Congratulations to those who have earned promotions since our last newsletter. – Junior Yellow Belt, – Jarod Gajada Senior Yellow Belt – Carolyn Kulick
To everyone that helped, supported and competed to make the 27th benefit tournament a success – THANK YOU. Our students performed well demonstrating proper form and enthusiasm. We started on time and completed the event by 2 pm; knowing that we had almost 200 competitors, everything ran smoothly because of the help of students, family and friends.
PERSONAL BELIEFS AND SUCCESS
The worst beliefs are “self-limiting beliefs.” These exist whenever we believe we are limited in some way. For example, you may think yourself to be less talented or capable than others. You may think that others are superior to you in some way. You may have fallen into the common trap of selling yourself short and settling for far less than you are truly capable of.
These self-limiting beliefs act like brakes on your potential. They hold you back. They generate the two greatest enemies of personal success—doubt and fear. They paralyze you and cause you to hesitate to take the intelligent risks that are necessary for you to fulfill your true potential.
For you to progress, to move onward and upward in your life and your business, you must continually challenge your self-limiting beliefs. You must reject any thought or suggestion that you are limited in any way. You must accept as a basic principle that you are a “no-limit” person, and that what others have done, you can do as well
When I was a young man, coming from a difficult upbringing, I fell into the mental trap of concluding that because other people were doing better than I was, they must be better or smarter than I was. I accidentally concluded that they were worth more than I was. I must therefore be worth less. This false belief held me back for years.
The fact is that no one is better than you are and no one is smarter than you are. If they are doing better, it is largely because they have developed their natural talents and abilities more than you have. They have learned the laws of cause and effect that apply to their lives and work before you have. And anything anyone else has done, within reason, you can probably do as well.
What Constitutes a Good Life?
by Jim Rohn
The ultimate expression of life is not a paycheck. The ultimate expression of life is not a Mercedes. The ultimate expression of life is not a million dollars or a bank account or a home. Here’s the ultimate expression of life in my opinion, and that is living the good life. Here’s what we must ask constantly, “What for me would be a good life?” And you have to keep going over and over the list. A list including areas such as spirituality, economics, health, relationships and recreation. What would constitute a good life? I’ve got a short list.
1) Number one, productivity. You won’t be happy if you don’t produce. The game of life is not rest. We must rest, but only long enough to gather strength to get back to productivity. What’s the reason for the seasons and the seeds, the soil and the sunshine, the rain and the miracle of life? It’s to see what you can do with it—to try your hand. Other people have tried their hand; here’s what they did. You try your hand to see what you can do. So part of life is productivity.
2) Next are good friends. Friendship is probably the greatest support system in the world. Don’t deny yourself the time to develop this support system. Nothing can match it. It’s extraordinary in its benefit. Friends are those wonderful people who know all about you and still like you. A few years ago, I lost one of my dearest friends. He died at age 53—heart attack. David is gone, but he was one of my very special friends. I used to say of David that if I was stuck in a foreign jail somewhere accused unduly and if they would allow me one phone call, I would call David. Why? He would come and get me. That’s a friend. Somebody who would come and get you. Now we’ve all got casual friends. And if you called them they would say, “Hey, if you get back, call me and we’ll have a party.” So you’ve got to have both, real friends and casual friends.
3) Next on the list of a good life is your culture. Your language, your music, the ceremonies, the traditions, the dress. All of that is so vitally important that you must keep it alive. In fact it is the uniqueness of all of us that when blended together brings vitality, energy, power, influence, uniqueness and rightness to the world.
4) Next is your spirituality. It helps to form the foundation of the family that builds the nation. And make sure you study, practice and teach. Don’t be careless about the spiritual part of your nature; it’s what makes us who we are, different from dogs, cats, birds and mice. Spirituality.
5) Next, here’s what my parents taught me. Don’t miss anything. Don’t miss the game. Don’t miss the performance, don’t miss the movie, don’t miss the show, don’t miss the dance. Go to everything you possibly can. Buy a ticket to everything you possibly can. Go see everything and experience all you possibly can. This has served me so well to this day. Just before my father died at age 93, if you were to call him at 10:30 or 11:00 at night, he wouldn’t be home. He was at the rodeo, he was watching the kids play softball, he was listening to the concert, he was at church, he was somewhere every night.
