Online Magazine Interview

:) I was interviewed for an online Martial Arts magazine this week and I'm pretty excited about it! You can read it here! :)

http://truwazama.weebly.com/assistant-instructor-carol-le-elliot.html

What Kenpo Teaches Me: Purple Belt Pledge

"I hold the Art of Kenpo sacred, and freely take upon myself the obligation and responsibility that I shall never misuse my skill to hurt or make afraid. I shall fight only if forced to defend myself and shall be slow to anger, loath taking offense, quick to forgive and forget personal affront." -Purple Belt Pledge

If you had asked me 4 years, 3 months and 26 days ago what I thought karate was about my answer would simply have been; "fighting." Luckily, since my start in American Kenpo I have come to find that karate is much more that fighting. In fact to deduce karate to merely "fighting" seems extremely prehistoric in my opinion.

I am very much a nerd; I enjoy reading, studying and learning about the philosophies that come with training to be a martial artist as well as the physical aspects. I believe that the sayings and the belt pledges are my favorite parts of studying Kenpo. I feel they truly capture what Kenpo is about. The Purple Belt Pledge is my focus for this particular blog entry. I'm going to break it down by sections and discuss my opinions accordingly.

"I hold the Art of Kenpo sacred"

 

These seven words speak volumes; Kenpo isn't something to be tossed around, Kenpo is not a party trick. Kenpo is a fascinating and deadly Art that should be treated with the utmost of respect.

 

 

"and freely take upon myself the obligation and responsibility that I should never misuse my skill to hurt or make afraid."

 

This is not the pledge of an instructor but of a Purple Belt student. The student at this rank is expected no not only understand but practice the belief that Kenpo is not to be used as a means to bully or intimidate. I feel this translates the same in all Art forms. We do not train so that we may use our Art to entice fights or arguments, or to frighten others into submission.

 

 

"I shall fight only if forced to defend myself"

 

 

Here it is spelled out clearly as possible, Kenpo is a self defense system. It is intended for use ONLY when there is no other alternative present. "only if forced" cannot be stressed enough.

 

 

"and I shall be slow to anger, loath taking offense, quick to forgive and forget personal affront."

 

This last section speaks of mindset. Forming the attitude of a Kenpoist. I personally believe this is the most difficult of all. This speaks of overcoming yourself, and bringing yourself to a higher level of thinking, which in turn will affect your actions.

 

 

I've had some situations occur during my time so far training in Kenpo that have caused me to stop and consider the things that I have learned thus far. Last night was one of those instances of reflection. My mind wanted me to think on the pledges I had made throughout my journey up to this point and Purple Belt's struck the deepest inspiration this time.

Kenpo not only teaches me how to defend myself in a physical situation; but it also teaches me how to hold myself to a higher standard. There is so much more to learning karate that just punches and kicks, so much more indeed. 

 





In Response To Mark Bundy

When you run a business of any kind you come in contact with all types of individuals. We've been very blessed in the short time span that we've been open; we have a wonderful caring group of individuals, who are a delight to interact with and inspire us to find new ways to make each student's education at Scholar and Warrior Kenpo Academy as enriching as possible. However, a situation has occurred that requires public attention because that is how it was introduced.

On September 15, 2012 Scholar and Warrior Kenpo Academy hosted an open invitation seminar. Several invitations were sent out prior to many of the surrounding Kenpoists. Included in the 100+ invitations were invitations to not only Mr. Mark Bundy of Cameron, Missouri; but also some of his students.

Three of Mr. Bundy's students accepted this offer. They unfortunately were not able to make it to the specified seminar time for their age group however they did stay and spend the day with us during the rest of the seminars occurring that day because they wanted to spend some time with the instructor. 

These three individuals asked to participate in our regular classes for a short time span, and Gene and I agreed to allow it. After their trial period concluded the individuals decided they would like to transfer schools. Gene and I accepted them as long as they notified Mr. Bundy that they were leaving his school. Notification took place and on October 8, 2012 all three individuals enrolled officially as students of Scholar and Warrior Kenpo Academy. 

