Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

I hope everyone had a great time at the chop and shop. It is always
great to see the self-confidence grow when a student learns they can
break wood with their bear hands.:) We are getting ready to place our
big Christmas order from our suppliers, so if you want to ensure that
you get any materials before Christmas, please call Mary right away.

We will be closed from the 27th through the 30th for Thanksgiving. I
hope everyone has a safe and fun break.

For those brown belts wishing to test for their black belts in May,
we are scheduling a special training session from 5:45-6:15 on
Wednesdays to practice under the watchful eyes of our black belts. I
encourage all senior black belts to attend to ensure a good showing
at the pretest.

We also are going to have a special class for instructors on Monday
at 5:45-6:15 to go over the material being taught throughout the
city. This will allow us all to stay on the same page and maintain
consistency with our lesson plans.

Up Coming Events:
Our Christmas Party and awards dinner will be held December 6th at
Pine Creek High School.
Next Belt Test is December 7th.
There will be a sword seminar taught at the main school on the 8th of
December.
There will be a butterfly knife seminar taught on the 14th of
December.
Please see Mary for details on any special events.



Lesson of the Week
Tai Sabaki – Body Shifting to A Superior Position

The definition of Tai Sabaki is a rapid combination of offensive and
defensive techniques causing the opponent to lose balance, without
losing one's own balance. One of these strategies is to shift or
pivot your body out of the way of an attack a split second before
impact causing the opponent to miss and lose balance due to his own
momentum. This split second where he loses his balance is the perfect
time for a counter attack, further destroying his ability to attack.
This concept of shifting out of harms way and obtaining a superior
position from which to respond to, is a basic but powerful concept of
success in any endeavor. The modern warrior is constantly analyzing
potential threats and modifying his postures and positioning
accordingly. While we normally think in terms of a physical attack
and a response time of seconds, in business or personal goal setting
this same concept may take months or even years to create the optimum
positioning.
On the personal level we recognize this concept in action when going
out to eat in public and where one sits. A martial arts group
recognizes this when they sit down, giving the position of best line
of sight and back to a wall to the most senior students and teachers.
Even in the dojo setting, you will notice that the floor is designed
to allow the Sensei to observe the students, and at the same time
able to watch entry points into the building.
From a goal setting perspective, it is imperative to decide what it
is you truly want and then using this concept, position yourself
closer to the elements and people that will help you achieve your
goals while shifting yourself away from negative situations that will
not help you reach your objectives. This one concept will allow you
to progress faster towards your goals and achieve more in a shorter
time than most people achieve in a lifetime.
In business we begin with a business plan and a mission statement,
but then day-to-day operations dictate that we react to elements like
our competitors marketing campaigns, our customer's feedback, and
market conditions. Being able to constantly shift to a superior
position which will allow the company to service your customers needs
in a better way, you will be able to take instant advantage and
insure the longevity of the company.
By seeing situations not as problems, but as times for potential
growth, we can remain on course towards our objectives. The problem
of this strategy is that most people don't recognize true
opportunities because they come disguised in work clothes.
Tai Sabaki is the physical expression of the mental attitude of
flexibility. Simply shifting our focus and looking at something from
another angle many times gives us the solution. When faced with a
problem, we instantly need to ask, "What can we do to minimize the
potential damage and what can we do to use this situation to our
advantage?" These are key questions on the path towards black belt
excellence.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan