
Before you plunge into stretching, make sure you do it safely and effectively. While you can stretch anytime, anywhere — in your home, at work, in a hotel room or at the park — you want to be sure to use proper technique. Stretching incorrectly can actually do more harm than good.
Use these tips to keep stretching safe:
Don't consider stretching a warm-up. You may hurt yourself if you stretch cold muscles. So before stretching, warm up with light walking, jogging or biking at low intensity for five to 10 minutes. Or better yet, stretch after you exercise when your muscles are warmed up. Also, consider holding off on stretching before an intense activity, such as sprinting or track and field activities. Some research suggests that pre-event stretching before these types of events may actually decrease performance.
Focus on major muscle groups. When you're stretching, focus on your calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders. Also stretch muscles and joints that you routinely use at work or play. And make sure that you stretch both sides. For instance, if you stretch your left hamstring, be sure to stretch your right hamstring, too.
Don't bounce. Bouncing as you stretch can cause small tears in the muscle. These tears leave scar tissue as the muscle heals, which tightens the muscle even further, making you less flexible and more prone to pain. So, hold each stretch for about 30 seconds. Repeat each stretch three or four times.
Don't aim for pain. Expect to feel tension while you're stretching, not pain. If it hurts, you've pushed too far. Back off to the point where you don't feel any pain, then hold the stretch.
Make stretches sport specific. Some evidence suggests that it's helpful to do stretches tailored for your sport or activity. If you play soccer, for instance, you're more vulnerable to hamstring strains. So opt for stretches that help your hamstrings.
Keep up with your stretching. Stretching can be time-consuming. But you can achieve the best benefits by stretching regularly, at least two to three times a week. If you don't stretch regularly, you risk losing any benefits that stretching offered. For instance, if stretching helped you increase your range of motion, and you stop stretching, your range of motion may decrease again.
Bring movement into your stretching. Gentle movement can help you be more flexible in specific movements. The gentle movements of tai chi, for instance, may be a good way to stretch. And if you're going to perform a specific activity, such as a front kick in martial arts, do the move slowly and at low intensity at first to get your muscles used to it. Then speed up gradually as your muscles become accustomed to the motion. Know when to exercise caution in some cases, you may need to approach stretching with caution. If you have a chronic condition or an injury, you may need to adjust your stretching techniques. For example, if you already have a strained muscle, stretching it may cause further harm. Also, don't think that because you stretch you can't get injured. Stretching, for instance, won't prevent an overuse injury. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about the best way to stretch if you have any health concerns.
Jean Gaeddert, AKMS Black Belt
On Tuesday, February 18th there will be a gathering of Mr. Pina, Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Williams’ students. The purpose is for the youth ages 12 and under to get in some sparring time and the adult brown and black belts to get some experience judging and refereeing matches. There will be no adult classes that evening. This class will be from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm. Be sure you have all of your sparring gear including groin protection and shin guards. We look forward to networking like this on a quarterly basis.
TOURNAMENTS
Kent Clayborn’s Brotherhood Tournament
Saturday, February 1st, 2014
117 North Gordy
El Dorado, Kansas
CONTACT: Kent Clayborn 316-321-2380
Mickey Gomez Wichita Open (February) TBA
Wichita, Kansas
CONTACT: 316-838-8210
Seibukan Karate Invitational
Saturday, March 22nd, 2014
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
600 North Greenwich Road
Wichita, Kansas
CONTACT: 316-516-4101 Ksseibukan1@yahoo.com
St Jude Hospital Benefit Tournament
Saturday, March 29th 2014
Christ the King Church
25th and Wanamaker
Topeka, Kansas
CONTACT: Pam Johansen 785-844-0050
KANSAS SUNFLOWER STATE GAMES
The Sunflower State Games is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to providing a forum that initiates and encourages camaraderie between different ages, socioeconomic and cultural groups through athletic competition. The event promotes the development of healthy lifestyles and physical fitness for the participants, their families and the communities where they live. The Sunflower State Games is the largest amateur multi sport festival in Kansas conducted annually three weekends in July. The martial arts games are tentatively the second weekend of July. This year we plan to have as many of our students attend as possible. Start warming up at local area tournaments not so we can all make the trip to Topeka.
Mr. Williams, Chief Instructor
FLEXIBILITY: Mental and Physical
Two recently written articles have caught my attention as I think about entering a new year: one challenges my mental flexibility and the other, a challenge to be physically flexible. The following thoughts are excerpts from those articles.
Mental Flexibility: Change is hard. It is our human nature to resist change because we feel more comfortable with keeping things "the way they have always been." Doing things differently requires effort and it is normal to feel a bit frustrated and out of sorts when attempting to change habits. Being able to "roll with the punches' and adapt to change is helpful in obtaining any type of goal in life. As it relates to wellness, what areas in your life could you change for the better with a little mental flexibility? For example, fill in the blank: just because you always......... (watch too much TV in the evenings, go to bed too late to get adequate sleep, super size it when eating out, snack too much between meals, spend too much money on "wants", find the closest parking spot, dish up 2nd helpings) ....... doesn't mean you can't change and start doing things differently.
Physical Flexibility (from the Mayo Clinic): Although studies about the benefits of stretching are mixed, stretching may help you improve your flexibility, which in turn may improve your athletic performance and decrease your risk of injury. Understand why stretching can help — and how to stretch correctly.