On October 13, 2012 Mr. Bundy decided rather than addressing this situation privately with Gene and I he would bring this to the public through Facebook. Mr. Bundy wrote; 

1. "Wow, so now I have to be straight forward to people that deserve neither respect or the rank they wear because of their attitudes. To the Kenpo group in St. Joseph, Missouri. It's one thing to trash talk the man who brought you to the current rank you wear, and gave you your start in Kenpo. It's totally another to talk to his students of 5 years behind his back, and recruit them to your school with sweet talk and lies. When they win their next tournament, have the decency to give credit to the man who trained them to the level of proficiency they possess.....ME. Now I must, because of YOUR attitudes and hatefulness, Deny any and all rank bestowed by me to you. You do not exist in my lineage, and will never be referred to as former students of mine. I certainly hope that someone in the future returns to you, what you have done to me. See you at tournament......be prepared."
   

   
   

These students were not offered promotions of rank, nor any other sort bribe. In fact they were demoted from First Degree Jr. Black Belts to First Degree Jr. Brown Belts because Scholar and Warrior Kenpo Academy does not promote anyone under the age of 16 to Black Belt. Mr. Bundy's former students pursued Gene and I and came to visit our school on their own accord. They were dissatisfied with the instruction they were receiving with Mr. Bundy and sought a new instructor. These things do happen and Gene and I felt there was no reason to refuse them as long as they notified Mr. Bundy that they no longer wanted to be his students. As a man that has had at least four different instructors since I have known him (which is just over four years as I began training in July of 2008)  I would expect Mr. Bundy to be familiar with this process and understand that sometimes students move on. 

Why Mr. Bundy felt the need to handle this situation publicly and even go as far as to add a semi threatening phrase at the end of his rant is beyond me. Unfortunately all it has done is embarrass three children and their parents.

SWKA 1 Year Old

Wow; that's really the best word that I can come up with for how today makes me feel. Just wow! Today marks the 1 year anniversary/birthday of Scholar and Warrior Kenpo Academy. And it feels SO darn good. So much growth has happened this year for Gene and I.

This time last year we were shaking in our gis! We plunged head first into this adventure and it was sink or swim! I'm so pleased to see that we swam. :) Sure we had bumps, what new business doesn't. But we have beaten the odds so far; statistics say that most new martial arts studios fold within the first 6 months-a year of opening. Not us we're going strong! And it's thanks to our students and their families.

We have met the most amazing people so far, people that have made their way not only into our lives but in our hearts. A family has been created, and it's so beautiful. I look forward to seeing everyone at every class! I'm so excited to see what year 2 has in store for us! :)

Below is a link to a Shutterfly album I created. It's nearly 60 pages of photos from our first year! Enjoy!


http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/projectdetail.sfly?fid=72679a6b9714f860c7e45aad1e0cdff4&sid=2UYuXLhk2dL&key=2UYuXLhk2dL&shareProjectTitle=Photo+Book&pid=SFLY&cid=SHARE3PSJXX

Be sure and click on "Full Screen" for a better viewing experience!

4 Years Old And I'm Finally Starting To Get It

This is kinda late considering my 4th Kenpo Birthday was about a month and a half ago; but I still wanted to blog about it. :)

Being a Brown Belt, especially at first is a phenomenal feeling! There's just something so cool about being classified as an "advanced rank." When I first earned my 3rd Brown boy did I feel cool. That was all I felt really, I was so impressed with the rank. Now that I've had some time to settle into it the wow factor isn't as prominent. I've matured quite a bit on my martial arts path this past year.

This last year has been by far my best and my favorite so far in my personal Journey. To an outsider it would probably appear as my worst since I've been a 3rd Brown for nearly a year and a half. But there's so very much more than meets the eye.

I'm not pursuing rank, I'm pursuing knowledge. When I earned my 3rd Brown I didn't even know what principles were exactly, or how to apply them. I hadn't had much exposure to them at all. A week after my promotion to 3rd I was in Edmond, Oklahoma at a seminar camp with Mr. Brian Duffy and Mr. Rich Hale. That weekend is when principles really started to make an appearance in my training.
Principles fascinate me, I've always been a very bookish person and I LOVE being able to read new things about Kenpo.

When Gene and I opened our own school in September of 2011 we knew we wanted the curriculum to be based on principles. In my personal training he started me with Delayed Sword, and over the past 12 months he has been reteaching me the entire system with an emphasis on principles. It's truly been my best year in Kenpo. I'm learning things I never knew before about techniques I've been practicing for years.

I feel much more deserving of my 3rd Brown Belt than I did last year. I'm really starting to see and understand what Kenpo is all about and I'm so excited.

It's one hell of a feeling the day you realize that you'd rather be under ranked and over educated than the opposite.

Ohana Means Family

Most everyone has seen the Disney movie; Lilo and Stitch. It's one of my absolute favorites, I can mimic Stitch's voice insanely well. :) My favorite part of the film is the line; "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten." Nothing is more true. Gene and I joined Mr. Rich Hale's Ohana Kenpo Karate Association in February of 2011. The first thing I thought of when I saw what the name of the association was, was that line from Lilo and Stitch.

In August of 2011 when Gene and I decided to open our own school we knew we were going to stay with the Ohana and Mr. Hale. We loved the family theme, and we knew that was exactly how we wanted to run our school. 

Skip ahead to today, September 1, 2012. SWKA's very first annual Break-A-Thon. (Are you allowed to call it an annual event even if it's just the first time? lol) Anyways, this was the third event we had done as a school, and it was our largest and most successful I believe. The first event we walked in the Apple Blossom parade and the second event we had a bbq in the park. 

I could hardly sleep last night, I was so excited for this morning. We had twenty kids (TWENTY!!) breaking boards today! :) And it was fantastic! Ages ranged from 4 to 15! :) When they walked out onto that floor and I looked around I couldn't believe how many people were there. Parents, grandparents, friends and family; there were so many people there! So many people supporting the students. It was wonderful, beautiful. Every person broke a board. Ms. Ashlyn George, 10 years old, did something awesome that took a lot of guts, she attempted to break an unscored board. I don't care that she didn't break through the board; what I care about is that she had the guts to get out there and try. As long as she keeps trying and pushing herself that's all we ask. :) 

I don't even know where to begin on thank yous, we had so many parents bring in food, and help us organize, and stay late to clean up the place. It was overwhelming. So wonderfully overwhelming. 

I do want to say thank you to Carlos Gomez, my wonderful friend who not only shot and edited a documentary for us a few weeks ago. He came back in and shot the break-a-thon again for us today. He is a fantastic friend and Gene and I are so grateful! 

I want to say a huge thank you to Clinton George and his family, Clinton cut and scored every single board on Thursday night. He took 5 hours out of his day to come help me, and all I can say is thank you! 

Today was the last day for one of our students who has been with us for a long time. Mr. Gracien Hall and his mom Hollie are moving to Ohio, onto bigger and greater things, and we couldn't be happier for them. But I won't lie, my heart broke a little bit when I had to say goodbye to the two of them today. Hollie's words; "You guys are really wonderful instructors and it makes me not want to leave, we love you so much." Just set me over the edge, (that happened a lot today lol) That is a perfect example of us achieving exactly what we wanted to; Ohana. We have another family, the Krauskopfs, that are moving at the end of this month, and Hannah texted me a few days ago and said; "karate is the hardest part about moving." 

I knew when we opened this school that we were going to love it, Gene and I have such a passion for the Art and for sharing it with others, to FINALLY be able to run our own school; it's not an exaggeration when I say that it's a dream come true for the both of us. And the best part for me is the atmosphere; the fact that we're all a family. The part that I didn't expect was how much everyone else was going to love it. I feel like my heart is going to burst every time I hear, "I love you Ms. Elliot." or "I want to do karate forever and someday have a school like you and Mr.  Braden." and my favorite; "Kenpo for life!!"

I want to say thank you again to all of the parents, the students and the people who sponsored our kiddos who broke today. We ended up raising more than what we anticipated which is phenomenal. It is because of you guys that we get to spend time with Mr. Rich Hale in a couple weeks, and that is a wonderful opportunity and I'm so glad we get that chance. 

Tons of supportive families!

Our little butt kickers!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Clinton George. :)

Look what we did!!

Have to have a grrr face! 

Hahahahaha Chris is awesome!

Have to have a grrr face! 

Such a great group of kids!

We're so blessed!

:)

Scholar and Warrior Kenpo Academy's Inaugural 2012 Break-A-Thon! 

We really have something special going on at Scholar and Warrior; and it's only going to get better I think; we're a growing family, and it's a phenomenal thing to be a part of. This is the most rewarding thing that I think I'll ever do with my life; and I just want to thank every student and parent that we have; because without you this wouldn't be possible. 

Board Breaking

Everyone loves to watch board/brick breaks. I mean c'mon, you find me somebody who doesn't think that's cool! That first time you have to break one though, "uhhh when's that class so I can skip it," runs through some people's heads I'm sure.

The first time I had to break a board was awful. I spent the entire week before hand getting sick just thinking about it. I psyched myself out before I even had the chance to try. I think it was because I hadn't had a chance to practice before the demo. My first time was during a break-a-thon. It took me 6 times to break my first board. Humiliation station!

Gene started the kids on breaking last night, and the way he did it was awesome! He bought a pine board and prepped it early so each kid would have one and then he took part of class time last night to give them all a chance. Every kid was successful, including one of our brand newbies Mr. Chris Henry who was only on class number two!! :)

It was a great experience for the kids, and really boosted their confidence. I can't wait to continue watching them grow.

 

1st Annual Kenpo BBQ

Saturday July 7th was an ungodly hot day with a temperature high of 115!! We had planned for a picnic in the park with our karate school and honestly considered postponing it. :) But our students are troopers and everyone had a blast with good food and fun.

It's one of those moments where you realize just how much of a family you are. Nine months ago I didn't know any of these people, and most of them didn't know each other. I would not have gone and spent hours in the gross heat to hang out with strangers and I'm sure they wouldn't have either. But we're a family. :)

Mr. Braden chose a different uniform for Saturday. (Also he's playing the Captain America theme song on Kevin's phone)

I enjoyed Saturday, despite the heat, I loved seeing all the kids playing together; chit chatting with the parents. It makes me so happy to see how far we've come in such a short amount of time. Gene and I were terrified when we took the plunge and opened those doors for the first time. Now we know it was the best thing we've ever done, and we never stop wanting to do it!

Stop Abusing Facebook

I have a serious love/hate relationship with Facebook. I moved away from my hometown and everything I knew the day after I graduated High School to the middle of nowhere Missouri. So most of the time I love Facebook, I love keeping in touch with my family, and my friends, my godson; it's a fantastic tool for communication with them and the many martial artists I've met and admire. However, sometimes I feel like people abuse Facebook and the caps lock button. Just so everyone knows, when you write in caps you're yelling. There's no reason to shout.

 The martial arts are like any other organization; there are wonderful genuine people that have fantastic impact on those around them. But there are also those that I feel abuse Facebook. This blog idea was sparked by multiple Facebook statuses that I've witnessed over time. Statuses that are so grossly surface value it's sickening. I'm all for promoting your school, but in a positive light. I've witnessed people that speak of vague interactions with students and parents and what comes out of it seems downright ugly. Yes, absolutely, I believe that every student no matter the age should put the time in to earn the rank they wear. However I don't think it's proper to bash an individual for questioning the time it takes between belts and assume this means they expected their rank handed to them. Especially a new parent/student. The majority of people have no idea how a karate school is ran, and most karate schools are ran differently. Just because the question was asked doesn't necessarily mean they expect a belt to be handed out, it's most likely merely a search for information.

I see nothing wrong with a parent asking; "How long will it take my child to earn their Yellow Belt rank?" This question doesn't have to be answered with a time frame, answer it with the requirements. "Ma'am we require the first 10 techniques in the system, Short Form 1 and Blocking Set 1 along with the Creed to be memorized and performed to the quality of a Yellow Belt before said rank can be earned." Send your parents home with literature, encourage them to watch their children during the class so when the child is practicing at home the parent can assist in a small way.

At our school we don't have defined time slots for rank promotion, everything is based on the individual. And yes, we get asked that question, but not as much as you would think; because we try and communicate often with our parents. Letting them know how their child is doing and how far along they are in their progression. Also one of the first things I tell new students as they are filling out the initial paperwork is; "karate is hard, but the harder you work for it the more you will earn."

I am an extremely goal oriented individual; I don't go out and just run until I'm tired. I map out what I want to do, how far I want to run before I need to turn around, then I push it just a little further. Information is a fantastic tool and asking questions is the best way to get the information you need.

So the next time a parent/student asks you, "How long will it take for my child/myself to earn my next rank?" Give that person something to work towards, build them up and present them with goals, rather then ranting about it IN CAPS LOCK on Facebook making that interaction so terribly negative, please.

Bullying

Bullying has always been around. However it seems that recently it's exploded with such an easy access to technology. Not only is there physical and verbal violence there's also cyber bullying, text bullying, and passive aggressive bullying through hateful rumors and photo shopped images. According to GLADD 13 million children are bullied each year in the United States; and 3 million students are absent each month because they feel unsafe within their school buildings. The CDC reports that roughly 4,400 deaths each year are a result of suicide among young people. 


Were you aware that in March of 2012 The Hunger Games, a fictional movie that tells the story of children put in an arena to kill each other off received a PG-13 rating while the movie Bully; a non fictional documentary about the day to day lives of 5 families who's children suffer school bullying was pegged with an R rating. I'm not bashing The Hunger Games, I'm actually a huge fan of the saga and how it portrays the effects of war on a civilization. But I think that allowing the murder of children to be watered down is wrong. Just so Hollywood could stamp a PG-13 rating to sell more movie tickets to younger children; while a factual documentary exposing the world of kids who struggle to make it through school nearly day to day was given an R. 


Last week a story surfaced about a 68 year old middle bus monitor who was verbally tormented by the children on the bus to the point of tears. There's a 10 minute video available here on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E12R9fMMtos&feature=player_embedded#! I've made several attempts to watch this video and I can't get through the first minute before I have to stop. I can't even see the screen it makes me cry so hard.

My stomach twists in agony, these kids think this behavior is acceptable. Why? Why do they feel it's ok to say vile disgusting things to someone? Is this normal for them? Do they hear things like this at home? What has such a poisonous influence on our children that it's become so popular to spit hate?


My mind keeps bringing me back to the kids in our karate school. Do they hear these things at their school? Are they victims themselves? The children in the above video made a 68 year old cry. Imagine how a 9 year old would feel. Words are just as powerful as actions, and they cut just as deeply. 


In our school respect is a huge deal, and it's not just respect for those who are older and a higher rank than you, but respect for your peers, respect for yourself. I feel like we as martial artists have an obligation to teach the younger generations that they can rise above this. That they don't have to be a bully, or be the children bullied. I want our kids to have the self confidence to remove themselves from these situations, to help change them. The kids in the video need structure, they need a clear definition of acceptable and abhorrent behavior. I am a firm believe that karate helps to shape people and the younger you're able to start the better it is; but it all depends on the teacher. 


I want to encourage our students to learn karate, and at the same time to be motivating, caring, supportive individuals that accept others and are willing to stand up for those who may need their help if that time ever comes. I never want to hear of a situation involving one of our students like the one above where they are an antagonist. I want to encourage our kids to take a stand, to bring the situation to a teacher, a parent, a coach. And I want to encourage you to do the same. Let's stand together against this epidemic; let's teach our students how to take a stand. 

Living In The Moment

I'm a huge Jason Mraz fan, not to the extent of obsessed but his music gives me happy feelings in my heart that's for sure. I'm sure you're already thinking, "What the heck does this have to do with Kenpo??" :) I'm getting there.

We opened the Academy nine months ago and it has been the greatest thing we've ever done. When at first you have something new in your life you can't help but be excited about it all the time. Then after awhile it just becomes routine, and you start to look towards the future. And with a business, the future can be scary. You start to think about the "what ifs"; What if we don't get any more new students, what if the students we have get bored and leave; what if we expect too much rank wise from our students and they leave because they feel like they're not getting anywhere? And they just keep snowballing and they get bigger and scarier.

This morning I was listening to Jason Mraz's new album LOVE (I highly recommend it by the way); and his song Living In The Moment came on. I was singing along with Jason when it hit me how applicable this song was to my life. I need to stop stressing about the future, it's not even here yet; and I need to let the past pass me by. I need to live right here in the moment, rather than be so focused on the future that I miss what's right in front of me. There's so much wonderful right here and now, we have so many students that are working their butts off and they love it. That is honestly the absolute best part, is every single student that steps onto that mat three times a week to let us share this Art with them. I love how excited they get when they learn something new. It melts my heart to see their faces when they receive a new stripe, or a new belt. Rank is not given, it is earned; and I'll be the first to tell you that karate is HARD. It honestly can be months in between stripes, it depends on the student. How much they practice, how much they remember, but when they earn their next rank you can bet they earned. :)

So, thanks to Jason Mraz I am now even more excited for the next karate class. I am so thankful for the students and parents that are now a part of my life. We've created a little Kenpo family, and it makes me so happy. Remember to live in the moment, appreciate what you have and set the example for others; you never know who's looking up to you.

Terrified but Motivated

As I prepare for my 2nd Brown Belt exam I have to admit, I am scared, no wait-scratch that, I'm terrified. As with any new obstacle, I've begun to reflect on my past 6 exams. None have evoked the terror within me that this one does. It's the first exam I've had that will have a written section. Written is something I'm good at normally; but these words, definitions and principles are things I've only just barely begun to understand. And don't even get me started on the physical portion. 7 forms, plus one of my own creation, 9 sets, and 154 techniques. Despite all the material piled in front of me that's not what is most terrifying; it's who is testing me. This is my first exam with Gene as my instructor. And I am terrified, because he knows what I have trouble with, and he's going to be incredibly picky, a hard ass. I know without a doubt that if I don't perform at the level of a 2nd Brown Belt he will have no problem failing me. And I respect the hell out of him for that. I know he's set the bar high, higher than I may even expect because let's face it, we're in a relationship and the last thing either of us ever wants is to hear someone think I was handed my rank because we live together. Thus I am terrified, in a few months I'm going to be put through the hardest exam I've ever experienced. Terrified as I am, I am excited, dying for the chance to prove myself. I plan on kicking ass in that exam; these fears and unsettling feelings in the pit of my stomach are nothing but motivation

Scholar Skills

We named our school Scholar and Warrior because training the body isn't enough you have to train the mind as well and vice versa. When we decided to open the school it happened so quickly, in a month it went from a dream to a reality and we were sprinting to keep up. We're almost six months old now, and things have slowed down and taken a very nice pace. Life has fallen into a comfortable rhythm. A few weeks ago I proposed an idea to Gene and he agreed to let me do it. :) Once a week I give the students a Scholar Skill, which is either a Kenpo Saying, or a principle definition or a part of a pledge for them to memorize. At the end of the week I pull each student aside and have them tell me the current week's skill. If they can correctly, their name goes into a drawing, and at the end of the month a name is drawn and that student is Scholar of the Month. (There's gotta be some competition there right?)

Yesterday was the first day for the students to tell me the skill. It was an easy one, Yellow Belt Saying #1: Distance is Your Best Friend." And to be honest I was nervous our students ages are 5+. And we only see them 3 times a week. Imagine my excitement when each and every student that was present in class last night was able to tell me the Skill for that week.

Our students are phenomenal, they work hard and take on new assignments with excitement, I couldn't be more proud of them and I know neither could Gene. 2012 is only going to keep getting better for SWKA; and I am so thankful to be a part of this.