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Follow this link to the PDF and Web
Issues of the Slayers News
“About Dragon Kenpo Karate“
Sun Style Tai Chi
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese practice designed to exercise body, mind and spirit. As practitioners move through tai chi postures, they are gently working muscles, focusing concentration, and, according to Chinese philosophy, improving the flow of "qi," the vital life energy that sustains health and calms the mind. (Qi is pronounced "chee," and is often spelled "chi.") In China, where tai chi has been practiced for some 600 years, tai chi isn't just a feel-good workout: it's therapy, a preventive measure and a remedy for almost every ailment, including arthritis.
Dragon Kenpo Tai Chi?
In the not too distant future we will be adding Tai Chi lessons to our program of self defense. Through my discussions, email and phone, with our members the need for soft (Tai Chi) to complement the hard (DK) has become more apparent. Many of our active members already practice one of the 4 major Tai Chi forms. In mid Feb (today) with the assistance of our local YMCA I will travel to Peoria Ill to participate in the Instructor Workshop presented by the Arthritis Foundation of Greater Illinois Chapter. The training will be based on Sun Style Tai Chi with a portion devoted to Qi Gong. Please contact me for more information on this exciting development
To meet the continuous improvement goal of World Dragon Kenpo we encourage all our members to take advantage of learning opportunities which present themselves.
Coach Ron
The World Dragon Kenpo Schools of Self Defense would like to announce that Randall Hall has recently accepted the position as the Director for the State of Texas. Please take the time to congratulate him on his appointment and encourage him to keep up his good work!
How do we get rid of our emotions? Well, we don't. We can't. Our emotions are a result of our opinions and beliefs. Can you get rid of your opinions and beliefs? I can't, no one can. You can live in the moment to the extent that you experience the world as it actually is, and then experience the emotions created. However, as long as we have opinions and beliefs we will also have emotions. However there are techniques that, when used over a period of time can teach our mind to continually and subconsciously stop the emotional energy from
collecting within us.
The first step comes with realizing that emotions are neither positive of negative, they are just energy that should be allowed to come. Receive the experience, feel the experience, receive the
emotions, and then let the emotion go in order to experience the feeling fully. In experiencing the reality of a feeling we can act upon it wisely without confrontation. It exists as just a feeling, an experience and inner quiet. Without the turmoil of irrational emotions, there is peace.
How do we release emotion? Like stated before, emotions are energy. When we experience a feeling, our brain screens it through our opinions
and beliefs and arrives at a new "mental feeling" that is not based on the actual feeling, but is based on that comparison. Our brain subconsciously gathers energy into a ball that we are compelled to act upon without regard for rationality or logic. While we cannot control our emotions, we can move it with our thoughts.
We experience something that evokes a feeling. The feeling creates a ball of emotional energy in our chest or stomach. To let it go:
1. Relax, close your eyes and let your head hang down.
2. Be still and allow yourself to feel the emotional energy and acknowledge that it is just energy, neither positive or negative. Good and bad are based upon opinions and beliefs.
3. Once you clearly feel the energy, picture a tube with a cork in one end and the other end entering your body and into the center of the ball of energy.
4. Realize that the neutral energy wishes to escape, but it is trapped
inside you. Visualize the cork being popped off the tube allowing the energy to flow through the tube and out of your body into the open air.
5. Continue to visualize the energy flowing out until you feel lighter.
You will discover that as the energy leaves, the emotion leaves as well. When the energy is gone the emotion is gone, leaving you feeling lighter and calmer. You will feel very peaceful. With practice you will understand the truth of what has been said here and that through the release of emotion you will be at peace. If you still feel the effects of emotion, it means that there is energy still within you. Visualize it being released from your body as many times and as much as it takes. Get used to the process and you will find that after a while you are calmer, your mind quieter and you have found inner peace.
Try to see all things wrong in your life as just emotions. An unhappy marriage, being overweight, not having enough money, going through a tough time with the family and etcetera; see all of these things as emotions and release them. Allow the energy of the situation to collect and just release it. Suddenly you'll feel 20 pounds lighter and the
situation doesn't bother you as much.
Releasing your emotions has an added benefit; a lot of your problems go away. Many of your problems exist because you subconsciously want
them. You want more money because you don't have enough. Why don't you have enough? Because your conscious mind tells you that you want more money. Your subconscious mind, the stronger of the two minds, tells you that you don't want more money. While your conscious mind is working to get what it wants, your subconscious mind believes that you don't want, need, or deserve it so it works against you. That is the reason you are unhappy, poor or overweight, you subconsciously want or believe that you don't really want or deserve it. By releasing your emotions, you convince your subconscious mind to fall in line with your conscious mind. Working together, your mind becomes a powerful force striving to
achieve your goals and quite often what you want will seem to come to you like magic.
Everyone is looking for the secret to happiness. The answer to discovering a joyful unending happiness is . love. That is it. That is all there is to it. The more you love, the happier you will be. It might sound cliché, but you'll find it is the truth if you'll think about it. Spend a few moments thinking back to when you were the happiest. It was when you were loving and giving. The happiest moment of your life are not when you are being loved or receiving, the happiest moment are derived from loving and giving.
Human beings are naturally loving beings. We are beings of energy
that radiate love and want to love. Unfortunately, emotions get in the way. Emotions keep us from experiencing love as it was meant to be felt and shared. Release your emotions and allow yourself to return to your natural loving state of inner peace.
No matter what you are doing or what is going on in your life, if you want to experience complete happiness just do the following:
1. Stop what you are doing.
2. Hang your head and find energy collected in your chest or abdomen.
3. Release any energy you find until you feel lighter.
4. Then, love and give. Look or think about something or someone and just love whatever you've chosen. Stop and just love. You will feel
inner peace and total happiness. If you want to feel more happiness,
then give. Give to someone without the thought of getting anything in
return.
Repeatedly release, love and then give. Release, love, and then give. If you do this at every opportunity you will always be at loving peace.
Matthew Schafer. 4th Dan Guest Writer
Many of us in Dragon Kenpo have a similar story to tell. A large number of us have had previous experience in some martial art and for whatever reason we are no longer active in that art. We missed martial arts and started shopping. Eventually we turned to the Internet. If you are like me you found several programs that piqued your interest and maybe you even got into some of them only to discover that once you have received their tapes (if you received them) and maybe even a certificate proclaiming you to be a ___ degree black belt (fill in the blank) they really weren’t interested in hearing from you again. Finally you wander into Dragon Kenpo. What the heck it seems cheap enough.
So you start with the videos and your first thought is, “This sure ain’t (pick one) Kajukenbo/ShorinRyu/Goju/Shotokan/FiveAnimals. And my old sifu/sensei/shihan could probably kick this guy’s butt.” But you keep coming back to it. You think to yourself, “You know, this guy is explaining every thing in great detail; he performs everything slowly and also at full speed; he breaks down the techniques and he uses a lot of different camera angles. He also seems concerned with me learning how to not get my butt kicked. And he’s not breaking my bones and sending me home in pain or to the ER everyday. And now that I think about it, he could probably give my old sifu/sensei/shihan a run for his money. Also, I know exactly what I am expected to be working on. Maybe I should give this stuff a shot.”
So now you get serious and decide that you need to try this with a partner. You call your son/uncle/niece/buddy and start working the techniques. His/her reaction is pretty much the same as yours was initially. Eventually you are both working the techniques hard and really enjoying it.
Here I will switch to first person because the previous scenario is pretty close to how my son and I got started with Dragon Kenpo. As we continued, we discovered that one of the great beauties of Dragon Kenpo was that it let us continue with and expand upon our previous martial arts experience. Jacob and I still spend a lot of time with traditional kata.
We had two problems once we got serious with Dragon Kenpo. The first is that since I am somewhat of a perfectionist, we stagnated getting to Yellow Belt. Coach Pfeiffer stepped in and “fixed” our problem. (I was right. He does care about his students!) Our second problem was finding a good place to practice. My apartment was not really adequate space.
We tried working at a public park (http:// www.xlix.net/dk/pictures.html) but then the weather got cold. So we started working out at the community college where I teach. We used vacant classrooms, hallways, and in good weather the outdoor basketball or volleyball court. Soon colleagues were asking if they could join us. Before long we had an honest-to-goodness training group. There were sometimes four or five if us who came to train. With Coach Pfeiffer’s support we decided to expand. Three of us are faculty at the college and we promoted our effort with announcements in our classes. We then had some students join us. Sometimes people would watch our practices and we would invite them to join in. We are now well on our way to becoming a club.
There was some agonizing in the process. One of the issues that loomed large with me was that I have not yet earned my black belt through WDK. Would we be taken seriously? Do I have any business taking this on? As our group grew I found that my lack of the traditional credentials meant less to the members of our group than the fact that we have the backing of a national organization and that the authority flows from that organization. I also emphasized that my status as Assistant Instructor allows me to serve as liaison between members of our group and the national organization. It’s almost embarrassing to admit that the fact that our “honbu” is hundreds of miles away has actually been an asset to our credibility. The hard part was establishing the group. Once the group was established the credibility was not an issue.
There were those who came to train with as just a few times or sometimes only once. I didn’t let that discourage me; many people aren’t sure what to expect. Those who have stuck with it have gelled into a serious, dedicated training group. And we are ready to try to expand again.
So what can I offer you from my experience?
First know when you are ready. Even if you don’t have a black belt yet, if you are into the cool color belts and not in a training group, you should seriously think about trying to start one. If you are an Assistant Instructor, you are definitely in a position to take action.
Don’t run out and lease a gym for big bucks per month. Think about resources you may already have. Your employer may see having your group practicing at their facility as an asset, a free or inexpensive “benefit” to employees. Be careful with this approach. Deemphasize injury liability and emphasize the health benefits of training. And for Pete’s sake do everything in your power to avoid injuries. Civic organizations and lodges may have space they can let you use. In good weather the public park is not that bad. Does your church or synagogue have a room you could use once a week? Is there a gym nearby with a room that would be adequate for practice? A health club may view this as a drawing card for their business. Be innovative. My next physical therapy appointment (don’t ask) I plan on asking the physical therapist if he thinks adding a weekly karate session could be a benefit to his patients. (“Karate” may sell better than “Kenpo” to the uninitiated. You can educate them later.)
An approach that did not work for us was our attempt to offer a self-defense course. Our problem was that the tuition for the course ended up being too high. You might consider checking with your local adult education or continuing education center to see if you could offer a course through them inexpensively. This can draw students. Even though our attempted continuing education course did not run, it gave our “free” Saturday sessions a lot of publicity and we gained students.
Another way to publicize is to have business cards printed. There are some very cheap Internet sources. I have been very pleased with Vista Print (http://www.vistaprint.com. (Don’t get the free ones with advertising on the back; that’s just tacky!) This company also sometimes has free offers such as refrigerator magnets (I gave them away to our members last week.) and postcards. I plan to leave the post cards at places around the college and elsewhere around town. They have my email address, web site, phone number, and practice times and locations. The key to using these resources is “Think Dragon Kenpo!” Look for opportunities to bring it up in every conversation. If the person with whom you are talking shows the least bit of interest, be sure that you give him or her a business card. That person may never respond but that person may mention it to others. I’ve had people I don’t even know walk up to me in a restaurant and say, “You’re that karate guy aren’t you?” Be sure that you capitalize on this type of opportunity.
If you have a business card you need a name. I can’t just say, “Jim Patus, karate guy.” I could, but… So we need a name and I’m not real good with this right brain stuff. Fortunately I have kids who can compensate fro my weaknesses. I live in Silver Creek Township; the local middle and high school call themselves “The Silver Creek Dragons.” My son Jacob figured out that we could use this in connection with Dragon Kenpo. We became Silver Dragon Kenpo. Pick your name carefully. If we were just Silver Dragon then folks might think we were a Chinese restaurant.
Web domains are getting cheap and today people expect an Internet presence for almost all businesses. Avoid using free hosting services that aggravate your current and potential clientele with pop- ups, banner ads, and viruses. Be sure that you have your own domain name. Don’t use domains like AOL or ATT. Make it your own. Yahoo offer very inexpensive hosting services. Keep your site crisp, simple, and tasteful. Take a look at Doug Turner’s site (http://www.motionkenpo.info) for a good example of a nice, uncluttered site. Keep your site up to date. If you post practice times, make sure they are not last year’s. OK, so you’ve never heard of HTML and you can’t afford a CIW certified professional to develop your site. That’s OK. Check with the computer instructor at the local high school to see if he/she may have a student who might be willing to set the site up for you. Be sure that you look at work that the student has done and that the student is willing to make a commitment to maintain the site at a reasonable cost. If you are Internet ignorant, don’t buy into the idea of using a Web page generator. You will regret it in the long run when your site becomes impossible to maintain. Be sure that your email address AND the URL for your Web site are on your business cards.
And then there are money issues. So far our club has not charged dues and we charge no “testing fees”. Initially I paid for all the belts and WDK certificates. One of our members has insisted on also contributing to the cause. Obviously this can’t go on forever. I have a plan of action. I plan on requesting official recognition as a college organization. Remember what I said about talking it up. Most of the administrators know we are here and accept us. The next step is to have the college subsidize the participation of college students. There is of course the danger of loss of autonomy, which may or may not be a problem. The second tine of the two pronged attack will be to request that our Human Services (personnel) department help us meet the costs incurred by our faculty and staff. One of the martial arts suppliers that I deal with noticed that the volume of my purchases has gone up recently and offered me discounted pricing. I plan on approaching our club with the idea that on their purchases of martial arts supplies, if they would be willing to contribute the difference between full retail and our discounted price to the club, we could build up a kitty to pay for belts and certificates; we might even be able to consider an annual banquet or an excursion to the honbu in Wisconsin.
So far I have not made a penny from our group’s venture. I suppose that for many that would be the next step, a martial arts school. If that’s where you are headed, or even if you are at the transition of training group to club you may want to consider acquiring the book Starting and Running Your Own Martial Arts School by Karen Levitz Vactor and Susan Lynn Peterson. When I first dug into the book I thought to myself, “This is just Business 101 stuff.” And that’s exactly what it is; however, it is directed specifically towards a martial arts school. It covers location, advertising, record keeping and even starting a pro shop.
Your situation is undoubtedly somewhat different than mine, but if you are thinking about forming a club you may be able to adapt some of these ideas. Feel free to email me. I don’t have all the answers but I’m always willing to brainstorm.
Jim Patus
Overview
David Carradine was an actor in the original “Kung Fu” television series of the early 1970s. Although Bruce Lee introduced martial arts to mainstream American living rooms as Kato in “The Green Hornet,” this program had a deeper martial arts theme, and the show was very popular. Mr. Carradine was asked by his martial arts master, Sifu (Master) Kam Yuen, to write a book that would present the teachings and principles of Kung Fu. The book is divided into three parts: Stories, Ancient Wisdom, and Lessons. I will devote more commentary to the last two sections. This work was published in 1991. At the time, Mr. Carradine had studied Kung Fu and related martial arts for 18 years.
Book One: Stories
Ironically, Mr. Carradine, who never had any martial arts training prior to the television series, beat out Bruce Lee for the part of “Kwai Chang Caine.” Sifu Yuen was hired as the Kung Fu consultant, and Mr. Carradine remarked, “We concentrated on what I did well, and stayed away from the stuff that looked awkward on me.” Sounds reminiscent of Mr. Ed Parker’s tailoring principle that we study in Kenpo Karate? Mr. Carradine did not begin to study Kung Fu rigorously until the third season of the program.
Due to FCC censorship laws, “Kung Fu” could only film four minutes of actual fight scenes per episode. The show followed the journeys of a Chinese immigrant in the American West during the late 18th century. “We just kept beating our old drum, by coupling excellent production values with historical accuracy, kung fu fighting, and Chinese wisdom. We documented redneck prejudice and gave an authentic chronicle of the difficulties of the Chinese people in America.” After the series ended in 1975, Mr. Carradine appeared in a few movies. He also produced two video tapes with Sifu Kam Yeun. One on Kung Fu, and the other on Tai Chi.
Book Two: Ancient Wisdom
Roots of Kung Fu
The Chinese martial art of Kung Fu traces its roots to the 6th century A.D. A Hindu monk, Bodhidharma, was traveling through Northern China. One of his visits took him to a Shaolin (which means “Young Forest”) Buddhist monastery. At this locale, he developed 18 forms called “ahrat” movements that would provide the basis for modern day Kung Fu. Actually, Kenpo was also developed at Shaolin monasteries in Northern China. Kung Fu means “To know what to do.” As Mr. Carradine states, “(Kung Fu) continues to teach the body and mind throughout life, and further establishes and strengthens the communication link between the two.”
Chinese Teachings
Chinese philosophy traces its roots to two distinct sources: Taoism and Confucianism. Taoism was created by Lao Tzu, a teacher whose name means “Old Master.” He published his thoughts in the “Tao Te Ching,” which remains a classic in Oriental literature. The word “Tao” means “The Way.” The book title means “Changes in the Way.” Confucius, who is also known as K’ung Fu-tzu, lived sometime between the 5th and 6th Centuries B.C. He developed a social and familial code of conduct. His philosophies were presented in the Wu Ching, along with the Ssu Shu.
Yin-Yang Concept
The symbol of all Chinese and Eastern religions is the T’ai c’hi t’u, which we know as Yin-Yang. This image, which depicts two fish, one black with a white eye, and the other white with a black eye, describes the passive (Yin: female) and active (Yang: male) energies of the universe that are in perpetual motion. This theory is also found in acupuncture. Some illnesses have Yang elements, while others have Yin components. For example, muscular problems are usually the result of too much Yang. Mr. Carradine provided an excellent explanation of Yin-Yang. “In the darkness is the light. In strength is the softness. In the question is the answer. It is all one thing… Choose the positive to begin with and most of the rest will follow. Choose courage instead of fear. Choose success instead of failure. Choose harmony not conflict. Choose love not hate. Choose life instead of death.”
Chi
This is the vital energy or force that flows throughout our bodies. Chi can be developed by deep breathing techniques, coordinated flowing movements found in Kung Fu, along with stance training.
Book Three: The Lessons
Healing
Mr. Carradine views Kung Fu as a way of life. He also discusses the healing nature of this Art. “The use ofspecial massages and pressures, herbs and tinctures, corrective and healing movements and stances, and certain mystical disciplines, having to do with meditation and divination (predicting the future), all of which can be tailored to benefit specific viscera (upper torso region), organs, maladies and conditions, are part of any Master’s general knowledge.” As we can see, the Kung Fu instructor is much more than a martial arts teacher. I know a physician who practices traditional Chinese medicine. He grew up in China, and I asked him to explain the concept of Sifu.
“Sifu (sheefu) is like a second father. It means he is your master, and is very respected. You have your father, and then there is your sifu.” Dr. Sen Huang
Nutrition
Fresh and/or raw fruits and vegetables are relics of our hunter-gatherer past. Our distant ancestors did not eat much red meat, and “… studies have shown that the strongest bones on the planet belong to vegetarians.” (Tony Robbins, “Ultimate Power.”) A diet that minimizes animal products has been shown to reduce the threat of modern day health concerns such as high cholesterol, heart disease, and certain forms of cancer.
Stance Training
In Dragon Kenpo, we are taught the importance of proper stances, which are the foundation for all self-defense techniques. In WDK, we study two basic stances (although some instructors may add variations): The Ready Stance, which is less confrontational, and the Fighting Stance, which prepares us to engage an adversary. Mr. Carradine discusses several important stances found in Kung Fu.
The horse stance is a fundamental concept that all Shaolin students would study for at least six months. This is complemented by the forward, reverse forward, heel, toe or cat, and the crane stances. They are better illustrated with pictures rather than words. “The dynamic method is to strike a stance momentarily, and change smoothly to the next, altering the position of the arms as well… Drift with the wind, float like the clouds.”
Become Who You Want To Be
Chien: The teacher. “Reaching to Heaven. Creative, strong, the leader.”
Kun: The healer. “The Earth power: devoted, receptive, soothing, selfless.”
Chen: The warrior. “The arousing thunder. Always moving. Sudden and quick. Ambitious.”
Kan: The artisan. “As soft, as vital and as powerful as water: the artist.”
Ken: The sage: “Standing perfectly still, strongly based like a mountain, the wind in his ears, the sun in his eyes, wisdom comes to him and stays.”
Sun: The musician. “Gentle, penetrating, the entire sweet and terrible story of Creation can be heard whispering and roaring in the wind, rustling in the leaves.”
Li: The poet. “Clinging to thoughts and words, giving light to the darkness, shining like the sun, crackling with fire.”
Tui: The fool. “Filled with the joy of life, pure pleasure, spreading himself across pain and sorrow like a lake of gladness, the clown reigns supreme.”
Which one of these describes you?
If you would like to buy this book, I will provide a direct link to Amazon.com. Please note that only used versions are available online. His videos are also available at Amazon.
Steve Amoia for Slayer News.
DKKA Yellow II or WDK Yellow 7 Part 2
In the previous issue I talked about how you would defend against the approaching attack. In this issue, I will discuss how this technique works against a fully applied two hand choke.
Defense against a two-hand front choke
1. Raise your arms so that your elbows are above your assailant’s arms.
2. Drop your elbows into your assailant’s forearms to break his grip.
3. Execute a double spear-hand strike to your assailant’s throat.
American Kenpo Reference: Look at Circling Wing or Parting Wings or Mace of Aggression.
Technique Rating: 8 Effective
The Attack:
A common aggressive attack is the two hand front choke. As a general attack it’s not too effective, but is often resorted to when someone attacks in pure rage.
The Defense:
The immediate concern when dealing with a choke is to protect your airway. A properly applied choke can render you unconscious within a few seconds, so you don’t have a lot of time to apply a fancy technique. Clear your airway and then work on taking your assailant out.
In Yellow II you clear your airway by executing a double elbow strike to your assailant’s forearms. This can pose a few problems depending on how you are being choked. If your assailant has his arms bent, your elbow strikes will have little effect unless a nerve is hit because the bent arms serve as shock absorbers, bending further to absorb your blow. You have a better chance of breaking his hold if you force his arms to extend.
As with an incoming attack, I would recommend that you shuffle back while executing the downward elbow strikes. This provides you with the momentum necessary to force your assailant’s arms to extend and allows you the ability to put your full mass into the action instead of just your arms.
A what-if that we need to consider is the possibility that your assailant has driven you against a wall where you are unable to shuffle backwards. In this case you can force your assailant to extend his arms by rearranging the technique and shooting your fingers into his eyes. This will force your assailant to reflexively lean backwards and lengthen his arms. From there, move quickly to execute your double downward elbow strikes and follow up with any number of moves.
If you are unable to get your assailant to fully extend his arms using that method, you can escape by stepping your left leg back so that you turn almost perpendicular to your assailant. His left arm will lengthen to adjust to your turn and so you bring down your right elbow onto his left forearm or place his left forearm underneath your arm and force it away from your neck. From here, follow up with your spear hand strike to the throat if you have proper distance or execute an elbow strike to his face
Doug Turner.
Slayer News About Dragon Kenpo is to inform, to educate, to inspire and to occasionally entertain the community of Dragon Kenpo Practitioners within our influence.
To fulfill this mission, we will:
Continue to develop the online text and video training available to the membership
Encourage members and non-members to present articles for publication
Encourage dialogue between members via thought provoking articles.
Reward innovative ideas by recognizing and contributing members and their efforts.
Educate members with topics designed to enhance and increase levels of martial art understanding with the goal of developing the "whole person".
Please remember to keep your information updated so that the World Dragon Kenpo Schools of Self Defense can serve you in the best way possible!
The International Dragon Kenpo Association’s website has moved! Please visit www.idka.bravehost.com for the new website. A new chat room has been added for real-time communications!
Next month, the Slayer News will feature an issue that all instructors should be concerned with: Self Defense and the Law!
Feedback is important! This newsletter is for the Dragon Kenpo community. If you have an article that you would like to submit, contact the Editor at dragonkenpo@aol.com. Comments and questions are welcome too. Show your appreciation or suggestions to the Editor to be posted in the Editor’s corner!
Is your school having an event? Let the Dragon Kenpo community know by placing it in the Slayer News! We’re here to help you!
The articles within this newsletter are the views of the writer and not necessarily the views shared by the World Dragon Kenpo Schools of Self Defense
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