SHOSHIN RYU TAKINGRESPONSIBILITY

Journal Issue #88WINTER 2018

STEP INTO SPORTS & MARTIAL ARTSONE-ON-ONE WITH...

GRIT...YOU GOT IT?GOSHINJUTSU SERIES

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SHOSHIN RYU JOURNAL

Copyright 2018 Shoshin Ryu TM All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer - The articles herein do not necessarily reflect the ideas and standards of Shoshin Ryu, but are meant as educational information only. Shoshin Ryu, the Editor and the Authors do not accept any responsibility for any injury from the reading or use or practice of any article or photo or instructions in this publication. Select photos and art used in this publication were sourced free from the internet and as such the authors may be unknown and therefore cannot be credited. Shoshin Ryu makes every effort to credit all non-original material contained herein.

Report to the People

Taking Responsibility for Your Own Happiness & Harmony

STEP Into Sports & Martial Arts

One-on-One with Blaine Asay

Core Curriculum - Front Slash Stick Defense

GRIT..You Got It?

Ne Waza - Side Control Escape

Kids’ Corner

Humor...Well, Maybe

Goshinjutsu Series - White Belt

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www.ShoshinRyu.org

SHOSHIN RYUJOURNAL INFORMATION

SUBMISSIONS

Michael Sciscomichaelscisco@gmail.com

SUBMISSIONSPlease send us your original articles (short or long), stories, poems, letters, drawings, comics, favorite quotes, suggestions, or photos.

Articles should be proofread for spelling and grammar. Submissions should be sent via email if possible. Please send all written material in Microsoft Word format or simple text file.

EDITORIAL POLICY (articles will be...)

Positive (do not degrade any art or group)

Sincere efforts to educate, entertain or inspire the reader (no self aggrandizement or commercial pitches please)

Material should be generally understood even by persons who know very little about the subject; yet hold enough substance that a yudansha would learn from it.

Editor reserves the right to refuse to publish any material deemed inappropriate.

SHOSHIN RYUMEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

REGISTRAR

Jesse Bairbair@shoshinryu.org

ANNUAL DUES (due every March 15th)Mudansha (Kyu): $60Yudansha (Dan): $140Family Rates: 50% off for 3rd (or 4th etc.) person in household.Lifetime Membership: $1,500

MUDANSHA MEMBERS SHALL RECEIVEPatch (1st membership only)Quarterly journalNo charge for testing or new beltsCertificates of rank

YUDANSHA MEMBERS SHALL RECEIVEQuarterly journalEmbroidered Black Belt (1st only)Dan certificate (in kanji)No charge for testingNidan and up / Dojo Cho: complimentary access to all video curriculum up to the material they need for testing

TESTINGKyu shall be tested by their Sensei, not more than two times per year.

Shodan (with a minimum of 3.5 years time in grade), may be eligible to be tested by their Sensei and Senior Most Student or Board Member as appointed by Senior Most Student.

Nidan & up testing will be given one day beforethe National Seminar. Nidan candidates must have a minimum 7.5 years experience in the art.

The little bowing symbol will be used at the end of each article to remind the reader of the writer’s thanks for taking their time to consider the ideas presented. It is also to remind us to thank the writer for taking the time to consider the ideas presented and to share their thoughts with us.

ON THE COVERPhoto: Mt. Fuji, Japan in winterKanji: Shoshin Ryu = Truthful Heart Tradition

JOURNAL EDITORIAL STAFFStephen ConiarisEditor

Chris PetersonEditor

Michael SciscoLayout Editor

ISSUE #88 TRUTHFUL HEART TRADITION WINTER 2018

SHOSHIN RYU BOARD MEMBERSSMS: Brian Combo - combo@shoshinryu.org or sms@shoshinryu.org

Jesse Bair - bair@shoshinryu.orgStephen Coniaris - coniaris@shoshinryu.org

Westen Curry - curry@shoshinryu.orgAaron Lawrence - lawrence@shoshinryu.orgChris Peterson - peterson@shoshinryu.org

NEW

RATES

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2018 SHOSHIN RYU NATIONALS

hoshin’s annual marquee event is rapidly approaching and will be held on the beautiful campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul Minnesota Wednesday, June 27th

through Saturday, June 30th. A $100 non-refundable deposit is required to pre-register for this event and is due no later than March 1st. Registration and all financial transactions can be processed online on our national website at shoshinryu.org.

If you are planning on attending, terrific!!! It’s a great investment in yourself and in your training. I would ask you to be “timely” with all your written and financial obligations throughout the process. The Shoshin folks working behind the scenes are volunteers. Please be courteous of their time, so as not to burden them with extra work in chasing delinquent requests/obligations. For those of you still contemplating attending or if you have questions, I would encourage you to visit with your sensei and get his/her input.

Participants Can Expect:

• well over 20 hours of training under the direction of several senior level Shoshin Ryu Sensei

• 3 hour Instructors’ Workshop for all current as well as all aspiring Brown Belt teachers

• to gain several months of training/material in a single weekend

• the rollout of the newly created and organized White to Black curriculum

• refinement within each finger of our art along with extensive core self defense training

• exposure and development daily in your weapon of choice

• growing and cultivating life long friendships and fun, nightly “Cabin 8” socials

• outstanding facilities of lodging, training hall and food service all within a 5 minute walk

• rides to/from the airport and to the banquet for all out of area participants

• 3 hour Saturday banquet/dinner boat cruise on the Twin Cities premier Lake Minnetonka

• later Saturday evening social at St. Thomas’ very fun-filled game room

A ton of time and effort is dedicated each year into making this annual training event a worthwhile, lifelong memory for all involved. If you are a Shoshin Ryu yellow belt and 15 years of age or older, you are eligible to attend. Your Sensei will help and direct you if you have questions. Hope to see you there!

