So where do
I begin? Well I can’t talk about all of it all of the time so I am going to
start today by talking about something that started as a hobby, but really
became a way of living.
Since I was
a young boy I had a fascination with Martial Arts. Though because there is a
lot of philosophies tied into it, my Christian mother had her reservations about
it…also we didn't have much money growing up. My love and fascination for the
martial arts was re-kindled in high-school when my older brother was having a
go at amateur boxing. I wasn’t doing much technique, but I got to be a moving
punching bag for a while.
When I got
into college I was all about my music and experimenting with other talented
musicians to make music. I was so enthralled with it that I actually began to
lose interest in my classes. I still got all A’s mind you, but in my 3rd
semester of undergrad I needed to take a break and just play music, so that is
what I did.
Before I took my hiatus from school I was an RA for about half of
the semester which is where I met my now good friend and Sensei Earl Smith. We
talked about me taking classes with him from time to time, but at that point I
wasn’t really ready to dedicate myself, mostly because I was going to go play
with a band back in southern Vermont.
My hiatus
ended up being about 1.5 years during which I met my wife, and grew a lot
musically, but those are topics for another post. I returned to Johnson State
College to complete my education. After a semester I applied and got a job again
as an RA in my dormitory. I was able to catch up with Earl and he told me he
was going to be teaching a seminar for the RAs on basic self-defense. I said “I’m
in!” when he asked if I would be his Uke (pronounced ooo-kay), the person that
gets tossed around for demonstrations of techniques. Since Earl worked the late
shift, I would stay up late at night and meet Earl on his breaks and learn for
the first time a martial art!
So many
people say “Oh you do Karate?” While that isn't an inappropriate way to refer
to our discipline, it isn't the most accurate way. Karate is Japanese for “Empty
Hand,” and there are many variations of this art that have been developed over
the years. Our discipline is a unified art, but stems from many older
disciplines. The roots come from Kenpo (Also known by the Anglicized version Kempo)
Karate, Jujitsu, and Eskrima. Kenpo was a discipline on its own that has strong
Chinese origins and roots in Kung Fu. Karate is the traditional form from
Okinawa and Japan. These two arts were fused to create Kenpo Karate. Jujitsu or
“Gentle Art” is effectively expanding one’s knowledge of human anatomy to
target one’s own energy and manipulate it through joint locks, constrictions,
and chokes. Eskrima is a diverse art from the islands of the Philippines. It
has an emphasis on the use of sticks, knives, machetes, short-swords,
improvised weapons, as well as using an empty hand. These three arts combine to
create our discipline which is called Kenpo-Jujitsu Eskrima. This is the
extremely abridged explanation of the roots of our art, but it should probably
provide a good overview.
The summer
after I started with Earl, he told me that he holds a summer camp that is a few
days long, and it is a great opportunity to train with his other students. I
pestered him to keep me updated on when the camp would be held. At the time I
had no uniform, no belt, just a strong will to be involved with the camp.
It was a
life-changing weekend.
I learned a
lot about the martial arts, sure. More importantly, I learned more about
myself, and what my mind was capable of. We train long and hard, for a few
days, while another person is testing (all weekend) for their Black Belt. Some
martial arts schools have become what I refer to as ‘Black Belt Factories.’
These are kind of like puppy mills. Student goes in one side, 3 years later
they are a black belt. I am not convinced that you can really become an expert
(what the black belt denotes) with just 3 years of experience, but that is just
my point of view. It takes 6-7 years to get a Black Belt in our system. That isn't to make money or draw out fees; the teachers of my schools don’t really
make anything off of teaching and have full time jobs besides teaching our art.
Which brings me to another, and arguably the most important thing I have
learned from our discipline: the importance of family. Family isn't just blood.
Sometimes your blood doesn't really qualify. Your family is the group of people
that will physically and emotionally stand you back up when you get knocked
down. Other times they know when not to help you; they just talk some sense
into you and let you get yourself back up. Family doesn't judge you, or
mistreat you. Sure they may poke fun, but never maliciously or with the intent
to do harm. More than any of the great techniques I have learned from our
discipline, or even from training with Senior Grandmaster Rick Alemany, family
is a behavior, not just a bloodline.
So today I
am a Brown Belt with a Black Stripe. What that means is that this summer I am
likely to be testing for my Black Belt. I have been teaching at a local
business as part of their wellness program in preparation of the test that is 7
short months away. A Black Belt for me
will be worth more than my college degree. I am both terrified, and excited for
my time to test my will, my mind, and my body.
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