The House of Champions : Academy of Martial Arts

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	July 16, 2008 Orange Belt 06-30-2008 Test Date It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. A cliche beginning but it seems appropriate for where I am at in my life. I have so much good in my life that I have no right to complain about any of my self-made challenges. I am at a unique place where I have never been before…emotionally, mentally and spiritually. This is new ground for me and I am doing my best to deal with the feverish twists and turns. My true escape from all of the change going on in my life is House of Champions and I am grateful for it. My focus of this essay is to convey what H.O.C. is teaching and reinforcing for me. I can best sum this up focusing on three words; Genuine – Passion – Obedience. Genuine - Embracing Your Genius To be genuine in H.O.C. is to see the brilliance of the Sensei's and their physical talents and grace. They have each uniquely embraced their own individual abilities and honed them into something very special. There are no 2 Sensei's alike and each has their own gifts to bestow any student willing to receive them. I have approached every single Sensei in the dojo on separate occasions and every single one has offered their knowledge with sincerity of purpose, they are all selfless. Passion – A Willingness To Suffer I have learned repeatedly that the more I train, the more I hurt. The more anxious to understand, the faster to suffer. Whether it is Sensei David teaching me what an axe kick feels like in my thigh or Sensei Dan teaching me what it feels like to be thrown down or Shihan Jacob teaching me a wrist lock or Sensei Ana teaching me that a woman is every bit as lethal as a man…the physical suffering is constant. So why do we all keep coming back? My reason is simple. The pain I suffer is as constant as the passion that I feel. I am passionate about the journey I am on and where it will take me. I am passionate about learning what I want to know from those that have accomplished what I want to accomplish. Obedience – An Invitation To Freedom To me, this word “obedience” is very misunderstood. Too many people associate it with being controlled by another. This word is not about control, it’s about being respectful. To be obedient in HOC means to be respectful on and off the mat. To bow when passing or next to a Sensei. To line up before class is scheduled to begin. To perform upon command. Obedience brings freedom…freedom from self-sabotage and freedom from self-doubt. The greatest gift a student can give their teacher is to implement and value the lessons taught. My life lessons are being reinforced at H.O.C. that the following statements are not only true, but they are practiced consistently by the Sensei's at H.O.C. Success is about accomplishment - Significance is about people Success comes first - Significance usually follows Success is self-discipline – Significance is self-sacrifice I am grateful for the journey. I am grateful for House of Champions. Eric Mitchell Orange Belt posted by Shihan Mark at 4:34 PM Orange Belt In the last 2 weeks I have been preparing for two tests, in two different styles. In Doce Pares Eskrima I have been preparing, and proudly earned my blue belt last week with my belt ceremony being this Tuesday. In the midst of preparing for my blue belt I found out that my orange belt test in Arjukenpo was going to be more or less the week after I earned my blue belt. This has given me an excellent opportunity to examine my strengths and weakness in both styles. Sensei Mark said last week that Doce Pares is the glue that holds Arjukenpo together. I loved hearing this and it provided me some nice insight into how I can take what I am learning in Eskrima, and apply it to Arjukenpo. One of the things I love about Arjukenpo is how our classes are focused on building strength and confidence both individually, and as a group. I am very lucky to have good friends in class who are always willing to impart their experience in order to improve my own. Between Sensei Dan, David, and Anna there is always a black belt ready to bend over backwards to help me understand not just what the technique were learning is.... but why we do it. At this stage in my Arjukenpo journey I feel like I am just starting to get a feeling about what this style is all about. Whether we are boxing, kickboxing, grappling, doing traditional kenpo, or practicing Doce Pares it is all Arjukenpo, and there is always something to improve upon. In my opinion one of the greatest strengths of this style is that nothing is written in stone. There is always an improvement to make, or a new variation of a technique to learn because since every opponent is different, it is necessary to be able to adjust what you've learned to that specific situation. As an orange belt there will be new standards I am held to, and new material I will be required to master. I will also be required to begin sparring on a regular basis which is a big responsibility both to myself and to my fellow students. I am honored that the H.O.C. feels I am ready for these challenges and will do everything I can to live up to the standards of my rank. I would like to thank all my sensei's and people who make the house of champions, and the program possible. Both Arjukenpo and Doce Pares have quickly become such a huge part of my life, and I am so proud to be a member of the H.O.C. With undying love for the House of Champions. ~Eric Runes posted by Shihan Mark at 4:30 PM April 02, 2008 Why Martial Arts for Me? March 24, 2008 When all of my sons enrolled in karate at the House of Champions some four years ago, I was immediately impressed with the compassion expressed by Sensei Mark. That as head instructor and owner, he took the time to huddle all three of my boys together on their first visit and showered them with encouragement to challenge themselves both mentally, physically and spiritually. This amazing gift of compassion that Sensei Mark radiates throughout his dojo; from his selection of outstanding instructors, the students he nurtures and the parents he warmly welcomes, I am honored to be a parent at HOC. Martial Arts has always fascinated me with the use of the body’s power, control and body positioning as powerful weapons. Seeing my boys advance in their skills, made it even more intriguing to me. I held back for four years before enrolling in karate, simply because I wanted my boys to be more knowledgeable than me. I wanted them to be my teachers. In January 2008, I began learning the skills of Arjukenpo, but I realized how mentally tough it was for me to put aside the worries of the day. Often I would blank on the next movement in a wasa or long range kicking, but I received this rich encouragement from Sensei Ana, Dan and Dave who as true coaches wanted me to personally overcome these doubts. My team mates have been so willing to practice and be patient with me; they are true-hearted friends. In life, we need good coaches. We need to challenge ourselves to overcome our weaknesses. As a single parent raising three boys, a business owner and a beginning student of karate, I hope I never tire of having fun throughout life’s challenges. Hopefully in the end, we learn through our weaknesses because a special coach or friend took the time to rally behind us and say, “You Can Do It!” That is the beauty of belonging to a house filled with true champions, which rings so true in Mark Parra’s love at HOC. With Love and Gratitude, Beverly Lew posted by Shihan Mark at 4:12 PM

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