Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

The dojo will be closed this Monday on February 17th for Presidents
Day. Hope everyone has a great long weekend.

My Shorin Ryu instructor is coming in on the 27th of this month and
is going to be teaching a seminar. In addition, Zenshin Shimabukuryo
will also be here helping us with our karate. Sensei Zenshin
Shimabukuryo is the son of Zempo Shimabukuryo, the Grand Master of
Seibukan around the world. Thursday night and Friday night from 6-8
will be held at Timberview Middle School and the seminar continues in
Denver on Saturday and Sunday for those that want to attend there.
Details are on the web site – www.americanblackbltacademy.com. Cost
for the seminar is only $30 for our students ($79 for everyone else)
and I highly encourage everyone who can to attend.

Because of the seminar, there will be no classes at the main school
on Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th.



Kyoshi Dan Smith

I am skipping my normal weekly lesson to take the time to tell you a
bit about Dan Smith and hopefully convince you what an opportunity
that is available for you to come and train with this man.
I was introduced to Dan Smith in 1990 after having studied Shorin Ryu
already for over ten years. Sensei Smith was the American
Representative for Seibukan Shorin Ryu in the United States under
Zempo Shimabukuryo in Okinawa. Having visited most of the schools in
Okinawa, I knew that the Seibukan students possessed some of the best
quality I had seen while there. During my first meeting with Sensei
Smith I learned how much knowledge of the Okinawan kata he truly
possessed.
Seibukan is a very traditional organization and they normally don't
teach any of their information to outsiders but Sensei Smith made an
exception to the rule. He took me, and my son Jeremy, under his wing
and began teaching us his bunkai and principles of the kata. During
his first seminar at our dojo back in 1991, he amazed my senior
students when he demonstrated his ability of using his chi or energy
to turn one of my black belts arm's color to almost blue simple by
touching him with his fingers.
I have traveled to Okinawa with him to train at the head dojo and try
to go to his home in Atlanta to train with him as often as possible.
He also tries to get to Colorado once a year as well. As a way of
paying him back for everything he has done for us, I try and set up a
seminar for him when he comes to town. This small gesture does not
adequately compensate him for all he has done for our organization,
but this is our duty to show support anyway.
Kyoshi Smith has trained with almost all the top Okinawan karate
masters and is recognized as one of the top American teachers today.
Down-to-earth and a man of high integrity, I hope each of you get a
chance to come and train with him, and develop a personal
relationship with him, as I have.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan, Kyoshi

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Congratulations to everyone that were promoted this weekend at the
belt test. We are pleased to announce that my son Jeremy Bryan will
be teaching more at the north school. Jeremy has been training for
over 25 years and is the former #1 heavyweight in America through the
USANKF and will add a tremendous value to training at the north
school.
  A few future events we have coming up include:
Next Saturday we will be having a Black Belt Club seminar on the 9
elements from 9:00 –10:30. Seminar is free to BBC members, $20 for
everyone else.
We will be closed on the 17th for Presidents Day.
Shihan Johnson will be teaching a Jujitsu seminar on the 22nd from
9:00-10:30. Cost of training with this 2 time world champion is only
$25.
My instructor Dan Smith is coming to town and will be teaching
seminars at Timberveiw Middle School on Thursday the 27th and Friday
the 28th of February. Thursday night is open to all students and
Friday is for brown and black belts only. Cost for the seminar is $30
and I encourage everyone to support this event. After training over
40 years, I pick my teachers very carefully and Kyoshi Smith is one
of the best around. For more info go to our web site:
www.americanblackbeltacademy.com


Lesson of the week:

The Empty Mind

The term of karate-do is most commonly translated as "the way of the
empty hand". While many people think this means a form of self-
defense that specializes in not using weapons, the real meaning of
the words is much deeper than that. The kanji of karate-do actually
is three separate and distinct concepts when put together create the
over all meaning behind the term karate-do.
The "do", pronounce "dough", stands for a method, style or path. Most
martial artists see the "do" in karate-do as meaning that it is a
total system impacting the mind, body and spirit of the practitioner.
Not just physical techniques, karate-do includes development of
character, integrity, and a sense of duty to the ultimate goals of
the student.
The "te" element represents the physical aspect of the training. The
ancient art as it was practiced in Okinawa was simply called Te and
stood for the martial arts that were practiced during those times.
Although it translates as hand, in reality it is understood that it
also includes knees, elbows, kicks and anything else you can get your
hands on in a crisis situation.
The "kara", translated as empty, is better explained through the term
mushin or empty mind. At the lowest level, this simply means that a
cluttered mind is not conducive to responding to any problem in a
timely and effective manner. In the beginning, the karate student
learns to train the body to react to specific attacks in
predetermined ways. To make this strategy effective, one needs to be
able to flip a mental switch when engaged in a physical encounter,
letting the body react reflexively to the stimulus without thought.
Like a computer that has too many programs running at once, the body
reacts quicker when the mind is not concentrating on a variety of
things in the heat of battle.
The problem with this strategy, however, is if you train your body to
react predictably, then it allows for an opponent to set you up
easier. Therefore, the next step of mushin is simply to become
nonattached to your thoughts, and learn to flow from one tactic to
another without any preconceived thoughts or biases. To be able to
approach a situation without previous biases allows a martial artist
to come to the table with an open mind and have a greater range of
resources at his disposal. This mind set also allows the warrior to
not become attached to one method or style beyond the life of its
use, necessary in a rapidly changing process like self-defense. On
the physical level, having the ability to go with the flow, yield to
the strong and attack when opportunities present themselves is easy
to see. Having the same flexible and pliable mind is equally as
important. This is the real meaning behind the "kara" in karate-do.
One of the best explanations of this concept was a short story I read
many years ago about two Shaolin monks who were on a journey to a
distant temple. As they came across a small river, they notice a
young lady standing by the edge. When they addressed the young lady,
she informed them that although the stream was not deep she was
afraid to cross the stream. At this point, the senior monk picked up
the young lady and carried her across the stream. At this point the
two monks continued on their journey. After some time, the younger
monk, not able to contain himself anymore, spoke up to the senior
monk asking him why he had picked up the lady when they were
forbidden to touch a woman. After a brief pause, the senior monk
responded to his junior that indeed he had picked up the young lady
and put had put her down on the other side, but pointed out that he,
the junior monk, was, however, still carrying her.
Like the senior monk, it is important for us all to learn how to put
things down when we reach the other side.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

The next belt test will be February 1st at the following times: 8:45 –
  little dragons; 9:00- all white, yellow and orange belts; 9:30 all
green, blue and purple belts. At 10:00 we will be having a free
seminar to cover the new requirements for all green, blue and purple
belt students. This should last 1 hour, so novice students should
plan on being there from 9:30 to 11:00. Remember the belt test fee is
$30 and make sure you sign up early to ensure we order the right
number of belts. We will have an instructor class at 11:00, which is
mandatory for all instructors and assistant instructors; it should be
finished at 11:45.

Next months black belt club seminar will be on the 9 elements of
Kojosho and will be covered on Saturday, February 8th from 9:00 –
10:30. This seminar is free for black belt club members, $25 for
everyone else.

Come join us at the Colorado Springs City Auditorium on Saturday,
February 8th from 11:30 to 3:00 as we celebrate the Chinese Year –
The Year Of The Sheep. We will be putting on the martial arts
demonstration at this event. There will be a buffet dinner, free
prizes and exciting demonstrations. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for
children. Tickets are available at the main dojo – please see Mary or
Dawn.

We have two martial arts tournaments coming up in February. On
Sunday, February 9th we will be taking a team to the Volk Gym at the
Colorado School of mines in Golden, Colorado for a traditional
Japanese Karate tournament. If you are competing, you need to turn
your registration forms in right away. On Saturday, February 15th we
will be attending an open tournament at the Holiday Inn DIA, just
east of I-225 and I-70. Many students have asked to go see an open
tournament and this is your chance to see the difference. Anyone
wishing to compete should talk to your Sensei, Sensei Richardson or
Kyoshi. If you are going to compete, fees are around $50 and
spectator fees are $7.

The dojo will be closed on February 17th for Presidents Day.

Special Seminar:
My Shorin Ryu instructor, Dan Smith, is coming to town at the end of
this month and will be teaching a couple of seminars here in the
Springs. I would encourage everyone to attend this event if at all
possible. Location is to be determined, but will probably be hosted
by the Timberview or Challenger Middle school karate club. On
Thursday night from 6:00 –8:00 PM we will be covering material
appropriate for students below brown belts, although brown and black
belts are encouraged to attend. On Friday evening from 6:00-8:00 PM
we will be doing another seminar but it will be restricted to brown
and black belts only. Kyoshi Smith will continue teaching on Saturday
and Sunday in Denver and are students are allowed to continue their
training there at no additional charge. Cost for this seminar is only
$30 and please register early. Registration forms will be available
this week.




Lesson of the Week

The Principle Behind One-Step Sparring

In a conversation with my instructor, Kyoshi Smith, this week we were
talking about the merits of one-step sparring in our karate training.
As everyone knows, martial artists are taught to attack in
combinations because this is the hardest attack to defend against.
One of the key elements of Okinawan karate is taught through the kata
and practiced with one-step sparring when we develop the ability to
move and control the attack, eliminating our opponent from throwing
multiple attacks. Interrupting his attack and creating a moment where
no attack is possible without changing directions or repositioning
his posture creates this moment of weakness, called kyo.
After this discussion, I realized that this is indeed one of those
key elements of Chinese and Okinawan martial arts that train their
students to think differently than others. While we can cut down the
chances of being attacked through proactive strategies and life style
choices, we can never eliminate totally the threat of a surprise
attack. We can, however, through mental and physical training,
develop our responses so that all they get is one shot.
This principle has ramifications in other areas of our lives as well.
Think for a moment and identify a problem that you are facing at this
very moment. What one response could you do, that would neutralize
this threat in one move, eliminating the continuation of negative
consequences in the future. Identifying actions to be taken in
response to any potential threat, which at the same time nullifies
any future problems, is the hallmark of the modern warrior.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Please remember that all schools, clubs and the main dojo are closed
this Monday in recognition of Martin Luther King Day.

The next belt test will be February 1st at the following times: 8:45 –
  little dragons; 9:00- all white, yellow and orange belts; 9:30 all
green, blue and purple belts. At 10:00 we will be having a free
seminar to cover the new requirements for all green, blue and purple
belt students. This should last 1 hour, so novice students should
plan on being there from 9:30 to 11:00. We will have an instructor
class at 11:00, which is mandatory for all instructors and assistant
instructors, which will be finished at 11:45.

Next months black belt club seminar will be on the 9 elements of
Kojosho and will be covered on Saturday, February 8th from 9:00 –
10:30.

Lesson of the Week

Hikite – The Retreating Hand

One important concept taught in classical martial arts is how to use
the opposite hand when performing a karate technique. The use of the
other hand when executing a karate technique is usually divided into
soide (the following hand) and hikite (the retreating hand). This
week we will discuss hikite or the retreating hand.
Many modern fighters make fun of the classical martial artist because
they pull their hand back to a chamber position along their side
because they do not understand the purpose behind this motion. This
action serves several purposes, but the two most important is
trapping and to provide additional power generated in the opposite
hand.
Trapping occurs by encircling the opponents extended limb and by
instantly trapping and pressing it to the side of our body. This
action holds the opponent for a split second to allow us to counter
attack or escape. Once we have trapped the attacking limb, this opens
us up to variety of predetermined counter attacks practiced in our
kata.
  Another attribute of hikite, is the generation of more power in the
opposite hand. It is understood that for every action, there is an
equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, if you work on developing
more power in the retreating hand, the power of your punch will
increase as well. This is one of those subtle details that help
create the awesome power of a well-trained karate-ka. The average
person sees the difference in the power generated between two people,
but don't understand how it is done.
The principle of hikite is evident in many areas of our lives, but
one of the most important is in the act of giving and receiving. In
punching, one must pull the other hand back hard in order to punch
effectively. In getting things in life, it is important to know that
one has to give first and then you receive. Although many people
today feel that they are entitled to things without having to earn
them, this is contrary to natural laws. For example, we use this
concept in the dojo when talking about respect. While some schools
demand that a student shows respect to those senior to them, in the
classical school, respect is earned through learning to give respect
to others first. In order to get, you must first give –this is
understood to those that truly understand the concept of
hikite.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Parents and Teachers,

A quick reminder that next Saturday Sensei Richardson will be
teaching a seminar on the tonfa from 9:00 am – 10:30 am. The price of
$33 includes a pair of tonfa.

The dojo will be closed on Monday the 20th for Martin Luther King Day.

The new requirements are now being taught in the classrooms – the
biggest change is reverting back to the way the first two kata are
taught in Okinawa. Pinan Shodan and Pinan Nidan have switched their
order.

Lesson of the Week

This last weekend we taught the 9 animals of Kojosho and I felt it
only appropriate that we talk about the first animal and its quality
of courage.



The Tiger and Courage



"The tiger's fangs are long and his claws are sharp. He is
unrelenting and stern, courageous and cunning – the ruler of earth.
To become like the tiger you must let your spirit merge with the
spirit of an animal that knows no fear and can attack without
hesitation."

These are the words of Fred Absher and are the foundation for my
understanding the posture of the tiger. One must understand that the
tiger is a style of resolving conflict and a series of tactics, but
more importantly it is an attitude.

The tiger knows that most real encounters are finished at close range
and right away. He views long range tactics like kicking and punching
that you see in tournaments, as entertaining to watch but having
little value in real combat. Either you close quickly, and go for the
juggler or break the neck - or you simply don't waste your time.

There is the tale of two tigers, where it is explained that two
tigers in the wild never fight. The reason, it is explained, is
because they know that one will die and one will be maimed for life
in any such encounter. The tiger stylist has the same attitude. He
knows, that should he have to defend himself or his loved ones, he
will do so with extreme prejudice and without hesitation. Simply
knowing this and showing no fear is usually enough to deter most
aggressors. Having nothing to prove, he walks among us without fear,
and that overwhelming and confident attitude projects this intent
that is immediately felt when he walks into a room. Instead of others
feeling threatened when he walks in the room because of his
tremendous abilities, they actually feel safer and more comfortable
when he is around.

Most martial artists understand what physical courage is, to make the
body do what it fears to do. Slowly we learn to overcome our fears
through this simple process of doing what we fear to do. Many times
it is the moral courage that is needed the most in the modern
society. Moral courage is the ability not to abandon a position or
belief you hold when it may not be popular. Moral courage may be
standing up to bigotry, racism, and unfairness or bullying behavior.
Moral courage is the challenge of standing up for what is right
without fear of personal consequences. It takes courage to do the
right thing especially when everyone else is going as different
direction.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,
Hope everyone had a great Christmas break and are geared up for a
tremendous 2003. This time of year dictates that we re-evaluate our
goals and set new ones. I have enclosed this week a blueprint for
goal setting that many of you may find worthwhile. Sorry for the
length, but if you actually use it, I know it will have a huge impact
on your life.
Respectfully,
Terry Bryan

Lesson of the Week:

Before someone can begin working on their goals, they must first
identify what they value the most in life. The reason for this is
simple, in order for you to be able to reach and maintain your goals,
they must be congruent with your core beliefs and values. By
identifying these core values you can use them in establishing your
short and long-term goals for the future. Please answer the following
questions.
1. What are the five most important values, qualities, factors
in your life today?
a. _____________________
b. _____________________
c. _____________________
d. _____________________
e. _____________________
2. What would you do, how would you change your life, if you
received $1,000,000 tax-free today?
a. _____________________
b. _____________________
c. _____________________
d. _____________________
e. _____________________
f. _____________________
g. _____________________
3. What would you do, how would you change your life if you
learned you only had six months to live?
a. _____________________
b. _____________________
c. _____________________
d. _____________________
e. _____________________
f. _____________________
g. _____________________

4. What sort of work gives you the greatest feeling of
importance and personal satisfaction?
a. ___________________________________________________________

5. What have you always wanted to do but were afraid to attempt?
a. ____________________________________________________________

6. If you could make one significant change in your life today,
what would it be?
a. ____________________________________________________________

7. What one thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could
not fail?
a. ____________________________________________________________


Street-Wise Goal Setting

Goal setting is the foundation for success. The more you set goals
and work towards them, the happier and successful you will be. Only
3% of adults have written goals and they accomplish more than all the
others put together. Success in life begins by deciding exactly what
it is you want in life, writing it down and then taking action.
Complete the following exercises in detail and you will have begun
creating a blueprint for success in your life.
To achieve greatness in life, you need to set goals in seven major
areas and keep them in balance as much as possible. These areas are:
1. Personal
2. Family
3. Business and Career
4. Financial
5. Educational
6. Health
7. Social

As you identify your goals in the different areas, please imagine
that you have no limitations.

List you ten most important personal goals.
1. __________________________
2. __________________________
3. __________________________
4. __________________________
5. __________________________
6. __________________________
7. __________________________
8. __________________________
9. __________________________
10. __________________________

Next list your ten most intensely desired personal goals.
1. ___________________________
2. ___________________________
3. ___________________________
4. ___________________________
5. ___________________________
6. ___________________________
7. ___________________________
8. ___________________________
9. ___________________________
10. ___________________________

What are your top ten family and relationship goals?
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
5. ____________________________
6. ____________________________
7. ____________________________
8. ____________________________
9. ___________________________
10. ___________________________

What are your top ten health goals – fitness, sports, weight?
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
5. ____________________________
6. ____________________________
7. ____________________________
8. ____________________________
9. ____________________________
10. ____________________________

What are your social goals? What contributions do you want to make to
your community?
1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________
3. _____________________________
4. _____________________________
5. _____________________________
6. _____________________________
7. _____________________________
8. _____________________________
9. _____________________________
10. _____________________________

What are your goals for education or personal and professional
development?
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________
6. ______________________________
7. _______________________________
8. _______________________________
9. ______________________________
10. ______________________________


Now, referring to your answers in the previous goal-setting
questions, make a list of 10 goals you would like to accomplish
within the next 12 months.
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
4. _____________________________
5. _____________________________
6. _____________________________
7. _____________________________
8. _____________________________
9. _____________________________
10. _____________________________

To help prioritize your goals, if you knew you were guaranteed
success in any one of the top ten goals which one would you choose?


Take this first goal and complete the following six steps.
1. Write out your goal in detail and set a deadline.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. List all the obstacles and limitations that stand between you
and your goal.
a. ________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________
d. ________________________________________________________
e. ________________________________________________________

3. List additional information, knowledge and skills you will
need to acquire in order to achieve your goal?
a. ______________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________________
e. ______________________________________________________

4. List the people whose help, support and cooperation you will
require to achieve your goal?
a. ______________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________________
e. ______________________________________________________

5. Make a plan of action to achieve your goal – a list of
activities by priority and sequence.
a. _______________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________
d. _______________________________________________________
e. _______________________________________________________
f. ______________________________________________________
g. ______________________________________________________
h. ______________________________________________________

Assign responsibility for carrying out the plan – who is going to do
what?

		 WHO 			 WHAT
1.
____________________________________________________________________
2.
____________________________________________________________________
3.
____________________________________________________________________
4.
____________________________________________________________________
5.
____________________________________________________________________


Take each action in your plan and set a timeline for its completion.
Action 			 Deadline
1.
	 ______________________________________________________________
____
2.
	 ______________________________________________________________
____
3.
	 ______________________________________________________________
____
4.
	 ______________________________________________________________
____
5.
	 ______________________________________________________________
____
6.
	 ______________________________________________________________
____
7.
	 ______________________________________________________________
____

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,
The dojo will be closed from December 23rd through December 28th for
Christmas break. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday
break.
The next belt test is going to be held at the main school on January
4th at the following times:
8:45-9:00 – Little Dragons
9:00 – 9:30 – All Beginners (White, Yellow and Orange Belts)
9:30 – 10:00 – All Brown Belts
10:00 – 10:45 – Brown Belt Training (learning the material for the
next 2 months)
11:00 – 11:45 – Instructor Training
You will notice that there is no scheduled Novice (green, blue,
purple belt testing) at this test. The time frame for promotion at
the novice and intermediate level is two months. We are trying to set
the testing of the novice students and the intermediate students on
opposite months, with the novice students testing in February and the
Intermediate students testing again in March. We will also be adding
some additional material for the novice students to learn next year
and this additional month will give us time to pass this information
on.

Lesson of the Week
Kime – Focus

The translation for kime is focus, but in reality it also includes
the concepts of synergy or teamwork as well. The physical expression
of kime is the ability to analyze and implement several separate
motions that come together at the same time and place, creating
maximum efficiency. Successful execution of this concept allows a
small individual to deliver a technique with sufficient power to
defeat a much larger opponent. Examples of different actions that are
included in delivering maximum focus of energy in a strike include
hip rotation, forward movement of mass, snapping and rotation of the
striking limb, and the tightening of all muscles at the spilt second
of impact. Breaking down the action into individual components is a
mental exercise and each element is developed based on priority of
importance. Once each element is developed, the key becomes one of
timing, allowing all of the elements to come to bear at the same
split second.
This same process occurs when the successful person identifies what
it is they truly want and creates plans of action making it happen.
It is commonly understood that 20% of your actions create 80% of the
positive results you are trying to accomplish. By identifying which
actions will create the maximum results and focusing on them, while
at the same time minimizing or even eliminating wasteful actions, you
will be applying the concept of kime to living a successful life.
This is why people with clearly defined goals and written action
plans can achieve more in a few years, than most people do during
their entire lives. Wilfred Peterson once wrote, "Success is focusing
the full power of all you are on what you have the burning desire to
achieve."
In karate it is easy to see the power generated by the
synchronization of physical movements of a strike. It is much harder
to recognize the power of effectively identifying all the natural
mental and personal traits you have that when properly used, will
guarantee you successes beyond your wildest dreams.
The concept of kime is a key element in classical karate, and is also
a key principle of success in achieving black belt excellence in
anything you want to do, have or be.

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Congratulations to all those students that were promoted in the last
week. Everyone is looking great, but keep up the hard work.

Next Saturday at 9:00 am is the Butterfly knife seminar at the main
dojo. Please see Mary if you are interested in attending.

We will be closed for Christmas December 23rd through December 28th
so please make those classes up by attending extra classes this
month. We will also be closed New Years Day.

Lesson of the Week

The Most Powerful Weapon – The Mind

All great things are created twice, once in the mind and the second
time in reality. As we get close to the start of the New Year, it is
important to understand that the only limitations we truly have are
those we create and impose on ourselves through our own thinking.
Given the chance, there is no problem that the power of the mind
cannot solve.

Using creative goal setting and personal strategic planning we decide
what it is we truly want in life then using the power of the mind we
ask "how"? The warrior, being an expert in creating strategies in
resolving conflict, easily develop plans of action to reach his
identified goals.

Today many people are being hampered mentally and physically because
of stress. Stress related disorders are a result of feeling helpless
to the world around them. The modern warrior does not face the same
level of stress, because they feel more in control. They are
proactive in creating their future through goal setting and taking
action. They do not see problems, but challenges to try their tactics
on to resolve.

The modern warrior thinks and creates action plans on paper daily.
This very act helps him become a great problem solver, enabling him
to resolve most challenges easily and quickly. The true warrior
understands that black belt excellence is based on constantly using
his most powerful weapon – the mind.

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

This week we will be closed Wednesday through Saturday for the
Thanksgiving Holiday. Since the next belt test at the main school is
December 7th, please feel to attend extra classes this week to ensure
you will be ready for testing to make up for those days we will be
closed.

On Sunday December 8th Sensei Diana will be teaching a broadsword
seminar from 6 –8 pm. To reserve a spot please talk to Mary.

By request I will be teaching a butterfly knife seminar on Saturday
December 14th    but do the nature of the material, anyone under 18
should have parent permission. The butterfly knife is a martial arts
weapon that has effective street applications and training will be
conducted with a live blade.

Lesson of the Week


Sensei – One Who Walked Before

Although many people recognize the word sensei as meaning teacher,
the kanji for sensei means ahead, life or in other words a person
that is ahead of you on life's journey. The relationship between an
individual and a person that has "already been there" is unique and
worthy of discussion. If knowledge is power, then a street-wise
teacher willing to share his knowledge is very powerful indeed.

We enter this world not knowing and our perceptions of reality are
based totally on our experiences and what we are taught by others.
Not knowing what is real, causes doubt in our abilities and the world
around us. The single most effective way of knowing something is
possible, is by someone else already achieving that specific goal or
objective. Identifying your personal goals and identifying a person
that has already achieved some level of expertise in that area is a
major step towards success.

In life and death scenarios, the value of being trained by someone
with "Street" experience is priceless. While the world is full of
mentors with endless theories and academic solutions, the street-wise
teacher possesses both technical knowledge and a proven track record
in real life situations. These teachers are worthy of the title of
Sensei.

In the martial arts world, the relationship between a teacher and
their students is clearly defined. Understanding the true value of
learning from a qualified teacher, respect between the sensei and
student is a priority in this relationship. The sensei develops a
course of action to help the student achieve their goals, while the
student displays discipline and persistence while performing the
suggested training. Honesty in actions and deeds is the mark of a
good sensei, enabling the students to understand between quick fix
solutions spouted from lesser teachers, from true ageless principles
of success taught in classical martial arts.

As we are now in the information age some have called the psychozoic
age, the power of choosing street-wise mentors, in all areas of our
lives, is more important than ever. Unlike western society that tends
to devalue the importance of teachers, in Asia teachers are given the
utmost respect. Choosing your teachers well during this journey we
call life and then nurturing these relationships is one of those key
principles of success in black belt excellence.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

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

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Remember that the main dojo is closed tomorrow for Veterans Day. Hope
everyone has a great 3-day weekend.

Lesson of the Week
Kuzushi – Defeating the Enemy by Destroying his Balance

The kanji for kuzushi actually translates as "to demolish" but in
martial arts terms it takes on the ideal of first breaking the
opponents balance, and then finishing him off. Warriors learned early
on to never attack a superior force head on, but found ways to
distract their opponents or even attack from another direction all
together. They also recognized that one of the best times to attack
was after an opponent had lost their balance due to unknown
circumstances, which included being out of position.  Another way to
look at balance in combat is the ability to be aware of everything
going on around you, or zanshin. This concept allows us to understand
that you can break an opponent's balance physically, mentally or even
spiritually.
Most classical martial arts systems have a variety of techniques they
use to break an opponents balance. These range from pushing or
pulling, using the opponents momentum against them or even how to
strike at just the right angle to cause kuzushi. Mentally we train to
not let a sudden crisis destroy our demeanor, by constantly
developing healthy reactions to a multitude of attacks and
situations. We constantly study the actions of other successful
people and learn to modify those actions to fit our own needs. We
also learn that by developing a strong spirit, that we can endure
those that try to intimidate or bully us and stay focused on our own
specific objectives.
  In an effort to understand the weakness of being off-balance; we
spend hours developing good balance in our postures and movements to
ensure our ability to respond from a solid position. In combat a good
general understands this concept well, and designs strategies and
tactics designed to keep the enemy off balance through a variety of
posturing and flanking maneuvers. Even in our personal lives this
concept of striving to always maintain our balance, while at the same
time trying to destabilize any opposition we may encounter, is one of
those little keys of success.
In modern time we have learned to try and maintain balance in several
key areas including business and career, family and personal life,
money and investments, health and fitness, personal growth and
development, social and community activities, spiritual development
and inner peace. Each of us learns one way or another, to maintain
the right amount of energy in each area, or this imbalance will cause
a string of other problems. Like the general in his war room creating
battle plans, the modern warrior breaks out the day planner and
coordinates activities to ensure a balanced progression towards their
specific goals. A couple of key concepts would include asking what
one thing should I do at this moment to help me reach my goals and
still maintain my balance? Also, when faced with a problem ask, how
can I reposition the problem or myself, in order to minimize or even
completely neutralize the negative consequences of this problem? The
modern warrior understands and constantly works on maintaining
balance in a rapidly changing world. Understanding kuzushi is one of
those little secrets of black belt excellence.

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan

Dear students, teachers and parents,

Congratulations to all those students that tested for their new rank
this last weekend. Although a new belt will not win any battle for
you, it is important to have specific benchmarks to help towards our
long-term goals.

The Timberveiw karate club will start this week on Tuesday evening at
6 pm. If you need sempai hours, you can earn those hours at any of
our clubs as well as the main dojo. We currently have clubs at Air
Academy High School, Rampart High School, Challenger Middle School,
Horace-Mann Middle School, Pike Peak Community College and now
Timberveiw Middle School.

We are adding a weapons class to the schedule on Monday evenings and
we are moving most classes 15 minutes earlier to allow the kids to
get done and home a bit earlier. Please pick up a new schedule this
week, and let us know if there is anything we can add to our schedule
to better serve you as customers. We also have a special guest
instructor this Friday for competition class – Mike French. If you
want a hard work out – be sure to attend.

Our instructor training class begins this week. Please talk to Mary
if you want more information about the program.

Our school does not emphasis breaking boards or bricks the way some
school do, but at the same time we want our students to know the
proper method of breaking so they will not be hurt should they ever
attempt to break. Each year we have our chop and shop where we teach
our students the proper way to break a board and at the same time
make any shopping decisions they made need before Christmas. This
year's chop and shop will be held on Saturday, November 16th. Please
see the board for more info.

The Pikes Peak Karate Championships were scheduled to be held on the
23rd but due to a scheduling conflict with Air Academy High School,
may need to be moved. We will let you know as soon as we have a new
date.

We will be closed on November 11th for Veterans Day and also the 27th
through the 30th for Thanksgiving. Please make those classes up on
non-normal training days if possible.

Lesson of the Week:

Okuden – Inner Circle Teachings

The average student joins a martial arts school and begins training
in the basics. As a student advances in rank, he begins to develop
more complex moves and learns to integrate these techniques into an
over all strategy on how and when they are to be used. It is at the
highest level that a student is taught the true inner concepts and
principles that are the real key to success within a system. This
knowledge is usually only handed down to an inner circle of students
that is chosen very carefully. While this ancient martial arts custom
has been this way for a long time, it is a common tactic with most
mentors and coaches today.

The absolute best way to progress in any endeavor is to find a
teacher that has already accomplished great success in a specific
area, and then duplicate the strategy and tactics the instructor used
to get to that position. The remarkable thing is that most people
that have achieved any level of success are usually more than willing
to share their secrets, but at the same time do not wish to waste
their time on unworthy students. The prerequisites with most mentors
for acceptance are usually the same as they are with a martial arts
teacher – a sincere desire to learn, as well as, the willingness and
discipline to stay the course.

A good mentor will look into the future in order to see what a
student will potentially do with the knowledge once he has attained
it. This is where the character test is used. To share the summation
of a life's study in any area is seen as a priceless gift and
therefore should not be given to someone that doesn't appreciate that
value. If knowledge is indeed power, then every serious mentor or
sensei carefully screens his students before he shares the fruit of a
lifetime of work. The gift of knowing the little things and how they
are integrated into the overall system can save years from learning
the old fashion way of trial and error. This concept is true in
business, personal relationship and the martial arts.

In the dojo the sensei watches the students as they train and sees
which ones train hard and which ones tend to coast during their
training. He watches to see which ones are disciplined and are always
respectful to others. He looks for the student that trains the way he
is told even though he doesn't understand the reason just yet. Little
subtleties are shared about protocol, which allow other senior
teachers to recognize who is "senior" and deemed worthy of higher-
level training. Gradually the student progresses into an inner circle
of students that the teacher begins to share things that the average
student will never see.

A person is always only as free as the options they maintain in their
forte. Most of the time the truly best developed alternatives are not
common knowledge and are only shared with a small specific group.
Knowing where to find this knowledge and the proper etiquette
necessary in order for this information to be shared is a big step
towards black belt excellence. Many times the okuden of a classical
martial art is based on character, etiquette and behavior as much as
it is on physical techniques.

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

This week is Halloween and a quick reminder on candy safety is
probably in order. Please talk to the little ones about having their
parents inspect any food before eating, as we don't know any more as
to its safety.

Belt test is next Saturday, so please earn your stripes this week if
you plan on testing. Testing for lower belts will start at 9:00 and
brown belts will test at 12:00 noon. Check the board for exact times.

I also hope everyone remembered to set their clock back this weekend.
Hate to see you late tomorrow.

Lesson of the Week

Ma-ai – Proper Distance and Timing

The kanji for ma-ai means space, fit. The proper spacing that "fits"
the situation is a crucial element in combat, especially if you add
timing to this concept. This concept has been used in combat as long
as we have recorded history. Lets discuss this concept from a martial
point of view and how that applies to other areas of our lives.

Each person develops a specific distance from where they feel the
most comfortable when engaging in conflict with an opponent. This
distance is developed due to a number of elements including body
type, attitude and tactics or styles of training. A larger person may
feel more comfortable at grappling range while a smaller person may
be more inclined to use a hit and run type of tactic. In America
today, most martial arts programs are very pragmatic and teach a
variety of techniques from different ranges, but in general pure arts
tend to specialize at a certain distance. For example, a Tae Kwon Do
practitioner would prefer a kicking range, while a judo person would
feel much more comfortable at grappling range. The modern warrior has
to develop the ability to instantly identify the strengths of his
opponents and developing a strategic response based on his
attributes, which can neutralize these strengths. Taking the opponent
out of his natural range, or by modifying the timing may be the key
principle in this tactic.

In the business world, this ability to specialize at what one does
best is called "competitive advantage". In any industry, one must
identify their specific niche, and develop a mission to become number
one or number two in that specific niche. There are very successful
and different strategies for number one and number two, but in
reality everyone else is just buying time on their way out of
business. As the saying goes, "If you do not have a competitive
advantage, don't compete."

The second element of ma-ai, is fitting this advantage in by using
proper timing. The first style of timing is called go no sen. The
kanji for go no sen translates as after, before or before it ended.
This is a basic counterattack where the opponent launches the first
attack and you respond to it. Most martial art systems teach their
beginning students this level of timing first. The next level is sen
no sen or before, before. This basically is the concept of countering
the actions of your opponent before he actually launches an attack.
This proactive level of training is a superior methodology, and the
mark of a master warrior. Successfully controlling a situation before
an attack is launched, requires a person to develop attributes
outside the punching and kicking methods, and to become an expert in
other areas including negotiations, nonverbal communication and
empathy.

In all areas of ones life, being proactive is a major element towards
success. As martial artists we do work on physical responses to being
attacked, but even more important we are proactive in creating the
proper elements, which will create the best opportunities for our
successes. What we read, who we hang out with, what we think about,
the mentors we choose, all have a tremendous effect on our future
outcomes. The modern warrior uses the principles of ma-ai when he
identifies the perfect distance and space, between where he is
currently and where he wants to be in the future. All successful
people have this ability to understand the proper distance and timing
needed to create win-win situations to all concerned. This ability is
definitely a step towards black belt excellence.

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

I wanted to remind everyone about our Halloween party next Saturday
evening at the dojo. It will from 6-9 pm and a costume would be
appropriate to wear. Everyone is encouraged to bring guests.

Next belt test is the first Saturday in November. See you there.


Lesson of the Week



Zanshin – The Perfect Awareness

In Japanese the word zanshin is made up of two separate kanji meaning
remainder, heart. This has taken the connotation for modern martial
artists of maintaining perfect awareness and presence with all your
heart, or the ever-remaining mind. Zanshin contains mental, physical
and even spiritual elements the warrior develops to maintain proper
vision and awareness, while at the same time maintaining an
indomitable presence and posture in the eyes of others. Zanshin
allows a person to implement and flow from one action plan right into
another, based on feedback almost invisible to the untrained eye.

One of the cardinal rules in combat is to never turn your back to
your opponent. This physical posture of zanshin is demonstrated
during self-defense when the warrior maintains a fighting posture and
attention directly towards the threat until absolutely sure it has
been neutralized. At a higher level, one learns to maintain this
presence in all 360 degrees by developing a heightened sense of
awareness and through the knowledge of understanding probable
reactions in all situations. This same process is used when dealing
with any problem we encounter in life. If one faces their problems
and deals with them early, while staying aware of other potential
threats, success is easier attained.

The true warrior uses a wide-screen view that takes in every detail
of information. He develops the uncanny ability to understand all
motives and tactics of all stakeholders, and eventually learns to
predict the future before it happens. He learns to understand subtle
nuances, which can indicate motivations and strategically maneuvers
the situation to the desired outcome, based on the reality of the
situation that many people never even see.

  In business it has been stated to understand the truth, all one
needs to do is follow the money trail to understand the motivation,
and most of the time this is indeed a fact. Many times, what most
people recognize as a problem is not the real problem at all. The
solution to challenges many times come from a completely different
direction than we first thought. In addition, many times what is
presented to you as an opportunity, is in reality just busy work that
actually slows you down from reaching you goals. In any business
understanding what the real problems are, and offering solutions to
these problems through win-win strategies, is where the mission of
creating and maintaining a strong customer base is achieved.

The warrior's ability to see all the systems and the effects of his
actions on each one of them allows him to see the big picture.
Warriors have long known that the best way to observe the actions of
the hands and feet of his opponent is by watching the center and
seeing them with his peripheral vision. This same tactic is used when
observing, and seeing physical, mental and spiritual capabilities in
yourself and others.

When practicing kata, we constantly are reminded about the importance
of zanshin in our training. Every time you look before you turn it is
a simple reminder to not take your eyes off your goals and to always
truly look before you take action. Upon the last move of a kata, we
hold that posture for a couple of seconds before we return to ready
position, demonstrating the ever-remaining mind element to zanshin.
By developing zanshin, you will be able to accomplish more in a
shorter period, than many people do during their entire lifetime.
Zanshin is indeed a crucial principle of black belt excellence.


Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Congratulations to Jessica, Rachel and Ryan to their recent promotion
to shodan-ho or probationary black belt and to Debbie for her
promotion to 1st degree. They did a great job on the test.

We are having an in-house tournament next Saturday – please see Mary
if you are planning on competing. Also don't forget our Halloween
party the following weekend held from 6-9 pm.

Message of the Week

Strategy - Senryaku

The famous Chinese general Sun Tzu, author of the classic The Art Of
War, said that the greatest general is not the one who can defeat 100
armies in 100 battles. Rather, it is the one who can control things
so well that the need to fight never arises. Stephen Covey in his
book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People identifies being
proactive as the first step of success. Both of these ideas are based
on the same age-old principle. This concept is using proactive
thinking and strategic planning to put in stop actions before a
problem develops in the first place.

In Japanese the kanji of the word Senryaku means war-shorten. There
is not a better strategy than one that will shorten a war, unless it
might be one that would prevent it all together. This concept is the
foundation of our Streetwise Self-Defense, and later, our Streetwise
Success programs. At the core of this strategy is the ability to
analyze any situation and decide what is the worst thing that could
possibly happen, and then create or implement action plans to ensure
that it won't happen.

This threat assessment is an on-going, never-ending process. Combat
is fluid, with thousands of variables changing every minute. A true
warrior develops the uncanny ability to identify the most crucial
challenge and neutralizes it right away. This process is imperative
in warfare, but also in other areas such as business, personal
finance, and legal tactics and even in personal achievement or goal
setting.

For example, a business may identify a competitive advantage that
will insure a profitable niche, but if actions are not taken in
advance, a competitor may soon adapt and take over this niche, thus
destroying this competitive advantage. In order for a person to
become financially successful, he must recognize the biggest threats
towards wealth accumulation such as taxes, law suites or poor
management, and put actions into place to minimize these threats.
Proactive solutions may include proper use of business entities to
lower taxes and protect assets from lawsuits, as well as proper
investment strategies.

Currently, what is your number one goal? What one thing can you
identify as the greatest threat from you reaching that goal? Now,
what can you do to make sure that threat does not become a reality?

In the martial arts we constantly train to move out of the way of a
threat, and then take control of the situation using a variety of
talents and tactics. As martial artists, we train in the hope we will
never have to use our skills physically. However, when we do use our
knowledge to avoid or neutralize a dangerous situation, we are called
lucky, disregarding the years of training that lead up to that
successful action. The truly successful person identifies key goals
in the major areas of his life for future achievement, but also
identifies worst case scenarios in those key areas, and then develops
action plans to ensure those things don't happen. It is this
simultaneous working on these two opposites, the yin and the yang,
that is the key to proper proactive tactics. At this level one begins
to understand what being a great general is all about, and can begin
developing and implementing successful tactics in all areas of their
lives.


Respectfully,

Terry Bryan, Kyoshi

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Congratulations to those that tested for their new belt. Although the
color of a belt wins no battles for you, it is great to move forward
and learn new material.

Next weekend we have a special training session with 4 great teachers
at the main dojo. This mini-training camp will have Kyoshi Jeff Ader,
Sensei Daryell Johnson, Kurt Frankenburg and Master Sterling Chase
sharing their perspective arts with our students. Although I have a
previous seminar I have to attend and will not be there, I am sure
that you will find it very informative and for only $25 a great
value. In an effort to provide the best instruction possible, we are
hoping to provide this type of training on a quarterly basis.

We also have our in-house tournament scheduled for the 19th at the
main dojo. This will be great practice for the state-wide event to be
held in November. We will also be hosting out Halloween party at the
main dojo on the 29th. For information on any of these events, please
contact your Sensei or talk to Sensei Mary.

Lesson of the week

First Things First

The Japanese teacher speaks the words "Hajimeru Juuyou Jiko O Yuusen
Suru" which translate basically as "prioritize the essential
matters". In another land, Stephen Covey explains this concept in his
Seven Habits programs as keeping "First Things First". Whether one is
discussing military campaigns, personal self-defense tactics,
business strategies or weekly time management, this is one of those
key principles towards success.

In the classic work "The Book Of Five Rings", Miyamoto Musashi
identifies nine rules for success in combat. Let us briefly discuss
these as they relate to the First Things First strategy.
1. "Think of what is right and good." All actions, from personal
goals setting, to national security begin with establishing the
values of the mission. The reason for this is that in order for a
mission to be successful, the actions must be congruent with the
underlining values of the participants.
2. "Practice and cultivate the science." Understanding what each
action will generate as a consequence is a science, based on the law
of cause and effect. From the use of the kamae or posture in our
forms, to the shifting of military troops for a show of force, these
actions bring forth specific consequences and results. It is the
knowledge of this tactic that allows a leader to develop successful
campaigns in any endeavor.
3. "Become acquainted with the arts." What ever your chosen
career or mission, you should throw yourself into becoming a lifelong
student of that art. Now days one needs to spend 30 minutes to an
hour everyday, reading and studying just to keep up because of the
rate of increasing knowledge in all areas. Only by knowing all the
options available to you, can you be assured of making the right
decisions. Seeing successful actions from other disciplines is how
one learns of these options.
4. "Know the principles of the crafts." In the martial arts,
there are teachers that enjoy teaching a variety of techniques that
they have learned from a variety of sources and yet the system that
they are teaching is not really a system at all because it is not
based on specific and congruent principles. Like the saying, "Give a
man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you can
feed him for a lifetime," the teacher that teaches principles of
success, empowers his students to learn to be successful in any
situation, not against a specific attack in a set way.
5. "Know the harm and benefit in everything." Understanding the
reactions of all parties to a given scenario, allows a person to
understand all the possible outcomes before acting in the first
place. Careful consideration of all the possibilities before acting
is the key to successful implementation of any action plan.
6. "Learn to see everything accurately." Each of us sees the
world not as it is, but as we want it to be. We constantly need
feedback from others to gain a better understanding of the way things
really are. In conversation, it is imperative to ask questions and
get feedback to truly understand what others are trying to say. In
creating a strategic action plan, it is imperative to understand all
the stakeholders involved and what is in it for them. Only by seeing
the entire picture can you create a win-win action plan that can be
bought into by all the parties involved.
7. "Be aware of what is not obvious." The warrior learns to see
what others do not see through specific training of the senses. In
law enforcement, the Streetwise officer notices a bulge inside a
piece of clothing, or sees a curled hand, which indicates a possible
weapon being hidden. The business man does his research and enters
negotiations, knowing at the end of the meeting, a deal will be
struck because he understands what the absolute minimum offer that
will be accepted going into the meeting. The modern warrior is an
expert of verbal and nonverbal responses, seeing the person's desires
and intentions, where many people simply do not have a clue. This
ability makes him a very effective communicator, simply because he
sees what others don't see.
8. "Be careful even in the small matters." When one develops an
action plan, it is imperative that every little detail is written
down and then later it is prioritized into which needs to be done
first. Each and every small action has consequences and can affect
the whole process. Only by paying attention to detail can you be
assured success.
9. "Do not do anything useless." This is the foundation to the
first things first strategy. In strategic planning, whether you are
doing your personal day planner, a corporate business plan trying to
increase your return on equity, or developing an action plan to
overcome an enemy in combat, it is important to follow specific
actions that have produced successful outcomes for generations.
Successful action plans include identifying your goals or objectives
and which strategies you are going to use to achieve them. A written
plan would include an objective look at your strengths and
weaknesses, as well as, any opportunities or threats you recognize.
Once you have identified the action plan, you identify what needs to
be done and in what order.

In identifying what is most important for us to do on a weekly or
daily basis, we use a letter system to identify the priority of their
importance.
A. An "A" task is one that must be done.
B. A "B" task is one that has mild consequences if it is not
done.
C.  A "C" task is one that has no negative consequences if we
put it off till later.
D. A "D" task is one that we can delegate to another.
E. An "E" task is one we should eliminate all together.

In prioritizing your actions, simply ask which activity will project
you towards your goals. If an action is directly responsible towards
an increase in effectiveness towards your goals and only you can
perform this action, then it is probably an "A" priority.  Truly
successful people never spend time on a "B" task when there is an "A"
task yet to be done. The "first things first" strategy is based on
the constant feedback from the following question, " What is the most
important thing I could be doing right now?"

Like a journey of a thousand miles beginning with a single step,
success in any endeavor begins with a single action. The key is
identifying that first step as a number one priority, and staying
focused on that task till completion.


Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

I hope everyone enjoyed the Streetwise Child Protection program Mary
put together yesterday. A special thanks to all those that helped put
this event together including the Fire Department, El Paso County
Sheriff's Office and Colorado Springs Police Department.

Please check the board when you come to the dojo for upcoming events.
Belt test is usually the first Saturday of every month and this month
we are having our in-house tournament. I also hear there is going to
be an awesome Halloween party at the dojo this month.

Lesson of the Week


Attitude – Shisei

In defining what is the most important element to success, in any
endeavor, you would be hard pressed to find anything more important
than attitude. This week we will discuss the basic principles of
developing, maintaining, and demonstrating the proper attitude in
order to shorten the process of goal attainment.

In Japanese, the word for attitude is "Shisei" which is made up of
two kanji meaning shape, forces. In other words it is the attitude
that shapes the forces in our lives. Modern success coaches state the
same thing when they explain that whatever you believe in, with
conviction, will become your reality. It is this process, in which
the karate-ka learns the proper attitude in dealing with conflict and
begins to learn how to display Tamashi or an indomitable spirit. In
reality, it is this attitude that may be more important in victory on
the battlefield, than specific tactics or strategies employed.

At the foundation of proper attitude is the belief that you are
guaranteed victory as long as you do not quit. The classic
saying "nana korobi ya oki" or "fall seven times – get up eight",
represents this indomitable spirit or winning attitude. As a student
develops confidence through his martial arts training, he begins to
demonstrate this winning attitude in a variety of ways, including
speech, posture and deeds. The dojo is filled with the sounds of the
karate kiai. The kanji for kiai translates as energy, join or in
other words, "come meet my energy." The student learns how to
overcome temporary discomforts on their path towards victory. He
understands that all worthwhile accomplishments come through hard
work and perseverance, and a warrior is the epitome of those
qualities. After all, if it was easy, everyone would do it, and then
it would lose its value. Indeed the warrior attitude is priceless and
cannot be bought. It is only earned through hard work and
discipline.

The senior karate-ka learns that all actions have consequences and
through this process he or she learns to predict the actions of
others, simply through the kamae or postures that we maintain. In
combat, one never shows a weakness in his abilities, unless of
course, it is a ploy used to pull in an unexpected opponent into an
ambush. On a day-to-day basis, the modern Streetwise warrior uses
this same tactic of total confidence in every action. You notice it
as they walk across the floor or talk to others. There is a sense of
total confidence and security, hard to describe, but felt
nonetheless. Add to that elegance in action or shibumi, and you begin
to see the proper attitude of the modern warrior.

Most modern self defense coaches understand that criminal acts are
more prone to those that demonstrate a lack of confidence through
their nonverbal communication and therefore train their students that
by working on their posture and walking with a sense of purpose they
can actually diminish the possibility they may be attacked in the
first place. In some cultures, it is believed that if you learn
proper posture that your confidence and attitude will improve. Some
believe that if your self-confidence grows your posture improves.
Whichever school you come from, there is a direct correlation between
attitude and posture. Remember that the next time your Sensei adjusts
you body alignment during kata training.

The way you dress, move, talk and even think all define your
attitude. I recently saw a report that several companies, were doing
away with their dress casual policies and were asking their employees
to go back to suit and ties. It is amazing to see that during slow
times, a getting back to basics and understanding that posture has a
direct impact on the bottom line in the business world. I can assure
you it is equally important in your own personal world as well.

Having a proper attitude is not a coincidence. A winning attitude is
the result of doing the right things that produce this result. Like
karate, attitude cannot be learned for a book or from watching a
video. You must find people that have this attitude and surround
yourself with them. Attitude is very contagious and if you hang
around people with weak spirits, it will soon drag you down. On the
other hand, if you surround yourself with people with warrior
attitudes, you will share in the process of easier victories in goal
attainment. Having the right attitude is not a specific goal; it is a
process that we work on everyday. You must be diligent in what you
read, what you think, who you spend time with and what you do on a
daily basis.

A proper attitude increases a person's self-esteem and self-
confidence, allowing a person to overcome his fears and set higher
expectations for themselves. For centuries, warriors have understood
that if you show no fear then your odds of winning in combat go up
considerably. A few understand that having no fear is even better.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Congratulations to all those that attended the weapons seminar this
weekend, I am glad to see a great turnout. As we are entering the
tournament season, it will be good to see more wins in the weapons
divisions.

Next belt test is October 5th at the main school. There has been some
misunderstanding, so let me clarify a couple of points. White, Yellow
and Orange belts are allowed to test every month if they know all
their material and have all 4 stripes. Students at the Novice and
intermediate level should test every two months, if they know all the
requirements and have all 4 stripes.

October 19th will be an in-house tournament which will be held at the
main school to give everyone practice for the city wide PPMAC event
which will be held on November 23rd. Please talk to Mary if you are
interested in competing.

October 26th look for our Halloween party at the dojo.

This is the time of year when many new students look into taking
karate. Please help us by handing out our guest passes that are for
one month free to your friends that may want to explore martial arts
training. We do very little advertising other than word of mouth. We
appreciate those referrals and also give $25 karate bucks for any one
of your referrals that join. This is a great way to get money for
belt testing, seminar fees or buying any equipment we have in the
store. Please see Sensei Dawn or Sensei Mary for your guest
passes.

Our Streetwise Success program is getting a lot of recognition
currently. I have currently been discussing with several television
shows, including Jay Leno, for guest appearances as well as a couple
of local radio talk shows. The Streetwise Success program is based on
using the key principles of the martial arts for being successful in
all areas of your life. This program has been very successful for
children and teens and now we have had offers from several experts to
help our adult students in other areas such as investing, growing a
business and legal self defense. We are exploring the option of
having monthly seminars on different topics for our students on a
variety of subjects. If you would be interested in information on
these topics, please e-mail me at Kyoshibryan@....


Lesson of the Week

Mokuteki o Motte Hajimeru - Begin With the End in Mind

As an educator, I constantly remind students that it does not matter
where you are coming from; all that matters is where you are going.
To know where you are going it is imperative to understand that your
future will be based on your actions of today. If you plan your
current actions based on where you want to be in 1 year, 3 years or
even 5 years from now, you are indeed beginning with the end in mind.

In Japanese this concept is described as Mokuteki o Motte Hajimeru
and the kanji translates as – see, target, hold it, and begin; or in
other words to see the target, hold it in the mind and then begin.
This very powerful concept of seeing the future you want in the mind,
and then living your life as if it was already a reality is one of
the real keys of success in anything you want to achieve in life.

