A Black Belt Attitude

This September’s test will be a special test at Kajukenbo Arizona. The testers have worked hard and have learned the techniques, and gained an attitude that will allow them to advance to the next belt level. While all of our testers are special, this time we have three unique ones. In particular, we have three black belt testers. Each of them represents Kajukenbo Arizona in a different way.

“A black belt is nothing more than a belt that goes around 

your waist. Being a black belt is a state of mind 

and attitude.” –Rick English.

As I was thinking about the black belt testers, I came to a realization that each of them exudes the black belt attitude long before their black belt test. The mindset of a black belt is a “Just do it, no quit, do it right” attitude.

“Black Belt Excellence. 

Every Day in Every Way.” 

We say that at Kaju AZ and all students can and should make this a part of their individual attitudes.

A black belt attitude just does it (to borrow a famous product slogan). When faced with a challenge, a person with a black belt attitude doesn’t freeze up and try to find away out - they find a way over! Just do It is more than a catchy slogan; it’s a call to action. You will never finish if you haven’t started!

A black belt attitude never gives up. When doing anything, giving up can cause your mindset to become weakened. Each time you quit something important, it becomes easier to quit the next important task. Eventually, it becomes a way of life. A” No-Quit” attitude is a black belt expectation and is only achieved through continuous practice. No-Quit requires all the Black Belt principles: Courage, Honesty, Respect, Integrity, Self Control and Loyalty.

A black belt attitude does 

things the right way! 

Excellence is a key ingredient in a Black Belt’s attitude. A casual attitude, a sloppy technique, doing something halfway and calling it good enough; these are not the hallmarks of a Black Belt. A Black Belt cares about the results of all their actions and is aware that all actions represent themselves, their mentors, teachers and family. Every one of us represents our parent’s upbringing and our mentors that have coached us along the road of life. Honor them by making sure all our actions are performed in excellence.

While each journey to black belt is unique, a black belt attitude is a common thread.  It binds us together as Ohana and allows us to carry forward the legacy that has been so lovingly bestowed upon us…a hard-fought legacy that we are honored to continue at Kaju AZ.

Congratulations testers! All of us, white to black, testing or not, will be rooting, cheering, and thinking about how we can improve our Black Belt Attitude!

- Sigung Kelly Corder

Plateaus

This past month I had the great opportunity to go on a hiking trek with my sons and their Boy Scout troop. It was a great opportunity to watch the boys in action. Every part of normal life required extra effort, including making dinner, cleaning up after dinner, hanging the food in bear bags, navigating the hike to coincide with water sources, etc. A lot of effort to simply hike! Yet all the boys worked together. Not a single one of our group complained, argued, or shirked from the work. The boys exhibited a great attitude about the work and the sometimes tedious aspects of hiking some rugged and strenuous trails. During some of the long, potentially boring, hikes I watched the boys talking to each other about things that were fun or that they missed from home. What great conversation! It made the time go quicker and the hike seem shorter.

I can remember one especially difficult day when our hike was to take us up 3,000 feet over a ridge line and then down 1,200 feet into a camp. We prepared the crew to expect it to be a somewhat hard day and we hiked a little extra the day before to help get us up as much of the trail as possible. The day was long and many times the trail switched back on itself in order to maintain a reasonable grade. But each time we encountered a switch back that took us in the opposite direction of our destination, it made it difficult to keep morale high. Sometimes it would look like we were nearing the crest of the ridge line only to find out there was a higher ridge just behind it. The next ridge was obscured by the close ridge due to our position and perspective. Whenever this occurs while you are hiking, it is called a false summit. Finally, after a long day of hiking the last summit, we finally reached the top of the ridge. There was no more UP. We finally reached the top! We stopped and took pictures and looked back the way we had come. It was amazing to see the amount of distance that was covered that day. It was also nice to see what we would be hiking up and over the next day.

We started our descent down towards camp with a bit more spring in our step. We had accomplished a lot that day,  and we knew that we could handle whatever we needed to do the next day.

I couldn't help but think about how our martial arts training patterns this typical day's hike. We have a plan that we know we can accomplish. We know where our destination is (black belt and beyond). We don't always know ahead of time the twists and turns that we might have to take (due to scheduling issues, injuries, job changes, etc.) . Sometimes during our training we feel like we have worked so hard to get the summit we are currently standing on and we look ahead to the next higher summit that we know we must attack next. Blue, Green, Brown and Black are each in their own way, summits preparing you for the next important summit. Take some time to enjoy the view where you are at, you earned it! But then ready yourself for the next steps. If you thought that summit was amazing, wait until you see the view from the next!

Here are some ideas of things to help make the next "climb" more enjoyable and feel less like going backwards:

If you are feeling less strong or less developed with cardio, supplement your training with biking or running to change things up a bit.

If you feel like you want to get a jump on the next set of material, schedule a private to kick start the process.

If you are feeling stressed because you put things on hold for the test you have just completed, find balance in your schedule and take care of the things that are truly important (family, school, work, etc).

If you feel bored with your material, schedule a semi-private with a friend to find more "hidden" techniques in the material you already have.

If you don't feel like coming to class, go to Class! You know you always feel better afterward!

Oh, and  while enjoying the view, look behind you.  Is there someone else struggling up the mountain you just reached that could use some encouragement? Take the  opportunities to make the hike not seem so difficult and share or help a friend along the way!

Sigung Kelly Corder

Service: What Goes Around, Comes Around!

 (NOTE: Parts of this blog were posted previously in 2008 and 2010. Names and dates have been changed to “promote” the innocent.)

A Kaju AZ contingent left this morning for Philmont scout ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. (They will be gone until July 17th.) This is a historic and inspiring event for Kaju AZ.  I am so proud of the decisions these men/boys have made to embark on this physical and emotional journey.

Philmont is a great, often life-changing experience offered through the Boy Scouts of America, a fantastic organization. They will be hiking about 115 miles over 10 days and hopefully catch a lot of fish. On some days, they change elevation in a range of 8,000 feet. They will get rain, snow, heat, follow the strict rules of no-impact hiking, eat a lot of crackers and cheese and create a bear triangle every night. There isn’t a television, Gameboy, Computer, iPod, cell phone, bubba keg, modern plumbing or can of Axe in sight.

This will be the sixth time that Sigung has made this trip since 1999. The hardest part is that he is totally cut off – no phones or email – and away from his businesses, family and passion of martial arts. For the first time, he will have both of his sons with him – a goal he had hoped to achieve from the very first time he participated.  He will be able to celebrate Sisuk Cameron’s birthday during the trip – in the past he has always missed it. The leaders pay their own way and usually miss at least two weeks of work. This is a trip, which often turns teenagers into men as they leave the world behind and get back to basic survival and commune with the beauty of the outdoors. It provides opportunities for the scouts to bond with their adult leaders and have mentoring relationships that last a lifetime. It’s quite a special event for all involved.

Sigung and I are often asked “Why they heck would do you do this? Why do you spend the money (it’s about $700 per person)? How can you sacrifice your work and family time?” The answer is simple: performing a service to others has huge payoffs, both immediate and in the future.

Service to others is so important and so often ignored as we focus on our own problems and ourselves in our daily lives. Sometimes it is so hard to think about someone else and their needs when ours seem so overwhelming. This is precisely the time that we must remember to help someone else! Nothing gives us better perspective, understanding and focus than service to others.

I am not saying that one must desert your family and head to the mountains of New Mexico! Little things have big payouts too! A helping hand pulling weeds, a meal for a busy family, hours of babysitting…these are simple things that that mean a lot to others. We receive the added benefit of feeling good about doing something good for others.

Kaju AZ would not be the awesome dojo that it is today without the helping hands of many people! Rides to and from the dojo, keeping the dojo neat and clean, teaching in class, polishing the floors, building/remodeling our Gilbert school, our self-defense clinics and simply introducing your friends and families to Kaju AZ are all examples of service. Quite simply – there are too many to name! Know that all your efforts are so appreciated and more importantly, will continue to have an impact many years into the future for every single student.

Sigung and I are driven by the positive impact that martial arts has on people. We have the benefit of seeing it in our children who have been training for their entire lives. We know that each of you will see the same impact on your children and yourselves in the future!

For me, Philmont is a love-hate relationship. I hate the time Sigung is gone and the accompanying stresses, but I love the man/husband/father/instructor/leader that service has helped him become. I look forward to seeing my sons become the same service-oriented, patriotic, compassionate, hard-working dedicated men.  Having so many of our Kaju “boys” attend comes at great sacrifice but I know it will be well-worth it for each of them and for Kaju AZ.

Thank you for your continued service and support of Kaju AZ. Thank you for your understanding that things may be a little different while Sigung and the crew are gone. We will maintain our schedules with all of our awesome instructors! As Sijo Emperado said, “In Ohana there is strength” and I am grateful for all the strength I see at Kaju AZ!

