Student of the Month Spotlight - Rick Leigh - Kaju Purple/Blue

Rick. What can I say about Rick except what a GREAT guy!! He always comes into the dojo with a smile on his face and ready to train hard. He is a role model for the younger students and is not afraid to set them straight if they stray. We know that we can depend on Rick to do whatever is needed from helping with a class to helping lock the dojo up after class. 

Rick is engaged to Tabitha who also trains at Kaju AZ. It is rare to see one without the other. He says she is the most wonderful woman in the world. He has 4 children, Jackie, 26, Brooklin, 18, Ryder, 15, and Hunter, 14. He is a family man and enjoys nothing more than spending time with them. 

When Rick is not training, he enjoys remodeling and wood working. And a little interesting tid bit, Rick is a part-time Black Jack dealer. 

Rick has been a part of many different martial art schools, but has never felt the sense of accomplishment he does with Kaju AZ. He thrives on training hard, hitting and being hit. In his words, "It is truly an Ohana... my Ohana!"

I love training with Rick! He is passionate about his training, gives 100% in class and he has a way of making those around him feel special and important. Rick is the kind of friend you want in your corner and I am so glad to know him.

Ms Jessica

My Martial Arts Journey

When I retired in September 2006, after what I considered a successful career, I didn’t know what I was going to do with my time.  I only knew I was tired of the travel, long hours and time away from my family.  What came next was quite a surprise.

I will spare you the story of thinking a dojo was a type of restaurant.  When our friend Sifu Jennifer Corder sent a note saying she and her husband were fulfilling a dream by opening a dojo for Kajukenbo training we signed Thomas up very quickly.  His best friend was Cameron Corder so it was a great opportunity for them to spend time together while training.  When I took Thomas to the dojo Sifu Jennifer spent time with me expounding on all the reasons I should try it.  So, when I retired I finally agreed to try a class.  A friend of mine and I went to a morning class taught by Sigung Kelly.  I was hooked and received private lessons for many months because it was new and word hadn’t gotten out about the morning class.  

As time progressed, I became a little obsessive about my training.  After a few belt tests, I was determined to get a black belt.   That was my new goal.  Both Sigung and Sifu kept talking about “the journey” but I only focused on my destination, the black belt.  I wasn’t far enough removed from the competitive world of business to relax and enjoy my new obsession.  I just kept thinking I wanted to reach my goal.  It wasn’t until I started getting closer to earning my black belt that I started understanding more about “the journey”.  I realized getting my black belt was really only the beginning. More importantly, earning a black belt wasn’t just about learning the Kajukenbo MMA techniques.  It was more about learning respect, humility, goal setting, commitment, Ohana, giving back, discipline and much more.  It was about living the black belt principles.  It was about BLACK BELT ATTITUDE!

Everyone’s martial art journey is different.  I started to train as a way to work out and be involved in something my son was doing.  All of our family eventually started training which made it even better.  The more time I spent at the dojo the more I realized it wasn’t just about training.  We were developing our minds and spirit as much as our bodies.  Everything we learn at the dojo applies to every aspect of our lives.  It’s up to us to display our “black belt attitude” in everything we do. 

I am enjoying my journey even more after 6 years of training.  Although I’m past my prime physically, I still enjoy learning new techniques.  I am a different person now than when I started and can’t wait to see who I’ll become after another 6 years of training at Kajukenbo Arizona.   

-Simo Linda George

Train Hard, Be Humble, and Stay Busy - Sigung Kelly Corder

(From our December/January Mat Chat)

The last two months of each year are always busy for the Corder's and for Kaju AZ – and 2012 is no exception.  I had the opportunity to travel with GM Lim to the Northwest Kajukenbo seminars hosted by Sigung Trent Junker, visited the Pit in San Luis Obispo, hosted our annual CrossPit training day and deep fried a 21 lb. turkey to crispy perfection (although it looked a little more on the crispy side but turned out okay!). December will see some great testing at Kaju AZ, a trip to Portugal, Winter break, and then our traditional new year rappelling event on Jan 1st.

As I reflect over this years events, I began planning for next year and I had this thought: as busy as we are, we can never be too busy.  Yes, we need to take time to rest and recharge. But in general, we should be busy doing our best to improve ourselves and to make the lives of those around us better.

Five years ago I trained at the PIT for the first time. Our training at Kaju AZ has always been traditional, old school, hard hitting and practical. The influence of the PIT has not changed our core values but it certainly has enhanced our school in the fitness and philosophical perspectives. Getting to know John Hackleman has been a blessing in my life and it has affected how I am as a martial artist. I thank Kumu John for the promotion to PIT black belt and dedicate myself to continuing to maintain the Kajukenbo attitude of hard work. Kumu John works tirelessly to perfect his teaching in his art. He spends countless hours in seminars and training and in personal phone calls with luminaries like Tony Robbins, Dave Kovar and many other people. Kumu John never rests from seeking personal improvement and I think that is one of the traits why I admire him.

In two weeks I travel with Grandmaster Lim to Portugal and will have the opportunity to teach. More importantly, I will have the opportunity to train with some very dedicated, hard hitting, and humble martial artists. I will have the honor of watching Grandmaster teach, which is a real pleasure for me. He always teaches with passion and excitement and his love of martial arts is ever-present in everything he does.  With his infectious attitude, it's hard not to come away from his seminars with an increased desire to do better and be better. Grandmaster and Aunty are always on the go. They are always seeking to make an improvement, somewhere, somehow in the Ohana.

Also, while in Portugal, I will be able to spend time with Professor Nuno Nunes - what a treat!. This man is a fine martial artist,  a great teacher, carries the Lim legacy in Portugal, and is a healer. Whenever I have a chance to converse with him, I come away amazed at his humility and dedication to his students. All his students are hard working and very humble. They express their gratitude constantly to Professor and Grand Master for the gift of this special art that has changed their lives. It's beautiful and inspiring to see Ohana expressed so profoundly and truly in a place so very far from where the word Ohana comes from. And again, Professor is always, always busy with good things.

2013 will undoubtedly prove to be busy and packed with many wonderful things.  At this time of year we often make goals and resolutions for the following year. Mine continue to be simple and constant every year: train hard, be humble and stay busy with good things.  I hope to become more like my mentors and incorporate their awesome qualities into my own life.  I am a blessed and busy man.

Student of the Month - Louise - Age 5 - Dragon Yellow Belt

Louise is a quiet and smily little girl and a hard working student in class. Her favorite color is purple and her favorite food is a blue popsicle. Math is her favorite subject in school.

Louise has a mom and a dad and a dog named Tex and a brother named Jesse. She also has 2 cats, one named Rainy and one named Flynny. She has a grandma and grandpa in New York and a grandma and grandpa in Arizona.

When Louise is not training, she likes to go to the Renaissance Festival. She also like splaying Candy Land, doing arts and crafts, coloring and playing with dolls.

She loves doing takedowns in class and she loves springs, spiderman, pushups, army crawl, back and front rolls and obstacle courses. 

Great job to Louise! She always works hard and is a good example to the rest of her classmates!

Student of the Month - Lily Ellsworth

Lily is 10 years old and a Junior at Gilbert. Her favorite color is Turquoise. She likes quesadillas and guacamole and her favorite subject in school is science.

Lily has 2 brothers, Jack and Rex. Her mom's name is Emily and her dad's name is Ned. They have 5 pets, 2 dogs and 3 cats.

Besides training at Kaju AZ, she likes playing Softball.

Lily likes training because she likes to learn how to defend herself.

Keep up the great work and training hard Lily!

Martial Arts is for Everyone

When people find out I am a martial artist I often see a surprised look on their face followed by “Wow, I would have never guessed.”My close friends think it’s an insult. I consider it a compliment.

For almost 10 years, I was the consummate Dojo Mom. I was very good at this – supporting my husband and sons, laundering gi’s, cooking for potlucks, tournaments, cheerleading, ohana events, karate movies, and so much more. Martial arts has impacted my family in such positive ways and it’s always been an honor to be a part of the experience. But I was always on the bench, never on the mat.

Sure, I had trained a little bit here and there. But I never made the real commitment to stick with it and go for black. In my mind, there was no way I would ever be THAT good at it.

Then, an instructor suggested I get off the bench and experience first hand what my family was doing.

Was he crazy? I certainly thought so! After all, I was overweight, uncoordinated, beyond non-athletic, clumsy, 37 years old and quite frankly, afraid of getting hit. I made up every excuse imaginable. He smiled and said I “owed it to my kids” to try it. “Martial arts is for everyone,” he said.

Did he not realize how safe it is on the bench? You don’t sweat when you are cheering. You don’t get taken down when carrying water bottles. You don’t feel the anxiety of testing when you are watching on the bench. It’s easier to remember techniques when it’s not you. Trust me: it’s safe on the bench.

Out of respect, I decided to try a class. I thought I would be the one student my instructor would realize he couldn’t help. We set a date and time and I invited two other friends so I wouldn’t have to go it alone.

I almost cancelled about 25 times. As I walked into the dojo I was as anxious as I was on my first date with Sigung Kelly. How many times had I entered before and not been nervous? Too many to count! The class consisted of stretching and a warm-up. In terms of numbers, I did not do an enormous amount of pushups (maybe 5?), crunches, squats (still don’t) and I discovered muscles I did not even know existed (still do). We learned basic self-defense techniques and before I knew it, the 45- minute class period was over.

I was hooked. I felt empowered that my mind was really able to control my body! Sweating felt great! I was able to experience a bit of what my family endured. It was awesome! My friends felt the same way. All four of us signed up.

Of that initial class, I am the only one that had the desire, dedication and discipline necessary to get my Black Belt. I have seen a lot of fellow students come and go.

Becoming a black belt is one of my crowning life achievements. Why? Because martial arts represents EVERYTHING outside of my comfort zone. I overcame my biggest fears through my training. Are my kicks the highest in class? NO. Have I finished learning? NO. Can I knock out the most pushups in class? NO. It’s not about that.

Martial arts has made me stronger physically and mentally. I routinely push the limits of what I can do in all aspects of my life. On my knees every day, I punch the mat and announce that my mind controls my body, not vice versa. My martial arts training has made me a better person.

 - I used to lead the cheering during tests. Now I have my own fans.

 - Instead of just watching my family from the bench, I train right next to them.

 - I no longer just attend class, I teach it.

 - I hit as many times as I get hit. I can hold my own in a self-defense situation.

 - Boxing and karate movies are my choices on date night.

 - I am not just married to a black belt. My husband is too.

And when I feel like I have nothing left to give – in any life situation (and there have been a few) – I remember how I mustered up just a little more effort to finish a particularly hard training session. I think about how I relied on nothing but desire when I couldn’t get the technique right. I remember how I did not let a broken foot keep me from testing. I think about the countless times I came back to class when every single muscle hurt from the last training session. I remember getting hit in the face while sparring but I kept swinging. I remember how I never quit even though my body had given up during the last three minutes of my tests.

Martial arts improved my life, my thinking, my family, and my heart.

28 years ago I would have never thought I would be a Sifu, working side-by-side with Sigung in our own dojo with our sons. It’s been an amazing journey that keeps on getting better. Becoming a black belt made it all possible.

So, when someone shows their surprise and disbelief at my martial arts achievements, I am happy. I know I don’t look like the “typical” martial artist. But one thing is for sure…martial arts is for everyone. Even me.

-Sifu Jen