Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

I know many of you are well on your way to visit friends and family
and I want to wish you a safe and happy holiday. We will be closed
all next week, and reopen for business on the 1st of January 2002.
Please be careful out there, because there are always those that tend
to over do it during these times and their actions can be dangerous
to those around them. Please don't drink and drive.

As we approach the New Year, I hope each of you will consider what is
important in your life and as you set new goals for the upcoming
year, make sure all the important areas are covered. Hopefully this
weeks message will help you set aside some times for mental and
physical training every week

Lesson of the Week

The Way is in the Training

The warrior understands what is measured improves. He also recognizes
that in order to reach his true potential, he must practice his arts
and tactics as often as possible. When walking, standing or sitting
he is constantly training his mind, body and spirit. He is constantly
reading or listening to that which will make him a better person.
When traveling you will see that good books or tapes are a vital part
of his travel kit.

What you don't use goes away – use it or loose it the saying goes.
Well the mind doesn't necessarily go, but it fades pretty fast. The
goal is to work smarter not harder and this is accomplished by being
creative. Creativity is a product of self-esteem and knowing that you
have many options to choose from. Having lots of options gives one
the sense of control and increases self-esteem.

We use kihon renshu, or basic karate exercises to develop the body
for karate techniques, but what techniques do we use to train the
mind. Wu Wei is the first concept one needs to understand in training
the mind, which translates as no unnecessary action. While in the
physical world, more power and energy usually means better results,
in the mind less is more. We learn to trust our instincts after they
are developed and understand that the mind works best with faith and
relaxation. Through practice, the warrior learns to use the power of
his mind to redirect hostile intention and to bring positive things
into his life. A true warrior is always prepared to use his most
powerful weapon – the mind.

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan