Category Archives: life

community, family, greatness, ideas, karate, life, martial arts, pain, philosophy, thoughts, tradition

The power of community

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 This past weekend we had a promotion. One of the many things I realized about our school is our sense of community. Every rank that advanced demonstrated a strong spirit, perseverance, determination and courage. We had some moments of levity especially with the children, because children will give some of the most creative answers. The promotion took place over two days. Initially we did them all in one day  and ended up with very tired children and wilted parents. Going through the requirements for several ranks in one day makes for one long day a very tired students. We decided to separate the ranks and test them individually. Also the children and adults test on two different days. It makes for two very long days for the seniors but they support the test because of their commitment to the school and the students. 
The pictures you see in this post were taken by two seniors I would like to acknowledge ( Senpai Elena and Senpai Joshua). Thank you for your great photos! (Scroll to bottom to see pictures)
This is only a few out of 400 pictures that were taken over two days. I tried to show the overall spirit of unity we have in the pictures. Picking the ones to showcase was difficult because every picture showed something amazing. Some of the things the pictures do not show are the fortitude the students demonstrated when the test became difficult. One of our seniors-Senpai Mark make a comment which stayed with me. “Each rank is raising the bar- this is amazing!”   
 It was true, each rank kept amazing us. With their command of technique and precision. It was inspiring to see the progression skill. We started the morning with white belts and worked our way through the day until evening with the advanced yellow belts. In each group we could see the techniques get sharper. One of the things that came through the most was the intent behind the techniques. In the white belts we could see the idea start taking hold.
 By the time we were looking at advanced yellow belts there was no doubt in our minds that they had internalized the concept of intent behind the technique. 
 I want to express a heartfelt thanks to the Seniors who helped make this promotion the extraordinary event it was. Senpai Mark who made sure the intensity was ever present. Senpai Elena who made sure the precision was not forgotten.
Senpai Orlando who gave the students a sense of security and comfort.
Senpai Joshua who gave the students a map to follow during their kata making sure no one got lost.
 
 I also want to thank all of the parents who stand together with us in their children’s lives as partners for their martial path.  
Thank you for taking the time out of your incredibly hectic schedules to make time to bring your child to class. I know that there may times its not easy, or convenient and yet you manage to make it. That is our community in action.
 The inception of most the groups started with tears. Even before they were on the floor, there was nervousness about knowing material and fear of the unknown. I had several conversations with members of each group and the recurring theme was the fear of the unknown. After a few moments and they had calmed down they would enter the dojo and they each excelled. 
To highlight the feeling of community one little boy said something very moving. He told me he didn’t want to take promotion because he didn’t want to ruin it for his group and give them extra push-ups. I assured him that there was no way his group would avoid push-ups. More importantly I stressed to him that the only thing that was expected from him or anyone testing that day was that they did their best. He put on his uniform and entered the dojo after that.
 That is what I always expect from the students. We set the bar high, they met and surpassed the bar. Each group moving it higher for the next.
 The other facet of promotion that they only experience on the day of is the breaking aspect-tameshiwari. We only do it during the promotion. For many of the parents it may seem like this is an easy task, break a quarter inch piece of wood with your hand or foot. For the students testing it may as well be a cinder block. Its not easy and they demonstrate an incredible amount of mental fortitude that leaves us speechless. 
There is a deep sense of accomplishment when they do manage to break that is palpable right after the break and they get their pieces of wood. The ones that don’t manage to break their wood get to take it home. I always enjoy hearing the stories at the next class of how they went home and broke their boards. Most of the time they come back to the dojo holding their pieces of wood as evidence.
 Board breaking in itself is not indicative of great physical prowess. Although its not easy, by any stretch of the imagination. What it does is show them how much power they have in a visceral way. It shows them that they are getting stronger, not only physically but more importantly mentally. If you have any doubt as to the difficulty get yourself a few one inch pine boards and punch through them. It requires a certain kind of mindset to accomplish. 
The last group (advanced yellow) had one added dimension to their promotion. They had to spar. If the promotion is stressful fro the other ranks imagine that stress being ramped up ten times as much with the introduction of kumite or sparring. To say they did well would not do them justice. They fought exceptionally well. One young man had recently suffered a broken arm. We were taking precautions so he not re-injure the arm and in one exchange he fell on the arm that was recuperating. The fact that he came back in to finish even in the midst of fear and pain that he may hurt himself again is a testament to his strength of character. They fought  until they thought  they couldn’t  stand  any longer and then they fought some more. When I tied their belts around their waists each one was beaming with a sense of having achieved something larger than themselves.
 The next day we had the adults and Senpai Mark prefaced the promotion by letting them know that the bar had been set by the children the previous day. It was a grueling and intensely physical promotion. They were tested beyond what they thought was possible. They withstood heat and exhaustion. The mental and physical fatigue was a constant throughout their test. Those that fought had to dig deep to find another reserve of strength after a four hours of testing. They found their reserves and surpassed any and all expectations.  You were all incredible.
I am humbled and honored to know you and to walk with you on this martial path.
strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando
Adults One dojo family
Adults new ranks (foggy lens!)
Blue/Adv Blue getting ready
Blue/Adv Blue push-ups
Adv Blue Kata
Blue belt seiza
Blue belt seiza
8am before we begin
White belt kata
White belt Tameshiwari
New Blue Belts!
New Adv Blue/ Yellow belts!!
Yellow belts ready
Yellow belt kata
Yellow belt tameshiwari
Yellow belt Tameshiwari
Yellow belt tameshiwari
New Adv Yellow belts!!
Adv Yellow kata
Adv Yellow Tameshiwari
New Green Belts!!
Adults ready!( Notice the smiles)

 

discipline, ideas, inspiration, life, NaNoWriMo, story, writers, writing

The Discipline of writing.

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Here it is day 21 and I’m 34k in to my month of writing. If there is one thing I want to say about Nano, its this. You want to hit 50k?  You need to have discipline. I also have a new found respect for writers that can produce more than one book a year. Writing is work. After the muse has left town, and inspiration is a dim memory, that’s when discipline comes in. It sidles up to you paddle in hand and glares. Then it whispers: “What now? Are you going to dream your way to the end of the book? Maybe if you wish real hard it will write itself!”

Discipline is what it takes to put pen to paper or your fingers to the keys. not when you feel like it, because as I have discovered there will be times when you most certainly DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT. 

The important thing is that writing is not about feelings. Writing, whether it is a novel, screenplay, short story, blog or anything else you choose to do is not about your feelings. Its not about starting the project. Writers have great ideas about things we can start. Writing is about FINISHING. Its about writing until it surpasses good and becomes great. Its about getting the first, second, third, and how ever many you need drafts done. Then when you finish that its about editing and polish. Its about having relationships in the world with people who love to read, who may want to read your work. Its about going into this with both eyes open. DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE. It’s never easy but it is always worth it.

I have 16k left to get to in 9 days, even though the story I’m writing is considerably longer than 50k. I will arrive at 50k in few days. I’m smiling as I write this because that in itself is an accomplishment. It is only the beginning. Remember it takes discipline.

writers write
Orlando

family, ideas, inspiration, life, NaNoWriMo, writers, writing

Take care of yourself

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I don’t have many vices. Reading is one of my primary addictions (thank you kindle!) The other is that I do enjoy one cup of coffee every morning. Occasionally I will even splurge and hit the green mermaid place and pay close to five dollars for what I could get for $1.50. I used to do that often, not so much now since I have started writing at home in the man cave.
I write this because many times we think as writers that we need to deprive ourselves of things in order to be good writers. I disagree. I think the more we take care of ourselves the better our writing. This doesn’t mean we spend all day at a spa ( although that sounds like a great idea), but it does mean that every so often we indulge in those things we enjoy. I don’t subscribe to the tortured artist ideal, I think its pointless. Besides life has enough unpleasantness in it ( just turn on the news if you’re unsure of what I mean) I don’t need to add more to it.

Taking care of yourself also means taking care of your body. I exercise regularly and watch what I eat. The motivation for this is that I want to be around to torture my own children when they have kids. I will certainly be the grandfather that spoils kids, undermines their parents, gets them the gifts that are not allowed and gives them more money than they will ever get on  an allowance. Torturing my kids will be hard work, that requires that I be healthy and fit.

My other motivation in regards to writing is a bit more mundane. I cant write well if I feel horrible. Lack of sleep, poor eating, no exercise, and abusing my body harms me and my writing.
This lesson has really hit home this month with Nano going full swing (20k and going strong). I have realized that I need to pace myself. That writing 10k in one day, while a worthwhile goal is difficult with a house full of kids, a business to run and a body to take care of. Yesterday I managed 4k because I took Sunday off to relax and it felt great.
It all comes down to choice. Taking care of yourself should be a priority, no matter what you do.

writers write
Orlando

community, ideas, karate, life, martial arts, mind, philosophy, thoughts, tradition, zen

Respect our Superiors

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In our dojo kun, our dojo creed there is a line that states that we should respect our superiors. It has been brought to my attention this week by several of the students that if we are studying an ego-less way who are our superiors?
Its a very good question. The term respect our superiors can be viewed several ways. You can see it from a point of view of those who may be superior to you in skill or rank. It can also be viewed from the point of view of those who are superior in knowledge or social strata.

I pointed out that it can also be viewed as those who are elder to us. This is where it gets interesting. If we see it from this point of view it changes our entire practice.
If we take the attitude of respect to those who are senior to us, and by senior, I mean older than us. We can easily walk a path of humility. It  is a given that we should respect

all those who we come in contact with, in and out of the dojo. However those who are elder deserve a special respect. Let me share with you why.

Those generations that have come before us have paved the way for us. In many cases they have suffered hardships and difficulties so that we can have a better life. This is not just relevant to martial arts, but to society as a whole.  When we show this generation respect we are acknowledging their contribution to our lives. We are each born into the link of a chain that reaches back through the generations, both in our biological  families and in the adopted families of our practice.

Sadly we live in a society and culture ( in this country) where growing old is not valued, but rather is something to be avoided.  You only need to look  at  the cosmetic industry and you can see what an “evil” getting wrinkles, and by default aging is. In other cultures the elderly are venerated and are celebrated. In our society the elderly are discarded, put in homes where someone else can take care of them. The unspoken message is that they have outgrown their usefulness, in our lives and in society. In a martial practice respect is a very important component. You respect yourself, your fellow students, and your teachers.

You are also taught to respect your lineage. As a martial practitioner you are expected to know where your style comes from and who made it possible. Each one of us that studies a martial art is the embodiment of the will of our elders. We are all connected, we are all one. The great lesson that we learn both in martial arts and life is that youth and skill are temporary, but spirit and will can transcend your lifetime.

The pictures in this post are familiar to most martial artists. The top picture is Sensei Gichin Funakoshi which is considered one of the fathers of Karate and was the founder of Shotokan karate a style which is still practiced today.

The woman in the red belt is  Sensei Keiko Fukuda, at 96 she was a 9th degree black belt in judo, had been studying for 74 years and still taught three times a week. She passed away at 98 and is reported to have said at 96 that she needed to “slow down a bit” in her training. She was also the last living student who trained directly with Judo founder Jigoro Kano and the highest ranking woman in Judo.

The last picture is of  O-sensei Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. Known for its soft and circular movements, it is a highly effective art that is still practiced today  all over the world.

I highlight these three teachers ( and there are many more) because they all practiced way past what would be considered their prime years. The trained and taught even when their bodies no longer held the vigor of youth. They were valued and respected as people and as teachers.

Lets take this attitude into our own lives and respect those who have come before us. It is interesting to note that when students ask me what the stripes on my belt mean, I tell them ” it only means I have been doing this a little longer than you have.” The word sensei literally means born before.  Using that definition we each have many sensei in our lives. Let us show them the respect they deserve.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

community, creating, family, ideas, life, philosophy, power, self-defense, thoughts

What are you willing to defend?

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My wife recently shared a video with me. What occurs in the video disturbed me.

She suggested that I post my thoughts on it and here I am. The video isn’t very long and I suggest you watch it for a clearer frame of reference. You can find it here:http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/10/22/pkg-boy-confronts-gas-station-robber.kprc.html

In this video we see a young boy (8 years old) retrieve his mothers wallet from a thief who is making away with her bag. What the little boy did was quite admirable especially at his age. However I feel it was wrong. There were so many things that could have gone wrong, that thankfully did not. The thief could have struck the boy. The boy was also in danger of being run over as he chases the truck. The worst case scenario would have been if the the thief abducted the child. A very possible outcome.

There are deeper lessons here as well. What are we teaching our children when we see a boy risk his life to get his moms bag back? Are we sending an unspoken message that things are very important-more important than our well-being?

I have a saying that I say to my wife constantly. She says its my mantra, and she is right. The saying is: “Don’t leave anything in the car that you aren’t willing to lose.” What does this mean? It means you don’t leave items that you value or that have intrinsic value sitting in the car. I learned this the hard way after leaving my wallet in the car once and remembering I did so ten minutes later, only to discover a broken window and no wallet.

The incident in the video would never have occurred if the mother had taken the bag with her AND locked her doors. I’ll take it a step further, beyond things. I never leave my children alone in the car-EVER. Doesn’t matter if its gas or a bagel in the morning. Weather is not a factor either. If its too inconvenient to take the kids, its too inconvenient and will have to wait until I’m alone.

This mother was very fortunate her son wasn’t hurt or worse. She had the right response if you see her reaction to the incident. She needs to go further and take the steps necessary to prevent things like this from happening in the first place. By leaving the bag in the car she was the catalyst for the event, since it was a crime of opportunity. I can’t help but feel that as a new yorker it amazed me that she left her bag in the car to begin with. This is an action that does not occur in big cities, we just don’t do that.

So its possible her behavior is influenced by environment, but ultimately it goes back to awareness or the lack thereof. (See my post on awareness here: http://www.nascentnovel.com/?p=65 for more on that subject)

 What does this mean for us? Well I have a conversation with my kids periodically, it goes something like this:

Me: ” Why don’t we cross the street at the wrong time? “(This is a reference for any behavior that could be dangerous to their well being, but crossing the street is familiar to them)

Them: “Because we can get hurt by a car!” ( Very proud of their answer as they both chime in)

Me: “Exactly and in the whole universe how many of you are there?” (They are silent for a few moments)

Them: “Only one.”

Me: That means that you are special, unique and important to Mom and Dad.

They both nod in agreement clearly pleased at having the right answers and realizing that  in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE there is only one of them and that their safety is important to me and their mom. Its a lesson that needs to be repeated often.

This not only goes for the children it goes for you as well. The question in the heading  “What are you willing to defend?” comes from our self defense course and is always asked by our instructor Senpai Elena. The second part to that question is : “How are you willing to defend it?”

 We have had people who may shy away from defending themselves for a multitude of reasons. Once they are asked-What if your children are in danger? It shifts immediately to ferociousness and devastation. Why not be aware and defend themselves all the time so that they can be around for those they hold most dear? When presented that way, you can almost see the light-bulb go on.

If you learn to be aware, take the appropriate steps, and acquire the skills-you can diminish the danger to yourself and your loved ones. Don’t let it take a close call or worse to begin this. Start today.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body

Sensei Orlando

characters, ideas, inspiration, life, passion, story, writing

This is a guest post-deal with it

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I’m a hunter. Its what I do. When you go to bed at night, comfortable in your homes behind your walls and self imposed deceptions I’m on the streets. My name is, hell does it even matter? Fine. My name is Sepia Blue and no its not my given name, I don’t even know what that is. Enough with the name.

Why am I here hijacking this blog? I’m tired of being in his head.  I decided it was time you heard my voice. For some time now I have been suggesting to him to get my story down. I whisper to him when he is sleeping or when he is doing some of his other writing.  Writing. Not. About. Me.  I don’t do coy well. I am at the point where I want to shove my blade between his ribs, gently of course. Just to get his attention.

So you want to know what I hunt? I hunt nightmares. I hunt things that would make you soil yourself, crawl into the fetal position and wish you had never been born. I face them with Cade my partner-when he isn’t being a pain in my ass.  Most of the time I face them alone. There is an order, a balance in my city-New York. Hunters maintain that balance. When that balance is threatened, say some nasty creature wants to make entrees out of you, my bosses call me. I cancel the menu.

I’m not like you-what would absolutely kill you, would probably kill me. Its a big difference, trust me. No I’m not immortal-what is this a comic book? However I do have the skill and the weapons that level the playing field. My sword, Perdition is what I like to call a blade of evil. Cue in the cackling. Every time I use it, I lose a part of myself – its a raw deal, I cope by not drawing it unless I have to. I’m also covered in ink, every Hunter is. It gives us strength and protects us. Don’t ask me how- some ancient rite, special ink, some other things I didn’t get. Bottom line is that I look like a yakuza’s wet dream, covered neck to ankle in designs. Hey they keep me alive while I do my job so its a fair trade-off.

So why am I here? Two reasons. First I’m putting him on notice. Write my story before I visit you in the most unpleasant way possible. I know how to be an unpleasant bitch, trust me. Second, he is going to need help. This is where you come in. Make sure you help him get this story done in a timely manner. I would hate to have to visit you as well. Actually you would hate it, I wouldn’t mind at all.
The name of the book is Sepia Blue-Origins. Make it happen.

Kisses,
Sepia

greatness, ideas, karate, life, martial arts, mind, philosophy, power, thoughts, tradition, zen

Practical Application

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One of the great facets of training is that it forces you to think. Let me clarify. You may be studying an art that is ancient, but you still have to make it work for you. It has to work for your body type, your height your reach and other physical compositions. One of the places this is expressed is in kata. Kata is not dance, its not an imaginary fight against a series of would be attackers. What kata is, is a mnemonic device recording movements to use in close quarter combat. One of the best ways to understand this is through the use of bunkai.

First what is bunkai?  Bunkai is the deconstruction and practical application of techniques found in kata. In other words it means you analyze and apply the technique you are using in your kata. Many schools do not engage in this or feel kata are outdated and unnecessary. It is a shame many feel this way, since the study of bunkai adds a dimension to training that is not replicated by anything else. Through bunkai you can get to the heart of the style you are studying. Bunkai will take you through the history of your art into the minds of those who created the techniques.  Bunkai forces you to think. This bears repeating. In order to learn and apply bunkai you must think. What is this technique doing? Which way does this technique achieve the intended goal of stopping an altercation? It makes you look at kata as a device for the practical application of every technique.

So let me shock you a bit here. There are no blocks, or kicks or punches or anything else we have given names to. There are simply the movements a body can execute.  For example you will hear this often in our self defense class ” All arms bend the same way, bodies are built the same way.”  This is a simplification of course, but what it means is that we are all bio-mechanically the same. So in kata when I execute an upper block as we call it, if I take that same movement and smash it into an opponents throat as I grab the back of their head, it ceases to be an upper block and becomes a fatal blow. Same exact technique.

This freedom of expression in your art is what you must endeavor to discover. Is a lower parry actually parrying a lower kick or is it a hammer fist into the knee or thigh? Is it a sweep? Or all of the above?

The other mindset that seems to be circulating is that bunkai must hold the okuden or secret techniques of a style. Therefore it can only be shown to the most senior students. This must be conducted in a veil of secrecy and those students must never reveal the bunkai to their juniors. This sounds so outlandish I have a hard time believing it, but I have experienced it firsthand. Suffice to say I disagree with this point of view. Bunkai should be shared early and often, it gets students to think. When you stop a kata and ask “What technique are you doing there? ” Most students will just give you the name of the technique they have always done. If you go a little deeper and ask ” Well show me how that would work.”  At what range and from what angle?  What is your off hand doing? Is it really an offhand or is it holding something?
Why are you standing that way, is that the way you would really stand? What if you modified that a bit would it still work?

When you start asking these questions and more importantly when the students start asking these questions, it deepens the practice of the art and makes the kata come alive. These are the questions we need to be asking. These are the exercises we need to teach our students.  We need to spur them to dig deeper and make their practice profound.

If you wish to go further into the study of bunkai, or its not offered where you train I suggest you visit Iain Abernathy’s site.  You can find it here: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/article/basics-bunkai-part-1
this is a good place to start. Iain is well known for his practical application of basic moves. His site is full of useful information and is a great resource for learning. He is also accessible and a friendly individual, willing to share of his time and expertise if you reach out to him.

A little quiz:  The photo in this blog is one of the bunkai of the last move of which Pinan / Heian kata?  Let me know what your answer is.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando Sanchez

sensei.orlando@yahoo.com

inspiration, life, support, writers, writing

Writer Support

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I am fortunate to be part of several communities, tribes if you will. One of these tribes is my writing tribe. Writers appear to the outside world as a reclusive, introverted and strange bunch. We are. We hear voices, create strange worlds, live in our minds and get these images and places down somewhere we can share them.  This tribe is also incredibly supportive.

I have had the pleasure of meeting mainstream published writers and indie self published writers. The only difference between the two was how they chose to share their work with the world. Writers are gracious, witty, bizarre, hilarious, somber, insightful and open to new ideas. I’ve had writers meet with me , just because. Its how we are. When I published my first book, writers ( I only knew a few then) cheered me on. My victory was theirs as well-they truly elevated my voice. They also kicked my ass, and told me in no uncertain terms-get started on the next book, NOW.

In this spirit I would like to support a writer who has been writing probably longer than I’ve been alive (sorry Chuck lol). His name is Chuck Wendig and he writes a great blog and has some excellent books out as well.

You can find the  blog here : http://terribleminds.com

Currently he is offering a bundle of books for only $10.00. Its an excellent bundle and well worth your picking up, especially if you are a writer.
You can find the link to bundle here:  https://payhip.com/b/NsWQ

He is offering this for a short time ( during NaNoWriMo), so get it while you can.

This is what we do as writers, like Atlas we hold each other up. Show each other off when we can and get those voices out in to the world.

writers write

Orlando