causing confusion

i know i have been sending out a lot of emails about wanting to collaborate on environmental projects, and it may have caused some confusion about dates and requirements. when i send out the emails, i simply want to share information and try to get a group of people together to make a larger impact. when i think of the environmental requirements, i know the first degree candidates have a lot to satisfy, and us second degree candidates have to complete five major acts. i think doing something as a group can help more than as an individual and that is why i continue to send out emails asking for all of you to consider participating.

a couple people have responded about my idea of making the aim high reusable shopping bags and selling them to fund a service learning weekend. if you have not read the email, ask me about it and i will send you more info.

i know everyone has a lot going on, but i do want to clarify that i am simply offering ideas. i am a person who likes to collaborate so i will share my ideas and ask for participation, but it is by no means required to do what i ask.

i apologize for causing any confusion i cause when i send emails out of excitement. things may not always come out clear, and i may not always check info...i will try to remember to check dates before i send another email asking for people to join me.

DTD Recon Episode 9

Is he losing a lure? Or losing allure?

Find that happy thought

So you know how you start out on a Monday, you're up before the sun, you have to go to work (or school), and then you get behind the slowest guy on the road. They moved you to the bleakest part of the building at work during a building remodel (for six months) and your spouse (or boyfriend/girlfriend) is all cranky because they got their cold from you (oops!)... Aahh, Mondays!

So I threw myself a pity party... All the way down to wondering why I do martial arts when I can barely walk a straight line sometimes, let alone do combination kicks of whichever sort. But then the reality of it all surfaced: I (any of us) can go to class, everyone's glad to see each other, we talk about things we need to work on and what stresses us.... No one is waiting for the dishes to be done, or the kitty litter to be changed, or in some cases, for homework to be done. When we're in class, we're pushing each other to do our best, and we can still come out class smiling, for the most part. We ALL have bad days or 'off' days, but I really enjoy being around everyone at Aim High. That's what makes me push myself... I still feel the frustration of not being a "natural" at all this, but it's the people I train with that make it all worthwhile. I pushed myself to run the 3 miles this past Saturday for the people I train with, not for me. If I were doing it for me, let's face it, I'd be back home in bed. Thank you, DTD team for taking away my option to sleep in... You're more fun. ;)

DTD Recon Episode 8

Trains go by....

class

Yesterday was a great day for aimhigh. I wrote down many acts of kindness and memorized some things. Class was great. First I had weapons class and I got my Bokken it's pretty cool. I learned some cool moves with the sword and how to cut someone. Then I went to regular class and we started with kickboxing that got intense I got lots of good comments and was yelling super loud on the final kick of the 4 plus. then we had forms overall it was slow and I really wanted to go for speed and power of course. People forgot their forms and everyone was out of unison.However, the slowness helped because I could really focus on detail because there is always something wrong in forms. So all in all a fantastic class. Oh yeah I got to say attitude outloud to everyone in class,it was awesome I was so lucky I studied the written test that day but I could say attitude whenever because I memorized that at brown belt(the day of the test) ~Noah Prins

spring break

spring break was a lot of fun. and it sucks to go back to school. but its nice to see all your friends. i saw 3 movies over spring break. Limitless, Paul, and Linlcon lawyer. they where all good movies. but its nice to be back at school though.

spring break

Because it was spring break, I missed a lot of classes and conditioning. But instead I went snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor and had a great time. I also went on the only wave simulator in all of Oregon. :)

Second meeting - WOW

Tonight was the second planning meet for the Washington County forum "Keeping the Boat Afloat." On April 11 citizens are invited to meet with key personnel, elected officials, and agency representatives for a facilitated discussion about how we can all collaborate during tough economic times to help families with kids with disabilities continue to get the services they need. My part is to open the meeting with a presentation that in 15 minutes explains the service delivery system and lay the foundation for the group's discussion. I teach a class on the service delivery system quarterly (that is why I was asked) but that class is 3.5 hours long....and I have no idea how I am going to distill it down into 15 minutes.

The group I am working with is great. These are people I have never worked with before so it's not my usual cast of characters. I find that I am challenged in new ways, re-establishing credibility and a knowledge base, and figuring out how to stay out of the political fray. Most of the people on the team are parents of kids with disabilities. Truly humbling. They come to the table with a kind of raw life experience that I will never have. And I totally respect them for it.

So we have about two more weeks to go - we are into the final details (name tags, sign in sheets, coffee etc.) and putting together the rest of the experts on the panel. For my small group I am paired with one of the Washington County Commissioners - which should be fun - because my Aloha programs are in his district. I look forward to working with him.

It feels good to be involved in something proactive during this time of potential cuts. Washington County has a reputation for it's grass roots efforts to respond to citizens and I think now more than ever people need to come together in creative ways to solve problems and share resources. If I had to write my own obituary it would be the kind of thing I would want to be remembered for,

Anyway - missed jits tonight because of it - but will be there tomorrow with bells on. :-)

DTD Recon Episode 8

Hunter we love you. Inspite of what this video represents. :-)

Connected

     Dare 2 dream is starting to form into two different groups. 2nd degree testers and 1st degree testers. KJN and SBN also felt the same way at last nights practice or in other words, opened our eyes to this fact. I know that KJN wanted to split us up into groups so that we all could use the class time on our curriculum, but KJN and SBN are right we need to have more classes together. But on top of that I should also be getting up at 7:00 a.m. every Saturday training with you guys and gals. I really do think that we are starting to lose a strong link in the chain by not forming a tight bond. I also had no idea on what stopped me from joining you guys every Saturday morning and honestly I miss it. So this is going to be a challenge, but I am going to try and meet up with the "crew" every Saturday!!!

                     So expect to see me there with a smile on my face.
                                                       :)
                                                    Zoe   

Quote

Papa (my dad) texts this quote to Jake almost everyday or at least once a week...  thought I would share as it's a good reminder.

To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. ~ Steve Prefontaine

DTD Recon Episode 7 BUGS

And you thought our instructors were tough...try sparring these hideous creatures that are the ONLY thing likely to survive the apocalypse. :-)

Just what I needed

I've been pretty down and lazy this week, and sporting a pretty lousy attitude. I went to class tonight and it all just seemed to go away. Tonight's class was high energy and good old fashion butt-kicking fun. I realized that what I need to stay positive is to not miss class. It's so good to be in the company of such great teammates.

Thanks SBN for the adjustment.

CGN John

:)

It is insane how fast this year is gong by!!
Again, this year, I am planning on competing in the PAC Jewel. And this morning when I thought about practicing my traditional form (koryo), I realized how soon May is coming. Wow.
I'm excited. I love the competition because it shows me where I am in comparison with other people outside the school. Plus, there's this rush of adrenaline that I absolutely love.

The one thing I need to do is find someone who's willing to be a sparring buddy outside of class so I can get some extra training for the competition. Especially point sparring. That's my weakest point, and unfortunately, they don't offer continuous sparring for under belt women.
Nevertheless, I'm stoked for the upcoming competition and I can't wait. :)

So I'm having a hard time shaking this Shamrock Run cold and I'm really tired of coughing. My husband says that it got so bad because I didn't take care of myself. I slept almost 2 entire weekends away & I cut myself down to 2 classes last week. I thought I was going to go insane from inactivity. I ate right, I got plenty of sleep, I cut my workouts down to a reasonable number... what'd I do that was so crummy to my body other than get really cold and tired by running in the rain at the start of my cold? So I would've died from pneumonia if this were 1911 instead of 2011, but we have antibiotics now and I have a black belt to chase down. *sigh*

Time to get more sleep and shake this thing, for tomorrow, I have a bag to practice kicking like I told John I would. 'nite!

practice taylor

Here's a lil' video for taylor B., to let her know that her instructors also practice, and not just 'teach' - a conversation we had earlier in the day.

It has been a while since I have written a blog. A lot has happened. Soccer started but I was mad because our first practice was cancelled due to rain. I love soccer even though it makes it hard to train. My dad is my coach and we have to be there tuesday's and thursday's.

Demo team is going good. I love our new routine for pac jewel. I'm really excited to wear the cool orange light box that makes me look like the bad guys in Tron. I don't know why bad guys can't win. Bad guys always lose.

I got a 4.0 on my report card. Whoo! That is twice in a row.

That is it for now. I have to get back to the blazer game.
CGN Sarah

Monday

It's my monthly board meeting on the 28th so I won't be in training... See you Wednesday! CGN Jessica

DTD Recon Episode 6

Back to the testing

For spring break, my family decided to go to Florida. It was a wonderful escape from everything, including the cold and rain but, now that we're back I'm more behind on my testing requirements. I can't believe I got myself behind again! Last phase, I only just made the requirements, without any extra and now I back down in the same hole.

I stopped for a moment this afternoon to stop working on the test and take the time to blog. This was because I was thinking, isn't it easier to do something that isn't fun if you do it with support? The Dare to Dream team is strong as individuals, imagine how amazing it would be to finish as a team. I'm not saying spend every second in each other's company, but maybe just try to help and support each other more. It was just an idea, have a great spring break!

I wonder?

Sometimes I wonder why I do martial arts? I asked my self that question and looked at the bad things pushups, running, ab workouts ect. But I realized there is alot more to it.

One thing is it gives you honor and shows you can do anything. It shows that your tough in the body and mind. It gives you high fives and awards when you do something right. It gets you fit so you don't have to workout in a gym it shows you away to have fun when you workout. This what martial arts gives you. This is why I do martial arts for respect, for confidence, and to have fun.

You should ask your self this question too.

~Noah Prins

Shamrock Run 2012

The Shamrock Run was great. I`m actually amazed how easy it was for me to do a 5k. But this also scares me. It tells me that I need to be training harder, and getting stronger. It is a warning signal that a 5k is too easy, and that i need to train for harder runs. I`m going to start training for that 15k next year. It will be about 9.3miles. Even better, i want to try to run it in about an hour and 30 minutes, because my time right now is 30 minutes for a 5k. I want everyone to hold me to this. Who knows, if i keep trying, i hope i will run a marathon someday.

All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.

~Walt Disney

 

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
~Walt Disney

Ashland

I apologize for my missing anything on Thursday-Saturday, (and Certainly feel "bad" for missing april fools day with you guys). But i will be on a field trip with my theater group to Ashland. While there, we are going to learn about some of shakespear`s and other`s plays, while at the Shakespear Festival. We have been planning it for months now, and have invested quite a bit of money to it. I cant wait to go and hang out with my other friends. But i also think it will rest me up to go all-in for the rest of the test, as i expect this to be my last vacation for a while. Its good to take a break and step back every once in a while.

I don't know who my grandfather was; I'm much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.
Abraham Lincoln

One who walks in another's tracks leaves no footprints.
Proverb

My Performances

Sometime in the middle of march, i performed in theater, and did many performances for Band Class. It felt good to see what many (many) sacrifices had developed into. I performed in a play called "Romeo and Juliet: Together (and alive!) at Last." It is based off of a book by AVI. It also felt good to be able to perform all those Jazz Band songs for people. Because sometimes ig et a bit nervous playing my instrument in front of people. (and somehow im not nervous performing in front of people. wierd.). Although i had fun, im very happy im done with being busy. I now have much more time to focus on this test.

Some complain that roses have thorns others rejoice that thorns have roses!
Author Unknown

Reality is negotiable.
Tim Ferriss
Life is not meant to be easy, my child; but take courage -- it can be delightful.
George Bernard Shaw

Spring Break

i had a fun spring break. and i spent pretty much all day at aim high helping with kids camps. Its interesting working with kids who are younger than me, because im more used to working with kids more my age. Helping out with this kind of stuff helps me for times when i do have to work with younger ones, so i can be a better role model.

Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.
-- Nikos Kazantzakis

Spring Break

This has been a pretty low impact week for me. It's awesome that my body chose this week to kind of shut down (sarcasm). I've been feeling sick and run down and I'm not sure what's causing it. Maybe I just needed a week to decompress. It's hard for me to stay positive when I've made an amazing spring break list of things to do and for various reasons beyond my control am unable to do much of it. Monday's back to the grind and the routine of School, work, kids piano, soccer, scouts, and oh yeah training for my second degree. I better read "attitude" by Charles Swindoll to remind me who's in charge.

DTD Recon Episode 5

Damsel in distress? Are you kidding?

DTD Recon Episode 4

Hallowed Training Grounds. Bring your sticks. It will be epic!

Amazed.......

There are countless words of wisdom and even more effective techniques i have taken in over the 8 years i have been a Martial Artist and with all the hardships and obsticals that make all those things hard to remember at times make me feel like I can't be anywhere close to my bestor work hard enough to meet our standards I am reminded by a 4 year old that if you want to you can, as simple as that her words bring me back to center. She stands at the top of the steep slide at the playground looking down with me at the bottom yelling up to her "You don't have to if it's too scary" and standing as still as she can to nervous to move another inch she replies "It's really scary dad, But I want to go" and that was it, no explinations no long drawn out reason why she was having trouble just exactly what was happening and what she wanted, and in that moment a few of those words that have since been drowned out started coming back to mind the first of those was "It dosen't matter if your training in Taekwondo or Karate, Kung Fu or Krav Maga, all that matters is what you take away from it" Everything I need to meet my goal, Is already here i just need to use it, I believe we all do and as a team we need to help each other find those things and it can be as small as a comforting look at the right time and as big as carrying someone thru to the finish, so together we can make the most of this and together we can raise the bar taking away as much as can be taken together.

DTD Recon Episode 3

All actions taken by the actors and filmmakers in this short were done with the utmost respect for the environment. Leave no trace!

DTD Recon Episode 2

To Be Continued....

unbelievable & disrespectful

enough said.

Thank You Choomo 4!

I know I just wrote a blog last night, BUT I'm very excited to announce that I was able to do a pop spinning crescent kick tonight!! AND I put it into a combo with a roundhouse kick, tornado kick, slide side kick with a back fist to top it all off. AWESOME!

I'm a little over-excited about this combo because I tend to struggle with jump and spinning kicks. However, I can tell you that practicing Choomo 4 is the reason that I am able to do the pop spinning crescent kick. Those two jump spin moves that we do at the end of the form, well repping those out has helped my ability to jump and spin in the air with my knees up allowing for me to get my leg up high enough for that crescent kick! At least, when I spin to the left...the right side still needs some work.

Forms are meant to help you practice your technique. This success has proven to me that it works. Thank you Choomo 4!

Frustrated...

Okay, so not sure how to start this out...
But I will warn you...it's going to be a little harsh...

No offense, but if you're going for your Black Belt, then act like it in class. Seriously.

We are the senior belts in class. We should be leading the class. Not following it.
I am so tired of being one of 3 people constantly sound off, or putting some meaning, some intensity behind the moves. Does that mean go all gung ho? No, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, is MOVE. Make some NOISE. SOUND OFF. Don't just flop your hands and feet out in the air. If you're going to try to hit pads, HIT THEM. When we're standing in line waiting for our turn to do whatever, don't just stand there with your hands on your hips-MOVE. Stay in motion. Practice the move while in line, see if you can figure out how to make it better so when it's your turn, you can test it and see if it works or not. And then go focus on another detail. When you're doing boxing or kicking, if you're not kiyupping, the people around you should at least hear you breathe. Create the energy guys. It's not up to just our instructors to create energy in class. It's ours. And we've been doing this long enough that we should know how to do it and do it without being told.
I'm really, really, really tired of feeling like I'm the only one putting forth effort. I'm not saying no one else is trying, but I am saying that it certainly doesn't feel that way half the time. C'mon guys, prove me wrong. Show me that you want this. Show everyone you want your Black Belt. Show them that you deserve it. They're watching us. It's up to us to create the desire in the under belts to want to go for their own Black Belt. And not that I'm trying to sound stuck up, but we're supposed to be better than the under belts. We've had more training, more practice, more experience. If not, it'd be like us being just as good as KJN or SBN or BSBN. That would be terrible, for both of us. It demoralizes me because why bother? If they're a 5th degree BB and I'm not even a 1st, then why try? And it dishonors their level, because they see people who are testing for their 1st degree who are just as good as them. They need to be better than us. They are. And we need to be the same way with those under us.
One of the instructors said once (when he was referring to my kicks) that my kicks need to be so good that when the people who are lower than me see my kicks, they need to say, "I my kicks to be as good as hers. I want to look that good." I don't know if I'm there, but that quote is what I think when I'm doing my kicks, forms, etc. That's what pushes me to do better than last time.

Yes, there are some things that are a real challenge, that are constantly a struggle. I get that. But that's not the time to give up or not listen. It's the time to focus on what's being taught by the instructors and pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing. If you have a question, ask. But then you also have to listen to the answer and apply it. They want to see us improve just as much as we want to see ourselves improve. That's why they teach. Not for the ego boost of telling other people what to do.

If you're tired in class-IGNORE IT. Seriously. Fake it till you make it. Keep moving. Don't think about how tired you are. Don't walk off the floor. Don't sit down. Keep moving. Change the way you breathe. Focus on how you can be better. And when you're not in class, work on your cardio to improve it. 'Cause I guarantee you, if you keep training at this level, you're not going to pass testing day in October. You're going to die in the first hour and a half.
I do NOT want that to happen. I have worked too hard and too long to lose it because I didn't train at the proper level when I had the chance. No. I guarantee you, I will NOT let that happen. I WILL get my Black Belt.

I know this sounds harsh, and I might get in a bit of trouble for sounding too harsh. But guys, we need to step up. LEAD the class. Make them want to be at our level. I remember when I was a yellow belt, green belt, blue belt, I really wanted to train for my Black Belt and I looked forward to my test because I saw how hard those testers were working. How they were serious about learning the necessary skills. How awesome they were because they put forth the effort to make every kick, punch, strike, block, combination better than the one before. We need to do that too guys. It's not too late. Let's start training today like our testing day was tomorrow. We need to show everyone how bad we want this. How hard we're working. It's not an easy test. It's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be hard, and a challenge, and demanding. Because if it weren't, then why would you want to do this?

I heard someone say once that the only way to have victory is to have an obstacle to overcome. The only way to win is to beat the opposition. What's your opposition? Cardio? Find a way to improve it. Grappling? Find a person better than you and ask them if they'd be willing to let you practice with them. Sparring? Same answer.

Right now, my biggest struggle is my attitude (Obviously, judging by this blog). So I'm going to have to remind myself to CHOOSE to have a good attitude and to have patience. It's not easy. But if I allow myself to go through this challenge and learn how to overcome my obstacle, then I will become a better person, a better martial artist.


You can do this. Be confident. Believe in yourself. Don't be afraid of the challenge. Don't be afraid to try something new or hard because it looks insane. Give yourself a shot. And usually, it's not as bad as you think.

If I stepped on your toes by writing this, I can't say I'm sorry. Because in all honesty, I'm not.

Again, believe in yourself. You have it in you to be B.A. Let it out. Be aggressive. 'Sides, where else can you hit something really hard and it's okay? Or to break something and have everyone cheer for you instead of tell you that you need to fix it or buy a new one?

DTD Recon Episode 1

This is the first of several installments by the Leitners, the official recon team of the Dare to Dream Black Belt Test 2011. For those of you who don't backpack or are fearful of our plans, enjoy. The events depicted in this video are real. But names were changed to protect the innocent. No animals were harmed in the making of these films. The views represented in these videos do not necessarily reflect the view of Aim High Academy of Martial Arts, or its affiliates. Yet.

Great Night of Training!

For those of you who weren't at training tonight (Monday the 21st), you missed out on some awesome conditioning thanks to BSBN Corey, and a very fun night of kicking! I don't have much else to journal about except how much I enjoyed training tonight.

Okay, I lied, I do have something to write about. I'm watching this show on Netflix called Legend of the Seeker. It's a mythological story filled with magic and sword fights. Well, the hero is called The Seeker. Of course, there are cool fight scenes, complete with a combination of spinning sword attacks and push kicks, but there is one thing about the story that makes me link it to martial arts philosophy.

There's a statement I just heard: "clear your mind of all things and focus on the task at hand." When The Seeker thinks of these words, he is able to defeat multiple villains without the help of others.

Hmmm, it seems I keep encountering statements that refer to clarity before action.

That must mean something...

My Weekend.

            Well I really have nothing to blog about, but I was remembering what SBN said, "Blog even when you have nothing to blog about.". So I'll just blog about my weekend. I went into a video game store called Cat 6 in Bend OR with my little brother because he wanted to play X box. ( Cat 6 only had T.V.s, X boxes and black couches. ) It was a boy's dream come true. I also happened to notice that I was the only female in the arcade,  also including the staff. I still went in and asked the man behind the counter if I could play Call of Duty Black Ops. I sat down in a black leather couch and played away. I swear all the boy's faces were so shocked that I was playing a boys game. And for the whole two hours that I was playing, none of their faces changed. I also kicked booty on the first level of Black Ops! :)


                               Well see you at class tonight!                 Zoe (Bie)

Sparing

I did a lot of good hard work on sparing this week. On Tuesday I did some sparing drills and light contact. Wednesday, I spared with 70%-80% contact and two on one sparing. And Thursday, I did a lot of drills and a round of sparing with Shane. Overall it was a great week.

Some weeks are just best left behind ...

Wow, what a week! Holly and I did the Shamrock Run with a group of our best Aim High black belts and candidates. I see now what they mean by 'change the way you look at things and the things you look at change'. You know how in the Tom & Jerry cartoons they have an angel sitting on one of Tom's shoulders and a devil on the other? Well, when it came to the Shamrock Run, the devil was sitting on my one shoulder telling me that we had to get up way too early to catch the MAX train at 7am, after getting to bed way too late because we had friends over the night before and they picked a fine time to throw daylight saving time in there. Plus we had to stand in the rain for an hr and a half before our race started and I'd been trying to fight off a cold for a week already. Then I had to run 3 miles in the rain, got soaking wet feet & shoes, it was freezing cold, it took forever for the MAX train to pick us up afterwards and all I wanted was a hot hot shower and a nap! But... the angel was sitting on my other shoulder making me laugh at the MAX conductor/driver when he said, "and for all of you that decided to make your goal this morning to take this earlier train to beat the rush of people participating in today's Shamrock run... You've failed... So everyone please make room for boarding passengers... Thank you!". We rode into town with a fully loaded train of people all dressed in green and ready to run. Suddenly, it started sounding like a fun idea. I took Holly's pic with a guy with a green and black face when we got off the train, and off to Waterfront Park. It was raining by then, but they'd set up lots of tent thingy's for people to stand other & stay dry and I brought hand warmers with me. The nice thing about running the 5k is that I just had to tell myself that Brandy's already had us consistently run farther than that, so it's all good. The hills sucked, but I managed. Then they have all the promotional food items, magazines, music, and everything after we were done, it was great! Then Holly discovered Pioneer Square and we hit Starbucks because we were pretty thrashed by then. Our whole group found each other again on the train and off to home we went. My goal this year was simply to finish... new things freak me out... But then I saw you get to see where you stood in the rankings of all the other participants in your age group... Hmm... competition? Next year: Do this again, but I've already "just finished" the run.... Next time, I want to make it a race. ;)

No More Pushing the Air Around

During the last couple of trainings, I've noticed there is some apprehension to make contact when running through the kick boxing drills. I know that we don't want to hurt one another, but that is why we train with control. I do not feel you can fully practice a technique without the realism of making contact with your partner, and giving feedback to each other about whether or not the kick, strike, or block was effective. If we're practicing the 4+, and the sequence involves pushing off your partner to prepare for a kick, then you have to actually PUSH your partner to practice the technique correctly. If I have a partner who barely touches me, or not at all, I'm not going to move. If you don't kick me correctly, with the right hip rotation and in the right spot, I'm going to let you know. Hit me in the head if I don't bob and weave correctly--I'm going to do the same to you; not hard, but I will hit you.

Sometimes, I see people rush through a sequence in the air around their partner (I do this myself sometimes). SLOW DOWN--I have to remind myself to do this. Yes, fast can be intense, but it can also lead to incorrect technique and lack of realism if you're moving too fast and afraid to make contact with your partner. Practice the technique a few times, and then go for speed with control.