NEW MUDANSHA CURRICULUM UPDATE

The newly organized White to Black Curriculum was filmed in its entirety this past November and is currently being edited and formatted for online

REPORT TO THE PEOPLE

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BRIAN COMBO | SENIOR MOST STUDENT - MINNEAPOLIS, MN

downloading; ready for rollout in June. Students can expect to receive a high quality curriculum and video experience. Quite a bit of time and effort has been spent in regards to laying out preferred film angles, scripting key talking points and instructional details, along with labelling terminology and creating graphic design. Know that each of the videos is meant to serve as “an aid” in your training or to help “supplement” your training, but certainly never in place of your Sensei. The videos will be a complement or an enhancement to your training at the dojo.

I am pleased to announce that all current Shoshin Ryu Yudansha (Black Belt) will receive complementary access to the entirety of the White to Black curriculum. Further, any Mudansha (under Black) who purchased prior colored belt curriculum DVDs will be given complementary access for that to which they have previously purchased. Current Mudansha member cost for each curriculum video/rank will be $25. So when your sensei tells you that annual membership dues is an investment in yourself as well as the greater organization, this is a wonderful example. Your investment comes back to help you; comes back to help the collective dojo.

WE NEVER STEP IN THE SAME RIVER TWICE

In general, because of the repetitive essence required for effective martial arts training, I have been asked many times over the years at some juncture in one’s journey by “younger/newer” martial arts students as to when can s/he learn something new? This most often causes me to smile and acknowledge within that this student simply does not understand focused training. Ultimately it leads me to give the following talk/discussion in some shape or form.

“We Never Step in the Same River Twice!” Far too often in martial arts and in life, we come to see training or aspects of our daily rituals as being “the same.” The label itself might be “the same” act, but there is nothing “the same” about the actual process of that act or that training or that experience. As the Author Dan Millman referenced in the title of one his books, There Are No Ordinary Moments. Thus, there are no ordinary acts. There is no “the same” exact technique we just

executed. We never step in the same river twice, because once we step out and then step back in, the water we first stepped in has gone downstream. We essentially are stepping in new water.

A student might ask/say, “Sensei, I ‘know’ this kata/technique, so can I learn something new?” It is within your right to speak up to acquire/learn something you need to be taught within your given rank especially if you are nearing a test, but typically the “learn something new” request is born out of boredom or looking elsewhere, rather than focusing on the task/training at hand. The reality is that boredom does NOT exist if you simply “pay attention” to what is at hand. When you find yourself wanting “something new” in your training, you are simply, not paying attention, not really observing that each time you execute your technique or kata it is drastically different or perhaps over time, a little less different each time. Regardless, it is never quite the same.

Taking into consideration all the refinements you regularly get from your sensei, the only thing for certain is that your technique or your motion is in a constant state of change. You simply are not focused at a high enough level in your mind, thus not paying close enough attention to see that reality. When you can find that focus, you will see that indeed, you are learning and discovering something new or where to improve no matter what it is that you are training. You will discover that you are building a wonderful foundation of depth, understanding, and command of those fundamentals of movement that will serve you well in martial arts.

I have literally executed thousands of Osoto Gari (rear reaping throw) over the years and honestly believe I have never duplicated the exact same one during any of those throws. I wish I could tell you that I have. Truth be told, I have executed way more on the “what the heck was that” spectrum than on the “that was pretty good” spectrum. Between the constant change in my own understanding of executing the throw combined with the drive for better and better, then adding in different uke, change in input and change in the variances in incrementally detailed points along the way - the technique is never the same!

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I have been teaching and executing Kote Gaeshi (wrist lock takedown) for close to 40 years and am bringing new life, new thinking to it again. It is still Kote Gaeshi, but then again, it is not the same. I must have executed close to 100 repetitions in a single, recent practice and did not duplicate “the same” once - constantly receiving feedback and adjusting or “attempting” to refine or duplicate accordingly the thought process that is making it better. Never once, however, did I step in the same Kote Gaeshi river. Each attempt was unique, the majority spent learning from the previous one and drawing on that experience/feedback to shape my repetitions going forward. I have literally hundreds and hundreds of unique repetitions waiting for me that I have yet to experience.

So whether it is kata, a throw, a standing technique or one on the ground, how can you “pay attention” more closely in order to see the changes required and the changes taking place? Can you concentrate deeply and find that focused training level? Can you block out all the peripheral noise/distractions going on within you or around you? What feedback or input does your Sensei have for you to make it better? Have you reached the very high volume of repetitions (thousands) where you are executing it, although differently each time, at a very high level, a very effortless level? Can you learn to look at old information with “new eyes” or with new insights, thus a new understanding? Training should be fun, because when you look at it with this understanding and focused mind, you come to realize you are always executing new technique, new kata, new motion.