Benefits of stretching
Studies about the benefits of stretching have had mixed results. Some show that stretching helps, while others show that stretching has little if any benefit. The main benefits of stretching are thought to be:
- Improving athletic performance
- Decreasing the risk of activity-based injuries
Stretching also increases blood flow to the muscle. And you may come to enjoy the ritual of stretching before — or better yet, after — hitting the trail, ballet floor or soccer field.
Stretching essentials
Before you plunge into stretching, make sure you do it safely and effectively. While you can stretch anytime, anywhere — in your home, at work, in a hotel room or at the park — you want to be sure to use proper technique. Stretching incorrectly can actually do more harm than good.
Use these tips to keep stretching safe:
Don't consider stretching a warm-up. You may hurt yourself if you stretch cold muscles. So before stretching, warm up with light walking, jogging or biking at low intensity for five to 10 minutes. Or better yet, stretch after you exercise when your muscles are warmed up. Also, consider holding off on stretching before an intense activity, such as sprinting or track and field activities. Some research suggests that pre-event stretching before these types of events may actually decrease performance.
Focus on major muscle groups. When you're stretching, focus on your calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders. Also stretch muscles and joints that you routinely use at work or play. And make sure that you stretch both sides. For instance, if you stretch your left hamstring, be sure to stretch your right hamstring, too.
Don't bounce. Bouncing as you stretch can cause small tears in the muscle. These tears leave scar tissue as the muscle heals, which tightens the muscle even further, making you less flexible and more prone to pain. So, hold each stretch for about 30 seconds. Repeat each stretch three or four times.
Don't aim for pain. Expect to feel tension while you're stretching, not pain. If it hurts, you've pushed too far. Back off to the point where you don't feel any pain, then hold the stretch.
Make stretches sport specific. Some evidence suggests that it's helpful to do stretches tailored for your sport or activity. If you play soccer, for instance, you're more vulnerable to hamstring strains. So opt for stretches that help your hamstrings.
Keep up with your stretching. Stretching can be time-consuming. But you can achieve the best benefits by stretching regularly, at least two to three times a week. If you don't stretch regularly, you risk losing any benefits that stretching offered. For instance, if stretching helped you increase your range of motion, and you stop stretching, your range of motion may decrease again.
Bring movement into your stretching. Gentle movement can help you be more flexible in specific movements. The gentle movements of tai chi, for instance, may be a good way to stretch. And if you're going to perform a specific activity, such as a front kick in martial arts, do the move slowly and at low intensity at first to get your muscles used to it. Then speed up gradually as your muscles become accustomed to the motion. Know when to exercise caution in some cases, you may need to approach stretching with caution. If you have a chronic condition or an injury, you may need to adjust your stretching techniques. For example, if you already have a strained muscle, stretching it may cause further harm. Also, don't think that because you stretch you can't get injured. Stretching, for instance, won't prevent an overuse injury. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about the best way to stretch if you have any health concerns.
Jean Gaeddert, AKMS Black Belt
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
January 2014 Newsletter
HOLIDAY SCHOOL CLOSINGS
American Karate will be closed for the holiday season Wednesday, Christmas day until Monday January 6th. We wish all of our students and parents, friends and families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope that you come back with renewed goals and prepared to study and train harder than the year before.
AKMS BLACK BELTS DOWN BUT NOT OUT
Cristine Warring had surgery on her foot from a bone that had been free floating around her ankle for many years. She made it through well and will be recuperating and doing therapy for the next nine months. Kathy Marquez took a fall during a run which resulted in a torn rotator cuff and bicep. She will be recuperating and doing therapy for several months as well. We are happy to hear that they both made it through their surgeries and look forward to their return to class. In the mean time…..DON’T PUSH IT, Do what the therapist says.
YOUTH CLASSES COMBINED
During the month of January the Youth Novice and Intermediate classes will be open. It is my hopes that between the novice youth and their parents they will develop some goals. Karate can be fun and karate can be tedious but if they experience the more advanced students doing advanced kata, team and musical kata as well as weapons, they will understand the need for practice outside of the class room. Monday and Wednesday classes are from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR
2013 is over! Now is the time to reflect on your resolutions and accomplishments over the last twelve months. Did you accomplish a higher level of fitness or flexibility? Did you earn additional stripes or belt rank? Where did you excel? Where did you fall short? Goal setting is a powerful tool for thinking about your martial future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go with your martial arts journey. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you will know where you have to concentrate your efforts. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your attainment of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your journey. By setting clearly defined goals you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless chore. You will also raise your self-confidence.
You can set your goals on a number of levels:
Thomas Williams, Instructor AKMS
GOING THE DISTANCE
A new book is coming out in January. It is entitled “What Makes Olga Run? The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us About Living Longer.” While that might not be an appealing title to some, it certainly caught my attention!
The book offers six (6) lessons on living longer and staying sharp from the perspective of this nonagenarian track star. The following are her smart habits for a long, healthy life:
Jean Gaeddert, AKMS Black Belt
URBAN SELFDEFENSE (A Definition) Part II of II
Also, where the time permitted me to react in a manner aligned with the situation at hand, I am sure my instigator couldn’t imagine what next was about to happen, when I unleashed a full dose of controlled rage upon them.
