MAY 2018

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS WHO SUPPORTED OUR 33rd ANNUAL BENEFIT TOURNAMENT.  Though it was a smaller event, the competition was good, and everyone should feel good about being a part of something that has raised in excess of $200,000 for charity.

We are working to improve our visibility on the internet.  Please get a referral card (by the door) and post a review of the dojo.

You’ve heard of the Power of Positive Thinking. There’s no doubt about it…the human mind is an amazingly powerful computer, capable of transforming our lives.  However, achieving what you want in life isn’t accomplished by sitting on a comfortable chair and visualizing all day long. Far too many people neglect to ACT in order to bring their dreams to life. As cosmetics company founder and CEO Estée Lauder put it so well, “I didn’t get here by dreaming about it or thinking about it—I got here by doing it.”   Author BJ Gallagher has captured the “secret” a few people are talking about –  thoughts and attitudes can change by taking positive ACTION, no matter what you are thinking or feeling! She calls it “The Power of Positive DOING”.

What will it take for you to be happy?

Benjamin Franklin said, “The U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up to it yourself.”

Many of us pin our happiness to external factors: if only we had more money, or a better house, or whatever our latest “want” is . . . but your happiness has been and always will be right inside yourself.

• Champions are driven by emotional motivators • The great ones chose discipline over pleasure • Middle class vs. world class • The great ones believe they cannot fail…they can only learn and grow • The great ones take responsibility • Champions have an immense capacity for world class concentration • Common sense is the foundation of high performance • The great ones make the complicated simple • Champions are driven by a world class belief system

It is said that the true purpose of life is the joy of helping others, but there is often a perception that the next generation is not as committed to changing the world as their parents were.  From what I have seen working at the high school and the college, young people are committed to change.

We do not know when we will help another individual.  In 2005 I was teaching a unit at the end of a semester which would end with the students understanding what the ultimate concept would be if they were to become happy and successful in their future lives.  One young woman (about 19) was in the class.  After the video entitled “The Secret” the class had a discussion and after much soul searching, they realized that the key element is for each person to experience personal fulfillment in life, uniting – Body, Mind, Family, Society and Finances.  They were shocked and relieved with the discovery.  The class emptied leaving only the one female student.  I noticed she was crying.  I talked to her and after a few minutes she said that she hadn’t planned to attend class that day and after coming to school – she was going to go home and commit suicide.  NOW after the previous discussions, the video and the realization, she was not going to do so.  She said she was going to register in a four-year college and follow her musical career as well.  We still communicate several times a year.  She lives in Knoxville, has a degree in economics and she is following her musical dreams.

I ended the current semester with the same procedures.  Discussions, video and further discussion after the video – ending with the revelation.  The first class after the video and discussion a middle-aged woman came to class and said my project, the discussions and the video changed her life.  She went home after the class and having Netflix she selected the video and mandated that her entire family experience it with her.  She is now working to be a positive individual . . . GO FIGURE!   The reaction to the college program about fulfilment, along with the years involvement at the high school, dojo and WCCC, demonstrates that each of us can touch many lives.
One way to understand this concept is to investigate THE SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION is a theory that was first proposed in 1929 by the Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy in a short story called “Chains.” In the 1950s, Ithiel de Sola Pool (MIT) and Manfred Kochen (IBM) set out to prove the theory mathematically.  After twenty years they were still unable to solve the problem to their satisfaction.  In 1967, American sociologist Stanley Milgram devised a new way to test the theory, which he called “the small-world problem.” Milgram randomly selected people in the Midwest to send packages to a stranger located in Massachusetts. The senders knew the recipient’s name, occupation and general location. Each participant was instructed to send the package to a person he knew on a first-name basis who was most likely, out of all the participant’s friends, to know the target personally. That person would do the same, and so on until the package was personally delivered to its target recipient. Although participants expected the chain to include at least a hundred intermediaries, it only took (on average) between five and seven intermediaries for each package to be delivered successfully.  Milgram’s findings were published in Psychology Today and inspired the phrase “six degrees of separation.”

Ultimately, separation is the theory that any person on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries.  What we do with our time, how we approach and connect with others, creates the ability to affect many people positively or negatively.  Choose to be positive – CHANGE LIFE FOR THE BETTER.

April 2018

Remember that our 33^rd Benefit Tournament is at Hackettstown High School on April 22^nd. Pre-register and save money. Registration the day of the event is from 8:30 to 9:45 or when the person’s event runs. We generally are completely done by 3PM. We can use help in a number of area during the day. See me or Mrs. Hughes.

     DOJO FEES WILL BE IN EFFECT APRIL 2018 or when the multi-month plan completes

                        Please pay the beginning of each month

PER WEEK      1 STUDENT       2 STUDENTS     3 STUDENTS

 1 CLASS            $60.00                   $110.00                     $140.00

 2 CLASSES     $90.00                    $145.00                     $220.00

 3 CLASSES     $100.00                  $170.00                     $250.00

 3 MONTHS (1class)   $155.00    $285.00                     $380.00

 3 MONTHS (2 classes) $225.00  $400.00            $610.00

THE CHURCH IS USING THE COMMUNITY CENTER FOR PRAYER MEETINGS ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS, WE WILL BE COMBINING ADULT AND CHILDREN’S CLASSES ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FROM 6:00 TO 7:30 PM.

 WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE CLASSES:

     MONDAYS FOR ADULTS – 6:30 to 8:00 PM 

TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS    FOR CHILDREN – YOUNGER CHILDREN STILL 5:45 – 6:46 PM                                         OLDER / ADVANCED CHILDREN STILL 6:30 – 8:00 PM   ADLTS STILL 8:00 to 9:30 or 10:00 PM

WEDNESDAYS – WE WILL BE COMBINING ADULT AND CHILDREN’S CLASSES ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FROM 6:00 TO 7:30 PM.

SATURDAYS – ADULTS – STILL 10:00 to 11:00 AM                 CHILDREN – STILL 11:00 AM to NOON

In the chaos of everyday life, we often find ourselves spending most of our time on things that matter least. At the end of our lives, what our bank account was, the type of house we lived in, or the kind of car we drove will not be important…but the world may be different because of the core values we held true.

“It’s not what you have, it’s what you do with it that makes all the difference.”

~ John Mason, author.

Learn to deal with negative feedback, be open to change, set deadlines, hang on to your dreams like a bulldog, and so much more! You’ve been endowed with a certain mixture of abilities and opportunities that makes you unique. No mixture is insignificant. There’s something within each of us crying out to be above average and extraordinary.

 Unlock and unleash your full potential.

“Anyone can do it.” Step number one is to have an intense burning desire for your goal. If you have that, you are ready to get started.

“What I found was that these ideas work everywhere, for everyone, in virtually every country, no matter what your education, experience, or background may be when you begin.” ~ Brian Tracy

 “Is your life half-empty or half-full? What if I chose to find and embrace the silver linings, the life lessons in disguise? What if I chose to let go of the baggage I have been carrying around? The choice in perception makes all the difference.” ~ John J. Murphy

We are all blessed with an opportunity to bring greater joy and prosperity to this world. The hand we are dealt simply makes life interesting. The secret to it all is in how we perceive things. Is your life “half-empty” or “half-full”? More importantly, what is even “in your glass,” and how long have you been holding on to it?

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED THE GOLDEN RULE KARATE TOURNAMENT.

Kristyn Wheeler – 3^rd Kata  Cristina McDonald – 3^rd Sparring Jake Brader – 2^nd Kata   Sammy Heinrich 1^st Kata, 3^rd Sparring                  Daniel Tankel – 4^th Kata, 2^nd Sparring   Rachael Tankel – 4^th Kata   Trinity White – 3^rd Kata   Madeline Ridge – 3^rd Kata, 1^st Sparring

The following competed but did not place – Ralphie Donica   Michael Donica   Izzy Donica   Skye White

Congratulations to Angie Gongalves for her promotion to junior green belt #2.

REMEMBER TO SAVE THE DATE – – – SUNDAY, APRIL 22^nd

IT IS THE DATE FOR OUR 33^rd BENEFIT TOURNAMENT AT HACKETTSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL

Please take a few of the dojo flyers and place them in stores to help us advertise and recruit new students. Thank You!

Bull’s Eye by Brian Tracy is a story of persistence, concentration and clarity that transforms professional and personal wishes into attainable goals. The lessons shared will inspire you to refine your aspirations into measurable actions. Empower yourself to elevate from a dreamer to a lifelong achiever. When you take a precise approach to your passion, you will discover that hitting the bull’s eye is an act of perseverance, not chance. As Zig Ziglar said, “The fact is that you can’t hit a target that you can’t see.” Unless you are perfectly clear about what you want—your target, and the bull’s-eye on that target—you will never be able to win championships in the great contest of life.

What Is Your Target?

According to Lewis Carroll, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

Thomas Carlyle once wrote, “A person with a clear purpose will make progress on even the roughest road. A person with no purpose will make no progress on even the smoothest road.”

The greater clarity you have about who you are— your likes and dislikes, what you want, your goals and objectives—the greater progress you will make under even the most difficult of circumstances.

Determine the Consequences

In time management, one of the best ways to set priorities is to think about the likely consequences of doing or not doing a task. Successful people are those who spend most of their time on tasks and activities that have big potential consequences. They can have a real impact or influence on the future. Unsuccessful, unhappy people instead spend most of their time doing things of little or no consequence at all.

The quality of your thinking has the greatest consequences of all. The quality of your thinking determines the quality of your choices and decisions. Your choices and decisions determine the actions you take. And the actions you take determine the quality and quantity of your results.

The Law of Probability

Your goal should be to achieve the highest levels of success possible in every area of your life that is important to you. Fortunately, you have tremendous control over what happens to you and what you accomplish. By doing certain things in a certain way, over and over, you can dramatically increase the likelihood that you are going to enjoy high income and live an exciting life. There is a much higher probability that you will hit your personal bull’s-eyes.

Here is an example: The Law of Probability says there is a probability that everything can happen and that these probabilities can be calculated with tremendous accuracy. One of the greatest discoveries is that you can increase the probability of success in any field by doing more of the things other successful people do.

Hoping for the Best

People wish and hope and dream about a “big score.” They try a dozen or a hundred different things. They keep throwing darts at the dartboard of life. But eventually, most people give up and simply settle for mediocrity. They conclude that they are “not good enough” and that they will never have the skill and ability to hit the bull’s-eye in the game of life.

