Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

We are supporting the Pikes Peak Martial Arts Championships, which
will be held at Air Academy High School on the 20th of this month.
Please see your Sensei for a registration form. Right after the
tournament, we will be having a Ripley's Party at the main school.
This will be a potluck affair and basically a block party celebrating
my successful venture in California. Please see Mary as to what to
bring. We should begin around 5 pm with food, music and plenty of
friends. If you haven't seen the video of the arrow catch, go to:

http://www.jinmukan.com/sv/Terry-Bryan-catches-arrow.shtml


There will also be a nunchaku seminar on Saturday the 27th of this
month from 1- 3. Following the seminar we will be giving a seminar on
the Kubotan keychain.


Lesson of the Week

Magnetic North

It is truly a blessing to live in Colorado with its clean air,
mountains and forests. Here you can still go backpacking for days and
not see another human being, just the wonders of nature. One thing
every backpacker knows is how to get from one place to another in the
backwoods. Two things are important, a map and a compass. The process
entails looking at a map, finding the proper direction with a compass
and then once you identify where you want to go, you pick a major
landmark and start walking. It is important to stop occasionally and
check your bearings to make sure you are still heading in the right
direction.

A person's life is very similar. Our destination is the long-term
goals and dreams we set for ourselves and we create our map by
breaking those long-term goals into simpler short-term achievable
goals. We need to constantly review and renew our goals to make sure
we are staying on the right path. Success has been defined as the
progressive realization of a worthwhile goal. Black Belt excellence
is dependent on being able to set clearly defined and worthwhile
goals, and never giving up.

The compass we use in life is not based on magnetic north but on our
values, integrity and character; to always do the right thing for the
right reasons. When you are traveling in the backwoods, you must stop
and pull out the compass occasionally. Likewise, in life it takes
self-discipline to succeed in the attainment of your goals. To ensure
you stay on the proper path of reaching your goals in the shortest
distance, one must stay congruent with their core values and beliefs.
Self-discipline is knowing the right thing to do and then doing it.

I learned a long time ago, that in order to do a great job, one needs
the right tools. To train yourself to be the best you can be or to
empower your children or students to become successful, you need to
help them have the right tools. These include a strong character,
unyielding integrity and the ability to dream big dreams.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan