Friends and acquaintances often ask me, “How do I choose a martial arts school?” I’m not surprised that this is a frequent question. Most people’s experience and understanding of the martial arts are limited to what they have seen in television and movies. Here are some very basic factors to consider when choosing a place to train for you or …
365 Project Ideas!
This list of project ideas come from Gary Engels (of Projabi.com). General Project Ideas 1. Gather 10 friends and record 10 random acts of kindness each (that’s 100 acts of kindness!) 2. Organize a Food Drive for your local Food Pantry 3. Volunteer Time with a few friends in a concession stand to raise money for a good cause. 4. …
Compression, Expansion, and Internal Conflict
There is a natural cycle of compression and expansion in the martial arts as well as in nature. Sometimes (especially now with the current Corona Virus situation) there can be a conflict between these two forces. How do we resolve this conflict? You can learn more about our martial arts classes in Sacramento by visiting https://zenmartial.com
Isshinryu Upper-Body Basic Exercises
Mike Oliver (5th-degree black-belt) at Zen Martial Arts in Sacramento teaches the 15 Isshinryu Upper-Body Basic exercises as they are practiced at his dojo. This is a reference video for his adult students. You can learn more about our martial arts classes in Sacramento by visiting https://zenmartial.com
Dealing with Uncertainty in the Martial Arts and the World
Uncertainty comes to us both on and off the mats. Right now, amidst the Corvid virus pandemic, there is a lot of uncertainty in people’s lives. Mike Oliver, a black-belt at Zen Martial Arts talks about how dealing with uncertainty on the mat can translate to a mindset that helps us deal with it off the mat as well. You …
Week 6 and Some Serious Thought
Clearly this entry is a bit late, we are half way thru week 7 alreadly! That’s okay… I have something very specific to write about for this entry: Motivation. I like how I feel more motivated as time goes. It’s a different kind of motivated than I feel when I’m training for a race. It’s a lot more calm. I’ve …
Week 5 and a Status Check
Week 5: Brought in the new year (woo!) Ended the first month and started the second Achieved the rank of Shichi Kyu Broke the 5000 mark on push-ups and sit-ups Started learning my first kata! That’s one busy week. Feeling pretty good about things but thankful that I spent some time on my tracking spreadsheet. Staring at that thing and …
Self Defense for Animals in Sacramento
This 8-year old student at Zen Martial Arts in Sacramento decided to ask for donations to the local animal shelter in lieu of birthday presents! Every karate student at Zen Martial Arts trains in Isshinryu Karate, a form of karate from Okinawa that means “One Heart Way”. Students are required to demonstrate a compassionate heart when moving up to certain …
Sacramento Karate Girl Makes Dolls for the NICU
Evangeline is a young (8 years old!) karate student at Zen Martial Arts in Sacramento. Here, Evangeline describes a project she has been working on in which she hand paints these peg-dolls and gives them to anyone that donates to the Sacramento Sutter NICU program. The money is then used to purchase new flannel blankets for the infants in the …
Students of Zen Martial Arts Sacramento Reflect on Training with Hanshi-Sei Chris Chase
In January of 2018, Hanshi-Sei Chris Chase, Kaicho of the Okinawa Isshinryu Karate Kobudo Association and personal representative of Master Angi Uezu, visited California to conduct a series of seminars at Bennati’s Martial Arts. Many students of Zen Martial Arts in Sacramento attended, and wanted to give thanks to Hanshi Chase by sharing their favorite moments. You can learn more …