Increase the Probabilities

But what if this same player takes a different strategy? What if he becomes serious about hitting a bull’s-eye and winning in the game of life? He hires an expert at the game of darts and takes some of the best training available to a person in this sport. Instead of being distracted, tired, and having a couple drinks, he is instead well rested and clearheaded. The dartboard is well lit and only a few feet away. Now, what are his chances of hitting the target? They are much better because of his preparation and positioning. What if he also has an endless supply of darts and continues to throw the darts, measuring and calibrating his accuracy with each throw, correcting his stance and his throwing, and persistently throws darts over and over again?

Winning Is Predictable

Under these conditions, the chance is almost 100 percent that he will eventually hit the bull’s-eye. And once he hits it, if he continues to practice and improve his aim, he will eventually be able to hit bull’s-eye after bull’s-eye in the great game of life. It is the same with you. You can dramatically increase your chances of hitting your bull’s-eyes in life if you do the same things that champions do in your field, over and over.

The key is clarity. You must develop absolute clarity about who you are, what you really want, and the steps you will have to take to achieve what you want to achieve and to get to where you want to go.

WE DO THE SAME THINGS THE LONGER WE STAY WITH OUR ISSHIN-RYU TRAINING. WE TRAIN BY REPEATING OUR BASICS, KATA AND KIMITE SKILLS DURING EACH CLASS. ONCE A PERSON COMMITS AND HAS A CLEAR PURPOSE, SUCCESS IS THE NEXT STEP. IT IS OFTEN EASIER TO DO TECHNIQUES THE CORRECT WAY FROM THE START. THAT WAY WE DO NOT HAVE TO STOP AND RELEARN THE PROPER FORM FOR EXECUTION. AT THE TOURNAMENT IN WARREN HILLS I WAS A HEAD JUDGE. DURING A SPARRING MATCH A GIRL SAID SHE WAS GOING TO LOSE BECAUSE SHE WAS PAIRED WITH A LARGER GIRL A YEAR OLDER. I TOLD HER THE COMPETITION WASN’T DONE AND IF SHE TRIED SHE MIGHT SURPRISE HERSELF. SHE LOST THE FIRST POINT BUT WON THE NEXT THREE, WINNING THE MATCH.

FEBRUARY 2018

OPEN HAND KATAS

Seisan:  From Shorin Ryu. Emphasizes a straight-forward stance, seiken tzuki blocking (straight punch), the mae geri (straight forward), and rapid technique.

Seiunchin: From Goju Ryu. Emphasizes a strong, low stance in which the heels are shoulder-width apart and the feet are pointed out on a 45° angle. It also stresses reinforced blocks and punches, breath control, and powerful techniques.

Naihanchin: From Shorin Ryu. It is known for its “toe-inward” stance (uchi hachiji dachi). Designed for fighting with one’s back against a wall, on a ledge or sideway evasion of an attack. Most movements are performed in a lateral direction.

Wansu: From Shorin Ryu. It is referred to as the “dumping form” because of the throw it contains. The technical term for this throw is kata garuma.

Chinto: From Shorin Ryu.. It derives its name from Master Chinto. This kata emphasizes pivots and fighting on angles. Chinto is one of the most difficult kata to perform while maintaining good balance.

Kusanku: From Shorin Ryu. It derives its name from Master Kushanku. Designed for fighting under conditions with limited light and teaches evasive techniques.

Sunsu: This is the kata that Master Shimabuku personally developed, and bears his nickname. It is the longest and most difficult kata to perform.

Sanchin: from Goju Ryu. It emphasizes strong technique and breath control. The names means “three battles”, and refers to the control of mind, body, and breath during the performance of the kata.

In preparation for my advanced writing class at Warren County College, I read “Choice: Reaction or Response” from Getting the Best from Yourself and Others by Julie Davis-Colan and Lee J. Colan. Students had read a number of short stories that stressed the evaluation of characters and why some were straight forward and honest and other were devious and deceitful. Each student had to determine if the characters were making good life decisions and what caused each character to react in the way(s) related by the author.

The authors related of the article I read stated – “The power of choice is one of the greatest gifts we are given.” Although we make many choices every day, we seldom make neutral choices. Each choice has a positive or negative consequence for us at some level and “Our attitude toward life is the most important choice we make!”

Just think of the last time you were in deep thought about your plans for the evening. We often do things without thinking or “being in the moment”. We daydream rather than concentrate on what must be done. Students do this in class and adults do it at times while driving – arriving home without being truly aware of the drive. Consider the multitude of much smaller choices we make each day that we don’t really think about: waking up, brushing our teeth, saying “good morning” to a colleague, eating our lunch, or performing a repetitive job duty. Subconscious actions are useful most of the time, but we must also consciously choose our attitude to control our results. Our ability to choose is a gift, but it is also a huge responsibility. No matter what today’s “it’s not my fault” culture encourages, we are all ultimately responsible for our own choices. In fact, we like to write the word responsibility as response–ability. As humans, we have the unique ability to respond.

When we react, we make a purely emotional and subconscious decision. Often, because of how our experiences and prior choices have programmed our subconscious mind, and reactions do not help us achieve the best results.

On the other hand, when we respond to a situation, we make a constructive and conscious decision. That’s why there are emergency response teams, not emergency reaction teams. When we simply react, our emotional instinct is in control, with little thought of the long-range consequences. When we respond, our brain is fully engaged, and self-awareness is high. We have the long-term consequences in mind. We all experience many negative situations and people. Choosing to respond instead of reacting helps positively orchestrate our attitudes — and our lives.

