Student of the Month - Ed

Favorite Color - Turquoise
Favorite Food - Mexican
Profession - Firefighter/Chiropractor

Tell us about your family - We have two boys, Jessup (11) and Jacob (9). Both do well in school and we all study a lot.

Besides Kaju, what other activities do you enjoy? We enjoy camping, skiing and hiking. I especially  love backpacking.

What do you like most about training at Kaju AZ? Being with friends, staying fit and learning solid self defense techniques.

What are your goals for the next year?
Write a paper on fascial science as it pertains to manual medicine, become a teacher of the Fascial Manipulation Technique, work with the US Martial Arts Team at the 2014 World Games in Vancouver, become a black belt in Kaju.

Student of the Month - Jacob

Favorite Color - Blue

Favorite Food - Anything from In & Out and/or Sweet Tomatoes

Favorite subject in school - History

Tell us about your family - My immediate family includes: Robyn, Mom, Ben, Papa, Muzzie, Ga-ma, Dad, Aunt Kim, Uncle Joe, Grandpa Denny and my Kaju Family, which for sake of space will not be mentioned here.

Do you have any pets? Yes, 3 dogs and 1 cat

Besides Kaju, what other activities do you enjoy? Go-pedding, model rockets and drawing

What do you like most about training at Kaju AZ? I like that no-one will judge you by appearance, only by character.

The Black Belt Oath

This weekend’s STORM retreat was a great opportunity for our instructors to get renewed and refreshed. It was an opportunity to recharge the martial arts teaching batteries! There were multiple sessions with plenty of group interaction regarding how we can teach martial arts more effectively and how we can share our passion for martial arts.

We also reviewed the Black Belt oath:

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“I, ____________, accept with honor and privilege the Black Belt in martial arts and do hereby swear to uphold he standards of honesty, integrity, courtesy, high moral code and indomitable spirit.”

“I sincerely pledge to honor my instructor and school, with loyalty and support, and to value and carry on the martial arts tradition with respect and dignity.”

“I further pledge, with humility and gratitude, to continue my mental, physical and spiritual growth to the highest level, to lead by example, and to share what I have learned with others.”

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All of our STORM and SWAT team reviewed the oath and discussed it. We discussed how we can execute this oath in our teaching and in our lives now (even before receiving a black belt).

For me the oath is an important part of my martial arts journey. I believe that having a black belt in martial arts must stand for something more than learning about how to potentially injure another person. Instead, it’s about avoiding harm to anyone. But we must be willing and able to defend our loved ones, those that cannot defend themselves, and ourselves.

We train in martial arts, but the black belt principles and our integrity prevent us from being a bully or being quick to raise our hands in anger. We can instead use our martial arts to avoid a conflict, or to diffuse a situation. We keep our egos in check and instead look for the good in others and look for ways around serious situations. But if we have to go into a situation, we must be prepared for anything; and we must do our utmost to survive.

The oath also reminds me about the instructors that have passed their knowledge and understanding of the martial arts on to me. I have a responsibility to protect the knowledge and share it with others. I should also preserve the integrity of how the knowledge is passed and remember that knowledge earned is knowledge learned. I also have a duty to protect my instructors and to respect them and remember them always.

Whenever I visit with my instructor I make sure I greet him and spend time with him. I try to contact him regularly to check in and see if there is anything I can do for him. I try to spend time asking him questions or just listening to what advice he might have for me to improve my students and myself. I enjoy having access to a wealth of knowledge and experience at my finger tips.

One of my favorite times was at Lim pool party and Shizu Abad and Grandmaster Lim were just hanging out talking about a recent trip that Shizu had made to Maui to visit Sijo. What a great opportunity to spend time just hanging out and having conversation! We are spoiled to have GM Lim, and Professor Lim come and visit us and spend time at our school.

Last year I visited the PIT and then also got a chance to hang with the Pit Master at the Martial Arts Supershow. The Pit Master might look gruff, but in reality he is a caring and kind person that is constantly working to improve himself and his martial arts. He will always answer a question to the best of his ability and will tell you what he thinks in order to help you become better.

In February I visited my BJJ Coach Luigi Mondelli at American Top Team in Danbury, CT. It was quality time with a great group of people. I was able to not only develop physical skills but my spirit was re-energized too. It was great to test why we do at Kaju AZ and know it is working.  I love how our BJJ program is growing.  I am excited that Professor Luigi is coming to our school May 10th. Mark your calendars  for this awesome opportunity!

Of course, having the knowledge that I have earned over the years of my training would be useless if it wasn’t passed on and shared. That’s one of the many reasons we have the yin yang on our patch: we learn, then we share what we learn, and through that we learn even more.

I didn’t know how much I truly loved martial arts until I began teaching it. I am grateful and honored to have met the people I have met over the years that have shared their thoughts and understandings with me. I am more blessed by the students and the parents of my students that entrust their time and loved ones to my care. 

Thank you for trusting Kaju AZ to always do our best to: protect our students, teach them real techniques that actually work, build their minds and bodies through hard work, and teach them to never let anyone take their lunch money.

Train Strong!

- Sigung Kelly

Student of the Month - Kristine

Favorite Color - Red and Black

Favorite Food - Artichokes and Chocolate (not together)

Profession - Kaju AZ Admin

Tell us about your family - My husband Russ and I have been married for 16 years.  He is always very supportive and keeps me laughing.  We have 2 kids Lauren (13) and Landon (10) and one dog Harry and he is very hairy, but the family wouldn't let me spell it that way.  

Both kids also train at KajuAZ.  We like to take family bike rides, play games and watch movies.

Besides Kaju, what other activities do you enjoy? Reading, biking, quilting and photography

What do you like most about training at Kaju AZ? I feel like I am turning back the clock.  It challenges me both physically and mentally  - and I believe in the use it or lose it theory.  I also love the people, real honest and supportive.  Just the type of people I want around my family.

What are your goals for the next year?

I want to work on my flexibility.  I would like to be able to do the splits again.  At home, I need to develop more patience as my kids approach the teen/tween years.  My other goal is to work on cleaning out and organizing the house.

Student of the Month - Maunale'o

Favorite Color - Blue, Red, Green and Yellow

Favorite Food - Teriyaki Chicken, Kalua Pig, Saimin and Pizza

Favorite Subject in School - PE, so I can play

Tell us about your family - I have a twin sister named Kaihohonu who dance hula at Kaju AZ. I also have a big brother and big sister on Maui. We live with our Mama To in San Tan Valley and our Daddy lives on Maui.

Do you have any pets? Not here, but a Blue Nose Pitbull named Poly back on Maui and pig named Baggy.

Besides Kajukenbo, what other activities do you enjoy? Watching Kung Fu movies while eating popcorn with Mochi crunch and Lihing mui powder. I really like rollerblading, swimming and just hanging out with my ohana

What do you like most about training at Kaju AZ? Take downs, monkey crawls, the friends I made, my instructors, and sometimes I love the running. I also like learning self defense and boxing hands.

Student of the Month - Gracie

Favorite Color - Purple

Favorite Food - Shrimp

Favorite Subject in school - Music

Tell us about your family - My brother is funny, my dad is awesome, and my mom is great because she helps me with my homework.

Do you have any pets? I have 2 dogs. Their names are Jessie and Louis

Besides Kaju, what other activities do you enjoy? Playing on my playground.

What do you like most about training at Kaju AZ?  I get to see my friends and train strong to remain strong.

Train Strong to Remain Strong In Life

Dave Kovar, motivational speaker, successful businessman, and martial artist, recently posted the following statement:
       
 By developing our physical stamina, Martial Arts not only increases vital energy, but also develops mental toughness to get through life’s biggest challenges.

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement.

Our martial arts training requires us to learn and practice the techniques, develop a no quit attitude, and build the physical strength and stamina to use the techniques when we need to.

We can know the technique in our mind, but if our body is not strong enough or our cardio is not sufficient to carry us through a situation, we might not succeed when it matters most.

John Hackleman has said that the fighter in the best shape has the most chances for winning. Sometimes your sheer strength and cardio will overcome the opponent’s initial barrage and allow you to win even if they are technically more skilled.

I have noticed that the martial artists who spend the time training their bodies and overcoming physical challenges tend to develop the mental toughness that is needed to make progress in their training.                

That same mental toughness leads to success in life.

Successful people tend to have a mental toughness that allows them to overcome the distractions that might otherwise pull them away from their dedication to their goals. Successful people overcome minor aches and pains and keep going when others give up. Successful people don’t care what other people are doing, they just do what needs to be done.

We became a PIT affiliate in 2008, and added CrossPITs to our schedule. We also made two PITs a week the minimum requirement for progression in our belt programs.  It’s been a great fit for Kaju AZ and been a way to expand our Ohana too.  I think because of our PIT affiliation and dedication to working hard, our students tend to be much stronger in mind AND body than others.

At last year’s Martial Arts SuperShow, I was training in the Pit Master’s morning workout and there were a lot of people there. One person in particular caught my eye. He was smiling, talking to people, and was very personable to everyone around him. He also was working out harder than most people and you could tell he was no stranger to hard workouts. It was Kyoshi Dave Kovar himself.  He’s got nothing to prove but keeps fit, physically and perhaps more importantly, mentally.  It’s no wonder to me why he is so successful.

Make your next workout your best workout!

Train Strong to Remain Strong!
-Sigung Kelly