The Bulletin

Editors: VernonMedeiros MikeParenteauDesigner: JaneParenteauWebMaster:RyanGoettsche

Issue7 January2009

The Center for Aikido & Tang Soo Do

Studies

ColoradoSprings,COLongmont,CO

Hagerstown,MD

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EditorialThe Instructors for the CATSDS would like to thank all of you who took the time and effort to write a paper assignment for the Bulletin. Those who put forth this extra effort understand the meaning of our standard and what that means to our school.

You will notice that there are many references in this issue of the Bulletin to standards. Some might argue that standards are not needed and that standards do not allow for development of the individual and do not allow for creativity. On the contrary...standards provide the basis for these things. The CATSDS has always had high standards and these standards have not been unreasonable, given some of the standards put forth by commercial schools or for that matter, some traditional schools. Look up some martial arts schools on the internet and make your own conclusions.

To close, the year 2009 is about realizing that martial arts training is about character development. As a part of that development, the discarding of habits which do not allow for that development is an important point. To that end, paper assignments are not a request...they are a part of the standard of the school. It is every student’s responsibility (we are all students of the Art we practice) to send in their assignments on time. There are 3 1/2 months, between issues, to come up with an idea and write about it. Judge for yourself whether this is too much to ask.

The Bulletin is a source for CATSDS students and instructors to share their thoughts and ideas in a "bulletin board" format. Enjoy!

Issue7 January2009

Students’ Thoughts

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Respect and EtiquetteBy Spencer Van Horn

Wemustalwaysshowrespectandetiquetteto everyone. You must show it to yourinstructors, seniors, and juniors. We alsoshowrespecttopeoplewhocometowatchbyintroducingourselvesandinvitingthemto learn.Wemust rememberourplace inlineandhowwebow in that line.Seniorslineupfirst;theymakesurethateveryoneiswheretheyaresupposedtobe.Thehighestranking senior sits first, then the secondhighest senior, and then the third. NowwhenwebowtoSensei(theinstructor),heorshebowstothehighestrankingstudentin the class, and then bows to the class,and then the rest of the class bows toSensei.Whengettingupfromthatbowyouwaitforthepersonatthefrontofthelinetogetup,thenthenextperson,andthenextperson…soyoumakeawavewith it fromblack to white, or senior to junior. Whenyou are training, the senior receives theattack first.Also,whena senior is havingproblems with the technique, the juniormust not correct the senior, because thatshowsdisrespecttothesenior.Ifthejunioris having problems, then the senior cancorrect the junior.Nowthisnext thinghasnotbeencarved in thestoneofetiquette,butIthinkitisveryimportantthatwhenyoucomeandtraininthedojo,youmustleaveyour outside problems outside the dojoandthenpickthemupafterifyouwantto.IsaythisbecausewhenIhavehadabadday itshows,andpeoplenotice that Iamnothappy.Itisnotpropertobringthiskindofnegativeenergy into thedojo,becausewithbadenergythereisbadki,andbadki

isdistractingtoeveryone.Thistypeofbadenergy shows disrespect more than badetiquette because unhappiness spreadslike a sickness. Respect and etiquette issomethingweallmustknow,andpracticewhileweareatthedojo.

Ki vs. Responsibility or Trauma?By Fred Hunt

Kiisprettyelusiveforme,asI’maKirookie.ButitseemstomeIcouldoccasionallytellI“had”itwhenIstartedAikidoalmostayearand a half ago. Now it seems it’s muchhardertogetthatfeelingandI’mnotsurewhy especially since we now focus on Kievenmorethanbefore.

Twomajoreventshaveoccurredsincelastyear. The first was a new position at myjobwhichgavemenewresponsibilities,butactuallyreducedmystressoncetheinitialshockofthenewjobworeoff.

The other was a motorcycle accidentin which I broke my thumb and whichpreventedactiveparticipationduringavisitby Sensei Medeiros. I know…I know, I’msupposedtocomeandwatchanyway,butIdon’tdothatverywell.Itmakesmenutstositanddonothingespeciallywhileall thatcoolstuffisgoingon.

Couldeitherof theseeventshavecausedafocusblockageduringmyAikidopracticewhichkeepsme fromgetting “there”?AmIdeludedandIactuallyhavetheKiofoneyear old Aikidoka? Or was I deluded lastyearwhenIthoughtIwasthecreamofthenoviceAikidocrop?

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So which is it? Or does this happen tomostrookiesafteratasteofKi?Whatever,I’ll justkeepworkingat itandhopemyKishows up and helps me through the next18.5years!

The Winds of ChangeBy Stephanie Shuhayda

ThefirstthingImustsayisthatchangeispainful.It’ssomucheasiertobecontentinlife.Floatingalong,wedecidewe’veheardand experienced most of the reasonablyrelevant things in life, and have in fact,alreadydecidedwherewestandonthem.IsthereaGod?Whathappenswhenwedie?Whichpoliticalpartyhasall theanswers?Who is right and who is wrong? We getcomfortable in our thinking and rarely re-visitouropinions;neverrealizinghowsmallourworldbecomesastimepasses.

All life experiences color and change us.Our inner essence is molded like clay bythe things we learn and experience, andmostimportantly,bythepeoplearoundus.I’vecometounderstandthatpeaceofminddependsalmostentirelyonwithwhomyouspendyourtime.