In karate we respond to situations in kata and sparring because of our training and because of the numerous repetitive drills that are performed. Our response to each situation is because of the conditioned response to the outside situation. Approaching each situation with the choice of the proper action creates a positive feeling because we succeeded. Our attitude becomes more confident and positive. This also translates into daily life whether it is in school or work.

Golden Rule Tournament – Warren Hills High School – Sunday, February 18^th. Doors open at 9 A.M. and the tournament starts at 11:00 A.M.

King’s Karate Tournament – Merriam Avenue Elementary School, Newton, NJ – Doors open at 8:30 A.M. and the tournament starts at 11:00 A.M

FEBRUARY 2018

OPEN HAND KATAS

Seisan:  From Shorin Ryu. Emphasizes a straight-forward stance, seiken tzuki blocking (straight punch), the mae geri (straight forward), and rapid technique.

Seiunchin: From Goju Ryu. Emphasizes a strong, low stance in which the heels are shoulder-width apart and the feet are pointed out on a 45° angle. It also stresses reinforced blocks and punches, breath control, and powerful techniques.

Naihanchin: From Shorin Ryu. It is known for its “toe-inward” stance (uchi hachiji dachi). Designed for fighting with one’s back against a wall, on a ledge or sideway evasion of an attack. Most movements are performed in a lateral direction.

Wansu: From Shorin Ryu. It is referred to as the “dumping form” because of the throw it contains. The technical term for this throw is kata garuma.

Chinto: From Shorin Ryu.. It derives its name from Master Chinto. This kata emphasizes pivots and fighting on angles. Chinto is one of the most difficult kata to perform while maintaining good balance.

Kusanku: From Shorin Ryu. It derives its name from Master Kushanku. Designed for fighting under conditions with limited light and teaches evasive techniques.

Sunsu: This is the kata that Master Shimabuku personally developed, and bears his nickname. It is the longest and most difficult kata to perform.

Sanchin: from Goju Ryu. It emphasizes strong technique and breath control. The names means “three battles”, and refers to the control of mind, body, and breath during the performance of the kata.

In preparation for my advanced writing class at Warren County College, I read “Choice: Reaction or Response” from Getting the Best from Yourself and Others by Julie Davis-Colan and Lee J. Colan. Students had read a number of short stories that stressed the evaluation of characters and why some were straight forward and honest and other were devious and deceitful. Each student had to determine if the characters were making good life decisions and what caused each character to react in the way(s) related by the author.

The authors related of the article I read stated – “The power of choice is one of the greatest gifts we are given.” Although we make many choices every day, we seldom make neutral choices. Each choice has a positive or negative consequence for us at some level and “Our attitude toward life is the most important choice we make!”

Just think of the last time you were in deep thought about your plans for the evening. We often do things without thinking or “being in the moment”. We daydream rather than concentrate on what must be done. Students do this in class and adults do it at times while driving – arriving home without being truly aware of the drive. Consider the multitude of much smaller choices we make each day that we don’t really think about: waking up, brushing our teeth, saying “good morning” to a colleague, eating our lunch, or performing a repetitive job duty. Subconscious actions are useful most of the time, but we must also consciously choose our attitude to control our results. Our ability to choose is a gift, but it is also a huge responsibility. No matter what today’s “it’s not my fault” culture encourages, we are all ultimately responsible for our own choices. In fact, we like to write the word responsibility as response–ability. As humans, we have the unique ability to respond.

When we react, we make a purely emotional and subconscious decision. Often, because of how our experiences and prior choices have programmed our subconscious mind, and reactions do not help us achieve the best results.

On the other hand, when we respond to a situation, we make a constructive and conscious decision. That’s why there are emergency response teams, not emergency reaction teams. When we simply react, our emotional instinct is in control, with little thought of the long-range consequences. When we respond, our brain is fully engaged, and self-awareness is high. We have the long-term consequences in mind. We all experience many negative situations and people. Choosing to respond instead of reacting helps positively orchestrate our attitudes — and our lives.

In karate we respond to situations in kata and sparring because of our training and because of the numerous repetitive drills that are performed. Our response to each situation is because of the conditioned response to the outside situation. Approaching each situation with the choice of the proper action creates a positive feeling because we succeeded. Our attitude becomes more confident and positive. This also translates into daily life whether it is in school or work.

Golden Rule Tournament – Warren Hills High School – Sunday, February 18^th. Doors open at 9 A.M. and the tournament starts at 11:00 A.M.

King’s Karate Tournament – Merriam Avenue Elementary School, Newton, NJ – Doors open at 8:30 A.M. and the tournament starts at 11:00 A.M.

JANUARY 2018

With the coming of the New Year, we have the prime opportunity to renew ourselves and rededicate ourselves to our families, work or school and our training.

One of the strengths of a karate training session is that the process is mental as well as physical, so the whole person benefits from the time spent in the dojo as well as during the disciplined practice at home. We cannot attempt to stay at the same level that we are at today. We must try to improve our abilities at kata, kumite, and self-development.

Another strength of traditional karate training is seen when the student can focus his or her energies on the inner qualities that set our training apart from other forms of exercise. Goal setting is not unique to karate training but is at times different because we cannot look at just the physical benefits of an exercise program. We must take into account that we want to improve ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally. Think about what you want to accomplish during this year and write it on a piece of paper – – – put it away in a safe place (with your monthly dojo newsletters) and look at it every so often to see if progress is being made toward accomplishing the desired goal.

