IFYCA Presents: Fook Yueng Chuan

The local IFYCA schools will be hosting a student appreciation seminar which will take attendees through Non-Classical Gung-Fu, BCS self defense system, advanced form applications, and effortless power. The goals for this seminar beyond learning is association of the arts and application of accumulated styles while developing an appreciation for a range of skills.

This no-cost seminar is open to all IFYCA students and their friends and family at no charge and will be taught by master instructor Steve Smith, inheritor of Fook Yueng Chuan, student of Master David Harris and Master Fook Yueng (Bruce Lee's teacher from 1959 - 1966).

We will work through the arts from 10am to noon. We will break for a pot-luck lunch until 1pm at which point, we will resume training until 3pm. If you have a favorite dish you would like to share, feel welcome in bringing it.

This is a great opportunity to come together with other students from other schools and get to know the extended martial arts family that shares your community with you.

Begin your day with Beginner's Mind

Begin your day with Beginner's Mind

Get your cardio up and your energy levels jumping and do it before noon!

Beginner's Mind is opening our doors to morning martial arts and fitness classes. This sweat inducing exercise intensive program will work you through a mix of martial arts and kickboxing and focuses on personal development for a tighter healthier YOU! This is a program that works FOR you because it is based ON you.

We have two separate classes to help work around your schedule:
Monday and Wednesday - 8am to 9am
Tuesday and Thursday - 8am to 9am

Space is limited as classes are kept at a size to keep them personal and comfortable. Don't hesitate, call your instructor Mr. C at 509-301-7831 to reserve your spot now!

IFYCA Fall 2010 Mountain Retreat

Beginner's Mind School instructors are very excited to attend the IFYCA Fall 2010 Mountain Retreat seminar and we welcome you to come as well!

The field of study at this seminar will benefit the new and veteran martial artist alike. This event is open to the public and is a rare opportunity to get involved with aspects of martial arts seldom found in the classroom. Train in the mountains, outdoors (unless the weather turns sour, then you will move indoors), and touch hands with many talented artists.

Life long friendships are made here. The personal and informal pace of the seminar makes the learning very exciting and encouraging. If you have never practiced martial arts, there is truly no better event than this to introduce you to the art and the fantastic people that are involved with it.

From The Little Dojo--
"The September Mountain Retreat will be featuring Fook Yueng Chuan, Preying Mantis, Sensitivity, Skill Development Drills and Guest Instructor Jesse R. Glover (Bruce Lee's First Student).

We will Start Training Friday Morning at 10 A.M. and events will go until Sunday at 1 P.M.

To arrange for your tenting or cabin needs contact http://www.abcmountainretreat.com

To RSVP email stevesmith@thelittledojo.com or call 509-301-2274.

Bring your own training sticks, rubber knives, gloves and eye protection.

This is a very special event and I encourage you to come train with the group from all over the US and Canada and especially Jesse. This is a good opportunity to bring a new friend with you to experience this amazing art."

Beginner's Mind in March

Image via Wikipedia

The Beginner's Mind Dojo is looking forward to warmer weather, returning students, and using martial arts to make a difference!

We would like to welcome back two of our founding students, John and Rose! The first night of March enjoyed a very full class and the smiles on all of the faces were just a little bigger with your return.

Watch for the Beginner's Mind students and staff as we step in to assist Phi Beta Lamkbda for the second year as assistants to the walk against child abuse, "A Mile In Their Shoes". We encourage you to show your support for the awareness of child abuse and its prevention by coming out on March 27, 2010 to Pioneer Park in Walla Walla. Walk with us and enjoy some great activities!

Best of the Best

On Saturday, December 5th at 4p.m., Beginner's Mind School will be hosting movie night in the dojo! The movie selection is one that has played an important part of building Mr. C's moral compass and is a great film about the importance of teamwork and getting along with others.
Current students, new students, IFYCA members from other schools, and the general public are welcome to attend and enjoy the movie with good company. Bring some munchies and some beverages or just bring your love for martial arts and film and we will see you this Saturday!