Daily in my walk of life, I put on the ‘Whole Coat of Armor of God’, as my belief, as it provides my foundation for my existence. I don’t knock those who do believe or not believe in God, which is their chose alone. Everyone is entitle to believe as their wish, and is not my place to ridicule them about it. However, should they become interested to know about my Savior, then I am more than willing to share this with them.
It is always my desire to make the right decision about anything, and take responsibility for my actions, whether they be, right or not so accurate. As, I have commanded thousands of soldiers, my instructions to them is to make a prudent decision about a situation. If, it’s right, then we move forward. Should the decision not be so accurate, and then we would make our apologies and corrections and move on, because people sometimes get it ‘not as accurate’ as others would desire it. There are mitigating circumstances to every situation, and I have had my share. We are human, and do not always get it right, which is the nature of being human. Also, it takes too much energy to hold grudges; you lose valuable time and relationships, etc. I experienced this with my earthly Dad. However, we made amends before he past.
I have had the privilege and opportunity to be part of; some great and some more challenging experiences. Plus, I have endeavored to learn from all experiences from everyone and everything. I will share a few of those noteworthy experiences in the explanations below. In my Women’s Conditioning Class was to teach the spouses of top CEO’s in physical conditioning and make the experience beneficial. I interviewed each participant to determine their training goals, physical and emotional limitations. Doing classes, I would observe each student to insure she was performing the techniques correctly and if they could not perform a particular technique, an alternative one was demonstrated. Doing my tenure as Assistant Director at the Ella Austin Outpatient Hospital in San Antonio, Texas; my front desk staff or receptionists were at times confronted with upset patients. I instructed the receptionist to do two things for loud and unruly patients who made them uncomfortable while attempting to help them. On a subconscious level, the mind will take in everything, and process it whether the individual is aware of it or not. My receptionist were instructed (if, they felt threaten) to take their car keys and place one of the keys between the fingers while talking to the patient. This reaction will create a reaction in the patient’s mind, on a subconscious level that they may be in ‘harms way’ with their behavior, and should calm down.
The other point of instruction to my receptionist when upon encountering a loud and rude individual, while they were attempting to answer their concerns, and the patient couldn’t hear the receptionist over the shouting is to ‘whisper’ what she was attempting to communicate to the patient. Two things will happen; one the patient will continue his/her very loud shouting and not listen to her, then the receptionist has no other course of action, except to call security to handle the matter. Or, secondly, the patient will pause for a moment to hear her ‘whisper’ of instructions. This is the opportunity to take control of the situation, and answer the patient’s initial inquiry. Subconsciously, the patient didn’t know he/she had been controlled with the ‘whisper’ method. Continue to use the ‘whisper’ method should the patient resume their shouting or contact security or a supervisor.
Dealing with problems is something no one can avoid for as long as they live on this earth. Whether the problem is big or small, significant or minor, one must attempt to deal with it, peacefully; initially. It is always my intentions to resolve any conflict peacefully by hopefully, providing a win-win situation for the parties involved. I don’t down rate any race of people. This is not my personae. I respect the value of people, because without people we wouldn’t experience emotions, free thoughts/ideas, fun, etc. You can’t do these things with machines. People are our greatest assets. Money, cars, property are all good, but without people, it just wouldn’t be the same type of enjoyment, learning, and fun. Therefore, I deal with people and issues as they present themselves to me, with respect, patience and value. Every problem has a solution, a learning factor/benefit, and requires people to assess it with all of the attributes a human possesses.
In the 911 Terrorist Attacks against the United States, I was commanding a response team in Somerset, PA. My team had to set up a BoO (base of operations) and needed certain materials and equipment to maintain operability and functionality, which we didn’t bring along, and had to procure on the civilian economy. The point I want to make is upon arriving at one of the vendors in the city, the sales person was so frighten about what had happened a few hours ago in their town, she was rattled beyond measure. The fear in her eyes and the lack of certainty in her voice is beyond any description of words for me to convey her feelings. As part of providing emergency management support to the State of Pennsylvania for a mortuary response, I also must provide ‘public affairs’ functions and consolement to the public we serve. My reaction to the sales clerk was to reassure her that everything is fine, currently no other attacks were foreseen, the government had as much of the situation under control as best as possible, and rest assured we would do all in our power to protect, preserve and recover what’s important to her and the community. We were there to help.
I remain to say, that Urban Self Defense can be defined in many ways, but I truly believe, it as a state of MIND. In My Opinion, what do you think? Feedback at www.youngsankarate.com; provide comments on the Feedback page.
H. James Young, Chief Instructor, Young San Karate
American Karate will be closed for the holiday season Wednesday, Christmas day until Monday January 6th. We wish all of our students and parents, friends and families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope that you come back with renewed goals and prepared to study and train harder than the year before.
AKMS BLACK BELTS DOWN BUT NOT OUT
Cristine Warring had surgery on her foot from a bone that had been free floating around her ankle for many years. She made it through well and will be recuperating and doing therapy for the next nine months. Kathy Marquez took a fall during a run which resulted in a torn rotator cuff and bicep. She will be recuperating and doing therapy for several months as well. We are happy to hear that they both made it through their surgeries and look forward to their return to class. In the mean time…..DON’T PUSH IT, Do what the therapist says.