Accept the challenge of setting realistic short and long-term goals. Be prepared to work toward the goal and step-by-step improvements will be made.

THOUGHTS TO IMPROVE TRAINING:

1. 99.9% OF THE TIME — FEET MOVE TO THE CORRECT STANCE BEFORE THE HANDS MOVE.
2. SEE THE ATTACK BEFORE DOING THE TECHNIQUE.
3. THE ELBOW IS BEHIND THE HAND IN PUNCHING TECHNIQUES.
4. THE KNEES ARE OVER THE TOES.

AN UPCOMING TOURNAMENT WILL BE AT WARREN HILLS REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – – FEBRUARY 18^TH. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND PLAN TO ATTEND. IT IS CLOSE AND IT IS A WELL RUN EVENT.

The strength of an individual is found in the creation of his mind. This power can become so great that sometimes when men harbor a great thought, they are to an extent taken captive by it. The idea possesses them and infuses them with its strength. William James said, “If you wish to possess an ability or attribute, act ‘as if’ you already had it.” Let it get hold of you. If you would be courageous, act “as if” you were already courageous. Shakespeare said, “Assume a virtue if you have it not.” So few people succeed because so few can conceive a great end and work toward it without deviating and without tiring.

The best road to success is to think big and act big and to give substance to your greatest thoughts by putting them into action. Our business is to work, to surmount difficulties, to endure hardships, to solve problems, to overcome the inertia of our own life. Keep in your heart a shrine to the ideal and upon this alter let the fires never die. We should immediately discard all of our philosophies of failure. We should throw out the weaknesses of evasion and procrastination. “Fear is with the faithless and faith is with the fearless.”

When we immerse ourselves in positive thinking and constructive attitudes, we saturate ourselves with success and then are possessed by it. Strength and weakness are both “inside jobs.” Poison on the outside may not matter; poison on the inside is disastrous. Exercise makes us strong. We can start with little things that we can handle easily and increase our load at easy intervals and get into the success habit by being willing to pay the price. And this day by day exercise with the philosophy of strength and courage will make us grown strong and capable. Now is the time of our greatest opportunity. Seize it and teach it to obey. Shakespeare said: There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at its flood leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyages of our lives are bound in shallows and in miseries.

LISTENING THE GOLD MEDAL FOR SUCCESS

Why Does Listening Matter?

It is important because – you live by yourself but you cannot do it alone.

God made us incomplete. We need other people.

Understanding others helps us understand our self better.

What gets in the way of effective listening?

Not having a listening heart – with pure intent – karate=s beginner=s mind.

A person must want to listen.

A tendency to listen to our inner voice instead of the person that we are meeting.

Wanting to hear what we want to hear, rather than what the person says.

Several seminars I have attended have involved the art of Listening. In each seminar the presenters, the best being Steve Shapiro and Bob Proctor, state that HEARING is a physical process but LISTENING is wanting to hear. Listening is the second most important thing we do, next to breathing and it is the forerunner to LEARNING. Listening, which will make a difference in our lives and in the world, is: a Skill; a State of Mind; a State of Heart; an Attitude; an Art; and a Path to Enlightenment. At each level of physical, emotional and social development, listening is emotional and it is mental. Listening at a high rate must be practiced. It is a choice, an attitude, where people must decide that they want to hear. When with other people, we have a choice to listen to the other person or the voice inside our head. We listen to feelings with an intuitive factor of being. When doing so, we can sense the excitement, interest, emotion, and pain being transmitted. The quality of our lives is determined by the quality of our relationships. You cannot learn about another person=s beliefs and dreams, if you are talking.

A key to success in school, karate and life finds listening to become a State of heart because it is so much more than just hearing. At the highest level of listening, we use our eyes, our intuition, our emotions, our ears, our mind and our senses. It is an opening of our emotions, where we listen for the intent more than the content of what is said. It is more than the facts. Who is the person? Where is he or she coming from? Listen to and not about the individual – creates the connection between people.

If my State of Heart is the desire to just make money or promote my ego – my chance to reach other people is greatly reduced. If I intend to help other people, the rate of success is increased.

King Solomon said, Give me the gift of a listening heart.

Aristotle said, Wisdom is reward we get for a lifetime of listening when we would rather to have been talking.

Paths to enlightenment – Meditation and Prayer – require listening to the voice inside ourselves.

Relationships need this enlightenment to grow and flourish.

Listening is the polishing stone not the grinding stone in life.

Listening is a process – – people are involved in our lives, physically, emotionally, psychologically – – What do we listen for?

Recognize people for whom & what they are and their beliefs.

We cannot change people – accept them for what they are.

People are interested in themselves.

What is important to you?

How do you want your life to become?

How can I help you?

Ask questions AND listen.

Are they a victim or creator – have they taken responsibility for their lives?

Listen for those to whom You want to Give the Gift From Under the Tree.

When making personal decisions, listen to what your head says; then listen to what your heart says. If they differ, follow your heart! Whenever you listen to your heart, you listen to that part of you that is most interested in your well being.

DECEMBER 2017

THERE WILL BE NO CLASSES ON DECEMBER 23rd, 25th AND JANUARY 1st.

  IF INTERESTED FOR CHRISTMAS –

            ISSHIN-RYU PATCH – $8

            SCHOOL PATCH – $5

            IWKA MEMBERSHIP – $35

            SAFETY HANDS & FEET – $38 / SET – ORDER ASAP

            MOUTH GUARDS – $1

                        WHILE THEY LAST

            HANSHI DUESSEL’S BOOK – $15 (3 LEFT)

            DON WASHABAUGH’S BOOK – $8 (2 LEFT)

            BO AND SAI POSTERS – $15 EACH

            DVD OF ALL KATA AND WEAPONS – $40

WHITE ENVELOPE

It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it, overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma, the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son, Kevin, who was 12 that year was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended, and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in the spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.

As the match began I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler’s ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn’t acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.”

Mike loved kids, all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea of his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.

On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition, one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure.

The story doesn’t end there. You see we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. Author Unknown

            AS WINTER WILL ARRIVE EVENTUALLY, IF IT IS NECESSARY TO CANCEL CLASSES FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, I WILL PUT AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE DOJO WEBSITE – isshn-ryu.com – GENERALLY BY 2:30 P.M. AND ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL BE MADE VIA WRNJ RADIO – – 1510 AM, 92.7 FM AND 104.7 FM.  IF THE WEATHER IS BAD ON A SATURDAY I WILL HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT MADE ON THE RADIO AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

AMERICAN ISSHINRYU – “DAY WITH THE MASTERS” SEMINARS – NOVEMBER 12^th – (SUNDAY)   9 A.M. – 5 P.M.

SHERATIN TARA HOTEL – PARSIPPANY, NJ

PRESENTERS – MASTERS – ALBERT MADY, JOHN & CINDY INGRAM, WALTER VAN GILSON, SCOTT FAWCETT

& HEIDI GAUNTNER

$50 / PERSON AI MEMBERS – INCLUDES BUFFET DINNER

$75 / PERSON NON – AI MEMBER – INCLUDES BUFFET & MEMBERSHIP

$30 / PERSON FOR JUNIORS (12 & UNDER) MORNING SESSION ONLY

REGISTER ONLINE – WWW.AMERICANISSHINRYU.COM

LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED

Congratulations to Abigail Brown – Senior Brown Belt #3.

An Excerpt From “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale George Bernard Shaw said, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, they make them.” Well, it’s pretty apparent, isn’t it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about. Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn’t know where he’s going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry—his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing…he becomes nothing. How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I’ll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind. Suppose a farmer has some land, and it’s good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn’t care. It’s up to the farmer to make the decision. We’re comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn’t care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn’t care what you plant. Now, let’s say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand—one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds—one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land…and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted. As it’s written in the Bible, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.” Remember the land doesn’t care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants—one corn, one poison. The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn’t care what we plant…success…or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal…or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant must return to us. You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.

“I can’t work any harder. I’m already working harder than I ever have.” This common complaint during times of change is a red flag. No reorganization, reengineering, or right sizing sets an objective to have people work harder of longer. The goal is not to have fewer people do the same amount of work but to have fewer people figure out which part of the work is most important and do that. So while you need not necessarily work harder, you definitely must work differently.

The problem is that our competence and confidence lies in the old tools and methods. We are more comfortable redoubling our efforts than changing them. “The way we’ve been doing it has always been good enough, so more of the same should be better.” Just when we should be letting go of the old, the ambiguity and uncertainty of change make us grip it even more tightly.

“How can my work suddenly be unacceptable? I’m doing exactly what I’ve always done, exactly how I’ve always done it.”

Productivity is now gauged not only be the end result, but also by the processes used and the willingness to change those processes. If you’re still doing your job the way you always have by gritting your teeth, working longer and harder, and digging in your heels against change, every day puts you farther behind. In fact, if you simply do more of what you have always done, you’ll get less than you ever have.

What worked yesterday won’t necessarily work today. Good vaccines become ineffective against adaptive viruses. Even the best major league pitchers eventually give up a hit if they don’t constantly revise their strategies. The tendency to do more of what made you successful is natural, but what made you successful may not keep you successful.

What to Do: Fight your natural resistance to change. Figure out what needs to be done. Find out what no longer needs to be done, then stop doing it. Separate the wheat from the chaff and invest time and energy in the wheat. Don’t do more with less; do more by doing it differently. Work smarter. Perpetually adjust, refine, innovate, adapt.

OCTOBER 2017

PROMOTIONS EARNED SINCE OUR LAST NEWSLETTER: Junior Orange Belt – Skye & Trinity White   Junior Green Belt #1 – Dylan Schulze – – – CONGRATULATIONS!

 I was fortunate enough to meet and attend seminars with Zig Ziglar from 1999 to 2008. His ideas and philosophies influenced many lives, including mine. His teachings emphasize a positive way to live and interact positively with others.

 An excerpt from Create a Life You Can’t Wait to Live by Zig Ziglar       (11-6-26 to 11-28-12)

1) INVEST IN INSPIRATION

When people consider where to give some of their income for charitable or nonprofit purposes, they often think this way: “Gee, I don’t feel very passionate about any of those causes, and I want to really feel strongly about what they’re doing if I’m going to give my money to them.” Have you ever thought that? Have you ever said that yourself?

If you treasure your money, you probably won’t be giving much of it away. But if your heart gets involved as a result of coming to know the people you’ve been asked to help, you’re much more likely to support them financially as well as physically and emotionally. Do you see the difference? One view says, “When my heart kicks into gear (i.e., when I feel passionate), I’ll invest my resources.” But the correct view is, “I’m going to get involved because familiarity will increase my awareness, and once relationships are established I’ll want to invest more than just my time and energy.”

Let’s say your passion is to own your own flower shop someday. Right now, you’re not involved with flowers except as a hobby and impressing your neighbors with your gorgeous gardens every spring. But the children have left the nest and you know the time is right to make this move—to give wings to your passion. If I were to come to your house and spend an hour talking with you about your passion, I’d be looking for signs that you’re investing your time, talent, and treasure. I’d be looking for bookshelves full of books on flowers and running a small business, magazine subscriptions on the same subjects, your class schedule for the course on entrepreneurship and small-business management you’re taking at the local community college, check stubs from your payment of dues to the appropriate floral associations, your applications to several local flower shops where you plan to work as an apprentice for the next year or so to get experience, the syllabus from a success and motivation seminar you recently attended…and on and on.

The fastest way I know to build and develop your passion in a given area of life is to invest your time, talent, and treasure in it.

2) INQUIRE FOR INSPIRATION

Do you want to keep your passion alive? Find a mentor—someone who has the same passion—and make arrangements to meet with that person on a regular basis for inspiration. There is nothing more inspiring to me than meeting with someone who is already successful at what I have a passion to do. Inspiration is caught better than it is taught.

There is no better way to stay inspired than by spending time in the presence of inspirational people. There is a healthy sort of peer pressure that keeps pushing us forward, a symbiotic effect that causes us to become more in the group (even a group of two—you and your mentor) than we could become by ourselves.

How do you find a mentor—someone to inspire you and help keep your passion aflame? In short, you ask. Obviously, you have to first find someone who is doing what you want to do, and preferably someone who does it well, shares your values, and has plenty of experience. Then, you ask. There are other resources available on mentoring relationships that you can read. But it boils down to your courteously inquiring as to whether this person would agree to spend a set amount of time with you on a regular basis to impart what he or she has learned about “the business”—whatever it is you have a passion to pursue. You’ll be surprised how many people—especially retirees—would love nothing better than to have an outlet for imparting the passion they’ve been pursuing for decades.

Find someone inspiring and attach yourself to them, but only if you follow the Golden Rule of Apprentice-Mentor Relationships: don’t become an apprentice unless you’re willing one day to be a mentor yourself. That’s what happens naturally in extended families. Apprentices grow up to be mentors—and it’s the way passions stay alive for generations.

3) GET INVOLVED TO FIND INSPIRATION

Sometimes we have to get up and get involved in order to find inspiration and keep passion alive. The bigger the movement is in which we choose to get involved, the more we are inspired. Which inspires you more—being the only person sitting in a football stadium or being one of 70,000 screaming fans who are just as excited as you are about the home team?

Whatever your passion, get involved in it at a level that’s bigger than you are. When you become part of something bigger than you are, you become accountable. You become inspired to do your best. You become motivated to not let others down. And that fuels your passion in ways that can’t be described—it can only be experienced.

4) IMAGINE FOR INSPIRATION

One of the things that spurred me on as a rookie speaker was my imagination. I pictured myself speaking before crowds of thousands of people, knocking them dead with my humor and wisdom and humbly receiving their standing ovations. That didn’t happen overnight, but I never allowed that picture to be erased from my mind. And eventually, everything I had imagined, and then some, became reality.

Bruce Barton made an interesting observation: “I do not like the phrase, ‘Never cross a bridge until you come to it.’ It is used by too many men as a cloak for mental laziness. The world is owned by men who cross bridges in their imaginations miles and miles in advance of the procession. Some men are born with more of an imagination than others, but it can, by hard work, be cultivated—not by mere daydreaming, not by lazy wondering, but by hard study and earnest thought.”

Whatever your passion is, turn your imagination loose and let it inspire you to keep working to make your dreams become reality.

Remember: it’s your job to fuel your passion, and inspiration is the fuel you need.

“Success and Happiness “are not a matter of luck, not an accident of birth, not a reward for virtue. The most successful people are the ones who have something to do, somewhere to be and someone to love. Each person is responsible for being successful and happy. Each person must search for it and be in a continual state of earning it. To merely succeed is not an end in itself. For success to be meaningful it must impact other people…to impact the world…to live life from the inside out. ‘Success and Happiness’ starts with the choices each of us makes—they determine the person we will become.”

The Race  —  attributed to Dr. D.H. “Dee” Groberg

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,      my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.  A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,      excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.  They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race      or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.  Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,      and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,      to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.  One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,      was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”  But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,      the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.  Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,      and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.  As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.      Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,      which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”  He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,      and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.  So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,      his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.  He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.      “I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face      with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”  So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.      “If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”  Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten…      but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.  Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.      “There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?  I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”      But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,      for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.  Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!      You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”  So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,      and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.  So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,      still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.  Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.      Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,      head high and proud and happy — no falling, no disgrace.  But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,      the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.  And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,      you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.  And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”      “To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,      the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.  For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.      And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.  And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,      another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

The race, like karate, is about finding the strength to keep going no matter what the circumstances. Sometimes, a word of encouragement is all it takes to push us over the finish line. 

This inspirational poem tells the story of a boy in a race who falls again and again. Each time the boy trips, he wants to give up. He knows that he has lost any chance of winning and what’s worse—he has disappointed his father who is watching from the sideline.

Even so, each time the boy falls, he gets back up and runs as hard as he can. His father’s words give him the motivation he needs to power through: “You haven’t lost at all; for winning is no more than this, to rise each time you fall.” The Race is a moving example of perseverance against all odds. This profound lesson in determination will help you win the race of life.

SEPTEMBER 2017

PROMOTIONS EARNED SINCE OUR LAST NEWSLETTER: Junior Orange Belt – Ralphie Donica   Junior Green Belt #1 – Junior Green Belt #2 – Anthony and Kyle Coletta   Junior Purple Belt #1 – Izzy Donica, Alexis D’Ambly   Senior Brown Belt #3 – Michael Donica   Senior Brown Belt #2 – Ken Aten

WHAT IS IN ANY PROMOTION?

Understanding that some growth has taken place and at least the minimum required materials are learned to one’s capabilities. Understanding that there is a challenge to improve each skill and work more individually before attending the dojo. Understanding that each of us must find a way to return to one’s family, one’s community, the dojo and oneself for what has been presented through the art of Isshin-ryu Karate.

  On the bulletin board at the dojo there is a listing of non-perishable food that the local pantry could use.

 THERE WILL BE A BROWN AND BLACK BELT SESSION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 AT OUR HOUSE STARTING AT 7 PM. LET ME KNOW IF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING.

 As the school year is about to begin, work to balance what must be done at home and at school with staying current in the dojo.

 5 Effortless Ways to Embrace Change – Suzanne Kane

“The only thing that is constant is change.” – Heraclitus

Time never stands still. It’s not like the movies where characters can freeze-frame and the writer takes the viewer on some tangential story. In real life, change happens constantly. You can fight it or welcome it. It’s your choice. Change will occur regardless.

For example, consider that nature is constantly in a state of flux. See how your breath increases or decreases according to the amount of energy you exert. Hear the different cadences of birds trilling, singing and chortling in the trees and bushes and flitting among the flowers in search of nectar. See the visible changes in friends and relatives portrayed in photographs in the family album. Change will happen and does happen all the time. In fact, change is constant.

Why not  embrace change? If change is going to happen anyway, fighting it won’t do any good. It’s better to figure out an approach to deal with change that will work for you. Short of outright embracing it, however, which many are reluctant or feel incapable of doing, how can you learn to welcome change – or learn to accept and deal with it? Here are some suggestions:

1. Keep a list.  It’s difficult to remember all the events and happenings in life without a record. To begin learning how to accept and eventually embrace change, start by listing momentous events in your life, actions you took toward goals you felt were worthwhile and the outcome of those actions. Every day, find the time to jot down items that point to changes in direction you took, such as taking a different route to work and finding a delightful store to browse in, being given a new assignment and diving in with excitement, hearing about the unexpected illness of a dear friend and getting in touch with her to offer comfort and support. These are times of change. They are significant to the extent that re-reading your list and thinking about them will help you realize that you are changing all along. It’s as natural as breathing and you do it often without thinking too much about it.
2. Look for ways to change and incorporate them into your life.  Actively seek to do things differently instead of the usual routine. This not only adds change gradually into your life, it also makes life more interesting, alive and enjoyable. Do a wardrobe makeover. Get a haircut or new coloring, perhaps streaking or highlights. Join a group with interests like your own – or try out a group devoted to something you’ve never done, but would like to.
3. See change as good.  Adopt a mindset that views  change as positive and beneficial instead of something to be avoided at all costs. Remember that you cannot stop change from occurring, so learning to deal with it is necessary to living a happy and productive life. By reminding yourself that change is good, even when terrible things happen you’ll be able to find the nugget of good hidden within and be able to move forward in life.
4. Surround yourself with change-oriented people.  The friends you cultivate and keep often have a profound effect on your receptiveness to change and your ability to accept and embrace change. If they are optimistic, open to innovative ideas and experiences, willing to take measured risks and learn from mistakes, they are likely enjoyable to be around and serve as an inspiration for your own goals. As such, make it a point to surround yourself with people who view change as not only good, but necessary and vital to living a vibrant, purposeful life.
5. Feel yourself grow.  Another vital part of change that is often overlooked is the fact that change allows you to grow. As you embark on some new adventure, begin a learning process, seek new friends and explore new areas of interest, feel yourself growing and changing. This is an excellent self-reminder and self-affirmation that reinforces a positive outlook on life that will serve you well always.

The world is brimming with unlimited choices and remarkable opportunities. Many of us find ourselves in major transitions—making moves in careers, school location, and relationships. There’s never been a better time to develop skills in managing change. During these changes, the key to uncovering one’s identity and realizing dreams is to embrace change and celebrate life. Learning to embrace change is a process; have patience. Be grateful for what you already have—both the opportunities and the challenges, the obstacles as well as the breakthroughs—you will dramatically improve the possibilities of living a life in which the best is always yet to be. Intellectually, we know that the one constant in each moment of life — is change. We know that each moment is never quite the same as the one that precedes it. Yet, for many of us, change is a significant source of anxiety that limits our performance and our potential. When change comes like a big wave in the ocean, we feel as though we might drown in the surf. Fortunately, we can train our minds to more effectively cope with change, and to even embrace change. We can learn to ride the waves of change just as a surfer would ride the beautiful wave above. Embracing change in this way makes us significantly more effective in school, the workplace, and in life.  The key is to transform our intellectual understanding of the constancy of change into wisdom.