A master's weekend...

This past weekend was, without a doubt, one I'll be talking about for a looong time. We had the honor of hosting Master Tome Callos and Soke Dave McNeill, both in our home and in our studio. Wisdom and experience was in abundant supply and, as always, readily given and accepted. It's remarkable that such a diverse group of people can come together and truly listen to one another.

Thursday started off with BKJN Dan and I picking Master Dave up from the airport. A beautiful Portland day with light clouds and cool air, we headed for coffee, then training. What a treat to be able to train with someone with such a wealth of wisdom! We were soaking it up, from the little life lessons to the technical side of our martial arts training. We practiced techniques from the second belt level of the Goju Shorei Martial Arts system that gives Master Dave the title 'Soke', meaning head of that system.

The next day we all headed out to the airport, once again, to pick up our first instructor, Master Tom Callos. For those who don't know, BKJN Dan and I started martial arts in reno between '88 and '90 at a studio in the southeast part of Reno....small world! We had some quick breakfast and headed in to Aim High to talk shop and practice the materials to be tought at the night's Black Belt workout. The physical techniques with which we learned to be creative are derived from what Master Callos calls 'payload delivery'. The idea is to deliver as much force to the intended target as possible, without wasting time or movement or dropping your guard....awesome new idea and approach as it emphasizes open handed striking to reduce the risk of injury typically incurred when punching a solid object with a closed fist. This 'payload delivery' may have appeared to be what we spent most of our time practicing, but what Master Callos was really teaching went far beyond and addressed the way we work as individuals, teams, classes and how we can take that levels beyond and eventually effect change in our community and the world around us....kinda deep, huh?

Having spent the weekend with us, Master Callos and Soke McNeill were able to be at Aim High during operational hours on Saturday and see classes ranging from the 3-5 year old Lil' Warriors to adults and kickboxers. It was good fun watching KJN Tom rolling with the Jiu Jitsu students and sharing drills and exercises he has picked up along his travels and training. He even jumped in to a kids class and was able to squeeze that little extra effort out of the kiddos!! There were two more special classes that had the kids and adults excited and motivated in a way only KJN Tom can create!

What an honor it was to have these two masters of martial arts in our studio! It's truly remarkable how inspiring good, heartfelt feedback can be along with expert advice backed by over 80 years of wisdom and experience!! These opportunities only come along every so often, so I'm sure I speak for those able to attend, when I say, What an empowering weekend!!!

-KJN Jeremy