FEBRUARY 2010 NEWSLETTER

[Dave McNeill]

Do you want to win this cane? Here’s a chance to pick up a custom cane for just $5.00.

The drawing is February 27th. The money goes to the Vihiga Orphanage in Kenya. Win or lose it’s for a very good cause. The actual event will be at the Kingston Springs, TN, Elite Martial Arts. For additional information contact Harry Klapheke at 615 545-3222 or email him at [e-mail].

MASTER KATHY WIECZERZA

Master Wieczerza (Wiz) has been quite the ambassador for the Weapons System. She has brought in schools in Atlanta, Orlando and St. Louis. And she has opened her own commercial school, Unlimited Martial Arts in Nashville.

ULTIMATE BLACK BELT TEST

It seems like I have been doing these tests forever, and I always look forward to the graduation because I meet so many fantastic people that have made it to the end of yet another year of pushing themselves beyond what was thought possible.

The graduation this year will be in the San Francisco area at Mike and Karen Valentines school, Practical Martial Arts, 5768 Paradise Drive, Corte Madera – [phone]. All Alumni are invited to come and share their stories and experiences.

TRAINING TIP

In order to build faster and more powerful strikes in Karate or Weapons, take away your legs. Stand with your ankles and knees touching, knees slightly flexed.

Now throw 20 of every block or punch you know, both sides. Do the same thing with the Weapons Strike Set.

What you are doing is isolating the upper body in order to teach the arms, shoulders, chest and back to work in harmony to deliver the most efficient strikes possible.

Now repeat the process while in a fighting stance and engaging the hips.

Repetition of this drill will jump up your ability to greatly impress anyone on the receiving end of your strikes.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

When your instructor has you do hundreds of kicks or punches without stopping, or stand in a deep stance until it feels like your legs are going to fall off, they may have a good reason other then displaying sadistic tendencies. When any kick or punch is thrown, many muscles come into play and many times, involuntarily, opposing muscles fire off making the movement inefficient and ineffective.

Only by totally exhausting the muscles does the body learn how to deliver the kick or punch with the least amount of effort, using only the correct muscles. In this way, bad habits are burned away and the body is re-educated to deliver the strikes smoothly and more efficiently. So the next time your instructor drives you to exhaustion, thank him or her for demanding that you Keep On Pushin’.

A Keep On Pushin’ attitude doesn’t stop adversity or pain, but adversity from illness or pain from training is a matter of perspective. This point is illustrated by Dan Millman in his book No Ordinary Moments.

“One day, while reaching for some toilet paper, I noticed an ant crawling across the paper I was about to tear off the roll. With a puff of air, I blew the ant off the paper. From the ant’s viewpoint this may have seemed like a big misfortune, unless it considered the alternative.”

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