Here's my point: you might get hurt if you make contact, but that's the risk you take with any sport. I don't like pain myself...I'm kind of a wimp actually when it comes to pain, but I still expect you to kick me, punch me, and block my attacks with actual controlled contact.

Come on guys, no more pushing the air around.

getting motivated...

yeah, i know... me not motivated..   it happens though.  my business trip took alot out of me, plus i got sick while i was there.  i did have a great run on sunday, which was a total surprise since i was jet lagged and felt awful.  i decided not to take class on monday and get some rest... i'm glad i made that decision.  bad things happen when you're not focused.  i'll be back in action tonight...  :) 

this week

this week has been going by pretty fast. i cant beleive its wensday already. it feels like it should be tuesday still. but anyway next week is spring break. i cant wait for that. i tought that spring break was 2 weeks but its only one. bye.

How full is your cup?

The question can be taken in many ways, for me my cup is overflowing, my life is full the good and bad things mixed together spilling over every edge with no way to control what stays and what goes some parts of Zen teachings say if you want to learn you must first empty your cup to take in the things you need you must get rid of the things you don't. It is a great idea but in Sam world it almost seems imposible, all the choices to be made as well as the repercusions from past choices keep flowing in limiting the only real time to truly be focused on the test to the time i spend on the floor, only then with my belt tied tight and my eyes on the prize can i begin to pour some of those stressful things out making room in my cup to take in more of what i need, so the question is how do i extend my abilties out into the real world that is the question, the answer hopefully soon to come.

Eyes watering

Well, I had my first broken nose yesterday. I hope it was my last. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be, initially, but the pain just kind of creeps up on you. I understand that this is the nature of the beast when you are training at as high of level as we are. I'll be back at it tomorrow and hopefully be able to learn from the mistakes I made that caused the accident.

See you tomorrow

CGN John

exciting weekend

what an awesome weekend. had a great time at the test! those kids amaze me more and more everyday. in addition, my high school basketball team was in the state finals for basketball. Unfortunately, they lost, but it was still a great experience. I was able to have a good work out on sunday at the gym. I played basketball with some adults, practiced my forms consecutively, and then lifted weights for 2 hours =)
All in all, it was a greatt weekend!

Get Motivated!

On March 14 I attended the Get Motivated seminar at the Rose Garden. It was fantastic. There were many inspiring speakers (first lady Laura Bush, Rudy Guiliani, Steve Forbes) for for me the highlight was General Colin Powell. He spoke about leadership and about the principle he applied both in his role as General and in his role as Secretary of State. He remarked that so many people focus on the the leader..and yes the lead has a principle role...but for him "leading is about putting followers in the best position to fulfill their purpose." He further instructed that a key role to being an effective leader is to covey that purpose with ethics, integrity and selflessness. I see this alot in my role as ED - the need to give people the tools and room to do what I have asked of them...to see the big picture and at the same time be able to scope down to the details. Some other salient points: recognize people for achievement, discipline when people are not performing, pay attention to the enviornment. Also so very valid. When I think about what it would take to command an army..to inspire people to follow you in this ultimate way, I think he is right.

We have so many leaders at Aim High. As black belts and candidates we ARE the leaders in our school. So it is important that we think about these lessons and how they might apply to us on the mat. I never thought of the students or colored belts as followers but really they are. They look to us for direction and they copy what we do, match our energy, and return our respect when we show it. It's pretty cool!

So some of you I know attended as well - what did you think of the presentation and who were your favorites?

Head in the Clouds Brings Clarity

I wrote the following while I was flying back from Tennessee a couple weeks ago, and I just now found the time to type it up in a blog.

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Airplanes are a great place to reflect, think through problems or issues, make plans, and even meditate. Put on a set of headphones and relax. You can't go anywhere for a while, so why not figure some things out or sit and do nothing for a while.

I feel like so much of life, at least for myself and many people I know, is always on the move. "There's always more to strive for..." True, but what about taking a moment to breathe and live purely in the moment? How many of us actually "empty our cup," as followers of Zen call it? Let go of our preconceived ideas, forget the knowledge we have obtained, and truly open our minds to fully experiencing something new and different with absolutely ALL of our attention?

There are martial arts masters who claim that true learning can only begin when our minds are clear of all that we have learned before. The three stages of learning are:

1. Stage of Innocence
2. Stage of Art
3. Stage of Alertness

Innocence is the beginning--you have emptied your cup and you are ready to learn.

Art is the process of consciously learning and working to master skills and abilities--that's where we are now. At this stage, repetition and attention to detail are highly important, as is accepting criticism.

Alertness is mastery--you "have mastered skills to a certain degree that you no longer have to consciously think about them. You just do."

There are many ways to describe a state of being, and you can experience it with many activities. We have chosen martial arts as a way to reach some level of mastery--weather on a physical level, or for some, an emotional and spiritual level. Each of us is working to find it in a different way and to different extremes. If we work hard enough and keep in mind what it takes to reach our goals, our highest potential, our peak level of performance, then we have actualized a level of mastery in our own way.

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(the rest of this is from reflecting tonight's training)

We cannot forget the first stage of learning along the way...have you emptied your cup yet? When learning a new style, do you let go of what you learned before?

When learning the difference between a mauy thai kick and a tae kwon do kick, or the differences between the stances? KJN and SBN and BSBN are constantly pointing out that we are not kicking correctly or in the correct stance for kick boxing. Next time we train kick boxing, remove the tae kwon do technique and really focus on learning what the mauy thai technique is really supposed to be. Empty your cup and pretend you have never learned martial arts before in your life, and really listen to what they are saying and look at what they are demonstrating. I'm challenging myself to do this, and I'm challenging you to do it as well.

You cannot reach the second and third stages without climbing the first, and you can only do it one step at a time.

Gah Hectic! Again!

Im so glad its all finally over. On Friday I finished the performances for my play. So now i have more time for everything else. Its all about finding a balance with this stuff. Friends, Family, Aim High, Requirements, Church(for some of us) and other commitments. I still need to work on finding the right balance. I say this because im writing this at 10:10 at night, and i still have to do 200pushups, situps, and rows. Fun. Oh well, hopefully ill get better.

Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.
William Shakespeare
The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.
Elbert Hubbard

A team of Girls!

