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Slayer News: About Dragon Kenpo Karate
October 2006: Perseverance
Index of Articles
Tai Chi and World Dragon Kenpo by Jim Patus
Tai Sophia Institute by Steve Amoia
Letters to the Coach
About Belt Rankings by Tim Flynn
"The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't." ~ Henry Ward Beecher
Tai Chi and
World Dragon Kenpo
by Jim Patus
When Coach Pfeiffer first mentioned Tai Chi at one of our monthly Slayer staff meetings I didn’t say much. Of course, I vowed my support; in all the years I been training under Coach Pfeiffer he’s never steered me wrong, but… I had just started working with Okinawan White Crane. Isn’t that going to be soft enough to complement Dragon Kenpo? Coach Pfeiffer was working with a system developed by Dr. Paul Lam based on Sun style Tai Chi. I don’t know much about Tai Chi but I quickly found out that Sun style doesn’t have much in the way of fighting applications. But if the Coach wants support for his new found passion I guess I’m (reluctantly) in.
I ordered the video. There’s only one set (kata) on it. I already know a dozen or so Okinawan/Japanese kata. How hard can this be? I’ll set aside one day next week and get it knocked out. Boy, was I surprised. The White Crane I had been working with had some new movements, but this stuff was totally different from anything I have ever tried.
I worked with it for a couple weeks and even though l didn’t feel very proficient I realized that I was learning something that has a payoff beyond the promise of good health. I signed up for the workshop that Coach Pfeiffer was scheduling at Lake Geneva through Dr. Lam’s organization. I was hooked. Even though I knew that I had a lot of room for improvement I was really enjoying Tai Chi and I wasn’t exactly sure why.
Then I got a message from Coach Pfeiffer that the workshop was cancelled because the enrollment was not high enough to be practical for Dr. Lam’s people to run it. I was very disappointed. He called later and he told me about the possibility of running the workshop anyway. Now I was really elated.
I could hardly wait for the workshop. I practiced Tai Chi for Arthritis every day trying to get ready and I was frustrated at my lack of improvement. (I realize now that I was trying too hard to make it happen quickly.) I continued to work on my Okinawan forms, too. I had a renewed energy, like a kid looking forward to a family vacation.
My first experience of Tai Chi with Coach Pfeiffer was on the shore of Lake Geneva. (I’ll have more about my total Lake Geneva experience next month.) That experience on the shore set the tempo for the rest of the weekend. Friday was relatively slow paced, going through the basic movements. The session lasted about four hours, which I thought was just about right. Coach Pfeiffer provided a lot of details that are not on the videos. He also helped correct those many errors that creep into our routines that we are not even aware of. (Fellow student Mike Wiesnewski loaned me a DVD player so that I could review the videos and be ready for the Saturday session. Thanks, Mike!) During the session on Friday a couple came in and asked about Tai Chi. Apparently they had been involved in Tai Chi before and heard about this program through the Y. Friday evening I attended one of Coach Pfeiffer’s Dragon Kenpo self defense classes and there was a gentleman there who brought news of the possibility of a group interested in Tai Chi for a fitness program. The word is getting out.
Saturday the session was a little more intense and a little longer. We practiced teaching each other and observing each other teach. My Tai Chi still was not perfect (and it still isn’t) but I felt really good about the workshop. I felt not only that it directly helped improve my Tai Chi but that it gave me some tools I can use to continue to improve. I started working with another one of Dr. Lam’s videos (Tai Chi for Beginners) just to see how it would go. I was amazed that now, after the workshop at Lake Geneva, I know what things to look for.
I didn’t do any Okinawan kata for a while after I got back from Lake Geneva; I was busy playing catch-up at work. The following Saturday I was going through Naihanchi (Tekki) Shodan when something hit me: The lateral moves and forearm blocks were very reminiscent of “waving hands in the clouds” from the Tai Chi for Arthritis set. I shrugged it off as an interesting coincidence. I went on to Naihanchi Nidan. I stopped halfway through the opening move. I know I must have had a big smile on my face. “If I squint just right, it’s the ‘single whip’ from the Tai Chi for Arthritis set.” I doubt that studying Tai Chi by itself will provide any self-defense skills. Tai Chi has certainly had an impact on the way I practice my kata. I now perform the three Naihanchi kata very slowly, paying careful attention to breathing. Then I perform them “the regular way”. I know that my rhythm and precision of movement have greatly improved thanks to Tai Chi.
There are other aspects of Tai Chi that makes it appealing to those of us pursuing Dragon Kenpo. Many times I have heard Coach Pfeiffer assert that one of the great things our style has going for it is its non-competitive nature. Dr. Lam in his Tai Chi for Beginners Handbook says “The good thing about Tai chi is that it is progressive but not competitive. You progress for your own enjoyment and fulfillment and you can continue to improve no matter what age you are. This improvement brings enlightenment and better health.” I hope to offer a weekly Tai Chi session at the college where I work. I think it may be useful as a drawing card to our Saturday Kenpo training sessions once folks realize the philosophy of what we are about.
I encourage all practitioners of Dragon Kenpo to consider Tai Chi. Dr. Lam’s Tai Chi for Arthritis video is available through the online store on the World Dragon Kenpo Website. Coach Pfeiffer also offers a Tai Chi Weekend at a nominal cost. This would be an ideal fieldtrip for a DK training group. If you are within a reasonable distance, Lake Geneva itself is well worth the trip. I’m already making plans to go again next summer.
Next month I will share the rest of my Lake Geneva experiences.Thank you, Jim, we all look forward to hear about your impressions of the local program and staff. Coach Ron Pfeiffer
“I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.” ~John D. Rockefeller
“For all things difficult to acquire, the intelligent man works with perseverance.” ~Lao Tzu
“Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tai
Sophia Institute
The Tai Sophia
Institute (http://www.tai.edu)
is a graduate school for the healing arts located in Laurel, MD, which is suburb
of Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD. The institute was founded in 1975, and
takes its name from the Chinese word for "Great," along with the Greek word for
"Wisdom." The school is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher
Education. Faculty
Supervised Treatment Clinics As part of their
rigorous training, students offer their services to the Baltimore/ Washington
communities. The Tai Sophia student practitioners of acupuncture are supervised
by licensed acupuncturists from the institute’s faculty. For patients who desire
an herbal medicine consultation, student practitioners consult with faculty
members with expertise in this ancient treatment. Tai Sophia also offers the
traditional Chinese herbal consultations which are conducted by students under
the guidance of their instructors. As you can see, Tai Sophia has a strong
commitment to educate its surrounding communities about the healing arts. Tai Sophia has
an impressive library where students, along with members of the community, may
take advantage of a vast array of traditional and electronic resources. Areas
covered, but are not limited to, acupuncture, herbal healing, mind-body
medicine, movement and bodywork, oriental medicine, pharmocognosy (which is the
study of natural products), and wellness. The institute subscribes to a wide
variety of journals, such as, “Hope, Medical Herbalism, Parabola, Alternative
Therapies, Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Herbalgram, Dr.
Alexander Grant’s Health Gazette, Frontier Perspectives, North American Journal
of Oriental Medicine, European Journal of Oriental Medicine, Dr. Andrew Weil’s
Self-Healing, Journal of the American Herbalists Guild and Yoga Journal.” (3) “My acquaintance
of Tai Sophia started from the workshop “Redefining Health.” It called me from
the bottom of a human heart. At that time, I didn’t know what it is. But it kept
coming back to my mind for about a month. I realized it must be something
important to me. Then I decided to go for another workshop in Tai Sophia named
“Transformative practices and teaching stories.” That evening, I learned that it
is the power of transformation for the sake of the bigger good rather than for
myself. I was very inspired by the reminder “To come to life more fully, so as
to serve life more wisely and more nobly. Sagely stillness, within; Sovereign
service, without.” Live the life is to serve! It hits right on me. I was sick of
seeing what happens when people only think of themselves despite the impact on
others and the whole community. I don’t want to go down that way. It was my
struggle at that time. Knowing Tai Sophia is eye-opening to me. I realized that
it is what I want and the direction I want to follow. But I wasn’t skillful at
all. Due to the fact that Tai Sophia teaches the types of skills that could be
applied into daily life, I decided to come to the program as a beginner. It’s said: “Everybody
can be a healer and everybody can be healed.” It is truly an art. The
healing arts, in my personal view, include the art of healing on both physical
level and mental level. Physical healing is becoming more and more popular
up-to-date. They are addressed as alternative health care which brings people
from sickness to well being distinguished from traditional western medicine that
treats patients from slightly sick to almost dead. I say the
essence of healing arts is to treat the root rather than the symptoms.
For example, acupuncture treats the body as a whole system. Every symptom shows
up for a reason. Needles aim to the reason instead of only treat the symptom. It
is also the same principal for our applied healing art program. We are learning
to “use word as needle” to heal. In civilized society, communication is no doubt
the only way to bring people from different backgrounds together regardless of
goals. Conflicts and misunderstandings are happening every day. It brings lots
of unnecessary suffering. In the Old Testament, God sees the power when men
speak the same language. Imagine how different the world could be if we all
understood each other efficiently? Needles are to open the blockage in
the body; language as needles is to open the blockages in the mind. That is the
beauty of healing arts. In Tai Sophia,
as its name addresses “School Of Philosophy and Healing In Action”, all three
programs are learning the same principle that calls people’s awareness to
ancient wisdom and the application to modern society. In Applied Healing Art
program, we are taking 6 core courses before getting into independent studies
and the project of excellence (http://www.tai.edu/ep_acad_aha_format.html).
Robert Duggan, the president of Tai Sophia, said: “See what is missing
and be it.” I think it pretty much tells what the courses are and their
application. I use it as a constant reminder for my study and practice. I
started in January 2006. So far, we been able to learn the essence of ancient
wisdom and recognize our healing presence in life. Books help to identify our
role between ancestors and children. We are in the process of learning to be
practitioners in life, which means that we need to practice what we learned in a
daily basis. Since it is a program designed for people who already have their
working field, we only have classes during certain weekends. Between classes, we
also have Transformative Practice Group studies (TPGs). We don’t see each other
very often, but we are helping each other in terms of learning and practicing.
The faculties in TPGs are more like facilitators, and students in the group play
the major roles to learn from and coach each other. Why we could do it? Because
that is what we choose to do. And we know we are creating our lives for the sake
of the whole community.”
References (2) The Pulse by
Tai Sophia Institute: Fall/Winter Programs 2006, page 2.
Mission of Tai Sophia
The Honorable Barbara Mikulski, United States Senator from Maryland,
succinctly expressed the mission of Tai Sophia: "When we think of healthcare in
Maryland, we think of Johns Hopkins or the University of Maryland. But the
picture wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t think of Tai Sophia Institute. For
more than 30 years, Tai Sophia has been dedicated to healing – educating the
next generation of practitioners in acupuncture and herbal medicine. It was
founded on a bold vision based on the intellectual rigor of an Eastern
tradition, at the same time grounded in Western philosophy." (1)
Academic Programs and Workshops
Presently, over 350 students are enrolled in post-graduate and
certificate programs at Tai Sophia. There have been over 1000 graduates of the
institute. Students may pursue master's degrees and certificates in Acupuncture,
Applied Healing Arts, and Herbal Medicine. The institute also conducts free
introductory classes in areas such as Chakra Energy Balancing, Feldenkrais
(Awareness through movement), Medical Qi Gong, Pilates, Sumi Ink Painting, Tai
Chi, along with Yoga and Meditation. In the words of Mary Kay Kenney, Director
of Community Programs, “In life’s creative cycle, autumn showcases nature’s
beauty in glorious color, brings inspiration, and prepares us to enter the
winter phase that supports us in harnessing our deep power and wisdom. You can
nurture these gifts of the seasons and enhance your professional and personal
growth in numerous and varied offerings at Tai Sophia.” (2)
Library Facility
Perspective of a Student
Dr. Xiaoning Zhang, a biologist employed by the
University of Maryland, is a student in the Applied Healing Arts program. I
asked Dr. Zhang to describe what attracted her to Tai Sophia, her personal views
about the healing arts, along with the types of courses that she and her
classmates study in their master's degree program.
(1) About The Institute:
http://www.tai.edu/ai.html.
"Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain." ~Author Unknown
Letters to the Coach
Coach Pfeiffer:
Austin and I are making good progress on the Yellow Belt material. Most of the Yellow Belt techniques involve a straight-on (linear) attack. This has provided us with the perfect opportunity to discuss the circle/line principles (The attacker moves along the line; therefore, we move along the circle.) I really like the way that many of the techniques build upon the last or evolve into a different approach to similar attacks. Tech 6 provides a great opportunity to introduce the concept of multiple strikes (strike until the attacker is subdued). Of course, we’re also covering the blocks, hand techniques, kicks, and drills.
Needless to say, we’re both enjoying the program.
Respectfully,
Don Morton
Mexia, TX
Hi Don,
Sounds like you guys are right on track. Keep up the good work. Once you reach
Orange belt you may request the Assistant Instructor certification. This will
allow you to instruct others and help to build WDK.
All the Best,
Coach Ron Pfeiffer ;-)
P.S. In the secured members area is a "Tell a Friend" link. You can use this tool to refer new members to your school.
Coach Pfeiffer:
I have other friends and family members who have expressed interest in your program and possibly to begin training with us (Austin and I.) If they decide to join, may they do so under my membership, just as Austin did? Or, would they need to join independently?
Thanks,
Don
Don:
This is how training groups form. It's up to you. Most instructors have their students be responsible for their own tuition in World Dragon Kenpo, but it can be done under your membership if you like. As long as they train with you, I would like for you to assist with such things as promotion and exams for the local students. Acting as the onsite assistant instructor (for now) and organizer for the group.
Coach Pfeiffer
Coach Pfeiffer:
Flexibility is one of the great benefits
of this program. Online access to training coupled with a local training group
makes for a unique approach. As always, I appreciate your response to my
questions.
Don Morton
"Consider the postage stamp: its
usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there."
~Josh Billings
"Fall seven times, stand up eight." ~Japanese Proverb
"The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground." ~Author Unknown
New Member 2nd Dg. Black Belt Tim Flynn
Welcome to another former member of the DKKA. Tim jumped right in with an interesting article about rank. Thanks Tim, and we look forward to your future work in WDK.
About Belt Rankings
by Tim Flynn, 2nd Dg. Black Belt, World Dragon Kenpo and Mixed Martial Artist
In the very first part of the 20th century the belt
ranking system was first introduced by Professor Jigoro Kano, the founder of
Judo, it was mainly introduced for the Western mind to give a person account for
how far they have gotten and to set achievement goals.
Before, there was not a belt system. One just knew how far they were through
their own knowledge and skills; in fact, to this day, most of the Chinese arts
still don't keep any kind of belt or sash ranking. Now, especially in the United
States, the belt ranking system in Martial Arts is held in high regard, Your
so-called Traditional schools frequently times misuse and abuse these ranking
systems. Allow me to elaborate. Most so-called traditional schools withhold
teaching students advanced techniques and testing so they can draw more money
out of them. Sometimes, they then charge outrageous amounts to test. Wow, the
so-called Traditional Arts has become and has been more of a modern day
business.
When I was competing in Judo, I had a foreign
exchange student from Japan who I practiced with. He was a Black Belt and in
conversation he told me how much different the Martial Arts were in Japan. He
told me that you could obtain a Black Belt in Judo and Karate within a year. It
didn't cost for rank advancement and learning techniques and participation were
the only requirements for advancement.
I also met a student from China, and he said his Father was actually a Gung Fu
Sifu and there wasn't any Rank system. You knew an individual's level by their
years of practice and their skills. So even though the Belt ranking system is
good in many ways, such as goal setting and status, it really isn't required.
Don't get me wrong, I like advancement just like the next person, but maybe your
so-called Traditional business-oriented schools are more modern than they think
and maybe it's the modern schools like Dragon Kenpo that are actually the more
Traditional. Something to think about. Peace and good practice.
"The great majority of men are bundles of
beginnings." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Saints are sinners who kept on going." ~Robert Louis Stevenson
"If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on
walking." ~Buddhist Saying
"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday." ~Author Unknown
Promotions
The following list is of members who have received promotion within the last 3 months. Many students listed here are already high ranked Black Belts in other styles and we recognize their hard work.
Angeli Soto Probationary Blue Belt
Anna
C. Aguilar Yellow Belt
Elliott Lewandowski Blue Belt
Ethan
Lewandowski Blue Belt
Hank
Lewandowski Green Belt
Michael Foley Yellow Belt
Jose
Sierra Probationary Yellow Belt
Erika
Martinez Orange Belt
Kelsey Stedman Orange Belt
Katelynn Deneche Orange Belt
Griffin Anderson Probationary Orange Belt
Julissa Sanchez Purple Belt
Monica Starck Purple Belt
Erik
Martinez Purple Belt
Christian Martinez Purple Belt
Matthew Murray Purple Belt
Charlie Stehno Probationary Orange Belt
Charles Stehno Orange Belt
Alexander James Mueller Prob. 3rd Dg. Brown Belt
Wyatt
Starck Probationary Green Belt
Daniel Lundberg Green Belt
Jim
Patus 1st Dg. Black Belt (Tested in Person, Lake Geneva, WI on Sept 9,
2006. )
Jeremy Ackerman Orange Belt
Don
Morton White Belt
Austin Bailey White Belt
Joel
White Blue Belt
Jim
Shelton Orange Belt
Allen
Taylor Green Belt
Ian
Hargreaves Purple Belt
Rick Collette 3rd Dg. Brown Belt
James
Schoffstall 4th Dg. Black Belt
Randall Hall 2nd Dg. Black Belt
Jacob Patus 1st Dg. Brown Belt
Jason
Spotts Orange Belt
Steve
Amoia Green Belt
Katie
Brugger 3rd Dg. Brown Belt
Freddie Rickel Yellow Belt
"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." ~Earl Nightingale
Staff Biographies
Steve Amoia
has attained the rank of green belt in World Dragon Kenpo. Steve, who lives in
the Washington, D.C. area, is a freelance writer and also designs personal web
pages. He has published articles and book reviews about alternative health,
career-related themes, Italian and international soccer, along with martial
arts. He also maintains a non-profit web site dedicated to World Football
(soccer) that includes an interesting Argentine family connection made possible
by the Internet. His writing portfolio, along with the soccer site, may be found
at
http://www.sanstefano.com and his email
address is
info@sanstefano.com.
Rick Collette
is currently the Arizona State Director for World Dragon Kenpo (underbelt now,
working towards Black Belt) in Tucson, AZ. Student of Kajukenbo and other arts.
Email:
rcollet@gmail.com.
Randall Hall grew up
in and around San Antonio, Texas. Randall is Second Degree Black Belt in Dragon
Kenpo and Texas State Director for World Dragon Kenpo. He has trained in many
martial arts but settled on Dragon Kenpo after in injury prevented him from
continuing his training in his current school. First training under Joe
Whittington at Combat Kenpo Academy,
Randy moved to World Dragon Kenpo to train under Coach Ron. "Dragon Kenpo lets
me progress at my own pace and applies a Keep It Simple approach to martial arts
that I really enjoy." Email:
cyberkenpo@yahoo.com.
Jim Patus, the
Indiana Director of WDK, began studying Kodokan Judo over 40 years ago. He has
studied Shotokan karate and has fenced competitively in both foil and epee. He
began Dragon Kenpo under Ed Hutchison and has completed the Combat Kenpo
Fighting Academy curriculum; he now trains under Coach Pfeiffer through WDK. Jim
is a member of the International Ryukyu Karate Research Society and the
Universal Martial Arts Association. As professor of Biology at Ivy Tech
Community College of Indiana Sellersburg his teaching specialty is environmental
science with research interests in human population dynamics and fish
ecology. Jim may be reached at
jpatus@ivytech.edu.
Ron Pfeiffer acquired the Dragon Kenpo system in 1998 after his instructor at the YMCA announced his retirement (with no replacement). Ron taught friends and family the art as preparations for opening a school progressed. That school opened at the Geneva Lakes YMCA in Sept of 2000. November 2000 assisted in the formation and establishment of the International Dragon Kenpo Association. In November 2002 Wisconsin Dragon Kenpo and the Geneva Lakes Self Defense Club was recognized by the Unified Martial Arts Association International and Coach Pfeiffer was assigned the post of Wisconsin State Rep for the UMAAI. The classes proved popular and have become a staple program of the facility. In 2005 Coach Pfeiffer received promotion to 5th Degree Black through the Defensive Arts Academy and Rodney Lacey. In 2006, Coach Pfeiffer was certified as a Tai Chi instructor through Dr. Paul Lam.
Closing Comments by Coach Pfeiffer
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The articles within this newsletter are the views of the writer and not necessarily the views of World Dragon Kenpo Schools of Self Defense.
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