Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

I had a great time teaching the ancient form Lao Gar to those that
attended the seminar on Saturday. Along the same lines, I have been
asked by several people to begin teaching the internal arts of Qigong
and Tai Chi and am considering holding a class a couple of times a
week if there is enough interest. Qigong is an ancient healing
exercises that have been handed down for thousands of years in China.
In fact, today qigong is a big part of the medical system in China.
Qigong is a self-healing system that uses breathing exercises and
postures to increase the chi or energy in the body, thus providing a
healthy environment to fight disease.
Tai Chi is actually a form of Qigong, but has martial arts
applications as well. There are several styles of Tai Chi, but the Wu
style is excellent at the self-defense applications and healing
aspects. I am tentatively looking at a day class once a week and
Saturday mornings. If you would be interested in learning this art
form over the summer, e-mail me and let me know.

The main dojo will be closed the 24th, 25th and 26th for the Memorial
Day holiday.

The next belt test is scheduled for May 31st at the main dojo.

Anyone wanting to go with us on our road trip to Oklahoma for Roger
Greene's annual training camp and pool party on the weekend of June
27th through June 29th let us know. For more information go to
http://www.rogergreene.com/EventCalendar.asp.

Mark your calendars – Saturday July 5th we will be hosting a training
camp up in Crystal Park. Training in the morning, a cookout at the
clubhouse at noon and then a mountain hike in the afternoon for those
interested. A $25 charge will cover the training, clubhouse fee and
food. No extra charge for the clean air and beautiful view.

Lesson Of The Week

Ingarutsu- The Law of Cause and Effect
Most people understand that for every action there is a predictable
reaction. For example, if you were to hold a small ball in your hand
and then let it go, it would fall to the floor. This is described in
reference to the dynamics of gravity. This principle of cause and
effect is around us everywhere. As martial artists, we use this
principle everyday to maintain our safety and to reach our constantly
expanding goals.
Sun Tzu in his classic work, "The Art Of War", stated that to be
assured victory in combat, one must know yourself and your enemy. If
you know yourself and your abilities well but do not know your
opponent, then you will prevail only 50% of the time. If you know
your opponent well but do not know yourself, you will win 50% of the
time. To be assured victory, you must know yourself and your enemy.
The martial arts are a constant process of learning about yourself
and your abilities. Anyone that has trained for a while can look back
and see newly acquired skills and the ability of doing things that
they would have thought impossible when they were a white belt. A
good Sensei is one who constantly forces a student to step out of
their comfort zone and gradually accomplish previously impossible
tasks. Gradually a student learns to understand the law of cause and
effect, and by pushing himself or herself to a higher and higher
standard, anything becomes possible.
The second half of being assured victory is knowing others. Musashi
in his book, "The Five Rings" states that one of the key principles
of success is to know all the arts. The same is true today. A modern
warrior is a life long student of many disciplines including
negotiations, verbal and non-verbal communications, psychology,
sociology, etiquette, the law, and classical works on strategy and
tactics of success. This knowledge arms him or her with the ability
to better understand others and to be able to predict consequences of
his actions ahead of time. Only at this level can one see the future,
as it is about to happen based on this knowledge. It is at this point
that the warrior becomes empowered with a sense of self-control
because he knows that he is truly in charge of his actions, and
therefore the reactions of others. Using the Law of Cause and Effect,
and making the right choice in all actions allows him to flow
smoothly through life, unlike those that tend to run head on into
trouble over and over again.
Facing any problem in your life, the process is the very same. You
must understand your abilities and limitations and then go about
identifying in detail the problem. Once you have done that it is
easier to develop a plan of action that will ensure success. As
listed on our Street-Wise site, here is the foundation of success:
Understand what is important to you.
Identify where you are right now.
Set specific and detailed written goals.
Identify knowledge or help you are going to need.
Develop an action plan for accomplishing your goals.
Identify all potential problems and create plans to minimize or to
eliminate these threats.
Take action.
Review and renew constantly.
Respectfully,
Terry Bryan