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY ARE THE “SAME”

Conversely, can you also see the opposite or in this case the “similarity” or “the same” in aspects of your training? You might think, “I’m leaving my ground training and now I am training my standup self defense…this is completely different.” But is it really or on some level might it be the same? This may seem contradictory at first, but know that there is always the opposite, the yin/yang of life and training. There is light/dark, up/down, two sides of a coin, etc. You may never execute the same exact technique twice, but can you also learn to see how many underlying fundamentals are still ‘the same’ in all your training?

Students will often say that this training and that training is so different, but that may not be so. Isn’t “framing” on the ground essentially “the same” concept as framing or using mechanical structure to execute a block? Isn’t creating space on the ground when in an inferior position the same as when someone has you standing up in a bearhug?? Create space in both so that you can move and gain mobility.

Training an atemi technique could also be a throw or a jujutsu application - the same. An elbow strike can also be a choke - one in the same. Or could the fingers of our art simply all be “the same” - just self defense? Yes! A throw is a throw, but change the environment and it could be self defense. So perhaps they are all not so different. Perhaps some underlying fundamentals of training are “the same”. Can you see the entirety of the art or “the same” underlying fundamentals within a single training application?

Utilize the concept that you never step in the same river twice to stay excited about your training; to see it as new or different with each repetition; never the same. This will keep you hungry and growing your volume of repetitions so that you reach high levels of command, understanding and execution. Conversely, utilize the concept that the more things seem to change, the more they are the same in order to avoid being overwhelmed by so much curriculum with your training. Maybe they are not so different; maybe the fundamentals are the same.

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Taking Responsibility for Your Own Happiness & Harmony

By: Stephen Coniaris

There is a saying that Shoshin Ryu is learning….

How not to hurt others, How not to be hurt by others, And how to be responsible for one’s own happiness and harmony.

This is a very powerful statement and one senior practitioners in Shoshin Ryu take seriously and apply to their daily lives so they might be happier and more harmonious during the journey we call life.

Let us take a moment and explore the last sentence of this saying. Taking responsibility. It has two basic components: one is personal responsibility – which is taking ownership of your behaviors and your actions. When we don’t take responsibility for our actions and behaviors then we are essentially saying ‘I didn’t do it’ and thus I can’t fix it. This is giving up your personal power and it makes it very hard to develop self respect or have the respect of others when you operate in this manner. Folks who don’t take responsibility tend to be very self centered and lack self respect – ‘It’s not my fault’.

Humans make mistakes. It is part of being human and part of us learning – we learn quite a bit from our mistakes. Thomas Edison said ‘I didn’t fail, but found 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb; before I did.’ Mistakes are no big deal until you make them a big deal. Learn from our mistakes and let them go. You are not the first person to make a mistake and you won’t be the last – so live it, accept it, take responsibility for it and you will be happier.

The second component of accept responsibility is indirect responsibility – it involves moving beyond yourself and taking actions to help other people. When we are asked to help or notice something needs to be done (perhaps an elderly neighbor needs the lawn mowed or a friend needs some support) and we do it – it speaks to our character as a human being and makes the world a little better place.

When the time comes to act – what we do is a reflection of us, what we stand for. Are you a true-hearted person, perhaps hesitant but willing to act anyways? Or do you blame others? Remember when you blame others you give up your power. This is cowardice coming to the surface in us – and the coward dies a thousand deaths – the brave just one.

Over time, failure to accept responsibilities has severe consequences – it has a devastating effect on your mind and heart – slowly eating away at your self-respect, your confidence and making you feel small and helpless. Most people don’t join a martial art to feel small and helpless – so take charge of your life and accept responsibility for your actions – be it a test you take or a skill you don’t yet have or simply saying ‘I’m sorry’ when you mess up.

What can you do when you have done something wrong? With respect to personal responsibility it is often helpful to…

Own it – admit your mistake or failure to act. You will find it is not the end of the world and once you own it, a large burden will be lifted off your shoulders – you are on the first step to being free and in control of your life.

Sincerely apologize for it – simply, clearly and sincerely apologize to those you have hurt.

Make things right – make amends or do what is needed if possible to correct what you have done.

Take the punishment – accept it for the poor choice you made, learn from it and move on. All great people have made mistakes – what separates them from others is learning from their mistake – getting a bit wiser. And so they grow.

It isn’t always easy and sometimes it may seem like – ‘well this time I will just lie or shirk my responsibilities’ but it catches up to you. And little by little you will lose yourself, your confidence and your self respect. You will find yourself becoming more and more unhappy. It is always better to take responsibility for a mistake and face the consequences, rather than try to avoid the responsibility and lose your self-respect and the trust of those around you.

Didn’t do something you said you would? Apologize and go do it. You forgot, or were lazy, or whatever the reason; it doesn’t matter – by acting this time you will take a big step towards being better in the future. And that leads to more happiness for you.

A few suggestions to consider

• Make a responsibility list – what are things you need to do? Said you would do? Then check it regularly/ daily.

• If you are still living at home – show your mom or dad the list – get feedback.

• Update your list as you live. Make it a habit, so keep your list handy.

• Save your old lists so you can see how you have progressed – and see if anything has slipped through the cracks.

• Accept responsibility for your responses to the people, actions, and events in your life.

• Accept that you are completely responsible for your own choices.

• Be open to change, new ideas or concepts about life and the way life is.