YOUTH CLASSES COMBINED
During the month of January the Youth Novice and Intermediate classes will be open. It is my hopes that between the novice youth and their parents they will develop some goals. Karate can be fun and karate can be tedious but if they experience the more advanced students doing advanced kata, team and musical kata as well as weapons, they will understand the need for practice outside of the class room. Monday and Wednesday classes are from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR
2013 is over! Now is the time to reflect on your resolutions and accomplishments over the last twelve months. Did you accomplish a higher level of fitness or flexibility? Did you earn additional stripes or belt rank? Where did you excel? Where did you fall short? Goal setting is a powerful tool for thinking about your martial future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go with your martial arts journey. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you will know where you have to concentrate your efforts. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your attainment of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your journey. By setting clearly defined goals you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless chore. You will also raise your self-confidence.
You can set your goals on a number of levels:
- First you create your "big picture" of what you want to do with your martial arts journey (over the next 3-5 years), and identify the long term goals that you want to achieve.
- Then, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit to reach your long term goals.
- Finally, once you have your plan, you start working on it to achieve these goals.
Thomas Williams, Instructor AKMS
GOING THE DISTANCE
A new book is coming out in January. It is entitled “What Makes Olga Run? The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us About Living Longer.” While that might not be an appealing title to some, it certainly caught my attention!
The book offers six (6) lessons on living longer and staying sharp from the perspective of this nonagenarian track star. The following are her smart habits for a long, healthy life:
- Swap the Sudoku for Sneakers: Increasing evidence suggests that exercise works better than even those brain games touted to boost memory and function.
- Stay On Your Feet: Even a regular morning jog can’t compensate for being inert the other 23 hours of the day, research shows.
- Eat Real Food: Olga eats four to five times a day, and not much in the evenings. She won’t skip meals or scarf fast food. A balanced diet is sufficient.
- Be a Creature of Habit: Under stress, people tend to fall back on routines – whether healthy or unhealthy. Those small familiar actions cue the body that it’s “showtime.” Your muscles have a memory!
- Cultivate a Sense of Progress: We all need the feeling that in some small ways we’re improving – or at least not backsliding. Without those “small wins,” our morale craters. The trick is to reframe progress so that is becomes a relative measure, not an absolute one. In other words, “move the yardstick” as you age.
- Lighten Up: People get stressed out over the smallest things. The fact that Olga doesn’t is as much a matter of choice as temperament. Her response to stressful situations, “Honestly, I don’t have the time!”
Jean Gaeddert, AKMS Black Belt
URBAN SELFDEFENSE (A Definition) Part II of II
Also, where the time permitted me to react in a manner aligned with the situation at hand, I am sure my instigator couldn’t imagine what next was about to happen, when I unleashed a full dose of controlled rage upon them.
Daily in my walk of life, I put on the ‘Whole Coat of Armor of God’, as my belief, as it provides my foundation for my existence. I don’t knock those who do believe or not believe in God, which is their chose alone. Everyone is entitle to believe as their wish, and is not my place to ridicule them about it. However, should they become interested to know about my Savior, then I am more than willing to share this with them.
It is always my desire to make the right decision about anything, and take responsibility for my actions, whether they be, right or not so accurate. As, I have commanded thousands of soldiers, my instructions to them is to make a prudent decision about a situation. If, it’s right, then we move forward. Should the decision not be so accurate, and then we would make our apologies and corrections and move on, because people sometimes get it ‘not as accurate’ as others would desire it. There are mitigating circumstances to every situation, and I have had my share. We are human, and do not always get it right, which is the nature of being human. Also, it takes too much energy to hold grudges; you lose valuable time and relationships, etc. I experienced this with my earthly Dad. However, we made amends before he past.
I have had the privilege and opportunity to be part of; some great and some more challenging experiences. Plus, I have endeavored to learn from all experiences from everyone and everything. I will share a few of those noteworthy experiences in the explanations below. In my Women’s Conditioning Class was to teach the spouses of top CEO’s in physical conditioning and make the experience beneficial. I interviewed each participant to determine their training goals, physical and emotional limitations. Doing classes, I would observe each student to insure she was performing the techniques correctly and if they could not perform a particular technique, an alternative one was demonstrated. Doing my tenure as Assistant Director at the Ella Austin Outpatient Hospital in San Antonio, Texas; my front desk staff or receptionists were at times confronted with upset patients. I instructed the receptionist to do two things for loud and unruly patients who made them uncomfortable while attempting to help them. On a subconscious level, the mind will take in everything, and process it whether the individual is aware of it or not. My receptionist were instructed (if, they felt threaten) to take their car keys and place one of the keys between the fingers while talking to the patient. This reaction will create a reaction in the patient’s mind, on a subconscious level that they may be in ‘harms way’ with their behavior, and should calm down.
The other point of instruction to my receptionist when upon encountering a loud and rude individual, while they were attempting to answer their concerns, and the patient couldn’t hear the receptionist over the shouting is to ‘whisper’ what she was attempting to communicate to the patient. Two things will happen; one the patient will continue his/her very loud shouting and not listen to her, then the receptionist has no other course of action, except to call security to handle the matter. Or, secondly, the patient will pause for a moment to hear her ‘whisper’ of instructions. This is the opportunity to take control of the situation, and answer the patient’s initial inquiry. Subconsciously, the patient didn’t know he/she had been controlled with the ‘whisper’ method. Continue to use the ‘whisper’ method should the patient resume their shouting or contact security or a supervisor.
Dealing with problems is something no one can avoid for as long as they live on this earth. Whether the problem is big or small, significant or minor, one must attempt to deal with it, peacefully; initially. It is always my intentions to resolve any conflict peacefully by hopefully, providing a win-win situation for the parties involved. I don’t down rate any race of people. This is not my personae. I respect the value of people, because without people we wouldn’t experience emotions, free thoughts/ideas, fun, etc. You can’t do these things with machines. People are our greatest assets. Money, cars, property are all good, but without people, it just wouldn’t be the same type of enjoyment, learning, and fun. Therefore, I deal with people and issues as they present themselves to me, with respect, patience and value. Every problem has a solution, a learning factor/benefit, and requires people to assess it with all of the attributes a human possesses.
In the 911 Terrorist Attacks against the United States, I was commanding a response team in Somerset, PA. My team had to set up a BoO (base of operations) and needed certain materials and equipment to maintain operability and functionality, which we didn’t bring along, and had to procure on the civilian economy. The point I want to make is upon arriving at one of the vendors in the city, the sales person was so frighten about what had happened a few hours ago in their town, she was rattled beyond measure. The fear in her eyes and the lack of certainty in her voice is beyond any description of words for me to convey her feelings. As part of providing emergency management support to the State of Pennsylvania for a mortuary response, I also must provide ‘public affairs’ functions and consolement to the public we serve. My reaction to the sales clerk was to reassure her that everything is fine, currently no other attacks were foreseen, the government had as much of the situation under control as best as possible, and rest assured we would do all in our power to protect, preserve and recover what’s important to her and the community. We were there to help.
I remain to say, that Urban Self Defense can be defined in many ways, but I truly believe, it as a state of MIND. In My Opinion, what do you think? Feedback at www.youngsankarate.com; provide comments on the Feedback page.
H. James Young, Chief Instructor, Young San Karate
Sunday, December 1, 2013
December 2013 Newsletter
Holiday Specials
It is still not too late to take advantage of several Holiday Specials now through the New Year. One special is for new enrollments. We will be offering an introductory enrollment of six weeks for $45.00 for an Individual Plan and $99.00 for a Family Plan when you sign up on a six or twelve month plan.
The other specials are in the Holiday Gift Guide by Century Martial Arts. There are many new items for the holidays and a special sparring gear bundle for those that need to purchase sparring gear. Keep in mind that all of your martial arts needs can be purchased at the school and we also have gift certificates. If you are ordering gifts for Christmas please place your order by December 10th to ensure that your item is in stock or arrives in plenty of time. See Mr. or Mrs. Williams to place your orders.
H. JAMES YOUNG VISIT
Maryland based martial arts instructor and AKMS Student/Instructor made his annual visit to Hutchinson. Mr. Young is a welcome addition to American Karate. We had a great time exchanging ideas, exercises and techniques. We also appreciate his monthly contribution to the monthly newsletter.
HOLIDAY SCHOOL CLOSINGS
American Karate will be closed for the holiday season Wednesday, Christmas day until Monday January 6th. We wish all of our students and parents, friends and families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope that you come back with renewed goals and prepared to study and train harder than the year before.
TOURNAMENTS
Sam Price’s All Star Karate Championships
November 23, 2013 Hutchinson, Kansas
Chance Barr
1st Place 6-7 Novice Kata
2nd Place 6-7 Novice Kumite
CONSCIOUSLY DOING NOTHING
As of Dec 20, I will enter a long period of recovery from ankle surgery. Not only will the extra bone be removed, but the two ligaments on the outside will be repaired. Great! Oh, wait! 1 week of no weight bearing, 6 weeks of wearing a walking boot 24/7, then another 4-7 months of brace wearing and PT (Physical Therapy) until complete recovery. Oh!
After realizing just how this surgery will impact my training routine, I pulled out “Zen in the Martial Arts” by Joe Hyams. And, of course, the next chapter I was to read is perfectly timed. Joe relates 2 conversations regarding consciously doing nothing – the first with Bronislaw Kaper and the second with Bruce Lee. Here’s what I’ve gleaned from his sharing:
Kaper imparted that consciously doing nothing compares to the necessity of a pause in music. A master musician knows when and for how long to pause in comparison to the overall musical piece. A martial artist, too, knows when to take a break – not just in overall training, but in a sparring match, in a kata, in learning – for the benefit of the overall journey. For me, I’ve always hated taking a break. For some reason, that has equated to failure for me, like I’m a failure if I can’t keep going. But the musical analogy deeply resonates with me as I am also a musician. So, I now am looking at this time of recovery as a gift. Overall, the first 7 weeks of recovery are but a blip in the almost 15 years that I’ve trained in total.
Consciously doing nothing gives a martial artist a chance to reflect, assess, watch the effects of a choice, and adjust. Bruce told Joe, “I include pause and silence along with activity, thus allowing myself time to sense my own internal processes as well as my opponent’s”. To me, this is the core of consciously doing nothing. It has a purpose, it is not pure laziness. I can take control of myself – pause, assess, respond instead of react. This puts me in the driver’s seat rather than the opponent. We must constantly pause and assess the effects our actions have on our opponents so that we can respond effectively – which puts us in control, not the opponent. It’s kind of like Mr. Williams teaching us to create our defensive space after we’ve been attacked and caught off guard – get your hands up, create your space, take a breath, assess the situation.