Sifu Jen

Giving the Gift of Martial Arts Unselfishly

We just returned from the Lim Kenpo Malama Event in Carlsbad, CA.  WOW.  What an event.  To sum it up in few words is nearly impossible, although “exhilarated, enriched and exhausted at the same time” comes to mind.

There were over 225 martial artists and family members in attendance at the Academy by the Sea.  It is truly a unique setting for a unique event.  It was a honor to meet and learn from some of the best martial artists from around the world – Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Maui, London, Wyoming, South Dakota and more.  A lot was packed into over 4 days.  We got up early and stayed up late.  We worked our bodies and our minds.  It was an honor to be there and we gained a weekend full of memories to last a lifetime.

The title “Malama” was fitting as it means “to take care of, nurture, or serve.” Our instructors really took care of us! What really stood out to me was how unselfish each instructor was. They showed up to each class with a smile and infectious attitude that clearly showed their passion for martial arts.  They freely gave of their time, talents and energies to the building up of each individual student. Keep in mind some instructors taught cumulatively for hours during the weekend which is exhausting mentally and physically. Some traveled thousands of miles at great financial expense. And yet, each class had new and exciting material, showcased individual arts and talents and not one session was boring.

With an event this large, obviously hiccups occurred and changes had to be made on the spot. Kids got tired and were tempted by the beach.  People weren’t feeling 100% or were exhausted from travel.  People were hungry or sunburnt or other common travel issues.

And yet…no complaints.  No frowns. No giving up and backing out of teaching.

The instructors did not get much time to train or experience the seminars as students but they did not seem to mind. It was obvious that they loved sharing what they knew and were not concerned with getting anything in return.  During the free time, a lot of them were available for questions and would extend the class time to cover even more topics.  They gave up resting or leisure time without complaint and showed up to teach the next session with vim and vigor!

Who hasn’t been in a situation where the instructor (in martial arts, school, church or other events) had a “personal agenda” or showed up grumpy and obviously not in the mood to teach? That really sucks the joy out of the experience for me.  And ultimately, it has to suck the joy out of it for the teacher too.

I attended a martial arts program years ago in which the instructor was going through a “grappling phase.” Every class was focused on what he wanted to learn himself…we were just merely grappling partners to serve his purpose of getting more roll time.  It made it difficult to really even want to attend class.   

I have been fortunate to train with the best of the best instructors and we have a lot of them at Kaju AZ.  What a treat it is to experience these classes.  Sigung always says “You don’t know a technique until you have taught it.” SO TRUE and when you talk to him more about what that means he will tell you: “You can’t really appreciate what you have until you give it away.”

Martial arts is a gift and I am so grateful for all the instructors willing to give me all the gifts I have in my martial arts basket.  Paying tuition or seminar fees isn’t enough to really cover how much Kaju has made me a better person.  How can you put a price on that?  How can I put a price on how it has enhanced my family?  How can I put a price on the dear and valuable relationships in my life that came through Kaju?

Good karma isn’t just received -  I believe it is created.  The more I give the more I seem to receive!  It feels good to give and I appreciate the opportunity to work with each of you.  

Be sure and check out all the pictures from the Malama weekend at http://kajuaz.smugmug.com!  

Sifu Jennifer Corder

Everything You Need to Know You Can Learn at Kaju AZ!

Well…it happened.

Our boy, who in my mind can’t be more than 5 years old, is graduating from high school this Saturday. It really has been the fastest 18 years of our lives. Granted the first six weeks seemed to last forever, but since then it has been a whirlwind. One thing is for sure, no matter what teenage angst is present (it’s my angst not his), I am positive Sibak has a bright future. He has the world in front of him and Sigung and I are very proud of him.

I may sound prayerfully confident now but admittedly, I was a nervous young mother for the first couple of years. I was so concerned that everything could potentially kill him: coffee table corners, jello, microwaves and don’t forget the almost-visit to the emergency room because he sucked breast milk up his nose (Sigung literally took the car keys away from me). OR maybe he could be scarred somehow for life: does he know we love him, the doctor called him obese, he has a lisp. OR there was the possibility he would become a crazed serial killer: is he a mama’s boy, has he eaten too many McDonald’s chicken nuggets, and not to mention he witnessed his father’s freak flaming marshmallow incident of 2001. It wasn’t easy to see far enough ahead to trust the decisions we were making. Common sense prevailed (thank you Sigung) and we were able to move along.

Honestly, we did approach child rearing in a very business like manner. We made a list of ideal attributes we wanted to see our child embody as an adult. Simple things like hard worker, compassionate, patriotic, smart, funny, adaptable, critical decision maker, good father, good husband, good citizen, respectful, disciplined. All the usual with a couple of “cancer curer” “Nobel prize winner” and “strong as Thor” ideas as well.

We also made a list of things we thought we needed to do to get him to those end goals. Quite overwhelming…Spanish tutors, abacus, violin, piano, cub scouts, boy scouts, zoo trips, science center, educational vacations, police station visits, backyard hole digging, exhaustive school searches, survival scenarios, background checks on friends, chore lists, etiquette classes, operas, practice dates, dance lessons…to only name a few. It’s been a busy and productive 18 years for all of us.

One activity that seemed to cover most attributes was “enroll in a karate program.” What transpired with that choice has certainly and obviously changed our entire family’s life forever. And perhaps, more importantly, has given him all the tools he needs to make it.

 I am not saying all his other activities and education have not shaped him to who he is. He did not develop a passion for electrical engineering or photography or how to juggle or about his family history at Kaju. But he has learned critical life skills that will be with him forever.

(Sorry Sibak but here goes.)  

Sibak is disciplined. Sigung and I have never had to remind him to do homework or stay on him to get a project done. He plans ahead and will do whatever it takes to complete a task. (Our saying - Desire, Dedication, Discipline – has major value when internalized!)

Sibak is goal-oriented. He worked for 13 years to earn his black belt. He recently made a goal to run a full-marathon (not a family inherited passion) and did it. He decided to earn his Eagle Scout Award by age 14 and did it. (What’s life without goals? Meaningless!)  

Sibak is willing to work hard, physically and mentally. As an employer, Sigung has seen the devastating effects a “lazy” person can have in a company and in their own lives. And you can’t easily fix that when you are 25 or older. (CrossPIT and physical endurance exercises have paid off!)  

Sibak can be patient and still. I credit hours spent waiting to compete in a tournaments, testing, seminars and such. He can sit still and not complain. He sees the merit of being able to be physically still for mental clarification. (I saw this trait developing in our Dragons at our last test. This is a major accomplishment).  

Sibak can overcome anxiety. Other students don’t think he is ever nervous when he performs or breaks bricks or speaks publicly. What they don’t see is how anxious he actually is! But he has the ability to overcome that, move forward to do his best. (Must be all those testing, demos and competitions!)  

Sibak is confident. Although confidence rears it is ugly side during the teenage years, we know from our own lives that he will have plenty of humbling experiences to help balance that. How many adults do you know that are disabled by lack of confidence or self-esteem issues? Sibak has seen first hand that he can accomplish so much…mentally, physically, spiritually…and even at times he may feel less-confident, we know it is inside him and he will be able to pull from that and overcome obstacles. (Kaju confidence is contagious!)  

Sibak can overcome defeat in a positive manner. He has not broken every single brick every time. He has not won in all competitions. Not all his Kaju material has come easily. He has not performed to standard on all school endeavors. Disappointments and failures happen throughout our entire lives. Kaju has given him opportunities to fail and deal appropriately and effectively. (Kicking set five may have been set up for us to learn this very skill!)  

Sibak has already experienced balance in life. He has balanced school, extra-curricular activities, martial arts, church and more already in his short life. Instead of cutting out Kaju because of his Track team participation, he learned to balance all areas and got it all done. What an awesome life skill this will be when he is balancing college life and way off in the future (we are in NO RUSH), a wife and family. (Kaju training should never take over your life, only enhance it.)

I could go on and I am certain Sibak is thoroughly embarrassed. He knows what I would say to him to his face at this very moment while he is blushing – “Suck it up and deal” – and thanks to his lifelong participation in martial arts, I know he can. It was hard to see the end value of a lifelong commitment to martial arts 18 years ago.

And there were year’s worth of “I don’t want to go to karate” or “it stinks to have parents that own a karate school” or “why do I have to do karate.”

But ask Sibak now if it was worth it. He will definitely tell you yes.

Ask Sigung or me if it was worth it and we will tearfully, gratefully and resoundingly say ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT.

Happy Graduation, son. This is only the beginning. May all your dreams come true!

Getting the Most of Your Kaju AZ Workouts

Master Motivator Zig Ziglar says: “I don’t care how much power, brilliance, or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there, you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.”

Nothing feels better than a great Kaju AZ workout! Coming to class prepared to workout - ready to learn, listen, and sweat – these are just the beginning. There are a lot of things you can do OUTside of the dojo to ensure you will have a great workout Inside the dojo.

First things first: plan ahead. The class schedule RARELY changes. Leave your house with adequate time to arrive 10-15 minutes early. Have your uniform ready and your equipment packed. Don’t waste time on being rushed, walking through the door 5 minutes after class starts and scrambling for your belt. These all provide distractions that diminish your focus in class.
Second, remember that balance is key! Get your two workouts a week in – it really helps! While personal, work and school schedules can change, make your training a priority. Missing a class a week impedes your retention. It is so refreshing to be able to master basic material in class instead of reacquainting ourselves because we missed class. If your schedule is temporarily screwed up, talk to me or Sifu about coming in during other times to make up class time. We are here for your success!

Third – and perhaps MOST IMPORTANT - practice really does make perfect! Martial artists often practice more in the beginning of their training and then begin slacking off as they learn more material. Simply reviewing your material every day…from start to finish…can make a huge difference. Develop a routine that incorporates your material into a living room cardio workout! Shadow boxing rounds is a great way to practice all your “A” day material. Partners are not required to practice your self-defense! Doing your “B” day material in the air and with visualization can make you stronger without much effort. I know time is tight in our busy lives, but you have made a martial arts commitment and you owe it to yourself to make the most of it!

For my other job, I used to travel 15-18 times a year for 5-6 days at a time. It was hard to miss so much dojo time! But I made the most of it - I simply packed my jump rope, resistance bands and my material notebook and made it a habit to practice every travel day in my hotel room! I still do this at home! Many of you may think being the Sigung provides much practice time – I need extra review time too! Sifu often runs through tournament techniques while sitting at red lights or waiting for the kids. And neither of us go very far without a printout or digital copy of our material! Being stuck in a doctor’s office is a great place to read through your notes!

Some days you may have a chunk of time to review all your material from start to finish – take advantage of that! But don’t get lazy if you don’t have a 30-minute block. Start looking for those few minutes here and there – you can do a kicking set or two while waiting for your microwave popcorn to finish! You can recite your student creeds while folding towels. Try doing your kata work in the pool! There are plenty of creative ways to get your practice in – and I guarantee it will make a BIG difference in your confidence, performance and satisfaction of your Kaju AZ workouts!

It is a pleasure to have each of you in class. Kaju Az is awesome and thank you for all your support!

Sigung Kelly Corder
Train Strong to Remain Strong

Events Showcase What Makes Kaju AZ Unique

Wow, what a weekend! From a spectator’s point of view…I am exhausted! Kaju AZ students competed in two separate events this past weekend (January 14-15th, 2012) and I am one proud Sifu.

The first event was the “Tough Mudder.” One might think that is a perfect way to describe our students…and that is correct. The Tough Mudder event was unique and exciting and showed a simple truth we teach and exemplify at Kaju AZ: Teamwork.

We hear about teamwork all the time. The media spouts it, politicians, religious leaders, co-workers, etc. But sometimes it is simply all talk and no action. At Kaju AZ we practice teamwork daily in our classes and Ohana events as well as acts of service inside and outside the dojo.

The Tough Mudder showed an extraordinary effort on Team Almost There’s members: Sigung Kelly, Coach Jon, Andy, Omar, Tony, Joe, Amy, Jessica and Cindy. Watching them perform what appeared to be sometimes insurmountable obstacles was amazing…and they did it was a team. If team members arrived early to an obstacle, he or she waited until everyone was present to complete it. If a team member needed help, he or she got it. The huge “over the wall obstacles” showcased this even more. It was inspirational.

The other event was Sibak Nicolas’ marathon race. This event showed simply how the skills learned through martial arts training can help you in all aspects of your life. Not just physical skills – leadership, desire, dedication, discipline and more. Sibak has been training in martial arts virtually his entire life. About six months ago, he set a goal to run a full marathon. He researched and began training. He never quit or gave up and worked daily to prepare. When he was told he was too young to participate, he took action and wrote a letter explaining why he wanted to do this. He was granted permission. He continued to train despite an injury and a couple of illnesses. And by achieving this goal, he knows there is nothing in life he cannot do. In my opinion, that is a powerful life lesson for a 17-year old to realize and exciting to know that this is just the beginning of his adulthood.

Who knows what lies ahead for Team Almost There or Sibak Nicolas or any of us? Through our martial arts training, it is obvious we are better individuals and team members. It’s a pleasure to watch each person grow and reach his or her goals. Just a silver lining of our training, and a daily inspiration for each of us to see.

Sifu Jennifer Corder