• Get help from others.

• Let go of fear and irrational beliefs.

• Release anger, fear, blame, mistrust, and insecurity.

• Take some risks, be prepared to become vulnerable to change and growth in your life. 9

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When it comes to taking indirect responsibility – be proactive. Don’t wait to be asked or told what to do. Help out an elderly neighbor or visit a nursing home, homeless shelter, or hospital regularly. When you give back you will find you are happier and more at one with yourself. You can pick up trash in your town or teach a Special Olympian as they prepare for an event or tutor someone.

Consider when you are in a group – notice who needs their glass of water filled. Notice who is not their usual self. When you speak with people consider finding out about them instead of telling them about you. Be aware of the needs around you.

When you accept responsibility for yourself you gain many things:

Self Respect - You like who you are and others criticisms never sting so deep again.

Respect of others - When you take responsibility week in and week out you will find others happier to see you, jobs come more easily, people want to be around you. You take care of business.

You will get more done - The time and effort to blame others, keep track of the blames/lies leaves us with little time to enjoy life, to do the things we want to do.

You gain personal power - Things aren’t out of your control anymore. Each week, each year you do this moves you to a higher level. Things will come easier to you.

You will be happier - You will live a more harmonious life.

You will find yourself more satisfied and fulfilled - You are not trying to escape from your life anymore. Instead you take control, face what’s going on and so the world and new options open up for you.

Or simply, if you own your own story – you get to write it.

Please take some time to work on taking more responsibility for your actions. You are solely responsible for the choices you make and thus the consequences. Blaming others or circumstances is to give up your power and is self-delusional. Construct an attitude of “can-do” even when times seem to get tough. You will learn much from your mistakes in life – it is part of the learning process, part of life’s journey. You may not be able to control everything that happens to you, but you are responsible for how you act, think, feel in response to them. So take responsibility and be happy.

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die.

And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.

Eleanor Roosevelt“ “Even more ways to ensure happiness and harmony

Give Up the Need for Approval - Right away you might hear yourself say, “I don’t need the approval of others.” What if I told you that you could do anything that you wanted with your life? Your first thoughts would most likely be about what those closest to you would say if you actually did it. When we choose to make changes, there will be times when others will not support us or even understand us. We fear how others will respond and so we hold ourselves back. Life is too short to live your life on somebody else’s terms. Be courageous and take a stand for this precious life you were given.

Be attentive to your self-talk - You can learn a lot about the way you feel about yourself by paying attention to the way you speak to yourself. Take a daily inventory of the thoughts that run through your mind each day. You can do this through the practice of meditation or journaling. Observe your thoughts and beliefs that you are carrying about yourself and your life. Are you complaining? Are you blaming others? Every thought affirms how you view yourself and your life. Becoming aware of the beliefs that don’t serve our highest good makes space for the voice of truth to speak to us.

Practice Mindful Gratitude - Believe it or not we can use gratitude in a way that disempowers us. Often we will tell ourselves that people have it much worse than we do and so we should be grateful for what we do have. This form of gratitude keeps us in a state of victimhood. Gratitude is a beautiful thing until we use it as an excuse to keep us stagnant and stuck. True gratitude is being grateful for all of our experiences especially the more challenging ones. Often we will bypass the discomfort and use gratitude as an excuse to remain where we are. When we can be honest about what we desire to change and be thankful for the discomfort, the lesson that is being presented can show up more clearly and we can then take the appropriate action to change our circumstances.

See Everyone as Your Teacher - Every person you encounter can teach you something about yourself. When you find yourself emotionally triggered or reacting to someone, it is simply because they are showing you a part of yourself that you have not embraced. Who irritates you? Who do you admire? Who are you jealous of? Who empowers you? List the traits in them that cause you to feel this way. Work towards owning and embracing all of these traits. You need all of these traits to live an authentic and fulfilling life.

Forgive Yourself and Others - When we take responsibility for our own truth we will be guided to forgive those that have influenced our thoughts and beliefs. We will also be guided to forgive ourselves for betraying our own truth. When we accept where everyone else is, we leave much room to forgive and release attachment to any old stories that have held us back. Forgiveness truly sets us free to create our lives from a heart-centered place while releasing the thoughts, beliefs and opinions of others.

Be Willing to Ask the Big Questions - Take the time to answer the following questions. How do you truly feel each day? How do you desire to feel? Who do you desire to be? What are you here to contribute? Are you willing to get curious about your passions? Are you willing to discover and own that you came here with gifts to share with the world? Do you want to be inspired by something greater than yourself? If you allow yourself to be still, what is your inner voice trying to convey to you? Asking empowering questions will open the door to empowering answers.

Create Your Own Story - You are given the opportunity to write a new story each and every day. You write your story each day through the thoughts, beliefs, feelings and actions that you choose. Yes, we all have the ability to consciously choose them. You get to create one that empowers you and ignites the light that lives inside of you. Begin to create a story that lifts you up, inspires you and moves you towards passion, purpose and meaning.10

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FOCUSThe Beginner’s Mind

Shoshin Ryu translates to truthful heart, but with different kanji and a similar reading, “shoshin” can also be translated to “beginner’s mind”. As a matter of instruction, Shoshin Ryu emphasizes the beginner’s mind when approaching and teaching martial arts. Beginner’s Mind allows you to discover new perspectives, be open to all possibilities and not have as many preconceptions or assumptions about what you train and how you learn. This allows the practitioner to learn faster and more efficiently.

Another benefit of Beginner’s Mind is FOCUS. When a beginner is learning a new technique or motion, they have 100% FOCUS on what they are doing. Their FOCUS is intense and typically lasts throughout each class or training session.

What would happen if a seasoned Shoshin Ryu practitioner applied this FOCUS every time they train? How fast would their progression become? We often think, “I already know this kata” and our mind goes everywhere but where it needs to be...on the kata! Or, we say to ourselves, “all I need is repetition”, but repetition without FOCUS will simply allow you to repeat imprecise movements, teaching your mind and body something other than what is desired.

Keep your Beginner’s Mind and keep your FOCUS!

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like

FOCUS.”

Bruce Lee

Recognize the Importance of

PROGRESS

Be happy with small successes along the path to attainment.

STEP into Sports & Martial Arts

Michael Scisco | Albuquerque, NM

Shoshin Ryu is not a “sport” martial art. We don’t spar, we don’t have competitions and we don’t keep track of points. However, there are many parallels and similarities between developing and sustaining your Shoshin Ryu proficiency to other athletic endeavors that are commonly called “sports”.

In sports/athletics, there are typically four areas of focus an athlete develops to become more proficient and effective: (1) Strategy; (2) Technique; (3) Emotion; and (4) Physicality or “STEP”. By developing STEP, the athlete is approaching their sport holistically, which in turn allows them to become more competitive and reach higher levels of athletic proficiency.

In this article, I will be specific in comparing Shoshin Ryu (SR) (or martial arts) to another sport, in this case tennis. There are many other sports, team and individual, where you could draw a similar comparison. If you are actively engaged in other sport(s), make your own comparisons using your chosen sport. Over time, you will realize that when you are fully and honestly engaged in your sport, the similarities in how you approach it are very similar to how you approach your martial arts training.

StrategyIn martial arts, strategy is known as “heiho”. Heiho is critical to enable the SR practitioner to ensure their actions have a predictable and beneficial outcome. For example, if attacked by four people with only one way out, you would ensure to make your way to that one exit giving yourself a higher likelihood of a beneficial outcome. In athletics, strategy has the same purpose and the beneficial outcome is usually “winning”. How can I defeat my opponent? How can I “beat the clock”? What do I need to do to help ensure a predictable and beneficial outcome?

In tennis (and in martial arts), strategy is difficult to implement without technique. As a person becomes more proficient with their technique, they begin to strategize ways to create a beneficial outcome. What is my opponent’s weakness, how do I leverage that? What are my strengths and weaknesses? How do I leverage those? If my opponent has a really bad backhand, I should keep forcing him/her to hit their backhand…simple strategy. Same with martial arts, if my attacker is really big, but moves really slow, I will most likely want to keep my distance and not have the potential for being taken to the ground. How can I use my training and technique to strategize the outcome I want?

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TechniqueIn Shoshin Ryu, we emphasize the importance of good technique. Without proper core technique that is practiced, refined and practiced again, your martial skills will never fully develop. Think of the tennis player that has been playing with bad technique for 20 years. Yes, they are fairly good and can win some matches, but they most likely have not improved their game for a majority of those 20 years. If we don’t have good technique and refine it over time, we will find ourselves “stuck”.

Albert Einstein is credited for saying that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing

over and over again and expecting different results”. So, if I start with bad technique and never correct it and do it over and over again, I can’t really expect different results, unless I am insane!

In tennis, there are players that have bad technique they have been perfecting for many years. When they lose to someone who has only been playing for a fraction of the time they have, they typically don’t understand why they lost. The usual response is “the other person was better” or “I just made more mistakes than usual”. Both these responses are actually true! But unfortunately, they are not sourced from a place of honesty, but instead from a place of arguing for their limitations. What they may want to consider asking themselves is “Why am I losing to someone who has only played for a fraction of the time I have?” Answer: Because I have bad technique. “Why do I have bad technique?” Answer: Because I never spent the time to correct it. “Why did I never spend time to correct it?” Answer: Because I was never honest with myself about what I needed to do to improve.

Be honest with yourself. Are you practicing good martial arts technique? Are you refining it over time?

EmotionEmotion in sports and martial arts is typically defined as the ability for the practitioner to not allow fear, anger, frustration, happiness, ego and other emotions to affect their proficiency. Often the emotional aspect of athletics and martial arts is overlooked or not enough emphasis is placed on it. Most people focus on technique and physicality of motion. In athletics, it is even more overlooked due to observers who primarily focus on the physical nature of the sport, not the internal nature of the athlete. The emotional aspect of athletics and martial arts is critical to handling short term situations and being able to maintain long term commitment to the martial art or activity. How do you handle losing? How do handle winning? How do you react to being injured? How do you respond to criticism? How do you respond to accolades? How we respond to these from an emotional standpoint will give us a road map to how well and how long we stay engaged in our sport or martial art.

At the highest levels of tennis, most players are somewhat equal in terms of technique, physicality and to some extent strategy. However, where they primarily differ is their emotional game. How often have we seen someone dominate one or two sets, then have a couple unforced errors or double faults and the rest of their game falls apart. They are unable to handle the ups and downs of competitive play and thus have a very difficult time keeping their emotions in check. When their emotions start getting away from them, it affects their ability to have good technique and implement their strategy. In martial arts, how many times have you observed a belt test where someone missed a throw or forgot part of a kata and became frustrated? How did that frustration creep into the remainder of their test? How can we learn from keeping our emotions in check? How can developing the emotional element to your art help when your life is on the line? Think about emotion not only in terms of elevating your training, but in terms of how it is applied in real life situations.

Humans are emotional creatures, it is a strength, but only if we understand how to use it and how to keep it in check. Similarly, in martial arts, we need to understand how being emotional may not benefit our art. When I used to get frustrated training martial arts, I would say “getting mad makes me faster and better”, but in reality, it may have made me faster for the moment, but it didn’t make me better. Getting mad simply forced me to focus on technique through my frustration with myself, making me faster in that moment. But by being so emotional about my poor technique, it hindered my ability to strategize and keep an open perspective. Having a neutral, open perspective when practicing martial arts is typically how we improve faster and more effectively. The same is true of sports.

PhysicalityThe importance of physicality in athletics and in martial arts is that your body is the physical tool you utilize to express your technique, strategy and emotion. Without physicality, you have limited means of expressing yourself. If our physicality is limited in some way, our tool becomes less sharp. Limitations can come as a result of age, injury, or simply not making an effort to maximize your physicality.

We also know that levels of physicality are unique to each person. What is also unique to each person is how far we can push to maximize our physical condition. Appropriate physical condition is different for everyone since we not only differ in size, strength, flexibility, and balance, but also in terms of what point in time of the body’s lifecycle we are currently in. Your strength and flexibility are different from when you are 20 to when you are 70 (maybe they are both better at 70!).

In tennis, physicality allows you to cover more space, “dig” for hard shots, and keep your technique, strategy and emotion in play for longer periods of time. I have seen players that get tired and their technique falls

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Train withINTENT

“Live less out of habit and more out of intent”

Be aware of what you do, how you do it, and why you do it.

Be present, focus on what you are training NOW.

away. Or they play long sets, zapping them of energy and talk themselves into losing because “they are too tired”, thereby affecting their emotional game. You will get tired no matter how good of shape you are in. However, is it more advantageous to get tired after 20 minutes of activity or 60 minutes? Physicality is important in maintaining and maximizing the strategic, technical and emotional aspect of your art or sport.

CONCLUSIONAfter reading this, some may ask, what about EXPERIENCE? How does that play into being a more proficient and successful athlete or martial artist? My answer is that EXPERIENCE IS STEP. Experience is gained through a constant effort to make STEP better. Imagine an experienced martial artist that just worked on physicality and technique for 20 years. Then imagine a martial artist that has the same number of years of experience, but worked on all aspects of STEP. Which would you rather learn from?

When approaching STEP, one should not think of each aspect as more important than the other. Each aspect of STEP relies on the others. If you are to improve in sport or martial arts, you should think of STEP as a dynamic process where you are constantly improving each aspect and understanding that by improving one, you are improving others and by focusing on improving all four, you are exponentially improving each one!

In Shoshin Ryu, we teach STEP. We teach it with the full knowledge that it makes all our practitioners not just better martial artists, but more holistic martial artists. If we are to practice martial arts for a lifetime, how can we be satisfied with anything less? The process of refining STEP is the key. Keep the process going for years and you will become exceptional.

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BLAINE ASAY BIOGRAPHY

• Age: 60• Birthplace: Rapid City, SD• Residence: Atchison, KS• Current Dojo: Atchison, KS• Past Dojo: Los Alamos, NM• Profession: Engineer/Research Scientist

BLAINE, WHY DID YOU START MARTIAL ARTS?

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to study martial arts, but I didn’t find the right fit until later in life. I took a semester of Shotokan karate in college but that didn’t take. I wanted something more rounded and applicable. Then in 2006, I was 54 yo, me and my wife, Patrice, saw a notice for Smole Sensei’s class at the YMCA in Los Alamos, watched a session from the sidelines, signed up that evening, and never looked back.

WHAT MAKES SHOSHIN RYU SPECIAL IN YOUR MIND?

The people. The art would be nothing without the sensei that take their time to teach and without the students who take their time to learn. SR is a great group of human beings.

The techniques. They work. They evolve as we learn. They can be modified to accommodate different body types and capabilities. We are part of a living art. That excites me.

PLEASE RELATE A STORY ABOUT SOMEONE IN SR THAT INSPIRED YOU.

I use the kokoro series on a regular basis. While training for my shodan test, I would read and study a different poster each day and think about it during my session. The principles are motivating and serve to remind me

of various aspects of my character that I want to change and improve on. The series is another statement of my core beliefs that I am always trying to incorporate better into my life.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUNGER SR PRACTITIONERS?

I think that it’s important to remember that this is something one should be able to do for life, not for only a brief time. So it’s important to take the long view, develop the basics and always build from a solid foundation. Injuries can be discouraging, but with the proper attitude they can be overcome. One reason I have stayed with SR is because the principles that are taught in the kokoro series are derived from fundamental truths. If one’s life is guided by the principles of selflessness and service, then internal peace and happiness will be the natural result.

PLEASE RELAY SOME REASONS WHY YOU TEACH SR?

Part of my professional duties involves teaching courses on highly technical subjects to relatively large groups of people. I learned early on that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. One of the side benefits of teaching was finding out that it is really an organized way for me to learn new things and find weaknesses in my thought processes and understanding. Once I started our dojo, I realized that I didn’t know the basics and core as well as I should have. I couldn’t teach someone how to do certain things because I didn’t understand the fundamentals of why SR does them the way that they do. It was in figuring out the why’s that I finally began to understand the how’s. And finally, I derive great satisfaction in watching my students do things better than I am now, or ever will be, able to do them.

IS THERE SOME ASPECT OF YOUR TRAINING THAT WOULD HELP OTHERS?

Many times I feel like I’m too tired or too sore or too something else to work out. But in nearly every instance, from the very beginning, walking out of the dojo, or the gym, or the basement after I’m done, I feel satisfaction

and gratitude. It’s always worth it to train one’s mind and body and overcome one’s natural inclination to do nothing. Entropy is always at work.

WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR DOJO, OR YOUR TRAINING?

SR is about taking what you have and making it better. Whether you’re at the bottom or the top or in the middle, you can improve. Getting older or having physical limitations has positive, as well as negative aspects (good luck, bad luck, who knows?). I recently read that when you cannot do what you have always done, then you only do what matters most. Physical restrictions can expand vision. Limited stamina can clarify priorities. Inability to do many things can direct focus to a few things of greatest importance. I choose to take my aches and pains to the mat, not the couch.

I don’t know if I will be training 10 years from now or even tomorrow. I’ve learned from Coniaris Sensei that you don’t say what you’re going to do, or planning to do. You either do it or you don’t. I’ve learned that to smile or not, to train or not, the choice is mine.

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6

Having disarmed and taken down Uke, Tori can follow up appropriately

7

Tori chooses to go under stick with arm or perhaps missed gripping the stick

8

Tori uses inside of elbow/bicep to strip rather than her hand

CORE CURRICULUM FrontSlashStick

1

Tori moves inside and meets front slash attack

See video of this technique at: www.shoshinryu.org

Tori continues to steer the attacking arm downward and through

3

Staying connected, Tori grabs Uke’s gripping thumb and the stick

4

Tori pushes the stick through the weak part of grip for disarm and strike

Tori brings the stick under Uke’s arm and takes him down using stick as lever

Tori executes a straight punch with right arm to disarm the stick

Tori’s punching arm comes back through utilizing an arm drag

5

2

9 10

VERSION #1

VERSION #2

Tori takes Uke’s back and controls head Tori finishes with standing rear naked choke keeping Uke unbalanced

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GRITyou got it?

a short self examination

Angela Duckworth in her book Grit: the power of passion and perseverance, spoke about her approach to life to her father who kept saying ‘Your no genius’ - “I’m going to grow up to love my work as

much as you love yours. I won’t just have a job I will have a calling. I’ll challenge myself everyday. When I get knocked down, I’ll get back up. I may not be the smartest person in the room but I will strive to be the grittiest.”

Dr. Duckworth started down her path to grit looking at a better way to predict who will pass West Point’s seven week, ‘The Beast’, which training each day, 7 days a week, starts at 5 am and is lights out at 10 pm. It is the most physically and emotionally demanding time of the four years at West Point. She found her Grit Scale predicted who would drop out from this grueling training better than SAT scores, High School rank, leadership experience, athletic ability and West Point’s Whole Candidate Scores. This lead her to several other projects and her current understanding of grit.

So what is grit?

• It gets you up when you are knocked down.

• It keeps you striving when all things and people seem against you.

• When you are tired, lonely, exhausted, frustrated and ready to give up – it is that with in you that says ‘keep going’.

• It is resilience and conscientiousness.

• It is courage, resolve, bravery, backbone, tenacity and strength of character.

• It is what gets things accomplished when talent cannot.

For the martial artist grit is the basis of his or her art, since without it all the skill, ability, talent, intellect, etc., are meaningless when things get real and one’s life or family is on the line. In life there are very few things from work to business to university education to advanced degrees that don’t require grit.

Please take the 8 question Grit Scale on the next page and find out a little something about yourself. Then make the necessary changes in your outlook, point of view, commitment to change your grittiness.

1. New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous ones.

___ Very much like me___ Mostly like me___ Somewhat like me___ Not much like me___ Not like me at all

2. Setbacks (delays and obstacles) don’t discourage me. I bounce back from disappointments fasterthan most people.

___ Very much like me___ Mostly like me___ Somewhat like me___ Not much like me___ Not like me at all

3. I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest.

___ Very much like me___ Mostly like me___ Somewhat like me___ Not much like me___ Not like me at all

4. I am a hard worker.

___ Very much like me___ Mostly like me___ Somewhat like me___ Not much like me___ Not like me at all

5. I often set a goal but later choose to pursue (follow) a different one.

___ Very much like me___ Mostly like me___ Somewhat like me___ Not much like me___ Not like me at all

6. I have difficulty maintaining (keeping) my focus on projects that take more than a few months to complete.

___ Very much like me___ Mostly like me___ Somewhat like me___ Not much like me___ Not like me at all

7. I finish whatever I begin.

___ Very much like me___ Mostly like me___ Somewhat like me___ Not much like me___ Not like me at all

8. I am diligent (hard working and careful).

___ Very much like me___ Mostly like me___ Somewhat like me___ Not much like me___ Not like me at all

Eight Item Grit Scale (Please check yourself to the following eight items. Be honest.)

ScoringFor questions 2, 4, 7 and 8 assign the following points:5 = Very much like me4 = Mostly like me3 = Somewhat like me2 = Not much like me1 = Not like me at all

For questions 1, 3, 5 and 6 assign the following points:1 = Very much like me2 = Mostly like me3 = Somewhat like me4 = Not much like me5 = Not like me at all

Add up all the points and divide by 8. The maximum score on this scale is 5 (extremely gritty), and the lowest scale on this scale is 1 (not at all gritty).

Hopefully you have learned something about yourself – don’t like something? Change it. Work at it. Notice when you are less gritty than you like and chose a different path. Perhaps read Dr. Duckworth’s Grit – she has several chapters on making change from within. For parents there is a chapter ‘Parenting for Grit’ you might find helpful.

Duckworth, A.L, & Quinn, P.D. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (GritS). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91, 166-174.

Duckworth, A.L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., & Kelly, D.R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psych 24

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Your Shodan TestPERSISTENCE, TRAINING, DEDICATION, GRIT, OPENNESS AND LOVE.

No one is given a blackbelt in Shoshin Ryu - you earn it! It is a milestone you achieve through your own training and

self refinement. The beauty of Shoshin Ryu is that when you achieve shodan - it is your own. It can’t be given, taken,

embellished or diminished by anyone else. At that point you are on a lifetime journey of exploration and self

development.

A black belt only covers 2 inches of your butt. You have to cover the rest with your grit, training and

continual improvement. That is to say it isn’t the black belt you wear on your waist but the courage, determination

and love you carry in your heart. It is a state of being, a way of life.

2018 YUDANSHA GASSHUKU

START PLANNING NOW FOR 2019!

Gasshuku held over the MLK holiday weekend

6

Tori moves away getting to his feet

7

After creating space Tori inserts knee between him and Uke

8

Tori may us left leg to help keep Uke less mobile

NE WAZA SideControlEscape

1

Tori begins in side control position

See video of this technique at: www.shoshinryu.org

Tori bridges into Uke to begin creating space

3

Tori hips away, keeping frames to preserve space

4

Tori threads the needle with right leg under and turns belly down

Still keeping frames tori comes to knees

Tori does a hip switch to free up right leg Tori flattens his right foot and swivels it to outside freeing the leg

5

2

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VERSION #1

VERSION #2

Tori continues to wrap legs round Uke Tori ends in full guard

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Kids’ Corner Humor. . .Wel l , Maybe

Letters & Dots!Last LetterIn this 2+ player game, players agree on a category from which they will name words. The first player says a word in the selected category, then the second player must name a word in the category that begins with the last letter of the previous word. For example, if the category is “cities” and the first word is Chicago, a valid next word would be Ottawa. The last player to name a word in the selected category wins.

To practice your vocabulary you can play the game allowing words from any category. Or, practice your foreign language skills by playing the game with words from any category from a language other than your first language.

DotsThis game is played until all the dots become boxes, and the player with the most boxes completed at the end becomes the winner.

Draw rows of dots, separated by a good half inch, in a grid of 10 by 10 columns. Each player takes a turn connecting one dot to another adjacent dot horizontally or vertically, one move at a time. After a while, the board begins to fill with a series of horizontal and vertical lines, some connected, some not. When a player draws a line that forms a square, that player fills the square with his first initial. The player, who drew the closing line on the square, gets another turn

CHICAGO - OTTAWA - ANCHORAGE - EL PASO - OAKLAND - DETROIT - TAMPA BAY

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PROCRASTINATOR’S CREEDYou may wish to delay reading this until you have more free time.

• I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already.

• I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses.

• I will never rush into a job without a lifetime of consideration.

• I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount of bodily injury I could expect to receive from missing them.

• I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my obligations.

• I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the amount of time given.

• If at first I don’t succeed, there is always next year.

• I shall always decide not to decide, unless of course I decide to change my mind.

• I shall always begin, start, initiate, take the first step, and/or write the first word, when I get around to it.

• I will never put off tomorrow, what I can forget about forever.

Strive for

EXCELLENCEnot perfection

Excellence is attained, perfection is illusory.

Goshinjutsu SeriesWhite Belt Level

Self defense is learning to return to harmony when someone intends to cause you or a loved one injury or death. It is learning not to be where bad things often happen. Learning to be aware but not paranoid. And should you ever have to face an attacker; you can and will survive.

Your greatest tool is your mind so be open to developing it. Consider the 110 lb. women who is being attacked by a 200 lb. man and thinks there is little she can do. Then consider an 8 lb. cat dunked in water and given to that 200 lb. man to hold on to. What harm can this little 8 lb. cat do? Let go of your preconceived limitations and step by step grow your mind and skills to achieve things you never thought possible. Train! You can become skilled like the little, elderly, Japanese man who throws the ruffian around at will - but you will have to work for it.

At this point I give you permission to do what it takes to survive a life threatening situation…

Now train the curriculum, come to class regularly, and follow your Sensei’s instructions. And never, never give up!

• Defend yourself.• Be rude when necessary.

• Survive, no matter what it takes.• Always keep going.

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“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare, that they are difficult”

- Seneca