I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We want to thank everyone for the gifts and cards. Now is the time to start thinking about your short term and long term goals for the New Year. It may be an additional stripe on your belt or a promotion to a higher rank. You may want to plan on how many tournaments you want to attend this year. This is your martial arts journey. Make it a special and better year for you!
STUFF THE BUS
I want to thank everyone who donated toys, supplies and food to the Stuff The Bus program for Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Center and Shelter. Thomas Williams
PROMOTIONS
Damian Hurt-Lil' Dragon Black Stripe
Charly Daugherty-Lil' Dragon Black Stripe
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| Damian Hurt |
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| H. James Young - Inducted |
MARTIAL ARTISTS THAT PASSED IN 2012
There were many passings during 2012. Here is a list of the few that I knew personally or came in contact with at martial arts events around the nation.
Tom Kelly-Ed Parker Kenpo Black Belt student, competitor and instructor
Joe Lewis-Tracy's Karate student and full contact pioneer, instructor
George Pesare-Rhode Island Kenpo pioneer and instructor
Jesse Glover-Bruce Lee's first student and JKD Instructor
Jerry Poteet-Bruce Lee first generation student and JKD Instructor
Parker Shelton-Martial arts pioneer, competitor and instructor
"IN MY OPINION-Think About It"
What Style/System Is Better? for January 2013 a) There are many styles in the Martial Arts, which many men, women, boys and girls of different races have involved themselves in practicing, living, teaching, learning, growing, pursuing. Many have always questioned which style or system is better than the other. It draws contention from many that their system/style is better than another style/system. I don’t think any style/system is better than the other. All have different strengths, and deeper strengths than the other. However, it is the person, who makes that particular technique in that style/system what it is. In a conversation with Al Dacascos in West Germany during one of his tours in the middle 1970's while touring that weekend with him, I asked him about his Kung Fu side kick. Mr. Dacascus told me and Daryl ‘Golden Boy’ Tyler, that was Al Dacascus side kick, I just happen to practice Kung Fu, which amplifies the style/system. So, I remembered this from then to now, and interpreted it’s meaning to me, the person perfects the technique of the particular style/system, and makes all look strong and good. Think about it?
H. James Young
BUSHIDO VIRTUE #6 MEIYO
Politicians and celebrities using the media to downplay the shame of their misdeeds. Fathers killing their children for choosing a different point of view. Our culture’s understanding of honor – meiyo in Japanese – is seriously distorted and sullied. It seems today that if we can get away with something or “sincerely apologize” if we get caught, then it’s ok to do whatever we want. Our reputation, our family name, our honor doesn’t matter much anymore. On the other hand, much arrogance and selfishness has been perpetrated in the name of one’s “honor”. So what is it really?
This is the 6th virtue of Bushido. Wikipedia states that honor is “a perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects both the social standing and the self-evaluation of an individual or corporate body such as a family, school, regiment or nation. The key word is perceived. From multiple definitions of the word comes the idea that my honor is only as good as what other people see it to be. But is this what honor means for us in the martial arts?
In “Bushido: The Soul of Japan”, Nitboe explains “A good name—one's reputation, the immortal part of one's self, what remains being bestial—assumed as a matter of course, any infringement upon its integrity was felt as shame, and the sense of shame was one of the earliest to be cherished in juvenile education.” Here lies the difference. My honor does not depend on what others think. It *does* take into consideration what others have taught me. It *does* heed what my mentors, my fellow karate-ka, and my sensei says. But ultimately, my own personal honor is judged from within. And without the previous 5 tenets of Bushido, my judgment will be skewed.
This is why I am glad I feel ashamed if I do not drop for pushups if I miss cadence during class.
But, what about when I am insulted? What about when I am accused of something I did not do? Nitobe reminds us that we must temper and balance these outward perceptions of our honor with magnanimity and patience. Rather than fly into a rage at a perceived insult, we must rely on the previous 5 tenets of Bushido and respond from them.
This is where it gets tough. From the beginning, following the tenets of Bushido transforms us from inside out. Honor is where what is inside us shows itself to the outside world. What will others see? Will they become hungry for what we have? Will they see a life lived so differently than everyone else around them that they ask?
As said previously, gi points the way for us, yu kicks us in the pants to move, jin keeps us mindful of others on the same journey, rei is how we act toward everyone on the same path (including ourselves) – and makoto keeps us on the path. Meiyo either repels or draws others to join us on our journey. Would others want to join you?
Cristine Warring
MEMBER SOLUTIONS
All of our student tuition accounts are with Member Solutions Billing Company not American Karate & Martial Science. When you enroll with us your account is handled by them. You are required to satisfy your contract without interruption. When your initial contract has been satisfied your account goes to a month to month contract with a thirty (30) day cancellation notice required to Member Solutions not American Karate. This is an important reminder as there have been a few accounts that have failed to contact Member Solutions and they have continued to get billed. Some accounts have ended up in collection from an outside agency.
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