August 2004 Newsletter

 Our July 10th Karate Training Sessions were a great success. Students from the Hackettstown, Panther Valley, Picatinny and Green Twp. Enrichment Programs were in attendance. People came for a few hours and many stayed the entire day. The cover dish dinner at the end had a great variety of dishes and deserts. Thanks to everyone for their enthusiasm.

Congratulations to our newest Sho-Dan, First Degree Black Belt, LORI HEALY. If you are seeking to join the ranks of the Yudansha and want to know what to do, it is simple. Watch what Lori does in class.

SEMINARS WITH MY SENSEI, MASTER WILLIAM H. DUESSEL: PLAN TO ATTEND!

SATURDAY - AUGUST 7th

• JUNIOR KYU RANKS WHO HAVE COMPLETED SEISAN AND ABOVE:  2:00 P.M. TO 3:15 P.M.

• SENIOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED SEISAN AND ABOVE:  3:15 P.M. TO 5:00 P.M.

THERE WILL BE A GET TOGETHER AT MY HOME FOR STUDENTS WHO WISH TO TALK WITH SENSEI FURTHER.

COST

• $25.00 FOR EACH SEMINAR

• $10.00 FOR THE DINNER FOLLOWING

PLEASE GIVE ME A COUNT OF STUDENTS WISHING TO ATTEND EACH SO I MAY PLAN.

SUNDAY - AUGUST 8th

• BLACK BELT STUDENTS - BO & SAI KATA:  1:00 P.M. TO 3:00 P.M.

COST

• $25.00

Congratulations to:

• First Degree Black Belt (Sho-Dan) - Lori Healy
• Junior Orange Belt: Ashley Hunt, Imani Jenkins, Olivia Lewin, Ashley Tordillas
• Junior Green Belt #1: Kelvin Lee, Matt Lerman
• Junior Purple Belt #1: Sean Bolten, Brandon Folkes
• Junior Purple Belt #2: Shaheeda Miles, Anthony Hunt, Michael Hunt, Kyle Wheeler
• Senior Green Belt: Steven Peterson

Promotions are granted when the student demonstrates the proper techniques and a continued advancement of practice and training, inside and outside of the dojo

RIGHT - by Bob Proctor

That's right. It's right. He's right. She's right. Those words are echoed every day by millions of people. Once we decide we are right, an abundance of energy goes into defending our rightness. However, if we look at the situation objectively, we will quickly become aware that we are never right.

Our way may be a good way, it can be a valid way, it might even be a better way - but it will never be the right way. The minute you believe your way is the right way, all other ways will be wrong. That attitude will quickly paralyze progress. It will shut down the creative juices, which have given you and I a standard of living that is the envy of the world.

Permit me to make a suggestion. The next time you hear yourself saying, "that's right or I'm right," correct yourself immediately by repeating, that is a good way, and I might act on it. However, there is a better way and I will look for it.

The first telephones were a good way, a better way, even a great way to communicate. However, history has proven that the first telephones were certainly not the best way to communicate. By comparison with today's telephone systems, they were terrible.

This basic concept holds true with everything we do, from health care to air travel. Think of your own business or industry and the role you play in it. You could very easily be caught in the trap of doing your job the same way because you believe it is the right way. It may be effective but there is always a better way. One small adjustment could improve your productivity one hundred percent.

Your way may be effective, it may be valid, but it's never right. There is a better way. Find it!

Special Report: Walking and Health - The decline of activity — and its effects

The June 7 Time story begins by explaining that walking began to diminish following the growth of suburbs during the second half of the 20th century. Cities shrank in population and construction spread out over the countryside. The automobile became the only way to get around. It replaced urban forms of transportation: the streetcar, the city bus — and travel by putting one foot in front of the other. That includes not only walking directly from Point A to Point B. Moving within a city by bus or subway also required some walking at either end of the trip. But when Americans acquired cars, suddenly every destination was no farther away on foot than the closest parking lot.

Obesity and hypertension:

Another study investigated the lifestyle habits of Atlanta residents. It revealed a startling relationship between time spent driving in a car and walk activity. The research found that in a daily routine, every hour in a car adds an additional 6% to the chance of becoming obese. And the reverse is also true: every kilometer walked per day decreases the chance of obesity by 5%.

The trend continues:

The reason, clearly, can’t be to save time. At a normal pace, a person can walk a mile in about 15 to 20 minutes. Waiting for pickup at the bus stop, or battling traffic in a car, is not going to reduce the time spent commuting by any significant amount.

The disappearance of this simple and accessible form of exercise seems destined to continue into the next generation.

What to do about it?

In August you have a chance to train with my instructor, in our immediate area. Master Duessel is a unique individual in martial art’s circles. He trained daily with the founder of Isshin-ryu Karate in 1964 when Tatsuo Shimabuku was in Pittsburgh as a young man. Most people see videos of the founder of the style when he was much older and in poor health. Hanshi Duessel sets the bar high. He does not promote people to any rank that they do not deserve. He trains daily to perfect the Original Style, as it was taught without changing the kata to make himself seem to be more important than the system he lives & teaches. He travels to very few areas to help people improve themselves and their karate skills. He visits us because he knows we are striving to keep the Classical Values of Isshin-ryu Karate alive, as he is. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn form one of the best people & karate men I have ever met. Work to perfect your body, mind and spirit.