Live a vital life. Here’s one of the reasons why. If you live well, you will earn well. If you live well it will show in your face, it will show in the texture of your voice. There will be something unique and magical about you if you live well. It will infuse not only your personal life but also your business life. And it will give you a vitality nothing else can give.
6) Next are your family and the inner circle. Invest in them and they’ll invest in you. Inspire them and they’ll inspire you. With your inner circle take care of the details. When my father was still alive, I used to call him when I traveled. He’d have breakfast most every morning with the farmers. Little place called The Decoy Inn out in the country where we lived in Southwest Idaho. So Papa would go there and have breakfast and I’d call him just to give him a special day. Now if I was in Israel, I’d have to get up in the middle of the night, but it only took five minutes, ten minutes. So I’d call Papa and they’d bring him the phone. I’d say, “Papa, I’m in Israel.” He’d say, “Israel! Son, how are things in Israel?” He’d talk real loud so everybody could hear. “My son’s calling me from Israel!” I’d say, “Papa, last night they gave me a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean.” He’d say, “Son, a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean.” Now everybody knows the story. It only took five or ten minutes, but what a special day for my father, age 93.
If a father walks out of the house and he can still feel his daughter’s kiss on his face all day, he’s a powerful man. If a husband walks out of the house and he can still feel the imprint of his wife’s arms around his body, he’s invincible all day. It’s the special stuff with the inner circle that makes you strong and powerful and influential. So don’t miss that opportunity. Here’s the greatest value. The prophet said, “There are many virtues and values, but here’s the greatest, one person caring for another.” There is no greater value than love. Better to live in a tent on the beach with someone you love than to live in a mansion by yourself. One person caring for another, that’s one of life’s greatest expressions.
So make sure in your busy day to remember the true purpose and the reasons you do what you do. May you truly live the kind of life that will bring the fruits and rewards that you desire.
Renshi Scott Miller – Combinations & A Piece Of Seisan Kata
Combinations whether we are kicking low and then punching high or kicking high and then punching low, one technique sets up the other. After a punch high, I am hoping that my opponent tries to block opening himself for me to attack low. If we can get our opponent to think in one direction then we can deliver in another, we have succeeded.
Practice a set of combinations with an opponent. Each attack should be from a different direction, angel and different stance. Come in with a front kick (low), back fist (high), punch (low). Remember after the attack to return each kick and punch into a guard’s position and do not become vulnerable.
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE in performing combinations is the attacks are weak and not fully executed. Each part of the combination is equally important. If the opponent does not block or get away from the first attack, the rest of the combination is doomed to fail. Do not overlook shadow boxing in a mirror or the use of a heavy bag for practice. When practicing concentrate on timing, balance, stances & distance.
To advance our skills in understanding the use of Seisan Kata, think of the combination, ‘slide in block, punch (solar plexus), punch (solar plexus,) kick (belt high) then punch (solar plexus)’. Change the attack destinations and techniques. For example when blocking use an open hand – then grab the opponent and pull him in. Palm strike to opponent’s (solar plexus), then punch with blocking hand to the opponent’s temple, and then kick inside the thigh, followed lastly by a punch to the opponent’s lower ribs. The point I am trying to make, to advance the understanding and use of established moves in kata, is when the opportunity presents itself use a technique that may be used in place of the traditional kata techniques. Mixing it up sometimes can sometimes motivate us to think more about what is actually being done.
A REMINDER: There are classes specifically to advance sparring skills at the dojo each 2nd Friday of each month (except for July). Junior students are invited to attend from 7pm to 7:45pm. Adult students are invited to attend from 7pm to 8:30pm. (cost $5.00) There are brown & black belt sessions where things specific for these ranks are presented concerning kata, weapons and more the 3rd Friday of each month (except July) from 7pm to 8:30pm. (cost $5.00) Students must pre-register by the Tuesday of the week of the session.