WhenIfirstcametothisschool10monthsago, I was injured, out of shape, andhadn’ttrainedin3years.Itquicklybecameobviouswheremyweaknesseslieandhowtheywereconnected.ThereweresomanyclasseswhereI’dcomehome,feeling likeI’dbeenbeaten.Ihavespentmanyanight,withpainfilteringthroughmydreams,andone very longnightwhen I thought Iwasfinished. But a funny thing happened; asI wondered how long I’d be able to train

before I was injured again and waited forit to happen; I realized one day…I wasgrowingstronger,notweaker.

The levelofourcurriculumquicklyweedsout those who just want to play or fight.Here,trainingrequiresthought,awareness,patience,control,humility,andat times,adeep trust in thosewho teachyou.Therecomesapointwhereyoumustdecide:Isitworththepain?

Being a Tang student, my recentparticipationinAikidoclasshasbeenbothrewarding and humbling. Aikido is sucha beautiful, dignified art with its flowing,energetic force and elegant language. AsI trained, I noticedmy learning of oneartwasaffectingtheother.Ibegantowonderwhatwouldhappenifapurepractitionerofeachartwere tosparwith theother,whowould be the victor? Whereas Tang is ahard, aggressive art that uses Ki throughpowerful punching & kicking for defense,Aikido is soft, using an attacker’s ownenergyagainstthemthroughtheredirectionofmovement.InTang,yourenergymovesupandout fromyourcenterasyoustrikeandkick.InAikido,yourfeetremainrootedtotheground,keepingyourweightlowasyoumovefromyourcenter.

Yet in being opposites, they complementeachother.AsTangteachesustodefend,strikingbackhard&fast,Aikidoteachesusthat it’sokaytotakeafall.Aikido lendsusgrace, balance, and flexibility, while Tangendows us with strength, precision, andgreatforce.Ifindthechallengeisinblendingthem,soastoenhancemymovementsandnottripovermyowntwofeet.

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I am grateful for my Sensei’s and fellowstudent’s constant patience and kindnesswithme.Theymake it looksoeasy,yet Istumblethoughthemovementsasachild,as if I’ve never had a moment’s training.Watching the Sensei’s demonstrationsperformed with amazing precision, I longfor theability tomoveas theydo.ToseeSenseiRobynmovethemeninclasswithsuch ease, amazes me and gives mehope.Oneday,Iwillfindthiselusivethingthey call my center. As for the pain…I’vedecidedit’sworthit.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!By Gihan Fellah

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but with allthe recent events in this country andaround the world, it has been difficult toget into the Christmas spirit. The recentnews of corrupt government officials (Mr.Blagojevich from Illinois comes to mind),billions in government bailouts that arelining pockets rather than helping theconcernsofAmericans,suchasrecession,thegovernment’s removalof religion frompublicplaces,masscompany layoffs,etc.These issues are not helping to promotecheer and good will, nor patriotism forthatmatter. In fact,afterwatchingseveralepisodes of “Gangland,” our governmentseems remarkably similar to how thesegangs are structured and operated.Integrity, honesty, courage, justice, and“under God”…these are concepts thatseemtobeafleetingmemoryinthisformergreat nation of ours. How can one helpour economy by purchasing Christmasgiftswhenbasicnecessitiessuchasfood,

utilities,rent,andotherbillsarebecomingmoredifficulttopay?

In our small organization “The Center forAikidoandTangSooDoStudies”,memberstook action to resolve conflict within ourdoors.Itwasnoteasy,butwhentheworkwas finished, the results were effectiveand beneficial to the development andcontinuation of the art we study. Changeoccurred as a result of strong leadershipand loyal students, and is the reason theschool is still functioning. We hold on toour tradition and teachings to continuewhat greater minds than our own havediscovered and passed on. It is in myhumble opinion, that this same structureneedstobeappliedtoAmerica.Currently,the American people are such a diversegroup with different nationalities, differentvalues, different customs and differenttraditions. There is no cohesiveness thatholds us together, except greed. Ourcurrent nation’s predicament was basedonconsumerismandgreedandthatiswhyit is fallingapart.Ourconstitutionand thevaluesthatthisnationwasbuiltuponseemtobepurposelyforgottenbyourcurrent,socalled“leadersandrepresentatives”.

Inthe60’s,mostAmericanswerenotafraidtostanduptowhattheybelievedwasright.Peopleprotested,theystoodtogetherandthey rallied. Change was demanded andchangewasmade.Today, themajorityofpeople hide in their homes after work orschool and nothing is accomplished. Ourchildrenarenotbeing taught togivebackto society, only to take, take and take. Itseemsthatweasanationcontinuetoignoreworld history and the lessons from pastmistakes.Ourtraditionsarebeingnullified.

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Students’ Thoughts

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Christmas,oneofournation’straditions,isslowlybeingcensored.Christmaswasonepositivemoment in thecalendaryear thattiedallAmericanstogether.Now,Christmashasbecome“winterbreak”forourchildren,a season of frenzied gift purchasing, awayforstoreownerstomakeuprevenue,a Santa Clause and “Happy Holiday” HoHumbug, timeof theyear.As formeandmy family, we will celebrate Christ’s birthandprayforourcountry.

PersonalitiesBy Mark Crary

One never knows what is going to giveme an idea as to what I will offer for anewsletter article, and many who knowme may wonder what is really going oninside my twisted mind, (don’t feel bad.I wonder myself!), but this time, it camefromaconversationIhadwithaco-workerabout life in general, and how events,relationships, work, and everything else,tendtoformusallintothepersonweare.Aftersomeratherboringresearch,here’salittleofwhatIcameupwith.