Saturday Night Fights

This night, Barnaby's bar and restaurant was a martial arts hotspot as people of all ages gathered to an all ages event in which, fighters from as far away as Idaho and California gathered to compete in eleven mixed martial arts matches.

Of these 22 competitors, the Gentleman's Fight Club brought two to the table, Michael and Forrest, each fighter, new to the cage.

Though, this was a martial arts event, one match stood out before the fighters even reached the ring, this was the boxing match midway through the card. In this match, the Gentleman's Fight Club's own Michael stepped in to the ring and, though he didn't take the match, his performance was stellar and the match was a star match of its own with each boxer bringing powerful fists to one another.

The other fighter from the Gentleman's Fight Club was Forrest, another fresh fighter to the cage and, like Michael, also full of enthusiasm and energy. He was the first fighter to step into the ring on this night and was also the provider for the high level of energy that carried through the entire night! Again, the true professional spirit of the Gentleman's Fight Club had decided to shine through as this match, ended within fifty-four seconds and saw Forrest walking away with his first win due to a TKO.

The Gentleman's Fight Club had an excellent night, as did the Tri-Cities based Northwest Elite Martial Arts and the Sun Valley Crew, but, most importantly, Walla Walla was given an amazing gift of entertainment by 22 talented individuals that wanted nothing more than to compete and to live their dream. A thank you goes out from Beginner's Mind Martial Arts to all of the competitors that took a chance and lived!

Gentleman's Fight Club

The Beginner's Mind school is proud to announce our partnership with the Gentleman's Fight Club, a mixed martial arts group full of devotion, determination, and a desire to provide training to individuals with the drive it takes to compete inside the cage.

At the Gentleman's Fight Club, you will get great experience in both your stand-up and your ground work with conditioning, training, and frequent practice. Mike and Lester not only teach great technical skill but also promote respect both inside and outside the ring, bringing a professional atmosphere to amateur fighting.

The Gentleman's Fight Club trains every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights starting at 8:30 pm. Stop by, say hi, and get involved for a night.

For driving directions to the Beginner's Mind Dojo, click here.

Kung-Fu Beach

Mr. and Mrs. Conley have just recently spent a great deal of time on the Oregon coast enjoying marine life, light house hopping, and martial arts on the beach.

A lot in martial arts is taken for granted when a person trains in a building with flat floors and sheltering walls. The safety of the dojo can also be seen as a hinderance just as dangerous as an armed assailant. This thought comes from many concepts. One is a psychological one in which a person comes to the dojo to unpack and use the tools of the arts and, when finished, puts those tools away when leaving, not planning to unpack them until at the dojo again.

Another concept, and one more visibly proven, is the effect of the surroundings on an artist. Back to the dojo for a moment, there are walls and a ceiling, a nice flat floor to train on with no obstacles in the way, just open space all around. Safe.

Some of the things we encountered on the beach were immediate changes in our training routine; the shift of the sand under feet, strong winds checking our stances, driftwood and rocks along with other foot entangling obstacles, the waves testing our balance with every crash, bringing your foot back down from a kick to encounter a different terrain than when your foot left the ground...on top of these elemental challenges we enjoyed, there were others, the most notable of which is the human interaction. The onlookers that point and talk, the curious that stare, the insecure that mock, and the inquisitive children.

This is not the first time we have trained in the elements, not by a long shot, but it is the first time we have gotten to discuss it with you. We would strongly encourage outdoor training, be it at the beach or some other fantastic locale or simply at the park or your backyard. This will help you understand your relationship with your surroundings in an organic way as well as help you become comfortable unpacking your tools and using them whenever and wherever you are. Ultimately, the arts are not just for the dojo.

NO MORE TRAINING!

Martial arts is a phenomenon that has steadily swept the United States in the last couple decades and now, as it continues into its stellar orbit with the UFC and amateur MMA rings across the country, many people are getting into the art of whoop-ass. A lot of them actually do really well with their matches and get the ability to walk away with inflated egos that they fought hard to carry.
Some folks don't want to learn Jiu-Jitsu and take other classes like Tae Kwon Do or Karate in order to become better fighters. In addition to that, many boxers are stepping out of the hidden gyms. It seems that we are teaching our country how to fight and defend pretty adequately with no shortage of training camps.

• One thing I see less and less of, it seems, is the ability to teach that the arts are not for fighting, the arts are for peace. Training schools from any background churn out great athelets and fighters but where is the great discipline? What happened to great self control?
• What did the sensei teach the "karate guy" from Pensylvania who assaulted another man with a baseball bat? He made threats and followed up with violence!
• How about the woman from Arkansas that knocked out another girl and then, continued beating her while she was down. Where was the discipline training here?
• This problem even sits in the professional field of MMA (though, it rarely happens) with 'Rampage' Jackson and his driving antics. (Notice the support he gains from the reporter, this type of encouragement is trouble.)

I don't mean to imply that martial arts is a bad thing for our society. I would just like to see more responsibility coming from people that practice martial arts. As is the case with any undertaking in which you develop more power than others, without the self discipline to take on the power of martial arts and treat it (and now, yourself) as a weapon equally as dangerous as a shotgun, or a nuclear warhead, you are a danger to yourself and to those around you...including the people you love the most. I urge you to consider these things before taking up martial arts. If you are already in a school or training privately, please understand there is a time and place for war but peace is the desired result, not destruction. If you are a teacher, please consider teaching from the path of peace, even while training cage fighters.

Maybe it is a bit cheesy, but I often think about Spider-Man and the lesson he learned early in his crime fighting career that, "With great power, comes great responsibility."

Escrima in action

Image via Wikipedia

Thanks to one of the adult class students and his desire to develop a relationship with the Escrima rather than 'learn how to use it', the Beginner's Mind Dojo has played training grounds for working on more than mere drills and exercises with the rattan sticks.

With proper safety gear, training escrima sticks and an open mind, free of damaging ego, teacher and student began working through thirty second drills of escrima fighting to further enhance the relationship and understand the combative nature of stick fighting. After each half minute round, we had a two minute break to share what each round has taught us and elevate one another's skill level.

When these micro rounds provided less threat, other elements of fighting were incorporated, including disarming, throws, and grappling. After developing a comfort level in this realm of fighting, an additional modifier was incorporated- multiple attackers.

Each element and modifier brought a different understanding of the escrima stick and its use in an applicable situation. Some of the important lessons learn today were as follows:

• If you lose your stick, don't waste too much time trying to retrieve it.
• The escrima loves momentum and movement, the more you feed it, the stronger it becomes.
• Don't spend a lot of time blocking your opponent, instead, block as you swing.

Though, each participant walked away with a couple more dings or bumps than before, every one enjoyed themselves and each person developed a better relationship with his escrima sticks.

Grab your own escrima. I have ordered through this place and enjoyed their service.


ALWAYS REMEMBER- TRAIN WITH A RESPONSIBILITY AND WITH A SKILLED INDIVIDUAL! Goofing off hurts people needlessly, so treat your weapons and friends with respect and don't attempt this sort of activity if you are untrained.

Arts in the park

One of the great things about warm seasons is that, a school can take their training into outdoor environments without catching cold. It is exactly this that the Beginner's Mind crew did today!

The youth class turned the playground equipment from Tietan Park (in Walla Walla) into a junior Ninja Warrior obstacle course and ran a few rounds, modifying the course after each child has gotten their chance to succeed.

Though, this exercise seemed like a great thing, the adult class opted for challenges of their own as they worked punching and kicking drills while strengthening balance. Moving from mitt and resistance drills to escrima stickwork, the crew began their foray into Earth Six and then transitioned to some defense / combat work. Today was also sparring day, but rather than looking like a fight club in the park, BMD decided to flag spar, which was so successful, a pair of spectators eagerly jumped in for their own fun matches.

Thanks to all attendees and we look forward to training in the park more in the future!

Student challenges

Image via Wikipedia

We often blog about the things that our school, Beginner's Mind Dojo, contribute to the Walla Walla community. This blog, we opt to actually discuss our martial arts activities, for a change.

In our adult class, we continue to burn the calories that will help bring our students the physique that they are after. Moving on to the arts, we spent time integrating weapon work into some of the school's forms, experimenting with weapons as well as gaining personal ownership of each kata.

Stepping from katas to Escrima, the class continue exploring the realm of stick fighting.

IFYCA Mountain Retreat in review

The International Fook Yueng Chuan / Shoshin Ryu Karate-Jitsu Association hosts a couple mountain retreats a year in which martial artists from the United States of America, Canada, and Europe have come to train in martial arts. Many different aspects of the arts are implemented in these retreats and training with weapons is not uncommon. This past retreat, hosted on the first weekend in June of 2009, saw the surprise visit of Jesse Glover, Bruce Lee's first student and teacher of Non-Classical Gung-Fu...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Friday morning, the drive was pleasant and the weather was warm. Nearly every student of the Beginner's Mind School was in attendance with the majority of them arriving very early. The event began with a large round of introductions in order to help familiarize every one for ease of training (with a large number of attendees hailing from Yuen's Family Martial Arts Centre) and the instruction was under way, courtesy of Master Instructor Steve Smith.
Moods were elevated and training was fluid as many theories and drills were practiced through the evening and well into the night, with but a break for dinner, including an exclusive knife training segment by guest teacher, Chris. By the end of the session, people were making their way to their tents, cabins, or trailers filled with new information and enhanced muscle memory.
Saturday saw much of the same as training began early and ran through the day as Master Smith and Jesse Glover traded of portions of the day, taking the attendees from Yueng Chuan to Gung-Fu and back again. On this day, the training was showing its measure in the shoulders and elbows of every person there. The evening brought rain but that didn't stop the course as the group moved indoors to the pavillion and continued the experience, only to stop late in the night where some of the remaining individuals sat around and talked with Jesse, or rather, listened to him talk about martial arts, history, and truth in teaching.

The rain died some time in the night which gave way to a misty Sunday morning within the pine trees of the campsite and there were still hours of training to be had before this retreat was finished. The camp got right to business and worked solidly up to noon where the goodbyes began.

This weekend brought a great many experiences, some of the most important being new studies of ancient arts, expanded muscle memory and art exploration, the privilege of being accepted and training with our three main teachers at this retreat, and the friendships that have budded or continued from past retreats that will continue to prosper into the future. Additionally, on a more personal view, the untiy with the Beginner's Mind dojo, which was already strong, has solidified even moreso bringing student and instructor alike closer than a team, cementing the relationships just as those of a family

Remembering David Carradine

Today, the world of martial arts mourns another loss in the family as David Carradine has been found hanging in a Bankok hotel room. This deeply saddening event has kicked up a storm of media and speculation so, rather than drive into the depths of the unverified and the half-truths, we prefer to shine the light on what Mr. Carradine loved and gave to us, film.

Mr. Carradine, 72 this year, was extremely active on the silver screen throughout his career and managed to stay embedded in the cult pop of martial arts cinema as well as non-Kung-Fu based films, as early back as 1965 with Bus Riley's Back in Town and The Violent Ones in 1967.

Up until 1972, David was best known for his roles in Western movies such as The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969), Young Billy Young (1969), and Macho Callahan (1970) where cowpoking and gun slinging (perhaps the grandfather of Gun-Fu) filled the screen and Mister Carradine met with great success.

In 1972, Kung-Fu hit the small screen and lit the homes with, what most people would have to admit, was their very first introduction to, not just the physical side of the arts, but also the intellectual aspect of the arts as well. This series ran into 1975.

David carradine moved through genres again and managed to carve out a niche in the car race films with his parts in Death Race 2000 (1975), Cannonball (1976), as well as Thunder and Lightning (1978).

Mr. Carradine returned to the Kung-Fu (or Eastern Westerns) with The Silent Flute (1979) but only temporarily as he also settled back into Westerns while acting in a wide range of film types throughout the eighties before and during his exploration of war movies such as P.O.W. The Escape (1986), Armed Response (1986), and The Misfit Brigade (1988).

Through the Nineties, action films saturated the market and David Carradine found himself taking on roles to just stay active like Evil Toons (1991), Karate Cop (1993), and Children of the Corn V (1998) and capped the twentieth century off with a series of David Carradine exercise workout videos.

The new century is when his legendary status truly brought David back into the limelight and re-enforced his status as a martial arts tough guy with Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies, Hell Ride (2008), and Crank: High Voltage (2009) where he played the disgusting, yet hilarious villain, Poon Dong.

It is beyond unfortunate that he has passed and we are a lesser world without having him with us, but this much is true; whether he was gunslinging, car crashing, karate kicking, or just generally being a man's man, David Carradine will always be remembered as one of the legendary silver screen badasses!

IFYCA Mountain Retreat this Friday!

Well, there are less than 5 days until the International Fook Yueng Chuan Association mountain retreat and the anticipation within the Beginner's Mind camp is high!

• With special guest, Jesse Glover, attending this retreat, the preparation is in full gear with a great number of straight-punches, big-punches, sticking hands and other exercises being practiced.
• Bags are being packed and the camo is coming out.
  
• Camping equipment is getting dragged out and tested.
• The natural food sections of the grocery store are seeing more activity.

If attending, be sure to bring:

• Pair of Escrima Sticks
• Safe training knife (one must be rubber)
• Comfortable Outdoor training cloths.
• A tent and all sleeping bags etc.

Beginner's Mind is eager to visit with Yuen's School of Martial Arts and The Little Dojo students and teachers again along with the many other regular attendees!

International Fook Yueng Chuan- June Mountain Retreat

Jesse Glover, Bruce Lee’s First Student and Assistant Instructor will be a guest at The Little Dojo / International Fook Yueng Chuan Association Mountain Retreat the Weekend of June 5, 6, & 7.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to meet Jesse Glover and Master Steve Smith long with other fantastic instructors from the United States and Canada as well as the chance to train with not just these supremely talented individuals, but to also meet new people and make some great, long-lasting friendships! The total hour amount of training is also incredible as it can add up to the equivalent of three months of knowledge just based on minute by minute timing! The true value of knowledge is far more extensive than three meager months, however as a single mountain retreat can load, possibly years of information into your karate cranium! Mr. and Mrs. Conley will be attending this event as will the majority of the adult class from the Beginner's Mind Dojo. Many more individuals from the United States, Canada and other parts of the world will be in attendance and, to work with others from other areas offers insight on aspects of the arts that might be overlooked locally!

Jesse Glover is one of the worlds leading experts on Bruce Lee’s fighting methods. Jesse Glover teaches privately at his school in Seattle and does select seminars around the world. Jesse is a consummate coach who is able to see instantly how to get the most out of an individual while helping that person maintain their unique way of moving. This is a rare opportunity to train with on of the worlds finest teachers.

As the history of such an event is one not to be passed up, if you feel as though you would like to attend, please contact Master Smith at SteveSmith@thelittledojo.com to reserve your spot today!

My First Day of Teaching

I came across this old note that I wrote on what was possibly my first real teaching experience in the martial arts world. Experiences such as this are my motivation.

Each class brings out my weakness which promptly streams from every pore and rolls to the mat and, even though I'm pushed differently and diligently every night, I feel the desire to continue training after class has ended, which is always too soon. I gain a thirty minute cool down while my youngest girl gets on the mat and explodes with a brilliance that most could only hope to witness, much less, become.
During my daughter's class, a young and lonely student of the class following my girl's asked if I would be watching him perform in his class just like I watch my own daughter in her own. I could tell he desperately wanted to connect with someone and there was no one to support him so I offered my attention. Fate wove through this event as our Master Instructor approached me and asked if I would be willing to teach this young man's class.
Immediately, I began questioning my own ability and my confidence was taking blow after blow from the villainous monster known as doubt but we worked through it together and I gladly accepted the offer.
I was no longer the student and was now a teacher, even if only for thirty minutes. It was at that moment of realization that the wash of responsibility drenched me and my alertness level had been heightened to the stratosphere.
The next half hour, I worked very closely with this young man. We built strength and precision. I challenged him physically and he challenged me spiritually. We pushed through techniques and forms. My mind constantly traveled to memories of substitute teachers in middle school through the comparisons and my leniency level was challenged. This intelligent young man was emotionally checking boundaries and testing personality weaknesses to encourage the physical ease of his training and I knew that, as an initiate instructor, I would be a failure if I allowed this to happen but if I was forceful and stern that I would lose my first pupil forever. I was holding the future in my hands, not just mine but this boy's devotion as well. What was I to do? I took a chance and searched for closer connection to this child by digging for his interests that might motivate him to excel of his own accord so we took a moment and talked.
Once we built a solid relationship, our class motored on with freight train intensity and we no longer needed to struggle for control which encouraged his full support and even offered up some genuine smiles through the class from more than just the two of us but also the bystanders that I suddenly realized were very interested in our progress. By the end of the class, I felt confident that he took some valuable lessons home with him and I could tell that he no longer felt that sense of isolation that filled him before class. He got what he was after, the chance to show his skill to an interested peer and to feel accomplished in a field he enjoyed but has not gotten much support in.
We all left the school and his glow was possibly the brightest today. I was proud of him and told him as much as I thanked him for teaching me today in what has been my most valuable lesson thus far.
Experiences like this are the exact reason I pursued a future in teaching and my school, Beginner's Mind Dojo, would not even exist without the valuable experiences I learned from this young man..

Work on the school

This last weekend, some members of the International Fook Yueng Chuan Association took advantage of the 80+ degree weather and began raising walls at the Beginner's Mind School. The construction didn't get finished, but with the help of Dr. Dale Fetroe, Mr. John Humble, Jay Sullivan, Patrick Keenan, Rick Morgan, and few others, we managed to do a fantastic job and, hopefully all enjoyed ourselves at the same time!

Beginner's Mind Spring Bike Ride

The instructors and students of the Beginner's Mind dojo gathered on Sunday morning at the dojo with bicycles and picnic supplies and headed out into the warmth of the Sunday morning.

The ride was kept at a casual pace so that the half of youth students that attended were very comfortable and well taken care of throughout the trip. In order to avoid large amounts of traffic, Mrs. Conley led the large group of cyclists primarily through back streets as our traveling band of merry martial artists enjoyed the sun and conversation while casually working toward our destination at Rook's Park, just outside of Walla Walla.

Traveling from the West end of town to the East, one does not appreciate the incline until it is experienced on a bicycle but the climb was enough that we stopped once for the sake of our youngest student as she caught her breath at Pioneer Middle School. After continuing our trek, we wound our way to the bike path that runs along Mill Creek and followed it the rest of the way, enjoying the sounds and sights of the water as it rushed in the opposite direction in the creek beside us.

Once at the park, the first thought on everyone's mind was the glorious idea of food! We packed out our sandwich gear and side dishes and the gang showed their diversity as each sandwich was compiled just a little bit differently. This was probably the least vocal part of our trip as every person was so completely enamored with their lunch, but that still didn't stop the discussions or joking that stayed high through the entire excursion!

After everyone got their fill, games quickly followed, such as frisbee, horsehoes, and especially a modified game of badminton which saw friendly jibing, broken rackets, and more than one tackle! The hours passed by far too quickly and before anyone was ready, it was suddenly time to go.

The one thing all of the attendees were thankful for was the downhill ride all the way back to the dojo, which afforded the relaxation and ability to tour through some of Walla Walla's historic homes.