Dear Students, Teachers and Friends,

Congratulations to all the students that tested for their new belts
at the Bijou dojo this Saturday. Everyone looked great!

On November 15th we will be having our annual chop and shop. This is
where we bring the students in and teach them the proper way to
break a board with their bare hands. We will also have a special set
up for those wishing to order any martial arts items so they can get
here before Christmas. Special discounts will be given on that day
because we will get a discount when we order in volume.

The Pikes Peak Championships will be held on November 22nd at
Coronado High School. See you Sensei for a registration form. This
is open to all out students and select other programs.

Quotes of the Week

Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of
right
answers.
Josef Albers

I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I
understand.
Chinese Proverb

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative
expression and
knowledge.
Albert Einstein



Lesson of the Week

Sensei – One Who Walks Before

Re-inventing the wheel is one way to move forward in life while
learning from others is another. Dedicating oneself to a teacher
that is dedicated in turn to your future success is one of those
simple things that can make a drastic result in your future success
in all areas of your life.

In Asian thought, we are all on a certain path that we call this
journey of life. Each of us chooses to follow their own specific
path based on their core values, goals and objectives. Which ever
path we choose, there is sure to be someone else on this same path
that is further down the line and this person is capable of becoming
a Sensei to you … one that has walked before.

I am very blessed to have had some great mentors in my lifetime and
still spend a tremendous amount of time with my teachers today. My
success coaches include trainers in a variety of areas including
personal achievement, business development, personal finance,
spiritual development, personal relationship counseling as well as
martial arts training. While the costs of this constant and never
ending pursuit of improvement is not cheap, try the cost of trying
to learn on your own and you will instantly see the true value of
choosing good teachers and mentors. As the old saying goes, you pay
for an education once; you pay for ignorance for the rest of your
life.

A martial arts Sensei is someone that has spent many years learning
their art and is willing to take you under their wing and show you
how to precede down the path towards black belt excellence. Great
care should be taken in choosing a Sensei because once that choice
is made a very special relationship begins to develop that is
founded on character, integrity, respect and duty. This link between
the teachers of the past and the future generation is not taken
lightly by classical teachers and great care is used in selecting
the future leaders to pass on their art. The lineage of our style
goes back hundreds of years for our Okinawan Karate and over 1500
years for our Chinese Kempo background. America is full of teachers
that have created their own style with only a few years of study and
that is why we are so proud of the depth and richness of our style
and why we spend so much time on our Black Belt Leadership Program –
to insure the future success of our style and organization.

The circle of life is dependent on you choosing the right mentors or
elders to guide you along the path and in turn you will become the
teacher and give back to society by sharing your knowledge with
quality students. This is the path of black belt excellence, with a
Sensei as a guide along the way.

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan