“At seventy you are but a child, at eighty you are merely a youth, and at ninety if the ancestors invite you into heaven, ask them to wait until you are one hundred… and then you might consider it.” This ancient Okinawan proverb rests on a stone marker in Ogimi, a small village typical of Northern Okinawa. This phrase could …
Something New
“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” ~ Ronald Ostrom The quote above reflect my current sentiments. For too long, I was in a rut and didn’t even know it! Life’s patterns started to become stale, routine, boring… I lost a few very important things because I took them for granted. …
The C Word
A few months back a friend posed a question. I was sharing my excitement about a potential camping trip. It was to be a weekend backpacking trip somewhere local. Backpacking is something I have never done and wondered about. In the natural flow of conversation, my friend asked me in a serious, doubt-filled voice, “Yes, but can you do it?” …
Little Dragon diaper drive – diapers delivered!
Little Dragon Naomi Piper-Pell delivered 1,173 diapers to Wellspring Women and Children’s Center today as part of her Little Dragon Black Belt Project. Naomi also volunteered several times at Wellspring and held a car wash to raise money to buy diapers. A hearty thanks is due to everyone who made donations or otherwise assisted Naomi with her project!
Mental vs Physical
Today in class Mr. Oliver described karate as 90% mental and 10% physical. How many times have I made it easier on my body physically because my mind it necessary? It’s as simple as relaxing a horse stance during star blocks kata, or not bending as deeply in the last squat, or throwing a punch at half power to “save …
What does karate mean?
Mr. Oliver often asks the Little Dragon class. The translation is empty hand. That’s only one meaning though. I was talking to someone the other day about what karate meant to her. She was trying out some dojos in the Sacramento area since she moved her recently from the bay area. She liked karate because it stimulated her mind and …
Verbal Judo Founder Comments on our Work
Verbal Judo founder George Thompson developed Verbal Judo years ago as a way for police officers to deal with verbal insults and assaults as well as getting voluntary compliance without getting physical. With the help of ‘Doc’ Thompson and other Verbal Judo instructors we have incorporated these same lessons into our martial arts curriculum. Many of your kids have already …
States of Awareness
Its a nice, easy walk from my house to the dojo. A scant 10-15 minutes of peaceful exercise through the well landscaped UC Davis Med Center. This little exercise has been wonderful. The time allows me to release the day, warms the legs up for seiza, think over the week’s lesson and generally prepare for the class ahead. Mr. Oliver’s …
My Best Cure for Carsickness
Recently, I went on a long car trip. It was several hours of infamous German roads. Beautiful green landscape, 120+ kmph autoban, transportation trucks in spades, and me, being carsick, enjoying not a single moment. We still had a ways to go and needed to get the gymnastics in my stomach settled down. That’s when I thought of it. Mr. …
Safe from Assault: Are you Oblivious or Aware?
In our classes last week we talked about awareness and how real self-defense happens long before violence actually occurs. The U.S. Marines have a system for coding and identifying the various mental states that one can be in. We can apply these same color codes to our own awareness levels so that we stay safe. Condition White – Oblivious In …