June 2004 Newsletter

 Points of Clarification: Please pay dues the beginning of each month. Remember if you are not going to be able to attend a scheduled class, it is your responsibility to call to let us know. If you do not call, you forfeit the right to make up the class.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
KARATE CAMP AT SENSEI’S JULY 10TH
KARATE OVERNIGHT AUGUST 27TH & 28TH

A friend and I were recently talking about a book he just bought, I DARE YOU, that was first printed in 1941 and is now being reintroduced in its tenth printing. One of the areas discusses the benefits of listening to a good Victor Victrola. No mention in the book about television or cinema, IMAGINE THAT! This brought me to thoughts about our younger generation, and myself years ago, and our music. Today there is so much hate in the world, and some people profess to love others, which drew me back to part of the Conference Call Monday with Bob Proctor and William Todd, a world famous motivationalist and a friend in Nikken.

Read It, Live It

Some foxes met to declare, "If only we could learn to love each other more! So from this day forward we will use the word LOVE in every sentence." Unfortunately, the repeated use of the word LOVE had a peculiar and hypnotic effect on the foxes. They fell under the delusion that saying the word meant possession of the virtue. So they could never understand how such loving foxes could hate each other so much."

The articles we forward to you are for one purpose only . . . to help raise your level of consciousness. But sometimes reading the articles isn't enough . . . you have to internalize what you're reading and get emotionally involved in the ideas. You may even have to make some changes! Are you ready? Are you willing?

There's a cute saying . . . sitting in church won't make you a Christian any more than sitting in a chicken coup will make you a chicken. It may sound harsh, but it's true!

Be aware of the feelings that come up for you when you read the articles. Are you living congruently? What are you doing? What's working for you? What's not? Do you know the changes you need to make? Are you making them? As William mentioned . . . some of the things that have come up for him have been hurtful even painful! But, it's work that absolutely needs to be done to get to the next level. And, when you can come out of it and know that you're in charge of how you're going to live . . . WHAT A RUSH!

THEN today's thought from Bob Proctor, related by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., pulled the ideas together. When we watch TV, we are drawn into the program by the actions and words of the actors. Some people believe what they see is real, though it is acting. What the mind believes is real, internally. Remember being afraid of the dark as a child . . . those monsters were real, weren't they?! Being a retired English teacher, I have valued the strength in WORDS. When we read a book we can read the words and not internalize what is being written. When we CHOOSE to tune into the written word, spoken thought and emotion, songs, sentiments of love and hate . . . we are making or changing the world in which we live. The martial arts have taught and still teach the strength in Actions, Words and Living the life we should live . . . or we live in a pretend world.

"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think."

Martin Luther King, Jr.
1929 1968, Human Rights Activist and Nobel Prize Winner

What happened years ago, happens again. Trends repeat, look at clothes, sentiments in music, love, hate and so much more. Today is the time to start to use that SOLID THINKING that we need to cultivate. Commit to yourself to improve your live and the lives around you. I have just called the library to get the book.

WHAT A RUSH! I DARE YOU!

Congratulations to:

• Senior Brown Belt #3:Alex Becker
• Senior Yellow belt: Trey Kunkel
• Junior Orange Belt: Alex Garcia, Kelvin Lee
• Award winners at Sensei Gaeta’s Tournament May 2nd :Brandon Folkes, Justin Podito and Austin Podito

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

THE ART OF LIVING – Emulate Worthy Role Models

One of the best ways to elevate your character immediately is to find worthy role models to emulate. If you have the opportunity to meet with an important person, don’t be nervous. Invoke the characteristics of the people you admire most and adopt their manners, speech, and behavior as your own. There is nothing false in this. We all carry the seeds of greatness within us, but we need an image as a point of focus in order that they may sprout.

At the same time, just because you are meeting a person of great merit doesn’t mean you should be overly awed. People are just people, regardless of their talent or influence.

The $20.00 Bill

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still, the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still, the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or whom we know, but by WHOM WE ARE. You are special. Don't EVER forget it.

As we train in karate, we study Basics, Kata, Self Defense, Meditation, Japanese Terminology and Sparring Drills. Of these general areas - the least important is sparring, but all are necessary. When confronted by a situation that may require the use of force, our intent should be to protect ourselves and subdue an opponent.

We train to use the force necessary to restrain an opponent. We do not train to fight when force is not necessary. The fight can be done as much with the mind as with the body. We can fight within ourselves to overcome the desire to strike someone who is challenging us. The highest skill is not to fight but use our abilities and intelligence to work through the situation and not have to fight.

To state the issue clearly, the order of importance in a traditional dojo rates Basics as the most important element to study and work to perfect. This is because every other skill comes from the proper technique used as one does his or her basics. Kata, Self Defense and Sparring all come from our basic skills. Each student must develop every area of the art - including Sparring - to the utmost.

We train all summer. For each of us to improve, we use the help and knowledge of others. This is learned from childhood in our educational process. Parents and teachers lead and teach by example. Isshin-ryu Karate is an education that improves our mind, body and spirit. To continue to improve and grow, training must continue or our progress begins to be lost. The spirit gained while training with a group, enhances our efforts. Commit to yourself to continue to improve.

Now that the warmer weather is here - - bring sneakers and an extra pair of socks to each work out, as sometimes we go outside during class. As summer approaches and vacation time, plan ahead. If you are going to miss class, let us know and you have the option to make up the missed classes before or after you go.