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.

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.

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!

To any parents out there concerned about your children and martial arts

Through online study and internet research, Mr. Conley came across this fantastic youtube video composed by Tom Callos from www.ultimateblackbelttest.com and would like to share it with you.



These are things within the Beginner's Mind Dojo that we strongly resonate with, not just as instructors, but as parents.

Thank you Mr. Callos for your insight and wisdom.

Belt Testing

Congratulations go out to the following students of Beginner's Mind for their excellence in skill and technique as well as their perseverance and dedication through their belt test in the fields of katas, self defense, kickboxing, and other areas:

John Humble, graduating to Green Belt!
Kevin Kmineck, graduating to Yellow Belt!
Paul Partida, graduating to Green Belt!
Rose Sarmiento, graduating to Green Belt!

Honorable mention goes to Jesse for his first test and great aptitude!