            Yesterday Taylor, Sarah and I ran around Taylor's super hilly neighborhood in the rain, while Bear (Taylor's dog :) was sprinting beside us! As we were running we thought it would be a cool idea to meet every weekend just to motivate each other to do push ups, sit ups, pull ups and get in our miles and cardio. At the same time we would have the joy of seeing each other! Cool. Oh, I almost forgot today is Taylor's B-DAY! If you see her at class tonight make sure we get an extra special, hard and sweaty workout just by telling SBN!    

                      HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!!!!!!!!!!!

;)  ZOE   

Update

So if you read my last post, you know what happened last night.
Went to the dentist this morning and there was really not much he could do at that point in time. Needless to say, that was NOT was I was wanting to hear. The earliest he could see me is Wednesday am.
He did however, put something on my tooth to cover it so that I can breathe without pain. It's still hard to drink, talk, or eat since the nerve is kinda exposed, but it's better than it was.
Here's the pathetic thing. All they did was get an x-ray of my tooth and put that stuff on it, and I was crying because I was so freaked. It was terrible. So, he kindly prescribed me some Valium to take before Wednesday's procedure so that he can do his job and I won't freak out. Again.
So come Wednesday, I will stumble into the office to get a root canal and new crown. As far as the root canal goes, he said that it will be as easy as they come since he only has to mess with one root and that it's the front tooth instead of somewhere in the back. So that's a blessing.

But it's still frustrating. I had to call in to work, change plans, miss training, and now I'm stuck at home because I can't go anywhere because I'm on meds.
However, I will NOT let this get me down and I will NOT sport a bad attitude.
I need and will keep my head up.
It helps reading about other people and what they're going through, i.e. Japan, news, friends and their lives. It keeps things in perspective even though the selfish part of me wants to lie down on the floor and scream, "WHY ME?!"
So now I can have time to catch up on stuff and sleep. So if you don't see me this week, you know why. Hopefully though, I'll be able to train again on Wednesday. If not, Thursday it is.

What a day :)

Yesterday was a really good day, for the most part.
Started off with the Shamrock Run. There's really nothing quite like running with 32,000 other people in the rain. It was great!
Not sure what my time was, keep trying to check it online, but the page won't load. So we'll see.

As for the not so great part of my day...
That night, I was eating dinner in the living room and my plate was on my lap. I was trying to cut part of my food with a fork when the plate ended up flipping and hitting me in the mouth, breaking off a big chunk of my front tooth.
Needless to say, I freaked. There was blood everywhere and my tooth hurt like none other.
So I get my brother to call my dad and he comes and takes me to the urgent care. We get there, and there's really nothing they can do except try to numb my tooth, perscribe some percaset and send me home until I can see the emergency dentist in the am. I do have the one consoling detail of my doctor being cute and nice.
So here I am, waiting to see the emergency dentist. Not exactly happy about this, and I know it needs to be done, but still. I HATE going to the dentist. Hopefully, they'll be able to give me laughing gas or knock me out or something for the procedure.

12 candles on the cake

Today is my twelfth birthday and I can't see myself finding any better way to spend it then with my team tonight at black belt training. It seems a little bit strange to be growing up and I don't honestly feel any different. it is a lot easier to make a difference when you're older though, people look at you in different way and take you more seriously. In celebration, the rest of Danny's Angels spend the weekend at my house and had a great time. We were given a secret mission at Aim High, rescued a hostage, caught the culprit and set him free in exchange for pictures. SBN and KJN took 1,008 pictures of us. They are photo shopping them and they look really cool. Thanks for the surprise!

I mentioned earlier about about it being easier to make a difference when you're older, this leads into my environmental project. I haven't decided what it is exactly going to do yet but, I'm thinking something like I tried before. Would anyone be willing to help with something like that? I'm trying to get people to stop creating waste with plastic grocery bags.

The last thing I want to talk about is teaching classes. I helped out with testing Saturday and not one of the lil' warriors or warrior jr.s knew my name. Clearly I need to help out in classes more. I hope to do this more during the summer when there isn't as much going on. I really like teaching the little kids and helping out in the community. maybe someday I could be a fully certified instructor.

See everyone later at class!

Running in the Rain

Yesterday, since I wasn't signed up for the Shamrock Run so, me, Sarah and Zoe took my dof for a run around the neighborhood. We got soaking wet but had a lot of fun. I found that it was a lot easier to do the cardio when I was doing it with 2 of my best friends. Anyway, that's 20 more minutes to the goal 640 minutes. I'm falling behind on my requirements again though. But, it's great to have more time and have the first phase out the way.

See everyone tonight!

A great week for me

This week, I think was an improvement for me. I got a lot of compliments like on how focused I was and how I helped out in class. I also feel that my attitude has improved.

Oh the things people believe...

So I took CGN Girl Sam's advice and read some articles on martial arts to help me come up with a topic to blog about.

I was looking through this website and curiosity led me to read this one article about common myths of martial arts.

There were a few myths I enjoyed reading. Some of them were "Every professional boxer’s hands are registered with the police; therefore most people have little to fear if an altercation is about to ensue in public." and "My martial artist instructor has such dangerous hands that he had to register them with the police."

Hahaha...I literally laughed out loud when I read these, among others, but these were the best.
:)

However, there were some pretty ridiculous things too, such as, "My master has mystical or supernatural powers." Really, people? Really?!

As I'm writing this, I am struck with how greatly people misconceive martial arts and the practitioners. It's actually kind of disturbing. And with people spreading these myths it's no wonder why certain people shun and mock martial arts. Not always, but usually those who do mock or shun have been duped into believing a few of these "common" myths.

Yeah, it's cool to go to movies and watch all the crazy moves and see people flying 30+ feet in the air. If you're into that kind of stuff. And sure it's real-on screen. No one can actually do half that crap anyway! They can't. It only looks real cause we now have the technology to make it look real. People, it's NOT real. It's a giant green screen and a bunch of wires with strategically placed cameras to make it "believable". And tons of editing after wards.

Anyway, the intention of this blog was not to rant, but to just share and laugh at common myths.

rough week...

i've been getting my morning run in, along with some other conditioning requirements, but that's about it.  the jet lag is kicking my rear this time..  you would think that being totally exhausted that i would easily fall asleep, but that hasn't been the case.  i haven't been sleeping well at all... i feel like i've only been getting 4 or 5 hours these last couple of nights and it sucks.  i'm happy to be heading back home in the morning, but dreading the toll this trip takes out of me... especially with an 9.1 run on Sunday.  

  

tomorow

tomorow my mom is coming back home. im miss her a lot. and when see comes back we are all going to see the movie called battle LA. i really want to see that. but anyway i have to get ready for school. so bye.

The Walls Are Not Closing In...

Over the last few weeks, I have increasingly felt like the walls were closing in on me and that the ceiling was going to come toppling down. Testing requirements, work stress, family emergency, good friends needing my attention, that darn nasty cold that everyone has had...I have been exhausted...it took its toll on my mental stamina. Even though I didn't really want to quit, and had just made up a plan to continue, and wrote my blog about it, I still felt like quitting was the best option. KJN and SBN told me to wait two weeks before making a final decision.

It's been one week since those conversations, and tonight I got my silver star for Phase 1. It's funny how when given two weeks, one week suffices to make a difference. I'm very glad about my silver star, but I am disappointed that I was unable to compete for that gold star. I hear Zoe did a great job during the test a couple weeks ago!

As for the environmental project I had planned, I didn't get enough people to commit, so I'm going to try it again in a couple weeks. I'll ask next Monday/Tuesday what will work for everyone. Saturday or Sunday mornings...

I'm feeling a lot more motivated now that I'm fully over that cold (lasted about three weeks) and have some things better organized with work and other areas of my life.

What to do... but everything!

K, so I figured that I'd take Wednesday off since I'll be in class 3 days this week plus the Shamrock Run on Sunday. I was fighting off the cold everyone seems to be sharing, so I figured I'd take this evening to start on my interview, profile, acts of kindness, majors acts of kindness planning and seeing where I am on my numbers.

I feel sooooooo guilty for not being in class though. I know I'm sitting here journaling and I know I've been working on all the other stuff, but I always feel like I'm missing something. Like boot camp next week. I know it's happening but no details, so how do I know I'm ready for it?

The most difficult part of this process is self-doubt. I would love to be as confident as some of the others in our group... I have issues in that area, what can I say? :) I'm so confident in all other aspects of my life, but this is so out of my comfort zone that it throws me sometimes.

Outside of class: I'm grabbing the bull by the horns and shaking it, just to see what happens.

Inside of class: Not so much

I think it's the sweat. It's hard for me to be confident when my hair is matted by sweat, everything I'm wearing is soaked through with it, and I smell terrible. Until I started this, I lived by the idea that sweat was something best to be avoided. But the other side if the coin is that it's fun! I love it when we get into class... It's so hard and so exhausting, but we have a great time. Nothing can beat it. :)

Attitude...

Last night's class helped- A LOT.
Monday and yesterday were kind of on the stressful side. And even though I didn't let it ruin my day, I was still glad for it to be done. Come Tuesday, I had the option to go to either Portland or class. Originally, I was going to go Ptown, but at the last minute decided that class would be a better option.
Needless to say, between kickboxing and class, my day ended on a much brighter note than it began.

Ouch!

OWCHIE!!

Ok, so, yesterday (Monday) I got braces. My friend Emily and I both got them on Monday so we got matching colors (pink and silver). Everyone says that I look way different. My mouth is SO sore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t know what it is that makes braces hurt so bad, but they do. So first they took these ring things and shoved around my molars and into my gums….. OWWWWWWWWW! My nurse lady kept getting the wrong size and that happened like, 4 times so, that took like, half an hour. Then they glued the metal brackets on and to keep my lips out of the way they pulled them away with this freaky claw thing. Then (after like a half an hour of gluing) they were done and they threaded a wire through the top and bottom brackets. Then, to finish it off, they put the rubber bands on the brackets. Now my teeth hurt SO badly!!!!!!!!!!!! For lunch I tried to bite into my tuna fish sandwich, and I seriously thought my teeth would fall out and it was all I could do not to scream. I ended up tearing my sandwich into really tiny pieces that I didn’t have to chew so I could just swallow. Since the braces came on I haven’t chewed a single thing. It’s a good thing that I’m good at swallowing! Anyway, everyone I know who has/had braces said it will only hurt like, 3-4 more days…. YAY!

As for other news…. I won’t be participating in the shamrock run. Taylor’s b-day party is scheduled to end at 11 on Sunday. Here were my options…

A. Go to my best friend’s birthday party

B. Get up super early and go running in the freezing rain

I think the answer is pretty clear.

CGN Sarah

The little things that count

            Okay I will admit that even I get bored. SO I decided to look out my bedroom window last Saturday while my mom, dad and little brother were busy. I sat there looking at the sky and lucky me it was a sunny afternoon so I got to notice the dark and light spots of the clouds. The more I observed them the more and more they looked like a painting. I looked towards the ground and see our neighbor's flowers starting to bloom up and our large oak trees started to look greener than ever. I honestly never stopped to take the time and observe them. For all the years that I've lived in this same house I never knew how much was happening around me and at that point I felt a little clue less. I guess my point is that little things count and if you don't stop and kind of breathe you'll never really be able to notice those things. It's like savoring every bite of your food so that you can actually taste all the small things that you would least expect!

                               My favorite thing to eat is soup because there is always something different in the bowl.

              Savor your time,       Zoe      

3,2,1, twist and ... ouch..

tricking today was fun. I haven't really 'tried' tricking for some time. It's neat that I can still jump. now the landing, that needs help.

I'm feeling great about things this week. It's be a ruff ride this year, and as I look around, stop worrying about my own self, and look at everyone else, it seems it's been the same for them.

family that's away, or people having to go visit family members that are ill or.. , tough money times, or lost jobs, zero motivation, moving on, and moving away.. a lot has happened over these last, not even 3 months..

life is all about change, readjusting, refocusing and re motivating.. I'm finding that out more and more. the more i refocus and realize I'm on the same course, the more this is my fulfillment on what I get my most in gratification on. My life's purpose is to service, motivate and bring out the best in those around me.. and the favor is returned in kind.

-sbn

Kickboxing

Hi All,

Took kickboxing class yesterday. BSBN John was great. He broke the 4 plus down and we learned it without even realizing it. Cool. I love it when teachers teach and the students don't realize they're learning.

John

disapearing act

Hey guys,

No worries, I'm still here. The last few weeks have been rather hectic in our house. As you all know my 87 year old grandfather has been needing some extra care and attention. I've missed a bunch of classes in a row and still need to test for my 1st phase. I think I'm ready I just need to find the time. I have to miss tomorrow because Jessica has a board meeting, the kids have piano and Josh has scouts. Right now we are all planning on coming to class on Wednesday for BB class. I'll probably come in for a side work out before then though.

John

So many things to do!

After the phase 1 test I was all caught up on the requirements and now I'm behind again on everything. Added on to the continuing expectations, this phase I have to do strengthening exercises so that I don't hurt my ankle again. Not to mention all the extra work from school because it's the last term. Everyday is busy but, that's better then having nothing to do.

I haven't blogged recently because of all that's been going on. Boot camp starts next week and there are only 3 events left on the calendar to be signed up on. I also decided on a new inspiration for my open form, to bring more emotion into my performance. It's a lot more fun to practice now. That's all for now, I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!:)

Aloha Project - WOW

For those of you who don't know I have a job other than being at Aim High! :-) I run a non profit called the Edwards Center and we operate work sites and group homes for adults with disabilities. Last year my board charged me with a HUGE task....developing housing for transition age youth where they could live with their families. For the last 18 months I have been working with a consultant and an architect on a concept called a Pocket Neighborhood. These are planned communities where people live, work, and recreate (kinda like Orenco Station). This past April we bought the land our building sits on and already own the adjacent land.

We had our first pre-development application meeting with the County planning commission last month and we have a site design and schedule. It's pretty cool...our network is down or I would post a picture of it. Anyway we are planning for 10 buildings and a community center in Aloha. If all goes well we will break ground in 2012. I am very excited about this project!

I was invited to present at a public meeting in April about this project to a group of citizens and the Beaverton city council, mayor and others interested. I am going to count this presentation as my WOW for Phase 2 of the test.

I'm writing about all of this because I won't be at class again Monday night. I have a special session with members of my board and our attorney to discuss our financing strategies for the project and it starts at 7PM. A couple of times I have mentioned to people that I can't train on Monday's because of work obligations but I thought it might be worthwhile to explain the "why" and put some context around it.

I'll be in class Wednesday and look forward to seeing everyone!

~ CGN Jessica

Romp to Stomp

Last weekend I participated in Romp to Stomp. It was the first time in my life I did snowshoeing. It was fun and exciting and i did a 5K. I asked my parents if I could do this again. That weekend I also stayed at Cooper Spur and snowboarded. CGN Cy will be proud of me to know that I “practiced” tricking by doing a front flip with my snowboard.

P.S. I represented AHAMA as best as I could by wining 1st place in kids race.

Update and Thanks

Hi everyone - a quick update on John's grandpa - home from hospital with a heart monitor for another week. Doing okay but lots of coordination to do with home care the social workers. We are hanging in there but I have to say, there is nothing like LIFE to throw you off course when it comes to training! Wed night class felt good - though I was sorry we couldn't test. We are anxious to get phase 1 under our belts. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and support.

Tomorrow morning Josh is competing in the Battle of the Books so I can't come run with the candidates - good luck! I will those of you still around after noon during demo team....

~ CGN jessica

Lacking...inspiration?

I'll be honest, the only reason I'm posting this blog is because I need to. I don't want to get behind in journal entries and then have to do a bunch in two days cause I slacked off. Problem is, I'm really coming up with nothing (meaningful) to write about. Lame, I know. And yes, I read the other entries but still...nada.

Numbers is tomorrow. I feel pretty confident about them, honestly.

Dang it, need some inspiration of some kind to write better entries. :/ Hate posting entries like this.

Phase 1 Done! / Thankful

     Phase one is done and last nights class was awesome! I decided to put a little more requirements into phase 2 for myself! One of the extra things I added was to do ten journal entries and two environmental acts. Not a whole lot that changed, but it still will motivate me to get things done! I also wanted to blog about what happens here in the states and out side of the states. So, here is an interesting fact that I learned today: Did you know that every 4 people in one household uses over 80 gallons of water a day while some people in Africa only use 2.5 gallons and on top of that woman spend 8 hours a day just looking for it. So be thankful for what you have!
  Just an interesting fact I wanted to leave you with!

Everyone did great on phase one! LETS KEEP ON KICKING!

Zoe

Last night class

i was tired last night when we were in class but it was a good class. i thought we were going to do some ground stuff but no. but, thats okay. i till had fun. im not going to classes next week because my moms going to baltimore for work. so see ya guys!

outta here...

i'm off to b-more (baltimore) on sunday for a week.  it's always tuff getting training in when traveling.. especially with a time zone change!  that 3hrs ahead really takes it out of me and it isn't until wednesday night that i finally get a good nights sleep... by then i have to turn around and come back and start the jet lag process all over again.  Ugh!  i'm not too worried about the conditioning, as i always make sure i run, it's the rest of the stuff that seems to get set aside until i get back.  i shouldn't need to much room for the 4plus (my fave... jk!) though, so i should be able to get some reps of that done in my room. 

see some of you on saturday... numbers day!! 

Phase 2

Just a short note tonight. K, so phase 1 testing had me stressed. Everyone else seemed pretty comfortable with it and ready to get it all done, but I was ready to hide under a rock. But we got into it, I knew what I needed to do and it all worked out. I did my best and only one bad goof-up (never never watch someone else doing a form... It distracts you and the next move goes *poof!* right out of your brain). Aaaanyhow.... It's onto phase 2 now. But... I did sew my gold star onto my belt tonight... I was so soo sooo proud of that gold star, but if you tell anyone outside of class everything we all went through for those stars, they give you this blank stare like you started speaking Chinese to them, they smile, and then they say something noncommittal like, "That's nice..." Totally takes the gusto out of it... But you know what you went through for that star, how hard you worked and what it means to YOU. Dare to Dream ... ;)