I practice this concept as a math teacher, almost daily in my planning time. Without it, I would not know where my students are, how to adjust lessons to meet their abilities, when to pause and let them wrestle with the material to master it. I also practice this as a youth group leader at church. So it is now time to practice what I preach for myself. The first 7 weeks will give me plenty of time to practice this: pausing (no weight bearing will help enforce this!), assessing myself and my opponent (whether that is my ankle, my training during this initial down time, or my frustrations and emotions), and responding accordingly. After that, I must pause, reassess, and respond as I work through PT, pain, limitations, and healing.
Growth requires down time. Our culture “preaches” against down time and floods our minds with messages of “keep going”, “don’t quit”, “move, move, move”, “this deal is only for a short time”. These messages in and of themselves are not bad unless they are out of balance – like they have been in my life. So I challenge you. Are you making time to consciously do nothing? If you aren’t, will you?
Cristine Warring, AKMS Black Belt
URBAN SELFDEFENSE (A Definition) Part I of II
What is Urban Self Defense (USD)? One may define it as something dealing with the inner city or the city outside of the inner city. In my opinion it could be a state of mind, because where ever you are whether it is in the city, the inner city, the country, the suburban environment your MIND will be there to respond to the situation at hand.
To draw this illustration, I will attempt to summarize with various thoughts of actions. USD is not always about fighting or defending. It includes preparation and mitigation for a potential situation, which may occur in an Urban (which, I use lightly) setting.
Preparedness mentally, in my belief is the ‘loins’ share of USD. If, a person has mentally, prepared for potential situations to defend themselves against, then it will become a reaction, because it is already planted in their minds. Of course, adjustments to any situation a person has prepared for is warranted.
In my daily walk in whatever setting, i.e. the office, home, streets, bus, car, restaurant, sitting on the toilet, sitting at a table, etc, I always visualize a technique or way to defend or escape from these settings. If, I am walking down the street day or night, I look for shadows and listen for sounds, which may be contrary to safe passage along that corridor. Also, if, I am the only person on this path, and I see a shadow overtake mine, then I know someone is approaching, now whether it be friend or foe is determined by several factors, i.e. rate of speed the shadow overtakes mine, spatial distance of the two shadows, left side approach vs. right side approach, etc.
In recalling techniques to use in an Urban Self Defense setting was when terrorist were bombing us (overseas environment), shooting United Nation’s staff in broad daylight; it was imperative that I provide myself with some tale-tell signs on my car should someone have planted a bomb under my hood. If, any of those tale-tell signs were tampered with or not, and my gut feelings were not to access the car, then I wouldn’t, and would walk to work or find alternative transportation.
USD could include mitigation of a potential hazard. One can avoid numerous hazards with some forethought and actions. For instance, approaching your car doing day or night in a parking area, store, home, etc at a predetermined distance, the person needs to observe his/her vehicle before actually approaching it. Look to see if, anyone is standing by your vehicle, and if not seen, if you see feet near the tires. This could indicate someone is crouching or kneeling out of sight for a possible attack or they are tying their shoes. You can prevent potential harm by assessing this situation before hand.
In conversation with a close friend of mine who conducts national workshops on Domestic Violence (DV), we concluded DV can happen at anytime and anywhere. Usually, it is in an office setting. And, when a perpetrator is adamant about causing harm to a person they are anger with or hurt by and others, they stop at nothing.
In one of my past employments, I had informed the receptionist to be prepared should a situation develop in a scenario of such; and the security guard is inattentive, gets ‘taken out’ before he/she can react, etc. In this case, I informed her to look at several points of escape. Play over in her mind what she would do should an aggressor broach the main door, and neutralize the security guard, whereas, even in her ‘terrorified’ state of mind her mental pre-planning (mitigation) takes over.
A few other instances of Urban Self Defense are to be able to profile a potential assailant. Have some idea of the psychology of an aggressor. Also, know some defense and offense techniques to use.
Another instance in defining USD is being prepared to mitigate for and against emergencies when your water is turned off or has been contaminated. How to survive when the gas is turned off or disrupted, shortage of food, and this list could go on and on with no ending.
In a so-called civil society and somewhat in a peace time status, people should have an emergency kit prepared, and at the ready. The kit should include the essentials, i.e. food, water, medication (rotated in for freshness), batteries, reading materials, radio, personal products for cleanliness, set of change clothing (optional), striking materials for starting fire and matches, and anything to prolong your survival capabilities.
Whether people accept it or not in our society, confusion does control groups and the masses through a theory I call Confusion Conspiracy (CC). I see how government and the events around the world are developing, which supports my theory. It is a form of control, and one must be aware of it to survive, as one of their USD techniques.
In one of my middle school karate classes taught to the students of a school in Texas, I attempted to prepare those urban city or suburban city students with good citizenship in the dojo, in their classroom, at home, and on the streets. Be a solution to a problem and not the problem itself. Be prepared mentally and physically, humble and kind, and tough when need be, as a ‘way of life’ as the Martial Arts would teach them.
My thinking pattern or philosophy is simple. I try to keep it simple, and I have always attempted to be a very peaceful person. Also, I have never looked for trouble; however, it has always found me. This was more so during my pre-teens to my early twenties. Everyone who was able to ‘fall’ the mountain, because, I am a big guy in statue, whether I knew the Martial Arts or not, I am rather strong physically, as my late grandmother would say, “strong as an ox”. The neighborhood boys would always attack me in groups of three or more or from behind. As a ‘gentle giant’, for a long time I didn’t know how to deal with my hurt, and rage for being picked on. I would be so angry, that I desired total bodily harm towards retaliation for my attackers. However, due to a strong minded Mom, an uncle, a sister, and Mrs. Johnson (neighborhood Mom); I never fulfilled my retaliation spree. I did have an uncontrollable temper, which almost killed a teenager. And, from that point on, I decided from within to be master over my temperament. Not to foolishly react in rage and thoughtless abandonment, even if I had only a few seconds to respond. In My Opinion, what do you think? Feedback at www.youngsankarate.com; provide comments on the Feedback page. (Part II of II in the next newsletter issue)
H. James Young, Chief Instructor, Young San Karate
It is still not too late to take advantage of several Holiday Specials now through the New Year. One special is for new enrollments. We will be offering an introductory enrollment of six weeks for $45.00 for an Individual Plan and $99.00 for a Family Plan when you sign up on a six or twelve month plan.
The other specials are in the Holiday Gift Guide by Century Martial Arts. There are many new items for the holidays and a special sparring gear bundle for those that need to purchase sparring gear. Keep in mind that all of your martial arts needs can be purchased at the school and we also have gift certificates. If you are ordering gifts for Christmas please place your order by December 10th to ensure that your item is in stock or arrives in plenty of time. See Mr. or Mrs. Williams to place your orders.
H. JAMES YOUNG VISIT
Maryland based martial arts instructor and AKMS Student/Instructor made his annual visit to Hutchinson. Mr. Young is a welcome addition to American Karate. We had a great time exchanging ideas, exercises and techniques. We also appreciate his monthly contribution to the monthly newsletter.
HOLIDAY SCHOOL CLOSINGS
American Karate will be closed for the holiday season Wednesday, Christmas day until Monday January 6th. We wish all of our students and parents, friends and families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope that you come back with renewed goals and prepared to study and train harder than the year before.
TOURNAMENTS
Sam Price’s All Star Karate Championships
November 23, 2013 Hutchinson, Kansas
Chance Barr
1st Place 6-7 Novice Kata
2nd Place 6-7 Novice Kumite
CONSCIOUSLY DOING NOTHING
As of Dec 20, I will enter a long period of recovery from ankle surgery. Not only will the extra bone be removed, but the two ligaments on the outside will be repaired. Great! Oh, wait! 1 week of no weight bearing, 6 weeks of wearing a walking boot 24/7, then another 4-7 months of brace wearing and PT (Physical Therapy) until complete recovery. Oh!
After realizing just how this surgery will impact my training routine, I pulled out “Zen in the Martial Arts” by Joe Hyams. And, of course, the next chapter I was to read is perfectly timed. Joe relates 2 conversations regarding consciously doing nothing – the first with Bronislaw Kaper and the second with Bruce Lee. Here’s what I’ve gleaned from his sharing:
Kaper imparted that consciously doing nothing compares to the necessity of a pause in music. A master musician knows when and for how long to pause in comparison to the overall musical piece. A martial artist, too, knows when to take a break – not just in overall training, but in a sparring match, in a kata, in learning – for the benefit of the overall journey. For me, I’ve always hated taking a break. For some reason, that has equated to failure for me, like I’m a failure if I can’t keep going. But the musical analogy deeply resonates with me as I am also a musician. So, I now am looking at this time of recovery as a gift. Overall, the first 7 weeks of recovery are but a blip in the almost 15 years that I’ve trained in total.
Consciously doing nothing gives a martial artist a chance to reflect, assess, watch the effects of a choice, and adjust. Bruce told Joe, “I include pause and silence along with activity, thus allowing myself time to sense my own internal processes as well as my opponent’s”. To me, this is the core of consciously doing nothing. It has a purpose, it is not pure laziness. I can take control of myself – pause, assess, respond instead of react. This puts me in the driver’s seat rather than the opponent. We must constantly pause and assess the effects our actions have on our opponents so that we can respond effectively – which puts us in control, not the opponent. It’s kind of like Mr. Williams teaching us to create our defensive space after we’ve been attacked and caught off guard – get your hands up, create your space, take a breath, assess the situation.
I practice this concept as a math teacher, almost daily in my planning time. Without it, I would not know where my students are, how to adjust lessons to meet their abilities, when to pause and let them wrestle with the material to master it. I also practice this as a youth group leader at church. So it is now time to practice what I preach for myself. The first 7 weeks will give me plenty of time to practice this: pausing (no weight bearing will help enforce this!), assessing myself and my opponent (whether that is my ankle, my training during this initial down time, or my frustrations and emotions), and responding accordingly. After that, I must pause, reassess, and respond as I work through PT, pain, limitations, and healing.
Growth requires down time. Our culture “preaches” against down time and floods our minds with messages of “keep going”, “don’t quit”, “move, move, move”, “this deal is only for a short time”. These messages in and of themselves are not bad unless they are out of balance – like they have been in my life. So I challenge you. Are you making time to consciously do nothing? If you aren’t, will you?
Cristine Warring, AKMS Black Belt
URBAN SELFDEFENSE (A Definition) Part I of II
What is Urban Self Defense (USD)? One may define it as something dealing with the inner city or the city outside of the inner city. In my opinion it could be a state of mind, because where ever you are whether it is in the city, the inner city, the country, the suburban environment your MIND will be there to respond to the situation at hand.
To draw this illustration, I will attempt to summarize with various thoughts of actions. USD is not always about fighting or defending. It includes preparation and mitigation for a potential situation, which may occur in an Urban (which, I use lightly) setting.
Preparedness mentally, in my belief is the ‘loins’ share of USD. If, a person has mentally, prepared for potential situations to defend themselves against, then it will become a reaction, because it is already planted in their minds. Of course, adjustments to any situation a person has prepared for is warranted.
In my daily walk in whatever setting, i.e. the office, home, streets, bus, car, restaurant, sitting on the toilet, sitting at a table, etc, I always visualize a technique or way to defend or escape from these settings. If, I am walking down the street day or night, I look for shadows and listen for sounds, which may be contrary to safe passage along that corridor. Also, if, I am the only person on this path, and I see a shadow overtake mine, then I know someone is approaching, now whether it be friend or foe is determined by several factors, i.e. rate of speed the shadow overtakes mine, spatial distance of the two shadows, left side approach vs. right side approach, etc.
In recalling techniques to use in an Urban Self Defense setting was when terrorist were bombing us (overseas environment), shooting United Nation’s staff in broad daylight; it was imperative that I provide myself with some tale-tell signs on my car should someone have planted a bomb under my hood. If, any of those tale-tell signs were tampered with or not, and my gut feelings were not to access the car, then I wouldn’t, and would walk to work or find alternative transportation.
USD could include mitigation of a potential hazard. One can avoid numerous hazards with some forethought and actions. For instance, approaching your car doing day or night in a parking area, store, home, etc at a predetermined distance, the person needs to observe his/her vehicle before actually approaching it. Look to see if, anyone is standing by your vehicle, and if not seen, if you see feet near the tires. This could indicate someone is crouching or kneeling out of sight for a possible attack or they are tying their shoes. You can prevent potential harm by assessing this situation before hand.
In conversation with a close friend of mine who conducts national workshops on Domestic Violence (DV), we concluded DV can happen at anytime and anywhere. Usually, it is in an office setting. And, when a perpetrator is adamant about causing harm to a person they are anger with or hurt by and others, they stop at nothing.
In one of my past employments, I had informed the receptionist to be prepared should a situation develop in a scenario of such; and the security guard is inattentive, gets ‘taken out’ before he/she can react, etc. In this case, I informed her to look at several points of escape. Play over in her mind what she would do should an aggressor broach the main door, and neutralize the security guard, whereas, even in her ‘terrorified’ state of mind her mental pre-planning (mitigation) takes over.
A few other instances of Urban Self Defense are to be able to profile a potential assailant. Have some idea of the psychology of an aggressor. Also, know some defense and offense techniques to use.
Another instance in defining USD is being prepared to mitigate for and against emergencies when your water is turned off or has been contaminated. How to survive when the gas is turned off or disrupted, shortage of food, and this list could go on and on with no ending.
In a so-called civil society and somewhat in a peace time status, people should have an emergency kit prepared, and at the ready. The kit should include the essentials, i.e. food, water, medication (rotated in for freshness), batteries, reading materials, radio, personal products for cleanliness, set of change clothing (optional), striking materials for starting fire and matches, and anything to prolong your survival capabilities.
Whether people accept it or not in our society, confusion does control groups and the masses through a theory I call Confusion Conspiracy (CC). I see how government and the events around the world are developing, which supports my theory. It is a form of control, and one must be aware of it to survive, as one of their USD techniques.
In one of my middle school karate classes taught to the students of a school in Texas, I attempted to prepare those urban city or suburban city students with good citizenship in the dojo, in their classroom, at home, and on the streets. Be a solution to a problem and not the problem itself. Be prepared mentally and physically, humble and kind, and tough when need be, as a ‘way of life’ as the Martial Arts would teach them.
My thinking pattern or philosophy is simple. I try to keep it simple, and I have always attempted to be a very peaceful person. Also, I have never looked for trouble; however, it has always found me. This was more so during my pre-teens to my early twenties. Everyone who was able to ‘fall’ the mountain, because, I am a big guy in statue, whether I knew the Martial Arts or not, I am rather strong physically, as my late grandmother would say, “strong as an ox”. The neighborhood boys would always attack me in groups of three or more or from behind. As a ‘gentle giant’, for a long time I didn’t know how to deal with my hurt, and rage for being picked on. I would be so angry, that I desired total bodily harm towards retaliation for my attackers. However, due to a strong minded Mom, an uncle, a sister, and Mrs. Johnson (neighborhood Mom); I never fulfilled my retaliation spree. I did have an uncontrollable temper, which almost killed a teenager. And, from that point on, I decided from within to be master over my temperament. Not to foolishly react in rage and thoughtless abandonment, even if I had only a few seconds to respond. In My Opinion, what do you think? Feedback at www.youngsankarate.com; provide comments on the Feedback page. (Part II of II in the next newsletter issue)
H. James Young, Chief Instructor, Young San Karate
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Sam Price’s All Star Karate Championships
Karate Tournament Results
November 23, 2013
Chance Barr
1st Place 6-7 Novice Kata
2nd Place 6-7 Novice Kumite
Hutchinson, Kansas
November 23, 2013
Chance Barr
1st Place 6-7 Novice Kata
2nd Place 6-7 Novice Kumite
Hutchinson, Kansas
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