  The true warrior knows his skills, weaknesses, values and
prioritizes his actions based on his future goals. Before you can be
successful, you must identify what it is you really want, create an
action plan to achieve these goals, and constantly work on that end.
In goal setting, first identify your true values, do long range
planning and work backwards to quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily
goals. Know what you want, know what it is going to cost, and be
willing to pay the price.

Earl Nightingale once said, " Happiness is the progressive
realization of a worthy ideal."  You will only feel happy when you
are moving, step-by-step, toward the accomplishment of a clearly
defined goal. In order to achieve goals, it is important to
constantly evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses.

  Here are 7 steps towards successful future planning.

1. Dream big dreams

If you could be, do or have anything in life and were guaranteed you
would not fail, what would you do. Go for it, don't hold back.
Visualize yourself 5 years in advance and everything worked out just
right, what would it look like. What would make you happy.


2. Identify your unique talents and abilities

What makes you special?  What do you find easy to do, but others
think is hard?  Sometimes, ask others what they think you should do.
Many times they will see unique talents that you have over looked.

3. Resolve to do, what you love to do, and commit to be
excellent at it.

It is only when you are growing in something that is important to you
that you feel alive and in touch with your world. Remember that
excellence is not a destination, but a life long journey.


4. Accept 100% responsibility for who and where you are in life.

You are where you are because that is what you have chosen. You are
what you are and where you are because of your past behaviors. If you
want to change the future, then you need to change the behaviors you
are doing today. True maturity begins when you realize that no one is
coming to the rescue, but that you are totally responsible.

5. Be honest with yourself

Refuse to engage in the idea that the laws of cause and effect will
ignore you. You know that every thing that you get will because of
something that you have put in. The biggest mistake is to expect
something for nothing. Success only comes from paying in full, in
advance.

6. Set clear specific goals

Less than 3% of people have written goals, and everyone else works
for them. Only serious goals are written down. The more you write
down your goals, the clearer they become in your mind and the more
you believe they are attainable. The more they become attainable in
your mind, the more you are willing to overcome the obstacles that
will come in the way.

7. To resolve to persist until you succeed

Be willing to endure the problems that you are going to face.
Persistence is self-discipline in action. Your persistence is your
belief in yourself and your ability to succeed. The more you believe
in yourself, the higher your self-esteem. Soon you will develop an
unstoppable attitude.

If action without thought is the cause of most failures, then action
based on proper strategic planning is the foundation of all successes
and the core to black belt excellence.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Next weekend Sensei Scott Richardson is having a weapon seminar where
he will be teaching the bo (long staff). The seminar will run from
12:00-2:00. Contact Sensei Mary Britton if you are planning on
attending. The cost is only $20 or $40 if you need a bo.

Look for Ito- "the peaceful warrior dragon" when you visit the dojo.
He will be highlighting the word or theme of the week. As a joint
effort in brainstorming with Bob Smith of Jungle Marketing and our
staff, we are adopting him as our mascot for the dojo. According to
ancient Chinese stories, out of all the animal systems taught in
China, the Dragon was seen as the source of wisdom, taking tactics
and strategies from all the other styles and using them as needed.
Since we have started the little dragons class for the children, we
thought it only appropriate that we release Ito at this time. While
our physical martial arts techniques are mainly from China and
Okinawa, karate is 90% mental and we have added those qualities to
our program from a variety of sources. This represents the dragon
aspect to our training – training the most powerful weapon – the
mind. We hope Ito represents that aspect well.

Lesson of the Week

Kaizen No Michi – The Path of Improvement

The kanji for "Kaizen" translates as reform / virtue, or to create
change for higher virtue. The process of constant and never ending
improvement is the foundation for black belt excellence in all areas
of ones life. The process is fairly simple to set up, but takes
discipline and planning to make it become a reality.

The first step is to identify what is truly important in your life
and then create a written plan of action on how these important goals
will be accomplished. As long as you constantly work on these
prioritized goals and they are congruent with your personal values,
you will eventually reach these goals. Like a journey of a thousand
miles beginning with a single step, huge accomplishments can be
achieved one step at a time.

In order to generate quantum leaps towards the areas you are trying
to improve in, it is necessary to identify every action that you are
currently doing and then to prioritize them based on their level of
importance and which ones create the most significant levels of
improvement. The final step in the process is to concentrate on those
tasks that produce the best results, and begin handing off or even
deleting those tasks that do not help you reach your goals.

The process of eliminating all wasteful actions and behaviors are
also important. Some actions tend to bring about tremendous
improvements, such as setting aside to 30 minutes to an hour a day in
a quiet place reading in your specific field of interest. Another
method is to use you time driving as learning time by listening to
tapes that help educate or motivate you in a variety of subjects.
Simply following these two tactics can accelerate you to the top 10%
in your chosen field in as little as two – three years.

In combat, these principles are identical. The strategy of planning
on the most effective tactics with minimum risks is the optimum plan
of action. Again it is imperative to keep the tactics simple,
concentrating on the sure thing, while eliminating any tactics that
you are not sure of. Basic movements are constantly improved by
eliminating unnecessary or wasteful actions while trying to improve
those actions that add power, speed and accuracy.

Kaizen no Michi is the path of constant and never ending improvement.
Kaizen no Michi is the foundation of karate-do and all future
successes in your life.


Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Congratulations to all those that tested for their new belt and
passed.
Up and coming events include a weapons seminar taught by Sensei
Richardson and the Safety Day sponsored by Sensei Britton and our
friends from the Police Department.

For those that do long range planning, the Okinawan World
Championships will be held on August 16th – 19th 2003 in Naha,
Okinawa. We are taking a group and probably will be going out about a
week early to train and socialize.

Message of the Week

"Dao" or "Do"

Dao, also spelled Tao, is a very important concept in ancient Chinese
thought, and is often translated as "the way" or "the path" but these
words do not do justice to the true meaning. In English we use the
word `way' to describe concepts like - course, method, manner, mode,
means, practice, fashion, technique or style. These tend to lead us
to believe that way is a method of action, but in Chinese thought,
non-action is of equal importance in the dao.

The other commonly used term is "path" and can be equally misleading.
For example, one might inquire "the way to Denver", and yet the path
could be a multitude of responses. Responses could range from head
north on I-25 to giving specific latitude and longitude coordinates.
Those that understand the backwoods of Colorado, understand that
there many types of paths one follows in the wild, as well as many
different methods of marking those paths so other can follow. The art
and science of tracking animals and other humans that have gone down
a path ahead of you is an art and science unto itself. And yet those
of us that study this method soon find that the natural paths created
by natures engineers, like the deer and sheep, are the most
economical and easiest to use when traveling. It seems most animals
are very in tune with nature and automatically follow the dao.

In problem solving, we usually brainstorm and identify several ways
to solve a specific challenge, and then try and select the best way.
While there are many solutions that will work, we assume that there
is one course of action that is better than all the others. This one
method would include every little detail of this particular course.
This one best method could be described as the dao.

Many times the word dao or do is added to another word to describe a
new concept. For example, jiang dao is the word for "to preach"
or "to speak the dao". In Japanese language the concept of dao is
translated as do and is used in many of the martial arts to describe
the total aspect of the way of their martial art. For example, judo,
karate-do, or kendo, implies that their martial art form is a
complete and well thought out art form that includes aspects of
mental, physical and spiritual training.

Lao Tzu once stated that the dao that can be explained is not the
dao. This is in reference to the idea of the dao is a constant and
changing thing, and one can experience it, and use that experience to
understand it, but if you try and collect it to study or analyze it,
it is no longer the dao. Take for example the martial arts teacher or
student. It is impossible to teach students to defend themselves
against an attacker in the street, because combat is alive and
constantly changing. Yet we can share principles and concepts that
may enable the student to go with the flow and adapt to a specific
situation, and increase their ability to find the proper path at that
time.

This leads us to the concept of karate-do; the way of karate. Many
people believe that the path is different for each of us, but has
common roots. This is why we spend time to work on goal setting and
values clarification with our students. Your path must be congruent
with your personal values and goals, and only then will your karate
training begin to experience the do aspect.

The path of karate-do is hard to explain and even harder to
experience. Each of us needs to find a good Sensei (one who has
walked before), to help guide us down this path and to remind us when
we step off the path. I can assure a new student that the benefits of
self-confidence, higher self-esteem and the overall success they will
experience in their life because of this journey will be well worth
it, but it is them that must keep putting one foot in front of the
other along the path of black belt excellence. As you begin or
continue along your path in karate-do, I wish you the very best in
your journey and hope your journey is as blessed as mine has been and
more.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

The main school on York will be closed Monday for Labor Day. I hope
everyone has a great day off.

Belt test will be held at the main school on Saturday the 7th of
September. Little Dragons will be at 9:00, white belts at 9:15,
yellow and orange at 9:30 and green, blue and purple belts at 10:00.
All brown belts will train at 2:00 and those pre-testing for black
belt should be there early and expect to work out at least a couple
of hours.

We are also doing a demo fro the culture festival on the 7th as well.
If you are interested in being a part of the demo team, please
contact Mary or Sensei Richardson.


Lesson of the Week:

Rei – A Bow Of Respect

The Japanese word for bowing is called "rei" and is the method of
greeting one another throughout Asia. Many Americans are confused
about when, where and how to bow in and around the dojo, but seem to
pick it up pretty quick. I guess it's like the military, when in
doubt – bow.

I once read a story that covered respect and the premise was that the
rice stalk that carried the most grain bent the lowest. I find that
in the martial arts, there seems to be a similar truth. It has been
my experience that the most senior and respected teachers are the
most humble and respectful beings around. They understand that
respect is not something one can demand, but earns by showing respect
to others. The very act of taking time to recognize another and
showing that you recognize them and appreciate their being is an act
in humility all in itself.

There is a natural law that I call the law of the farm. This law
specifies that in order to get, you must first give. In order to get
respect from others, you must first give respect. On a farm you plant
seed in the spring, work the crop during the summer, and harvest in
the fall. You can't skip the first part and expect results in the
fall, nor can you rush this process by pulling on the stalk during
the summer. There are those that sit in front of a stove and think
that once it heats up, then they will add wood to the fire. That
process just doesn't work, and yet everyday, products are sold and
bought that promise instant gratification with no effort needed.

Even in the martial arts world, there are those that promise instant
security, a six-month black belt, or deadly abilities in only a few
lessons. Anyone that understands natural laws, must realize that
quality martial arts takes many years, a lot of hard work and
dedication to a good organization and teacher. Every time you bow in
the dojo, you should understand that you have identified this process
and are earning your proficiency the old fashion way – through hard
work, discipline and respect.

