Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Next belt test for kyu rank students is scheduled for May 3rd. Make
sure you get your stripes and be prepared to do an excellent job so
you can continue in your quest to black belt and beyond.

Mark your calendars! Our black belt weekend is coming up May 9th and
10th. Friday night several of our students will be testing for their
black belt or higher levels of black belt. This will take place at
Timberview middle school. The following day we will be hosting a
seminar with some greats in the karate world. Currently scheduled are
Shihan Johnson – 2 time world champion in Jujitsu, Kyoshi Dan
Kennedy – one of our nations top weapons masters in the country,
Kyoshi Roger Greene – one of the countries top competitors and
coaches in sport karate for over 30 years, and Kyoshi Raymond
Montoya – Kyoshi Bryan's senior student and one of the top arnis
instructors and police instructors in the country. Don't miss this
opportunity to train with these top master instructors.
Saturday evening we will have our black belt awards dinner. A nice
meal, awards presentation, and a chance to meet and greet our guests
from around the country. This is a special year for the organization,
with lots of senior people coming in from around the country. I would
really love to see a tremendous support for this event and hope that
you make our guest feel welcome and a part of our family.
To sign up for the dinner or seminar, please see your Sensei or talk
to Mary Britton. I believe the cost is $50 for the whole weekend,
which helps us pay hard costs and all the expenses of our out of town
guests. I hope to see you there.

Lesson Of The Week

Leadership Qualities In ABBA

This week I want to talk about leadership and more specifically the
leadership qualities I have recently witnessed from this
organization. Anyone that truly knows me, understands that I try to
set high expectations for myself, as well as my students and staff. I
have faced many challenges in my life and have always approached them
with an attitude of not whether I was going to win, but rather when
and how victory was going to happen. Recently I was diagnosed with
cancer and given a 25% chance of survival for the next year. This has
dictated that I concentrate on my health issues and cut back on other
teaching activities that I enjoy so much. Now to have a staff that
simply absorbs my schedule is not an easy one, because my typical
workday began about 4:30 in the morning with my training and computer
time followed by teaching classes in the local high schools from 7:00
am – 3:00 pm. When not teaching or supervising at the main school,
which sometimes went to 9:00 pm, I worked my real estate investment
business in order to pay the bills. I am proud to say that when I
told my senior students what was going on, they took complete control
and ran the organization without a single hitch.
It's been said that 'Leadership is not what you do, but who you are.'
This, however, is only partially true. Leadership is very much who
you are, but it cannot be divorced from what you do. Who you are
represents the inner person, and what you do represents the outer
person. Each is dependent on the other for maximum effectiveness.
The starting point of motivational leadership is to begin seeing
yourself as a role model, seeing yourself as an example to others. I
have witnessed this quality is very much a part of our sempai,
instructors and staff. They see themselves as people who set the
standards that others follow. A key characteristic of leaders is that
they set high standards of accountability for themselves and for
their behaviors. They assume that others are watching them and then
setting their own standards by what they do. They, in fact, lead by
example, just exactly as though someone were following them around,
surreptitiously taking notes and photographs of their daily actions
for others to see.
Perhaps the most powerful of motivational leaders is the person who
practices what is called 'servant leadership.' Confucius said, 'He
who would be master must be servant of all.' The person who sees
himself or herself as a servant, and who does everything possible to
help others to perform at their best, is practicing the highest form
of servant leadership. I have seen this quality, especially in the
last month in white belts, sempai, instructors and volunteers.
Over the years, we have been led to believe that leaders are those
who stride boldly about, exude power and confidence, give orders and
make decisions for others to carry out. However, that is old school.
The leader of today is the one who asks questions, listens carefully,
plans diligently and then builds consensus among all those who are
necessary for achieving the goals. The leader does not try to do it
by himself or herself. The leader gets things done by helping others
to do them.
Most people are seduced by the lure of the comfort zone, but martial
artists know that success is only achieved by pushing the envelope.
The average person, when he feels the storm swirling outside his
comfort zone, rushes back inside where it's nice and warm. But not
the true leader. The true leader has the courage to step away from
the familiar and comfortable and to face the unknown with no
guarantees of success. It is this ability to 'boldly go where no man
has gone before' that distinguishes a leader from the average person.
This is the example that you must set if you are to rise above the
average. It is this example that inspires and motivates other people
to rise above their previous levels of accomplishment as well.
Alexander the Great, the king of Macedonia, was one of the most
superb leaders of all time. He became king at the age of 19, when his
father, Philip II, was assassinated. In the next 11 years, he
conquered much of the known world, leading his armies many times
against numerically superior forces.
Yet, when he was at the height of his power, the master of the known
world, the greatest ruler in history to that date, he would still
draw his sword at the beginning of a battle and lead his men forward
into the conflict. He insisted on leading by example. Alexander felt
that he could not ask his men to risk their lives unless he was
willing to demonstrate by his actions that he had complete confidence
in the outcome. The sight of Alexander charging forward so excited
and motivated his soldiers that no force on earth could stand before
them.
Like Alexander the Great, I have witnessed our staff as they picked
up the sword and threw themselves towards what needed to be done in
order for the organization to achieve its goals. I find myself
reassured as to the strength and future success of our organization
and its mission. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that
helps in our mission of bringing out the best in others through our
many success programs. It is truly an honor being a part of such a
great team.

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan