Martial Arts,Part of your Life!

The Martial Arts offers you a chance to work with the perfect exercise machine, the human body. and if done the right way it can be a moving meditation. The Martial Arts should be a part of your life. It offers so much.

I love this from Masami Tsuruoka as he is talking about Kata but I feel it should apply to both Karate and Life. “Every thing is about feeling.  About feeling in your stomach. About intensity. Without feeling, there is no karate. Without commitment to the motions, there is nothing. People who only learn the mechanics are just exercising, there is no martial art in what they do. It is nothing unless you risk everything–unless the feeling that you might die is present in every motion. For this, there is no shortcuts.”

It has been my lesson to learn that in Life, as in the Dojo, the shortcuts are not worth taking. Martial Arts,a part of my life. Make it a part of yours.

Sahgeen (love and respect) and Namaste!

New Year, New You!

A New Year with the opportunity for a “New You!”  I am not talking about anything changing here but your awareness of  “YOU”. Are you aware of how amazing “YOU” are? It is so easy to find fault with yourself but I have noticed that people find it hard to see how amazing they really are. Go ahead and try to give someone a compliment and see what their reaction is. Now give yourself a compliment and feel your reaction.

What does this have to do with Kabox or Phoenix Martial Arts? A lot, because a big part of both for me, as an instructor, is about getting people to really enjoy what they are becoming. I have the gift of watching children and adults change on a daily basis with each training session. Body, Mind and Spirit change each time you train. When you are done there is a “New You” that emerges.

In this New Year, allow yourself to feel the changes in the “New You!”

Sahgeen and Namaste

Karate: To do or not to do?

I am always amazed at how those who do not do Martial Arts or understand the true principle of the Martial Arts can make judgements about the Martial Arts being a negative influence or a waste of time. Well here I go on my Martial Arts soap box.

“Training in a martial art means disciplining not just the body but the mind and the spirit as well. The martial arts are rooted in honor ,respect, and the commitment to peace. True martial artists are compassionate people who use their skills only to protect themselves or those they love.” Now this is why I train in the Martial Arts and this is why I teach the Martial Arts and these principles are what I teach my students.

Studying a Martial Art is a great way to get exercise, learn concentration, improve your focus, and learn self-defense. And when it comes to self-defense I firmly believe that “it is better to know it and not need it than to need it and not know it”.

Greatest of all reasons for doing a Martial Art is that it “is a way to learn respect for yourself and respect for others.

Karate: To do or not to do? For me it is Karate-do.

OSU!!!

I love what I do!

I love what I do. Teaching Martial Arts and Kabox. Working one on one with clients on their wellness. It is  rewarding and fun all over again. 

To be able to help children and adults discover what they can do is a passion of mine. We get so caught up in our limitations that we forget that we have the power to make things happen in our lives. I have students that teach me all the time that limitations are just challenges to overcome.

Thank youDon, Betsy, Ben, Allen  and all of my clients and students. You inspire me and help me to love what I do.

OSU!!!

Good Sensei/Bad Sensei

In my meditation back on yesterday’s marvelous good time with Phoenix Martial Arts’ first venture into the sport aspect of tournament Karate, I realized that I had done my job as a Pure Martial Arts Sensei well but as a sport karate Sensei I have some work to do.

Olivier Cazaudumec made me very proud yesterday in his first tournament as a Phoenix Martial Artist. With less than a month of training for the 2010 Green Mountain Classic Open Karate Tournament, He ended up with a 3rd place in Kata and he got 4th place in kumite (sparing). Now kata he did not want to do but he did it and did well. He challenged himself and did well.

Kumite (sparring) was what Olivier wanted to do and again he did well. The most impressive aspect of Olivier’s performance was not evident to anyone including myself until reflecting back on it. Olivier had great technique and got praise from a senior black belt for throwing a perfect overhand reverse punch to an advancing opponents face. This would usually result in head contact because even though you may have control the moving into the technique by your opponent can result in contact. There was no contact at all. Olivier fought several times and was always in there with his points but would back away at times. And in backing up his opponent would score but Olivier would come back but not quite enough.

Well what I realized today is that all of Oliver’s opponents were smaller than him. In his training he had smaller opponents in class and I stressed not hurting them. Olivier is very strong and has come a long way in issuing  his power.  By backing up he was listening to me and avoiding possibly hurting the other smaller children. He sacrificed winning the match for concern for his “opponent”.

As his Martial Arts Sensei I am proud that Olivier has learned compassion and control. We stress the Warriors Code: Love, Respect, Care, Responsibility, Honor and Peace. Olivier showed me that he is living this in his life.

Now as his sport Karate Sensei/coach I am proud of him  as well for he is learning to focus his mind and technique. His balance and coordination have improved. Now I have to work with him on believing that he won’t hurt anyone because he is bigger by trusting  that he won’t hurt anyone because he is bigger.

 Good Sensei/Bad Sensei,either way as I teach I learn. Olivier,at 8 years old, you are a great student on all levels.

BRINGING THE POWER!

On Oct. 23rd at the Pyramid Holistic Wellness Center in Rutland, Aimee DeRoehn and myself will be combining Yoga and Martial Arts in a seminar that we call BRINGING THE POWER. SELF DEFENSE meets KABOX meets POWER YOGA and we as instructors take you on a Body,Mind,Spirit adventure that will empower you from the inside/out. Come join us from 1:30 to 5:00. This seminar is open to all Martial Artists, Yogis, and non-practitioners of either ages 13 and above. Pre-registration is preferred. Cost of the seminar is $45.00 pre./$ 55.00 at the door.

To learn more about Aimee DeRoehn visit www.roadhomie.com.

And to learn more about Pyramid Holistic Wellness Center visit www.pyramidvt.com.

For more info please call me at 802-379-1296  or call Aimee or the Pyramid at the phone numbers that you will find at their websites.

Namaste!

Up Coming Events!

Upcoming events:

Oct. 9, 2010:KOBOX  at 2:00 and 2:30 at the Great Rutland Race. One event in a day of fun for the city. Benefits Pink Ribbon Diva Foundation and the Scholarship Program for the Rutland Rec. Dept. Check out www.greatrutlandrace.com. Location of the KABOX DEMO will be announced.

Oct 23,2010-KABOX and PHOENIX MARTIAL ARTS teams with Aimee DeRoehn of ROAD HOME POWER YOGA at Pyramid Holistic Wellness Center for BRINGING the POWER. Martial Arts/Kabox combine with Yoga so that  participants will learn about self empowerment using self-defense, fitness and yoga. The class will run from 1:30 to 5:00 

Check out Road Home Power Yoga at www.roadhomie.com

Check out Pyramid Holistic Wellness Center at www.pyramidvt.com

Nov. 12-14,2010 I will be attending the 23rd Annual 2010 Global Leadership Conference & U.S.A. International Black Belt Hall of Fame induction ceremony conference weekend. This event is sponsored by the Eastern U.S.A. International Martial Arts Association and is held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Check out their website: www.eusaimaa.com

Exciting! Stay tuned for more.

Why Martial Arts Training?

Why Martial Arts training in today’s world?  Martial Arts training is important because it benefits a person on all three levels - Body, Mind and Spirit.

The physical aspect of the training helps with strengthening the body, coordination, balance, muscle tone and overall fitness. When I add in nutrition or even supplements, the Martial arts become part of a wellness program.

Mentally, Martial Arts training ,with its emphasis on focusing the body and techniques, helps me to focus my mind as well. It allows me to “get out of my head’  and trust my instincts. A valuable asset in dealing with people and everyday situations in life.

Martial Training helps build that internal strength called Spirit. By putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and overcoming your trepidation, your confidence and your self esteem grow.

Care to join me on this Martial Arts path?

I’m Baaack! And it is about time.

Took some time to renew my Spirit. I wasn’t even planning on it, it just happened. Started training with a different attitude this week and it is wonderful. Training for me again and it is allowing me to train others better. As a teacher I was putting out but not doing for me. Don’t get me wrong I love teaching. And now I have fallen in love with it all over again.

So for now I am committing to a year of pushing myself to a total makeover in Body,Mind,and Spirit. Starting with a two month Kick-myself- in-the-a**- bootcamp. And then it will be ten months of “Let’s see where we can go in a year”. Why? Because I choose to. I am liking the results already. Challenging myself is allowing to challenge others more effectively. Come along for the ride and challenge yourself , if you choose too.

Namaste!

Kabox meets Road Home Empower Yoga

This Saturday  6/19/2010  two powerful forces come together in one seminar. Not only Martial Arts meets Yoga, Kabox meets Road Home Empower Yoga, Phoenix Martial Arts meets Vinyasa Power Yoga, and Martial Artist meets Spiritual  Athlete. Aimee DeRoehn and I team up to do a seminar that will put Martial Arts and Vinyasa Yoga together. Martial Arts has its roots in yoga and meditation, it is only natural to combine the two disciplines. Aimee and I are passionate about what we do and we believe in the fact that it can heal and empower every individual that participates in our class. And on top of this you will have fun as well.

You know about Kabox but here is a little about what Aimee has to offer:

Hey Spiritual Athlete! What an honor to be part of YOUR NEW BEGININGS and YOUR journey to revealing your Authentic Personal Power!

Join me for an amazing, unique, transformational, experience called Power Vinyasa Yoga Basics.  Together, we hang out and explore the building blocks of a basic foundational Yoga Practice. “Vinyasa” means that without blocks, allow me to teach you how breathing, alignment married with the flow of physical postures creates a meditation in motion. Allow Power Vinyasa to teach you the acceptance of working with what YOU OWN already for strength and flexibility, unplugging from your life and wringing out whatever head and heart trash your body houses too!

I leave people BETTER than I found them. Let Power Vinyasa deeply nurture you, strengthen your personal self-worth, Yoga is so much more than the physical, it is about becoming more grounded and confident and KINDER to yourself too! You are far more capable and worthy than you might allow yourself to THINK. I am looking to show you you’re MORE than a body, your body is the abode YOUR UNIQUE awesome SOUL resides in. If I can have you walking out feeling more in awe of YOUR UNIQUE self, your grace, your beauty.  If you leave FEELING FOR YOU, you will feel for OTHERS. If you leave feeling like you found the BEST version of YOU, you will ONLY see that in others and liberate them to express themselves from the grace of themselves. IF you feel the SOUL of YOU, then you will see it in your CHILD,  your LOVED ones, your siblings,  your neighbor, your pets, and your plants! THEN, I will have taught you the basics of POWER VINYASA.. Healing the planet , with YOU! Stronger in body, clearer in mind, FULLER heart! EMpowered to change YOUR WORLD!

(Learn more about Aimee at www.roadhomie.com or e-mail her at yogaleona@yahoo.com.

 

The seminar will start with some Phoenix Self Defense basics and then move into Kabox and then Aimee will introduce you to her Road Home Empower Yoga.

 

Seminar schedule will be as follows:  1:30 -Self Defense Basics

                                                                           2:30- Kabox

                                                                           3:30- Power Vinyasa Yoga Basics

 

Cost is $45.00 and we ask that you please call 802-375-1296 or respond to www.jonbottomms.wordpress.com by leaving a post to reserve a spot.

 

Please bring water, a yoga mat, food for a quick energy boost and lots of ENTHUSIASM!

Namaste.