Many senior teachers have identified that simply teaching fighting
tactics or strategies, without including the philosophical and
spiritual attributes of respect, humility and self-discipline is
doing nothing more than creating street-fighters. In classical
martial arts, the training of the entire person, mentally,
spiritually and physically is the goal of the teacher. One of the
major first steps towards becoming a great warrior is learning how to
bow properly.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

I wanted to give you a quick reminder that the new schedule goes into
effect this week at the main school. Please call Dawn at 598-0398 if
you have any questions or pick up a new schedule at the dojo. The new
sparring classes start this Friday, if you are planning on attending
please bring your sparring gear.

Lesson of the Week – Giri



The concept of "Giri" contains elements from words like loyalty,
duty, responsibility and obligation. In America this is a hard
concept to explain because most of our citizens are brought up very
individualistic and not taught the concept of duty or obligation.

How does a person repay one's parents for bringing them in the world?
This precious gift that we call life, what is the true value? What
method of payment is considered adequate?

Well, these questions may seem silly, but in reality one does not
simply write a check for $10,000 when they turn 18 years of age and
call it even. If you recognize that you are born into this world with
a debt to pay, then we can begin to look at proper behaviors that are
congruent with the repayment of this debt. For example, bringing
honor and respect to the family name is one method. Anything we do
that brings honor to the family is seen as a credit and anything that
we do that dishonors the family does not go towards repayment of that
debt. We have certain responsibilities and obligations within the
family, such as taking care of siblings, respecting our parents, and
doing the right thing for the benefit of others that are all a part
of being a member of the family.

In the martial arts, the concept is very similar. Most people
understand that training in the martial arts is a life changing
experience, one that has a tremendous value. In fact, no matter how
much you try, you will never totally repay your teachers for what you
will learn from classical karate. Your school is an extended family.
Those sempai (higher ranking students that help you through the
learning process) are seen as older brothers and sisters, and take on
the duty of helping you along the path as their sempai did them. In
the dojo, the beginning of life is perceived as having begun when you
put on that while belt and began your training. The person that takes
you in and takes you to black belt is seen as a father and is given
the respect of that position. Although we may never completely repay
our debt to our teachers, or their teachers, it is our duty to try.
The method of repayment is by what we do and what we say.

In order to show respect to the art, we always show respect to those
above us and those below us. We strive to exemplify the traits of a
warrior by working hard, striving for excellence, and by being
compassionate. Whenever faced with a decision, we always ask
ourselves, "What is the right thing to do that will bring honor to
the school and my teacher?" We teach the art to others, because it
was taught to us. We bow to the dojo and to our classmates because it
shows that we understand respect and duty. Black belt excellence is
one element of giri, for yourself and for your
organization.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

The new school year is upon us and we are working hard to get all the
clubs and High School programs going this week. We have also just
been awarded the contract to teach the karate program at Pikes Peak
Community College. This program doesn't pay very well, but it
does
allow us to award scholarship hours (up to 80 hours per semester) for
students that may need assistance with their first 2 years of
college. We will be having team try-outs and awarding scholarships
September 4th so please contact me, or your Sensei right away if you
are interested.

Our new schedule for the main school goes in effect next week. If you
attend classes at the main school and have not picked up a new
schedule please do so.
The new hours for our classes are:
On Monday and Wednesday –
4:30-5:15 Kids Kempo Karate
5:15 – 6:00 Beginner and Novice Kempo Karate (white belts through
Purple belts – we will split into groups and use upstairs and
downstairs)
Special new class for 7 and under (they get to wear cool dragon
uniforms too) 5:45-6:15-Little Dragons ( Mary Britton and Jennifer
Gandolf will be teaching this program.
6:00-6:30 will be black belts only kata training with us
concentrating on Monday for 1st degrees and Wednesdays working on 2nd
degrees and above.
Brown and Black class has moved 15 minutes earlier running from 6:30-
7:15.
At 7:15 – 8:00 we will be having another Beginner and Novice
class.
On Tuesday and Thursdays we will be still teaching 4:00-4:45 Kids all
rank and 4:45 – 5:30 a Beginning and Novice Family class.
Saturdays we will be hosting our Chinese class (Tai Chi and other
soft forms) by Shihan Hack and a Family all ranks class from 8:45-
9:30. The Chinese class is open to family members of students as well
as students.

We have also given a home to Master Chase who teaches Tae Kwon Do and
recently closed his school down over on the west side. He will be
teaching from 7:15 – 9:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays so please
show
courteously and make his students feel welcome at our dojo. We also
have Kurt Frankenburg teaching eclectic martial arts program on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, at the same time as Kyoshi Ader.

Next belt test will be held in the morning of September 7th. 9:00 am
for Little Dragons, 9:15 for White belts, 9:30 for Yellow and Orange
belts, and 10 am for Green through Purple belts. There will be a
brown belt workout and pretest for those wishing to test for black in
the next year or so from 2:00 – 4:00 that afternoon.

Sensei Scott will be having a weapons seminar (the bo) around noon on
the 21st of September.

Hope everyone is geared up for a great year!

Respectfully,
Terry Bryan, Kyoshi

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

We begin our summer schedule this week, offering day classes on
Monday and Wednesdays at 12:00 noon and on Tuesday and Thursday at
9:00 am. Friday sparring classes will be 4:15 for kids and 6:00 –
7:30 for teens and adults.

The Colorado State Games will be held on August 3rd. Registrations
have to be in by the end of June, but we are limiting this years
event to 200 competitors, so if you are planning on competing please
get your registrations in early. The Colorado State Games is like the
Olympics for all Colorado athletes in a variety of sports and levels,
including the martial arts. We have committed all of our resources to
make this a great event for all the competitors in the state. You can
register on-line at www.sportsnuts.com or pick up a registration kit
at the dojo. If you are interested in helping, please contact Mary so
she can put you on our volunteer list. We will need referees,
scorekeepers and timers to help make this a smooth event. There will
be nighttime finals at 6:00 pm at Air Academy High School.

Brown and Black Belts - We are having a special guest instructor
Monday evening teaching class. Master Ken Baker is known for his
expertice in jujitsu, karate and eagle claw kung fu. Hope you are
able to attend class.


Lesson of the Week

This week, while Diana and I were taking a walk in the neighborhood,
we came across a robin sitting on a rail on a front porch. The front
windows of this house had a reflective coating on them that made them
look like mirrors and they reflected the beautiful blue sky. This
robin, seeing the reflection, flew into the window and then when she
found that she couldn't get through would settle down on the railing
once again. We watched as she tried over and over again, with the
same results. Having never witnessed such a display we watched for
several minutes but the robin never learned, she continued the same
behavior over and over again.

I thought that although this behavior was indeed strange, it is very
common with humans. How many people do you know that are not happy
with their lives but continue doing the same old things but expecting
different outcomes? They blame their position on bad luck or other
people instead of identifying specific problems in their life and
doing something about it. They continue with their same old habits
and hope that someday they will get lucky.

Practicing the martial arts teaches us how to instantly identify a
problem, come up with a strategy to neutralize it and then to take
action. Soon we learn that preventative actions are more effective
than responding to an action when it happens, or in other words to be
proactive instead of reactive.

When you combine this attitude with the simple concept that all
actions have consequences, you can come up with a simple but very
powerful strategy. If you are where you are at currently based on
your previous actions, then if you identifying and implement new
actions, you can create a wonderful and different future.

The next time you find yourself in a situation where you want to
blame someone else for something that has gone wrong, simply try and
identify what actions you did that caused it and change those
actions. After all, how many times are you planning on flying into
the same window hoping for a different result?

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan, Kyoshi

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

As we come close to the end of another school year, I want to take a
moment to congratulate all our students for a successful year. Many
of our students are graduating from high school and heading for
college, where I am sure they will continue in their path towards
black belt excellence. We wish you much success and happiness in your
future.

Also congratulation is in order for our newest instructor candidates
that just finished their comprehensive instructor-training program.
We are blessed with many talented students that wish to give back to
their community, by mentoring other students in our many programs.
This fall we are planning on having several after-school programs
throughout the city and are going to need plenty of help in making
this mission a reality. If you are interested in helping, please talk
to Kyoshi or Mary.

We will be closed Monday the 27th for the Memorial Day holiday.
Please take the time to remember those that we have lost.

Lesson Of The Week – The $25,000 Idea

Have you ever heard the story of the $25,000 idea? Well, the story
goes that the president of a big steel company had granted an
interview to an efficiency expert named Ivy Lee. Lee was telling his
prospective client how he could help him do a better job of managing
the company when the president broke in to say something like he was
managing the company the best he knew how. He went on to tell Ivy
that what was needed wasn't more knowing, but more doing. He said, "
We know what we should be doing. If you can show us a better way of
getting it done – then I will listen – and pay you anything you ask
within reason.

Lee handed the executive a blank piece of paper and said, " Write
down on this paper the 6 most important things you have to do
tomorrow." The executive thought about it and then did as he was
requested. It took three to four minutes.

Lee then said, " Now number them in their order of importance to you
and to the company." This took another couple of minutes.

Then Lee said, " Now put the paper in your pocket, and the first
thing tomorrow morning take it out and look at number one. Don't look
at the others, just number one and start working on it. If you can,
stay with it till you are finished, then proceed to number two and so
on till it is time to quit for the day.

Lee went on to say, " Do this everyday and after you are convinced of
its value, share it with your employees. Take as long as you want and
then send me your check for what ever you think the idea is worth.

The story goes that within a few weeks Ivy received a check in the
mail for $25,000 and this company went on to become one of the
leading steel companies in America.

I suggest you try this $25,000 idea for 7 days and I think you will
see the tremendous benefits of planning the most important activities
to accomplish on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. As the saying
goes, " Take care of the days and the years take care of themselves."

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

Hope everyone enjoyed the great weekend! Congratulations are in order
to all the new black belts. Our senior instructors from around the
country had nothing but great things to say about your attitude and
talent. Good job everyone!

I would also like to express my appreciation to all those that helped
with the planning and running of the events of the weekend – it ran
very smooth.

Lesson Of the Week


The Person In Front Of You

In the martial arts we soon realize that in a self-defense situation,
the person that is attacking you is your prime objective and nothing
else matters. This is not the time to have attention deficit or to
shift your attention to something else – your life depends on it. You
focus on their energy, what resources they have, what their
intentions are and begin to instantly read their verbal and nonverbal
communication to understand exactly what is the true meaning behind
the attack. These attributes of "seeing" falls under what we call
zanshin – "total awareness". These attributes are developed slowly
over the years through constant martial arts training under a
qualified teacher. What seems to be logical understanding to the
advanced student almost seems mystical to the untrained person's
mind.

