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He started in the martial arts at the age of 10 studying Judo at a local Army base. After two years of training he received his black belt in that style, but was not given the proper certification to confirm that rank.
He continued his study of the martial arts at age 13 by training in the art of American Freestyle Karate. At age 25 he started training in Dragon Kenpo and received his 3rd Degree Black Belt but was left without opportunity for advancement as the Ed Hutchison Black Belts were back in the year 2000.
Finally discovering the World Dragon Kenpo Schools of self Defense, Mr. Weatherman is ready to move on with his training and also has plans to begin teaching the art.
Announcements!
8th Degree Dragon Kenpo Black Belt and Founder of Hap Ki Mu Sul Rodney Lacey has announced that lessons are restarted at Mercy Hospital.
“We’re going to start with a Saturday 10 am class once again at the Mercy Wellness Center.” Congratulations Mr. Lacy and the students at the Wellness Center!
Coach Ron Pfeiffer traveled to Indiana and received his Tai Chu instructors certification from Dr. Paul Lam. Congratulations Coach!
The Burlington Wisconsin Tai Chi for Health club has begun meeting at 8 am in Echo Park by the lake. Meanwhile the Geneva Lake’s YMCA Tai Chi Club has been training since March and now has over 25 members.
The Self Defense Club at the Geneva YMCA has added an adult class at 5:15pm on Fridays. This is for all adult club members, regardless of rank.
Due to popular request, Dragon Kenpo lessons are offered via CD-Rom in the online store for $15.00 per rank level. For those of you with low speed internet connections, this means that you can enjoy the World Dragon Kenpo lessons without the wait. Load the CD into your lap-top for Dragon Kenpo on the go for a quick reference while you are in class. The possibilities are endless. Get yours today!
The Lost Art of Showing Respect!
“Karate begins with respect, and ends with respect.” In Kenpo, as with other martial arts, one of the first things that we are taught is respect. We show verbal respect to our instructor by calling him or her “Coach,” “Sir,” or Ma’am.” Perhaps “Sensei” or “Sifu” in the more traditional sense. We show respect to the Art by bowing or bringing our hands together in a Kenpo salute before a training session. We also show this act of respect to our opponents before and after a formal fighting encounter. This mentality can apply outside of Kenpo; in fact, in my humble opinion, it is equally important in our everyday lives.
Diminished Role of Respect and Civility
We live in a society where respect for others has diminished value. Children address adults by their first names (or worse) without being corrected that this is not proper behavior. Adults often show little regard or civility to their fellow citizens, and sometimes towards their own families. Witness the phenomena of road rage, bad manners, foul language, and increasingly relaxed dress codes in public. As we read last month in Slayer News, we are more likely to be a victim of a criminal act by someone that we know than a mere stranger.
North American culture revolves around the individual. Cell phones are glued to ears as people drive, walk down the street, shop in grocery stores, or stand in line at the bank. When a perspective is focused internally, rather than externally, it is easy to see why respect and civility have decreased significantly in modern society. People can be so self-absorbed that a simple “Good morning” is met with a look of apprehension, or perhaps no response at all. I heard the famous football coach of Penn State, Mr. Joe Paterno, say the following on the Charlie Rose Show. “There is no civility anymore.”
Courtesy and Graciousness
When someone goes to the effort to send you a gift (which is not always a tangible thing), you are obliged to acknowledge the kindness. It is called courtesy. Write a note to the sender. Make an effort to call him or her, and don’t fall prey to the temptation of a quick impersonal email. Or no email, phone call, or acknowledgement at all. Gifts and acts of kindness do not fall from the sky. We need to show respect and thank the person. Whether that individual is a stranger, colleague, friend, client, coach, teacher, boss, or family member. It takes one minute to write a brief note of thanks; however, few people feel it is necessary any further. Be different, and show others that your standard is higher. We should all strive to be better people, and when others fall short, it is our obligation to show them the higher road. As we would expect them to tell us if our standard diminished in any regard. Respect yourself, and teach others to reciprocate.
A Man of Respect
Recently, I was in a restaurant. I happened to notice a gentleman with a “Gulf War Veteran” baseball hat on his table. When I left the establishment, I stopped by his table. I excused myself, and said, “Sir, thank you for your service to our country.” He hesitated for a few seconds, and seemed very surprised. Then his face broke into a broad grin. “I appreciate that a lot. I wish that I could do it again.” Please read that last sentence very carefully. It is a prime example of self-respect, unselfishness, and excellence from a man who already served his country.
“When we help others, we help ourselves.” His Holiness, The Dalai Lama
“R-E-S-P-E-C-T… Find out what it means to me.” Aretha Franklin
The opinions in this commentary are personal, and do not reflect the views of World Dragon Kenpo.
Steve Amoia for Slayer News
Poison Hands Enhancements
I recently purchased a video of Patrick McCarthy’s analysis of the kata Aragaki Seisan. The Aragaki version is considerably different from most Shorin Ryu versions or its Shotokan relative (Hangetsu). A few minutes into the video I was awestruck by the similarities of his bunkai omote to the techniques of Dragon Kenpo.
One of the applications uses an inside-outside block (mawashi uke) followed by a knife hand control move to the back of the elbow. McCarthy details precisely where to place the knife hand and how to apply hand motion (back and forth) to get maximum response from the assailant’s triceps musculo-tendon junction to take the opponent to the ground, as mentioned by Coach Pfeiffer in his presentation of Yellow 3. He also discusses sliding the blocking hand down the arm and pulling (see Orange 12) in a manner that attacks the meridians of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to cause extreme pain and takes the assailant’s mind away from further attack. McCarthy describes body locations using both Western anatomical terms and meridians from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Many of the other application from the kata discussed by McCarthy have analogies or possibly homologies to Dragon Kenpo. (McCarthy discusses the relationship of Aragaki Seisan to Chinese Ch’uan Fa.)
This video is not for the beginner. It is clear that McCarthy’s intended audience is primarily black belts; however, once a student is proficient at the blue belt level, there may be merit in looking into some of these “poison hand” enhancements. Most of the video is a discussion of the applications rather than a tutorial on performance of the kata so this video is worthwhile even for those who have no interest in learning Aragaki Seisan.
McCarthy, Patrick. 2005. Koryu Uchinadi Vol. 2: Arigaki Sesan. DVD is available at http://www.koryu-uchinadi.com.
Jim Patus
The Medical Implications of Striking the Back of the Neck
It seems that almost every martial art teaches striking to the back of the neck as a fundamental technique. In almost any style you can find a “Two-Man-Form” or “One-Step” which has the student bending the attacker over and then striking with a chop or elbow strike to the cervical vertebrae, the portion of the spine the makes up the neck.
Time and time again you see this strike, however very few instructors know that this strike in considered a life-taking technique.
Last year I began attending a Tang Soo Do School near where I live which is popular because the instructor is the highest ranking master in Michigan and a student of some famous grandmaster. He was a very good and knowledgeable teacher and I met some people who drove an hour or more twice a week just to attend his classes.
One day he saw me practicing a “one-step” with my partner that had me performing a downward elbow strike to the back of his neck. Having studied the martial arts for most of my life, and understanding that I was practicing a technique designed to kill my attacker, I performed the technique with respect and restraint.
When the instructor saw this he came right over to me and told me that I was doing the technique wrong. I needed to raise my elbow up by my forehead and lift my knee to my abdomen and then drop my weight and strike the neck at the same time my foot stomped on to the ground. He told me that this would give me sufficient force to “take him out”.
Kind of surprised that he would teach beginners this technique, I asked him what this strike would do to my attacker, and to my displeasure he answered, “Oh, it’ll knock him out, but you have to hit him hard! Don’t worry about him though, just focus on your technique”.
I then looked around and saw young teenagers and adults practicing this technique without a care in the world and I never went back to his school after that.
If you are teaching a technique that will kill your attacker then you need to make it clear to your students. They have a right to know. If you look hard enough you can find numerous cases in which a martial artist got into a fight and ended up chopping his attacker(s) in the back of the neck and ended up killing them. This exact thing happened to a Tang Soo Do black belt in Korea in the early 1980’s and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Nobody wants to use a self-defense technique and then find out later that is was a life-taking technique, your attacker is dead, and you are going to be tried for manslaughter or murder. What is scarier to me is that most instructors don’t even know that his technique, especially practiced in the manner described above, can easily result in death.
So what are the medical implications to striking the back of the neck? First of all you have seven cervical vertebrae, C1-C7, that make up your neck, contain your spinal cord, and protect if from injury.
The cervical vertebrae are very vulnerable to damage and breakage due to the fact that they have only minimal support from the rest of the body. A focused elbow strike or chop can easily break, bruise, fracture, or damage the vertebrae.
If the vertebrae are broken, but the spinal cord is unharmed, then no neurological problems should result. In this case these people are treated very carefully while the bones heal to avoid any post-injury damage to the spinal cord.
If the spinal cord is bruised or partially damage, then quadriplegia or other neurological problems may occur. If the spinal cord is severely injured and this injury is at or above the fifth cervical vertebra (C5), usually where people are told to strike, then breathing may be affected and the person may die from asphyxiation. The portion of the spinal cord that controls breathing is about C3 through C5. If the damage is below C6, then paralysis may occur, but breathing would be left intact.
However, if the cord is severely injured or transected (cut or torn in half), there is sudden loss of nerve supply to the entire body, including the heart and blood vessels. The victim may suffer a sudden and profound drop in blood pressure (BP), which can lead to very sudden, often immediate, death. This is called “spinal shock.”
As you can see, striking to the back of the neck can be very dangerous. A forceful blow to back of the neck can result in immediate death from “spinal shock” or death over the course of a few minutes from asphyxia, though the victim would most likely be unconscious. If they survive the blow they could be partially paralyzed, or could be rendered quadriplegic. It is also a possibility that the attacker could also be fine except for a cervical fracture as long as they get immediate medical treatment.
As instructors we have the duty to make sure that our students know the consequences of their actions. If we fail our students could accidentally kill someone, render them paralyzed, and even go to jail for following our teachings.
Matthew Schafer
Instructor believes in power of Tai Chi
By Lisa Seiser
Lake Geneva Regional News
Reprinted with permission of Lake Geneva Regional News
Lake Geneva YMCA martial arts instructor Ron Pfeiffer admitted he was skeptical about the benefits of the slow-moving, rhythmic, gently art of Tai Chi.
He is a definitely a believer now.
Tai Chi is a centuries old Chinese art developed originally for fighting, but has been refined as a health and fitness regimen that is refreshing and fun.
Pfeiffer, who recently became an instructor in the art, currently teaches two Tai Chi classes at the YMCA, He and the YMCA first offered the class this past winder.
So far, it has been a success for people of all ages and abilities.
“There are so many good things about it,” he said. “At the beginning, I was look for the downside, what is wrong with this?
“But the more I researched, the more I learned that we need this. It is like this isn’t something that should be optional.”
“Pfeiffer said in parks throughout China, every morning, 250 million people start the day doing Tai Chi.
The Chinese believe that Tai Chi promotes health by improving and regulating the flow of Chi, also know as “life energy force,” from the abdomen throughout the rest of the body.
Although people have told him it is a fad, Pfeiffer isn’t buying that philosophy.
“Those 250 million Chinese don’t go to the park every day because it is a fad,” he said. “It has been around way too long for it to be a fad.”
Pfeiffer has learned some valuable lessons and skills from Tai Chi.
“It is weird because it is really slow and low-key, but (the students) are getting energy from it,” Pfeiffer said.
Most of the energy is from breathing properly and gaining flexibility and muscle tone through slow and concentrated movements.
Pfeiffer said breathing is the key to Tai Chi.
“Most people breathe really shallow,” he said, “If we can get people to increase their lung capacity, that brings oxygen to the blood, giving them better brain and body function. It is such a simple thing.”
During the breathing, students make slow movements with their arms and hands, while moving their lower bodies by bending their knees.
Pfeiffer calls it “meditation in motion.”
“The movements have martial arts applications, but not the focus,” he said, “What happens is a person gains fitness, oxygen and muscle tone. Though that they gain confidence, knowing that they have improved their physical skills.”
Pfeiffer said he has noticed an improvement in his balance since starting the Tai Chi.
That improvement can also help older people, he said.
“For seniors, learning to transfer weight in such a way to prevent falls is big,” he said. “There are studies that show a 47 percent improvement in the chances of not falling. That is huge, because that is a big fear for seniors.
But, Pfeiffer and his students also understand there is much more to Tai Chi than the physical workout.
“When you are doing the Tai Chi, you don’t have the mental opportunity to think about bills, family, work or other things,” he said. “you have to focus on your movements.”
Pfeiffer said he tells his students that Tai Chi is an opportunity to focus on themselves and their health.
“This is one hour of the week to put all of life’s stressors out and to focus on you,” Pfeiffer said. “You get to focus on improving yourself and who you are. That resonates with people because everyone is so busy.”
Pfeiffer’s students agree that relaxation is the main benefit of Tai Chi.
“It is an opportunity to pause and let go of the business of the day,” student Eric Rose said. “It creates space in my head.”
Rose and other members of the class said they are just pleased the YMCA is offering the program.
“It is about slowing down, breathing, concentrating and it is very relaxing,” student Maureen Allenstein said. “I need it as time for me.”
Diane Barr, a retired teacher, said Tae Chi has helped her concentrate better.
She said it is an opportunity to be totally focused in a soothing environment.
“It is very relaxing and allows me to close off and tune it to myself,” Allenstein said.
Pfeiffer said Tai Chi should be performed every day and also includes soothing music.
“You listen to that, relax, and work through the breathing and do the form movements,” he said. “If you do a little each day, gradually you build up muscle tone and lung capacity. That is what you need to do to be healthy.”
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee lived a short but very eventful life. He was born on 27 November 1940 in San Francisco, California. His Chinese name was Lee Jun Fan, and he was born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon. He was a pioneer and innovator of martial arts study in the United States, Asia, and other parts of the world.
Shortly after his birth, his father, an actor, took their family back to Hong Kong. Beginning at the age of six, Mr. Lee appeared in over 20 films. As he became older, he studied the ancient Chinese martial arts of Kung Fu and Wing Chun. During high school, he was involved with a street gang. His parents decided to send him to live with relatives in the Seattle, Washington area to complete his studies.
After high school, Mr. Lee enrolled at the University of Washington, where he majored in Philosophy. During this time, he opened his first school to teach martial arts. His wife, Linda, was one of his first students. The couple married in 1964, and had two children (Brandon and Shannon). Mr. Lee decided to move to California, where he opened schools in Oakland and Los Angeles. He initially taught Kung Fu, and later, Jeet Kune Do, which was the system that he created. It means “Way of the Intercepting Fist.” Unlike most Chinese martial artists, Mr. Lee taught non-Asians. Two of his students were film stars Steve McQueen and James Coburn. Both would serve as pall bearers at his funeral. He also instructed the basketball legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Mr. Lee was fanatical about physical fitness and strength training. Although he was 5’7” (1.70 m) and weighed between 125 and 145 pounds (57 – 66 kg), many consider him to be one of the most physically developed athletes of modern times.
Television and Movie Career
In 1966, Mr. Lee was offered a part in a television series called “The Green Hornet.” In a supporting role as “Kato,” he introduced the martial arts to an appreciative audience. He appeared in cameo roles in other productions, but decided in 1971 to return to Hong Kong to pursue better opportunities. He appeared in two films, “Fists of Fury” and “The Chinese Connection,” which propelled him to stardom in Asia. He formed his own company, Concord Pictures, and directed his first film, “Way of the Dragon.” His success in Asia prompted a Hollywood contract for “Enter the Dragon.” His co-star in this film was Chuck Norris. Mysteriously and tragically, a month before its release, Mr. Lee died of a brain edema. He was 32 years of age. When the film was presented after his death, it became a tremendous box office success and legacy.
Prolific and Gifted Writer
Mr. Lee was an author of several martial arts publications. Many of his projects were published after his death. His seminal work was entitled, “The Tao of Jeet Kune Do.” In this book, Mr. Lee described the philosophy behind his system, along with intriguing observations on human nature. He also co-authored a comprehensive series called, “Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method,” with M. Uyehara, a friend and one of his early students. Mr. Lee was a student of philosophy, weight lifting, physiology, kinesiology, anatomy, nutrition, and many other subjects. His personal library contained over 2000 volumes.
Expert Opinion by WDK Founder Coach Ron Pfeiffer
“The impact of Bruce Lee on the martial arts world is a far ranging topic which martial artists young and old never seem to tire. His contributions to the art extended in so many directions. I consider one of his greatest legacies his shunning of mainstream Oriental thinking of the time, breaking down the barriers of race by teaching anyone who wanted to learn, which was a taboo practice. Bruce would say, ‘Anyone who holds these ideas of racism is quite backward in their thinking.’
He reduced techniques to their most basic movements exclaiming, ‘Just as yellow leaves may be gold coins to stop the crying children, thus, the so called secret moves and contorted postures appease the unknowledgeable martial artists.’ Bruce was quite blunt in his criticism of traditional methods. Most famously his ideas on individualism are what I find inspiring and part of what we like our students to put into their "martial way". Remember, ‘Keep what is useful, discard what is useless and add that which is uniquely your own.’ And lastly, Bruce Lee admonished instructors to protect their students from their own influence. Truly a difficult task since each of us hold our own prejudices.”
Selected Quotes by Bruce Lee
"I don't hold a belt. A belt holds up my pants."
"Be formless... shapeless like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, and it can crash. Be water, my friend..."
"Our sense of power is more vivid when we break a man's spirit than when we win his heart, for we can win a man's heart one day and lose it the next. But when we break a proud spirit, we achieve something that is final and absolute."
"I'm not a master. I'm a student-master, meaning that I have the knowledge of a master and the expertise of a master, but I'm still learning. So I'm a student-master. I don't believe in the word 'master.' I consider the master as such when they close the casket."
"The more relaxed the muscles are, the more energy can flow through the body. Using muscular tensions to try to 'do' the punch or attempting to use brute force to knock someone over will only work to opposite effect."
"Ultimately, martial art means honestly expressing yourself. It is easy for me to put on a show and be cocky so I can show you some really fancy movement. But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself, and to express myself honestly enough; that my friend, is very hard to do."
“True mastery transcends any particular art. It stems from mastery of oneself, the ability, developed through self-discipline, to be calm, fully aware, and completely in tune with oneself and the surroundings. Then, and only then, can a person know himself.”
References
This article, with only three selected quotes, was originally published at Healing Headquarters, and they provided permission to republish it. Their excellent web site is: www.healinghq.com. I have added five additional quotes for our WDK audience, along with the picture of Bruce Lee that was released into the public domain. These contributions were courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_lee.
Steve Amoia for Slayer News
Reminders!
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 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
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!
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