Doing a search on personalities was alittle vague,andyouwouldbeamazedatthetwistedstuffIfound,andyes,ithelpedme feel a little better about being me…but we don’t need to get into that here!Anyway,Iaddedpsychologytothesearch,andfoundPsychosynthesis,APsychologyof the Spirit, by John Firman and AnnGila. Psychosynthesis is described as afield of psychology that “addresses bothspiritual development and psychologicalhealing and growth by recognizing andsupporting the particular life journey of

the person – the individual’s own uniquepath of self-realization.” That statementstruck a chord in me. Sounds a lot like“Do” to me, and mentions the differencesin each of our journeys in the martialarts. Okay, maybe I’ve found somethinghere.Oneof thechapters is “TheBirthofa Sub-Personality.” This is where it gotinteresting forme,because thesubjectofthischapterinvolvedatechnicalwriterwhofoundhimselfdrawn tomotorcycling (theyhadmeathello).

“George”wasinvitedbyafriendtoattendabikerallyoneweekend,anddecidedtogoalongtoseewhatitwaslike.Oncethere,hefoundhimselfdrawnnotonlytothebikes,butalsotothepeople,andthecamaraderiethey shared, not to mention the senseof adventure and freedom. The generalcultureoftherallypresented“George”withwhat the book calls a “unifying center.” Afeelingthatbegantocreateinhimadeepresponsethatopenedanewchapterinhislife,verysimilartoatreethatgrowsanewbranch, and he had begun relationshipsthatwouldbringoutofhimwhat thebookcalls a “sub-personality.” His spirit feltnurtured,andthepeopleheinteractedwithat the rally served as the fertilizer, sun,andsoil thisnewbranchofhimself,whichneededtogrow.

Themotorcycleunifyingcenterwas likeamirror,showinghimunconsciouspotentialswithin himself that he could work tomaterialize,ifhechosetofollowthatpath.The book I was reading states, “Whenthe unifying center has been found, weare inaposition tobuildaround it,anewpersonality.” What George didn’t realizewas that the seedsof his adventuresome

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spiritwerealwaysthere,theyhadjustbeenburied under all the mundane day to dayrequirements of work, family, and all theother“stuff”weallgetinvolvedwithasweliveourlives.

It occurs to me that we all, as martialartists,aregoing throughthesamethingsas George. We all have found somethingin themartialarts thatcalls tous.Weall,insomeway,findsomethingthatnurturesus,andkeepsuscomingbackagainandagain, and we all are developing anothersub-personality as martial artists. Everyone of us has found something here thatwe desire. Something that maybe fills avoid, something that takes our minds offourproblems,andsomethingthatpolishesourspirits.Itdoesn’tmatterwhatitis,andI’msureitisdifferentforeachofus,butweareallheretogetheronthispaththatleadsustowhoknowswhere.

We all, after some consideration, havemadethechoicetobuyadogi,andcometothedojo/dojangtotrainandfindoutwhatitisweallfindout.Atfirst,weallstruggle.Howlongwillithurttositinseiza?Whenwill I develop some degree of flexibility?Are my feet positioned properly? You allknow how endless the list of questions isthat we ask ourselves and our partners.As we begin, we have so many doubts.All this can seem very intimidating, butfor some reason, all of us have chosento continue, and eventually, things seemtogeteasier,andweareable,at least tosome degree, to do what our instructorsrequestofus.Thisisthesameprocesswe

allgothroughasweliveourlives,whetheritisasaninfantlearningtosuckourthumb,tothenlearningtopicksomethingupwiththat same thumb,or asapianist learningscales, then progressing to performing aconcert.Aswedevelop asmartial artists,weall findnewqualities inourselves thatbegintoemergeintoourdailylives,andatsomepoint,thosearounduswillnoticethechanges.Andsoournewsub-personalitiestendtocometothesurfaceforalltosee.

Thisnew identity tends tounify the skills,gifts,drives,andqualitiesthatwealldiscoveras martial artists, as well as particularbeliefsandvaluesconcerningbeingmartialartists. We begin to identify ourselves asmartial artists; we tend to begin to thinkand view the world from a martial artist’sperspective; we are naturally attracted tothesightofaschool,orsomeonewearinga uniform on their way to class; and weeven tend to take positive and negativecomments about martial arts in a verypersonalway.

In general, I have some serious doubtsregarding psychology and a lot of itstheories, most likely due to my lack oftrainingandknowledgeonthesubject.Butinthisinstance,ImustadmitthateverythingIreadseemsperfectlyplausible.Ihavetosay, though, that itmighthavesomethingto do with the fact that the chapter Ireferenced had to do with a developingmotorcyclistandthatthescenariogivensocloselymirrorsmyownlife.Nottomention,overtheyearsIhavewatchedtheprocesstake place many times in many people

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I have come in contact with. I just didn’tknowit.

It also seemsevident tome that in somecases,asub-personalitycan,throughtime,become so encompassing that it windsup being the dominant personality. Thisis just me juxtaposing, and I don’t knowif thebookgoeson tomention thispoint,becauseIgottiredofreadingwhatfeltlikesomesortofmanualwritten forastudentor professional shrink (I’m neither). Theproverbial, 1% biker comes to mind, aswell as O’Sensei, and anyone else whohastakentheirchosenpathtothatkindofextreme.Whoknowshowlongtheprocesstook,orif itwasaconsciousdecision,buteventually, all the other sub-personalitieswererelegatedtobackburnerstatus,andwhatwas lefton topwasabikerorgreatteacher.

Wheredoesthis leaveme?Ihadn’treallythoughtaboutituntilIstartedmyresearchandbeganwritingthispiece,butithasleftmeevaluatingmylifeinawayIneverhavebefore.Firstandforemost,Iamafatherandhusband.Thosetwothingshavehadmoreto do with who I am than anything else Icanthinkof.It’samazingtomehowhavingsomeoneinyourlifethatdependsonyourstabilityandcharacteraffectsyourdecisionmaking processes. Ok, maybe stability isa stretch in my case… I wish there wassomesortofscaleorrulerforthis,becausewhat really comes next is hard for me todecide for sure. Motorcycles and martialartshavebothbeenapartofmeforalmostaslongasIcanremember,andbothhave

given me more joy, peace, learning, andyes,pain, than Icouldpossiblyconvey toanyone who would be foolish enough tolisten tomy ramblings. Iguess Iwon’tbeabletoanswerthatquestionuntilmydaysaredone,butIcan’twaittoseehowitturnsout!

Tang Soo Do BrotherhoodBy Bob ReynoldsMember of the Hwa Rang World TSD MDKF

For threemonthsnow, I havebeena fulltime visitor at the Center for Aikido andTangSooDoStudies.Havinga2ndDanintraditional,oldstyleTangSooDoandmybase dojang being in Ventura, Californiaunder the founder, Grand Master Ho SikPakoftheHwaRangWorldTangSooDoMoo Duk Kwan Federation, I needed aplacetoworkouthereinColoradoSprings.Kyosa Speaks, Kyosa Miller and SabomMedeiros have given me their permissionand have been kind enough to allow meto train and direct me as I focus on mynext level…3rdDan.Theyhaveacceptedme with my limitations (total left kneereplacement and age of 57) with respect.I started training inMartialArtsatage15andhaveleftandreturnedmanytimes.Atage57,IfeelitisnotonlyinmybloodbutinmyDNA if thatwerepossible (Iwish itwere). Tangsoology, having evolved fromMoo Duk Kwan and sharing beliefs suchasphilosophyoftheart,attitudes,conduct,andtraininginphysicalandmentalaspects,

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lends us to a good match. As examplesin comparisons between Tangsoology’s“CodeForYourConduct”toGMPak’s“10ArticlesofFaith”are: 1. Beloyaltoone’scountry 2. Beobedienttoonesparents 3. Belovingtoyourspouse 4. Becooperativetoyourbrothers 5. Berespectfultoelders 6. Befaithfultoyourteacher 7. Befaithfultofriends 8. Killonlyinjusticeandwithhonor 9. Neverretreatinbattle10. Alwaysfinishwhatyoustart

Nextwouldbe theTangsoology’s “MentalTraining Requirements” compared to GMPak’s“10KeyConcepts”whichare: 1. Courage 2. Endurance 3. Concentration 4. Honesty 5. Humility 6. ControlofPower 7. TensionandRelaxation 8. SpeedControl 9. Justice10. BestFriendship

TheTangsoologyCreedcompared toGMPak’stenets: 1. To build true confidence through

knowledgeinthemind,honestyintheheartandstrengthinthebody.

2. To keep friendship with one anotherand build a strong and happycommunity.

3. Never fight to achieve selfish ends,buttodevelopmightforright.

Thesearewhat lendus toabrotherhood.A brotherhood accepts each other withinthe same style but other true Martial Artsstylesaswell.Also, there isawillingnesstolookforthebestineverystyletobetterimproveandtosharethatknowledgewithothers that need our training: the weak,the defenseless, the meek and small ofstatue.GrandMasterJhoonRhee’smotto(ThefatherofUSTaekwondo)is“MightForRight”.

In summary I thank Colorado SpringsTangsoology for their brotherhood towardmeandlookforwardtoalwaysworkingwithandalongsidethem.Ihopeeveryonehasagreat2009.TangSoo.

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As you all know, paper submissions arerequired for all students (that includesinstructors...we're all students of the Artswepractice!),tobeincludedinTheBulletin.The Bulletin is designed to be publishedevery fourth month in the year, i.e. threepublicationsperyear.Therefore,wehavethescheduleasfollows:•April is themonthforpapersubmissions

tobeincludedintheMayedition.•Augustisthemonthforpapersubmissions

tobeincludedintheSeptemberedition.

•December is the month for papersubmissionstobeincludedintheJanuaryedition.

Ideally, paper submissions should be turned in the first week of the month prior to the month of publication. Forexample,pleasesubmitpapers inthefirstweekofDecemberfortheJanuaryedition.

Papers (preferably MS Word format) canbe emailed to Mr. Parenteau at ctsds@comcast.net.Ifyoudonothaveaccesstoacomputer,writeyourpaperoutandmaybeyoucangetoneofyourfellowclassmatesto type it foryou.Maybe they'lldo it forahomecookedmealorpossiblysomeotherformofbribe.Italsohelpsifyouproof-readand spell check your publication beforesendingit.

Let'salltryourbesttomakeeachpublicationbetterthanthelast!

Paper Submittal Procedure

Issue7 January2009

Instructors’ Thoughts

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Aikido in the Dreaming BodyBy Sensei Robyn Gray – Senior Instructor

Do dreams have meaning or are we justreplayingtheday’seventswhilewesleepwithdifferentendings?Aretheyfullofsymbolismandaretheymirrorsthatreflectbackuponusonhowwetrulythinkorbelieve?Dowedream to sleep or do we sleep to dream?Are theyprophetic? Researchhasshownthatourbrainwavesaremoreactivewhenwearedreaming,andifthat’sthecase,whywould it be unreasonable to get the bestinformation while in that state. Whicheverway you believe is your choice, everyonedreams whether we remember them ornot.Through theyearsAikidohasnot justenteredmydailyworld,butmydreamworldaswell.I’vehadplentyofdreamsregardingAikido.SomeIcanhardlyrememberunlessI have a déjà-vu moment. Some dreamscomebackinflashes,glimpsesoracertaintechniquesparksamemory.Sometimes,I’veawakenedknowingandfeelingthatI’vehadadreamaboutclass,butcan’trememberathing. While others I can remember everydetailandtellyouabsolutelyeverythingandthose are the ones that get me saying tomyself…what did it all mean? This is oneofthosedreams,sopleaseenjoy…andjustmaybe…oneofyoucanfigureitout.

I am sitting crossed legged on a bed in a room that feels like a combination between a dorm room and a tropical vacation hut. It is a square room with windows directly in front of me and an open doorway that enters out into a hallway just to the right of me. There are two beds and two bookcases,

one is an old antique bookcase with glass doors up against the wall and the other one is an open crate style bookcase that helps divide the space, but leaves a pathway. The shutters on the windows are open and the soft white sheer curtains are gently blowing. I can feel the breeze coming through and see the sun setting on the trees and the flowers just outside the window. I’m studying something, because books, notepapers and a brown leather bound journal are in front of me. There is another person with me (of Asian descent) who is working on a laptop computer standing on the opposite side of the room. We share the room together, but we are here for different reasons. We are talking back and forth, smiling and asking each other questions and it makes me feel like I’m a college student, but yet I know I’m not because my boys are at home waiting for me. Just out in the hall we hear commotion. We both immediately turn our heads to the doorway because we hear from the others that O’ Sensei is coming down the hall. He is saying his goodnights to everyone and is making sure he goes from room to room. When he finally appears just outside our doorway, I stand up and we both bow towards him and say goodnight. He looks at both of us, then glances back towards me and drops his eyes down to my hands. I’m holding the leather journal. He then looks up at me again and just stands there smiling at me. He never once enters into the room, but his presence filled the room and he never said a word, but yet it feels like he’s telling me something. Still smiling, he gently bows his head and slowly turns to leave. Ithenawake.

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The Holidays & Our Extended Martial Family By Sabom Tim Speaks – Senior Instructor

It’s always around this time of year whenwe’recelebratingtheholidaysthatwestartthinkingaboutfamilyandfriends.Certainlywethinkaboutourlovedonesmanytimesthroughouttheyear,buttheChristmasandNew Year’s Holidays are a special timetraditionallyspentreconnectingwiththem.The New Year’s Holiday is also a timewhenwereflectonthegoodandthebadofthepreviousyearandlookforwardtogoodthingstocome.

We certainly have had some trying timesoverthepastyear.Yetwepersevere,forgeahead and make great things happen.New and exciting things are in store forthe Center for Aikido and Tang Soo DoStudies.Weareaspecialgroupofextendedfamilyandfriendscometogethertosupportone another in our individual martialendeavors.Likea familywemustsupportandencourageoneanothertocontinuethelong journey toward perfection. Each andeverymemberoftheDojo/Dojanghasthisresponsibility.Inthecontextoftrainingitisimportanttogivethissupportinperson.Orinotherwords,youmustshowuptotrainwith your friends and extended family onthemat.ItisdifficultforyourfriendsattheDojo/Dojang to progress in their trainingwithoutyoutheretohelpthem.

Often we hear lame excuses why this orthatpersoncan’tmakeittotheDojo/Dojangto train. These excuses usually reveal apersonwhobelievesthathisorherabsenceaffectsnooneelse.This isapersonwhodoesn’t thinkof themselvesaspartof theDojo/Dojangfamily.ItisimportanttorealizethateachandeveryDojo/DojangmemberhasagreatimpactontheeverydaytrainingdynamicsoftheCenterforAikidoandTangSoo Do Studies. The ongoing success ofour school depends on a student bodycomposed of people who care enoughto showupand train. I believe thesecretto this type of dedication is not merely alove for the art which you practice, but aself-obligation to the extended family andfriendswhorelyonyou forhelpwith theirtraining.Formeatleast,rememberingthatI need to be at the Dojo/Dojang to train,as well as to help others train, keeps mefrom making lame excuses so that I canstayhome towatch re-runsofLeave it toBeaver.

Ultimately,it’stimetocelebratetheHolidayseason with family and friends. I hopeeach and every member of The CenterforAikidoandTangSooDostudieshasaMerryChristmasandaHappyNewYear.Rememberthateachandeveryoneofyouis a valuable member of the Dojo/Dojangfamily. Your continuing perseverance atshowing up each and every time to trainis what will make our Dojo/Dojang evenmoresuccessfulinthecomingyear.Greatthings are to come. Now is the time toremindourselvesofwhatismostimportantinlife…eggnog.

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ConsistencyBy Sabom Jude Miller – Senior Instructor

For thepast6months,amartialprinciplethatIhavefoundtobeofgreat interest isthatofconsistency.ItcanbesaidthatIamseeingthisprinciplethrough“neweyes”,asIhavealreadygainedsomeunderstandingof it through my years of training. I recallduring Sensei Sabo’s visit this summer,that he stated that the key to mastery isconsistency; when a master moves orperforms a technique, the motions arealways the same. A month after his visit,I saw this concept in motion when wetrained at Kashiwaya Shihan’s seminarnearFt.Collins.EverytimeShihanmoved,itwasthesameevenifthetechniquewasdifferent. You could tell that he alwaysmoved from his center while relaxingand extending ki. The way KashiwayaShihan held a sword was the same wayhe grabbed the wrist when he performedshihonage.Duringclassacoupleofweekslater, Sensei Ryan added that ikkyo andyonkyo, when performed correctly, usedthesame“grip”aswhenholdingabokken.Thiswasabig lightbulbgoingoff formeinAikido,becauseIlearnedthatIamveryinconsistent in the way I moved. I wasnotaware that Iwasgrabbingapartner’swrist completely different from how I washolding a bokken on certain techniques.I was just moving without the necessarythought needed to induce development.Theonlythingconsistentaboutmytrainingwas my holding on to old habits, whichjust happened to be the crux of SenseiMedeiros’ messageduringhis last visit inOctober.

This is how I am trying to apply anddevelop myself in Aikido. Hopefully, myattempt to do the same is Tangsoodo isconsistent,consideringtheprinciplesofDoareconsistentregardlessoftheArt.Ihavefound that marching in Tangsoodo is atrainingmethodthateasilylendsitselftothepractice and development of consistency.Whenmarching,Imakeaconcertedeffortto make sure my techniques setup andend the same way every time. I pick atarget,and try tohit iteverysingle time. Itry to make every front stance the same,regardlessofwhichfootisforwardorwhatthetechniqueis.Whenpracticingaform,IalwaystrytoendtheformwhereIstartedit.Duringkickingdrills,again,Ipickatargetand try to hit the same spot every time.Thisisallalargenumberofactionstokeeptrackof,andrepetitionhelpstoingrainthecorrectmotionsintomotormemory,whichhelps. Expanding further, repetition is averyoldandconsistentmethodoftraining.

From what I am learning, consistency iswhat helps to build a tradition. Too manytimes I have seen commercial schoolsthat are inconsistent in their practicesand teachings. I happened to train in acommercial school for 5 years (earning ashodanintheprocess),soIwillsharemyviewsfrompersonalexperiencewithsuchschools. My first martial arts school, theNationalKarateSchool,isnolongeraround.Inconsistent practices and teachings arethe reason for this. In the dying days oftheschool,attendancefromtheinstructorswas far from consistent. I was consistentinmyattendanceandtraining,butIwouldnotseemyinstructorsforweeksatatime.Ifthereisnoconsistencyinattendanceand

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trainingwiththeinstructorsandstudents,aschoolcannotexist.

Becausetheinstructorswereinconsistent,thestudentswereinconsistent.Eventually,everyone started to develop their ownideas on training, and these ideas wereinconsistentfromeachother.Somestudentswanted to train for tournaments, somewanted to make lots of money teaching,and some wanted to learn other Arts toadd techniques to our system of karate.Allof the inconsistencieseventually ledtogeneral chaos. As Sabom Parenteau willrecall,onedayweallshowedupforclassonlytofindoutthattheheadinstructorhadbeen inconsistent in his communicationsandpayingtheschool’sbills.Wewereleftwithoutaplacetotrain.

Fadsandinconsistencies,includingeclecticphilosophiesandwilddisplays (ascanbefound in tournaments and circus styledemonstrations), run rampant in today’smartial arts. Even in traditional schools,there are students who are inconsistentin their attendance, training and supportof the school. It is important to train in amindfullyawareandconsistentmanner inorder to develop the self. Then to furtherthecauseofconsistency,onemustdevelopallareasoftheirlivesinthismanner.Whenconsistency is a standard, practitionersdeveloptheirArtandtheschoolmaintainsitstraditions.Honestconsistencytakestimeandeffort,andcannotbeboughtortradedfor.Itisimportanttoletgoofnegativeoldhabits(whichtendtobedirectlycorrelatedto inconsistencies), and progress in amindfulandever-presentmanner.

CommitmentBy Sensei Ryan Goettsche – Senior Instructor

WhenIfirststartedtrainingunderMedeirosSenseiin1994,IwouldneverhaveguessedIwould learnsomuchaboutamartialartoraboutmyselfandevenmore,tostillbeworkingonperfectingbothcounts. I havealways loved and been fascinated withmartial arts ever since I was a child andwantedtobeagreatmartialartistsomeday.But, this notion was in my head and thatsomeday was never really pondered orscheduled. I never pushed myself to getablackbelt in fouryearsand Ididn’teat,sleepandbreatheAikido.

IwasveryexcitedwhenIfirstjoinedAikidoKai San Shin Kan and I trained as oftenas I could which usually ended up beingabout 5 or 6 classes per week. When Ifirst started training I was working nightcrewatKingSoopersandSensei offeredmorning classes from 9:00-11:00AM onMonday,Wednesday,FridayandSaturdayandeveningclassesfrom6:00-8:00PMonTuesdayandThursday.Therewereacoregroup of students which regularly trainedduring the evening or morning times andonce in a while show up to the otherclasses.Somyregularschedulewastogohomeafterworkat7:00AMandstayawakebyplayingsomemusicandaGameBoy.IhadtostayawakebecauseI’mnotthetypeofpersonthatcannapforonehour;it’sallornothingforme.SoIwouldstayathomeforanhourandahalfthengoofftoclass.Oneoftheregularstudentsofthemorningclassesalsoworkedatnightbuthewouldjust drive over to the dojo after work and

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sleepinthebackofhisvan.Iwouldalwaysgettoclassabout20minutesearlyandsitinmycarwaiting forSensei tocomeandopenthedojo.WhenSenseiwouldarrive,Iwould knockon the van towakeup theotherstudentandwewouldallfileintothedojo,changeand train. I’d thengohome,showerandheadofftobandpracticethengobackhomeandsleepbeforework.

As time went on I changed jobs and hadtoreworkmyentireschedulearoundworkand training. Itwasmy firstday joband Iwasstillinabandatthetime.SoIcouldn’tchangethetimesIwent toworkandtrainin Aikido but band rehearsals could bechanged. I couldn’t train in the morninganymore either so now I started going totheeveningclassesandSaturdaymorningclasses. Three days per week was allI could make it to now. It wasn’t a hardadjustment to make but it was strangebecauseitwasadifferentgroupofpeopleand I felt likeabrandnewstudentagain.Plustheeveningclassesweremuchlargerthan the weekday morning classes andthatwasintimidatingaswell.ButIhadtokeeptrainingandpolishingmytechniquesand my spirit. My desire to learn the artand commit myself to the school was themostimportantthing.Ididn’tcarehowlongitwould take tomaster theart…whateverit even means to “master” something. It’skind of like halving a number and thenhalvingthatnumberandsoon,youneverget tozero…thenumber justgetssmallerandsmaller.Ifyoukeeptraining,younevermaster it, your movements just becomemorerefinedandyourKistarts toreplacethephysicalityofthemovements.

AstimemarchedforwardImoved25milesfromthedojo,startedworking50milesfromwhereIlive,haveawifeandthreechildren.Schedulesoutsideofthedojoalwaysneedtobeworkedon,justlikeinthebeginning;workanddojotimesstayconsistentsoit’suptometoworkoneverythingoutsideofthosetimes.IonlyhavesomuchfreetimeoutsideofworkandmytimeatthedojowillnotbesacrificedforanotheractivityImaywanttostartdoing.Iwouldlovetoplayinabandagainbutthereisnotimetocommitto it so I don’t for now. We also have alot of activities that Brandon is involvedwithsuchasCubScoutswhichtakestime(thankfully the meetings are on TuesdaysandThursdays).SopersonalschedulescanalwaysbechangedtosupportthethingsItruly want or need to do. I will work until2:00AMsothatIcangotoclassthatnight,comehomeanddothethingsIneededtogetdoneforthedayvs.notgoingtoclasssoIcangetthethingscompletedandgotobedatmyusualtime.

I am still trying to figure out what haschangedovertheyearsbutIdon’tseetheexcitement and enthusiasm in the martialarts community which used to be therewhenIfirststartedtraining.Idothinkthatitispartlythe“now”societywehavecreatedoverthepastfifteenortwentyyears.Mostpeople are all about instant gratificationbecauseofthetechnologywearetoldwelove and have to have, the crash coursecertificationswecangetonline,etc.Whenpeople become more disconnected fromsociety and everything that is happeningevery day, at any given time, thedesensitizationis,Ithink,astounding.Truemartial training is not about those things

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butrathertheslow,relentlesscommitmenttothepolishingofthehumansoul.Itisthatconstantdesiretobebettertomorrow;notjustbetteratwork,abetterfather,abetterhusband,abetterguitarplayer…anoverallbetter person. If you’re a better person,everythingelseisjustagiven.

Standards in the Martial ArtsBy Sabom Mike Parenteau – Senior Instructor

In our last Bulletin edition (Sept. 08),Sabom wrote about standards, in relationto our history and school. This month, I’dliketocontinueonhisideaandtalkaboutwhyIthinkthereshouldbestandardsandfurther,whyHIGHstandardsareimportant.Anexampleisinorder.Supposeyouwouldlike to hire a contractor to build a fencefor you. Customarily, in the constructiontrades,youwouldsolicitaminimumofthree“bids”, or proposals from your contractorchoices. You would go over the scope ofthe work, e.g. the type of fence, stain orpaint,thelengthoffence,gates,etc.Afterreceiving your bids, you’d compare themallanddecidewhounderstoodtheprojectthe best and who is giving you the bestvalue.Somecommercialclientsgothrougha long procedure, weighing the technicalexpertise,craftsmanship,costandavarietyof other things indeterminingwhowill beawarded a project. But for most of us, itis a matter of talking to the contractor(s)and seeing their final proposals beforedeciding.Now…sayweareinthemidstofourproject.Yourcontractorisdoingok,butitappearsthathe’snotshowingupat thejobsitepertheagreement,orhe’susinga

stainonthenewfencethatwasn’toriginallyproposedandhedidn’ttellyou.Whatwouldyoudo?Wouldyouallowhim tocontinuehis behavior and use the substandardmaterial(s),orwouldyouaddresshimandsay,“Look…Iampayingyouforaserviceweagreedupon.Theworkyouaredoingisnotmeasuringuptothatagreement.”Thinkaboutthatforamoment…

So, in our example, the “standards”being discussed would be the materialsof construction and the workmanship-likemannerinwhichtheyareinstalled.Thisiscommonplace.Sowhyshouldn’tstandardsexist in a martial arts school? Our schoolhasn’t had a lot of standards by whichwe practice our art(s) of choice, but wehavealwayshadaHIGHstandard.Thisisunlikesomeofthemainstreamschoolsouttheretoday.However,toescapebecomingrobots,Sabomhasallowedsomelee-way.For example, in TSD, when performingsomeofour forms, incertaincases thereareafewdifferentwaystodoaparticularsequenceofmotions.Wearenotrigidlysetupon one method. Also, Sabom has alsoallowedwhoeverisleadingclasstoleaditaccordingtotheirownstyleaslongastheyremember kihon or keecho. So, in ordertostandoutfromotherschools,ourHIGHstandardhastobemaintained.TheHIGHstandard I’m referring to are the moreimportant things which characterize goodstudents, instructors and a good school.Thinkaboutthecontractorexampleagain.If the contractor used the materials theysaidtheyweregoingtouseanddiditwell,doyouthinktheywouldgetareferralfromtheclient?Ofcourse!Thesameistrueofour school. We have to continually strive

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tomakeourselvesbetterandmaintaintheHIGHstandardwedohave.Thatmeans,inreferencetoourHIGHstandard:

1) Coming toclass.Numberscount!Thisis important for juniorsofcourse,suchthattheycangainproficiency.Also,thisis very important for senior students,for how can a senior student leadclass when they cannot get to classregularly? What does that say to thejunior student, who strives to moveor have the technique of the seniorstudent?Whenwebecomelazybynotsupporting each other with consistentregular attendance our reputationbeginstoerode.

2) Training with sincerity. Spectators canseewhenyoudon’twanttobethere!

3) Goodtechnique.Sabomhassaidmanytimes,“Ifitlooksgood,itisgood!”

4) Knowyourstuff.ThisisespeciallytrueofYudansha/Yudanja.Ifyouaretalkingto a prospective student, it is good tohaveabasicknowledgeofourschool’sArts, the requirements, etc. Also, it isgood tohavesomegeneralmartialartknowledge of other styles. This cancome inhandywhen talking topeoplewhohavehadpriorexperiencewalkingthroughourdoor.Thenwecansayweknowwhatweare talkingaboutand itwillshow!

5) A clean studio. I believe we do this,but it’s good to reiterate! Especiallysince it’s been cleaned, painted andreworked.Moretocometoo!

6) Respect and etiquette. While werecognize our school hierarchy(those who have come before), weall respect each other. As the Tangfolks say, “Recognize and respect theachievements of others.” Etiquette isanother thing we must maintain at ahighlevel.

7) Lucky #7…Unity. When people walkthrough the door and see how oneschool with two different Arts act witheachother...theywillbeimpressed!

Iprobablycouldgoon,butIhopeyoucanunderstand that in order for us to standoutandnotbelikethe“beltfactory”downthe street, we need to understand that aHIGHstandard isnecessaryandprudent.Becausewenotonlyrepresentourschoolin what we do but we also represent ourinstructor. This is the main point, andsomething that falls short in mainstreamschools.Solet’skeepthestandardHIGH!

Reflections and the Move Toward a Holistic StandardBy Sabom/Sensei Vernon A. Medeiros – Chief Instructor

The year 2008 has come to an end andourschoolhasmanagedtosurviveanotheryearinthecommercialmartialartsmarket.Ourschooloffersquality instruction in theKoreanartofTangsoodoandtheJapaneseart of Aikido. Quality instruction createsqualitystudents.

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Whatisinterestingtomeisinourhurryupandgive it tome“NOW!”and10minuteslater “I am bored…” society, we as aunified school have managed to solicita student membership that understandsquality training cannot be accomplishedin a few quick lessons. Our studentsappreciate that applied discipline anddedication to our training is a key factorto our accomplishments with the arts westudy.Ourschoolemphasizescontinuityofregular practiceas theonly viablemeansof gaining proficiency which contributesto the overall aesthetic of our school.Historically, over the last 100 years alldecent martial arts (from China, Japanand Korea) that emphasized physical,mental and spiritual growth required allstudents to accept responsibility for theirpart toward maintaining the reputation oftheirinstructorsandtheirschool.

This requirement still holds true today.WeasmembersingoodstandingwiththeCenter for Aikido and Tangsoodo Studiesarecommitted to trainingregularlyso thatwe may play a role toward the quality ofourschool.

Presently, “YOUTUBE.com” (a videoreference source grossly in violation ofcopyright laws in my opinion) gives meaccess to dojang from all over the world.IcanviewAikidoschools,Karateschools,Kenposchools,Judoschools,Taekwondo

schools and Tangsoodo schools. ThiswebsiteallowsmetoviewInstructorsandtheir students practicing their martial arts.What I specifically learn from viewing allthesevideosisthatstudentsandinstructorsare proud of their accomplishments withtheir training and they are proud of theirschools.Eachpersoniscontributingtotheirschool’s history as well as honoring theirInstructorsandtheartthattheypractice.

For 2009 may we all feel proud of ourcontributionstoourschool’shistorybecausethroughourowndedicatedactionswearesetting theaesthetic tonethatothers fromthecommunitywilljudgeusby.

A few key points to consider for 2009while training at the Center for AikidoandTangsoodoStudies.Leaveoldhabitsoutsidethedojang.Ifyoudesperatelyneedtoclingtoyourhabitsyouwillgainnothingfromyourtrainingandyouwillimpairotherstudent’s progress. Maintain a positiveattitude toward your goals otherwise youwilldiscolorthequalityofyourexperiences.Excusesarecumbersome.Theyweighyoudown.Toavoidtheweightofcumbersomeexcuses is to simply not create them.Honor your commitments. Lastly respectyour seniors for their years in theart andseniors please allow junior students toprogress at their own pace because theydo not have enough time logged on theirtrainingresume.