A benefit of developing this awareness is seen in the ability to
understand instantly what your actions have on others. This feedback
allows you to follow the right and noble path more times than those
that seem to just let things happen. As you begin to develop the
habit of looking at others in this manner, you will soon see that
more positive things begin to happen in your life.

Here are a couple of suggestions as you begin to develop the habit of
seeing:

1. Don't waste time talking about your problems with people that
can't solve them.
2. Always radiate the attitude of well-being and confidence, the
attitude of a person that knows where he is going.
3. Treat every person you come in contact with as the most
important person in the world. You should do that because:
a. As far as that person is concerned, he is the most important
in the world.
b. That is the way human beings should treat one another.
c. And by doing this you will begin to develop the habit of
helping create self-esteem in others – one of the most powerful
things in the world.

I guess it is one of those little secrets in life, to give total
attention to the ones that are the closest to you. This works in
friendships, as well as combat.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,
Next week is our Black Belt weekend! Friday night we will have black
belt testing beginning at 6 pm at Air Academy High School and
admission is free. It should last a couple of hours. I hope you have
the chance to come and witness some of our students make the jump
into the black belt ranking. On Saturday we will be having seminars
by some of the best instructors around. Special guests include Kyoshi
Kennedy from Kansas City and Kyoshi Greene from Oklahoma. The
seminars will run from 9 am to 1 pm. For more information and to sign
up, please contact Mary. Saturday evening at 6 pm will be our awards
dinner, which will be held at the Air Force Academy press box. This
is sure to be a great event with dinner, entertainment and
celebration.

Congratulations to everyone that passed their belt test this week.
Everyone looked awesome!


Lesson Of The Week – Acres of Diamonds

Dr. Russell H. Conwell founded Temple University in 1884 by traveling
around the country raising money by giving over 6000 lectures. In
each of those lectures he told a true story entitled " Acres of
Diamonds".

The story was an account of an African farmer who had heard tales
about other farmers who had made millions by discovering diamond
mines. These tales so excited the farmer that he could hardly wait to
sell his farm and go prospecting for diamonds himself. So he sold the
farm and spent the rest of his life wandering the African continent,
searching unsuccessfully for the gleaming gems that brought such high
prices on the markets of the world. Finally, the story goes, worn-out
and in a fit of despair, he threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, back on the farm he had sold, the man that had bought it
happened to be crossing the small stream on the property. Suddenly,
there was a bright flash of blue and red light from the bottom of the
stream. He bent down and picked up the stone and later placed it on
his fireplace.

Several weeks later, a visitor to his home picked up the stone and
almost passed out. He asked the farmer if he knew what he had found.
When the farmer said no, that he thought it was probably a piece of
crystal, the visitor told him that he had found one of the largest
diamonds ever discovered.

Needless to say, the farm that the first farmer had sold so he could
go look for diamonds, turned out to become one of the most productive
diamond mines on the entire continent. The first farmer had owned
free and clear, acres of diamonds, but had sold it for little of
nothing in order to go look for them elsewhere.

The moral of the story is clear – had the farmer taken the time to
study and prepare himself – to know what diamonds look like in their
rough state – and since he already owned a piece of property – to
thoroughly explore that property before looking elsewhere, all his
wildest dreams would have come true.

What makes this story important is each of us, at this very moment,
is standing within our own acres of diamonds. If we only had the
wisdom and patience to intelligently and effectively explore the work
we are currently engaged in, to explore ourselves, then we would
probably find all the riches we seek, whether they are financial,
intangible or both. Instead of running off to greener pastures, we
should explore how to make our own pastures greener.

J.B. Mathews wrote: " Unless a person has trained himself for his
chance, the chance will only make him ridiculous. A great occasion is
worth to a man exactly what his preparation enables him to make of
it." It takes curious imagination to see diamonds in their rough
state as cut and polished gemstones, or "problems" that you encounter
as opportunities for growth. Your mind is your most powerful
resource. By exploring all the possibilities and striving for black
belt excellence, you will soon begin to see the diamonds that lay at
your feet.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students, Teachers and Friends,

We are only a couple of weeks from our Black Belt Weekend. Black Belt
testing will be on Friday the 10th of May at 6 pm at Air Academy High
School. The test is open to the public and admission is free. The
following day we will be having our seminars at the same location,
which will taught by our guest master instructors from 9 am till 1
pm. That evening at 6 pm we will be having our awards dinner at the
Air Force Academy football stadium. If you are planning on attending
the dinner, we need to know right away to take care of catering. You
can contact Mary at brittonme@... to ensure your place at the
awards dinner.



Lesson Of The Week

"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle,
stand like a rock." — Thomas Jefferson


The early Chinese philosophers created the 5-element theory to try
and help them understand how the universe worked. They saw the entire
universe was based on the inter-workings of 5 major elements – fire,
wood, water, earth and metal. Other educators added more ideas, which
included animals and their attributes to better understand the key
principles of success and to create the foundation of their style of
martial arts training. Today Kojosho Kempo uses 18 such ideas or
postures, which are made up of 9 elements and 9 animals. The above
statement by Thomas Jefferson describes clearly the relationship
between two of these elements – water and mountain.

Water simply flows – if there is an object in front of its path, it
goes around it. If there is a hole in front of its path, it simply
fills it and then continues on its journey. It does not have any
regret or animosity for challenges that show themselves, it simply
accepts them and goes with the flow. Each of us must follow our own
paths, progressively realizing our internal goals, flowing through
life much as water flows down stream. We have much to learn from the
simplicity and naturalness of water seeking the lowest position.

The mountain, on the other hand, is rock solid. From the mountain we
learn the importance of a strong foundation and that there are times
we want to adapt the attitude of the immoveable object. In the
martial arts the front stance or the horse stance are the physical
expressions of this posture, which demonstrate sinking or rooting
oneself to the earth. For the mind and the spirit, integrity is the
foundation from which all positive characteristics come from.

In the pursuit of black belt excellence, we recognize that there are
times to go with the flow like water and that there are times to
stand solid like a mountain. This concept seems pretty easy to
understand, but most civilians don't recognize which is the best
strategy for the current situation. Martial artists on the other
hand, know which strategy will work best based on the principles of
the combat experience from their art. Understanding these key
postures and the strategy of how they work together is the key to
black belt excellence. Is it any wonder, that most high-level martial
artists that understand this are successful in all areas of their
life?

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Students Teachers and Friends,

Congratulations to everyone that competed at the Pikes Peak
Championships – all our students did a great job!

We have a nunchaku seminar this Saturday from 1-3. Sensei Scott will
be teaching. Please see Mary if you are interested in attending.

Also don't forget the black belt testing and training camp coming up
the weekend of May 10th and 11th. The testing and seminar will be
held at Air Academy High School, and the awards dinner will be held
at the press box at the football stadium. Please see Mary for more
details.

Lastly, we will not be having regular classes on Saturday morning for
a while due the heavy amount of special events. W will try and set up
our special seminars on Saturdays. We will have a new schedule this
week to show these changes.


Lesson Of The Week

One Encounter – One Chance

This concept is easy to understand when it comes to a life and death
scenario on the street. I mean after all, how many time can you loose
in this environment? What most people fail to recognize is that this
same concept applies to every thing we do. In a world where
mediocrity is the standard, it is easy to loose site of striving for
excellence.

We have watched as sport karate has evolved from 1-point matches, to
three point matches and now finally 8 point matches. Standard testing
has come to a point where one just keeps testing until a passing
grade finally occurs. Consequences for making the wrong decisions are
down played. It is very easy to fall into a category of just getting
along, and enjoying this level of progress.

Did you know most people create an impression of a new person in the
first 5 seconds? Do we ever get a second chance on creating that
first impression? How many people get to go back and re-do their high
school years? College years? The highly trained person tries to do
his or her very best the very first time.

Every minute of every day we are at a crossroad, and the decisions we
make will take us towards a more successful life or away from it.
Every action has a consequence and we are completely in charge of
those actions. Each action should be decided with the attitude
of "One encounter, one chance", because it is. It is this attitude
that propels one towards black belt excellence.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan

Dear Teachers, Students and Parents,

We had a great trip to Kansas City where we helped with their black
belt test and had the opportunity to train together. It looks like
they are going to respond by bringing several people out to our
testing and seminar next month. In attendance were Kyoshi Roger
Greene and Kyoshi Dan Kennedy, as well as other prominent martial
arts teachers. Hope everyone puts our yearly training session down on
their schedule – May 11th – so they won't miss this training
opportunity.

Next weekend is the Pikes Peak Martial Arts Championships. There are
some tournaments, which we don't support because of the officiating
or the dangerous rules. The Pike Peak tournament has always been a
friendly and safe event and because of that, I encourage all our
students to support this event if they want to try a tournament. The
cost of the event is $40 for all events, which means a competitor can
do forms, sparring, weapons and all team events for one price. They
are also the only ones to give family discounts for parents with more
than one child that wants to compete. The event is going to be held
at Air Academy High School and begins at 9 am. For those wanting to
help score keep, referee or judge, there will be a training session
at the main dojo at 7 pm Friday evening. See you there!

Lesson Of The Week:

The Heart of the Warrior

The true warrior understands compassion and understanding. Although
their goal is one of Black Belt Excellence in everything they do,
they recognize that we live in a world that edifies mediocrity. The
modern warrior has to learn to become tolerant of human weaknesses
and incompetence.

Living in a proactive world, the martial artist understands the ease
with which a conflict can break out in even the simplest of settings.
The warrior understands how hard it is to maintain their balance in
all things and learns to accept others as they attempt to understand
the universal truths in life, no matter how pathetic an attempt it
may be.

An expanded heart is one of those simple truths in life. The amount
of opposition you experience in life is in direct proportion to the
amount of compassion that you display in your life to others. Having
a bigger heart means less resistance, fewer enemies, and fewer
battles to fight. Besides, having a bigger heart is more fun. When
one learns to accept people with all their inadequacies, you will
also see that they are pretty brilliant in some areas as well.

Expanding ones heart is fairly simply, but takes time. You start by
opening your heart, one small step at a time. First let in a few
ideas, concepts or phrases and try and understand them from the other
person's perspective. Soon you will find your comfort zone is
expanding. You will learn to reframe your perspective to include a
wider experience and greater diversity. The ultimate goal of Black
Belt Excellence is to make the entire world and everything in it, a
part of your comfort zone.


Respectfully,

Terry Bryan