“To enlighten and evolve through
the art of Kenpo”
| Volume 7 |
October - December 2002 |
Issue 3 |
From The President...
Kenpo Ambassador - Bob Liles
The World is Our Dojo: Training Camp 2002
Upcoming News & Notes
Recommended Reading
Quote
The
World is Our Dojo: Training Camp 2002 This year, as last, our Training Camp was held outside
in a park in Los Angeles and this year, as last, it posed us with new and
exciting challenges and faced us with unfamiliar surroundings. The ground was
uneven, the sun was hot and in our eyes, and the bugs were out. It was hot and
sweaty and dirty and wonderful. We had a great time learning new ways to see our
Kenpo with some familiar, and some not so familiar, faces. We worked out with
our Kenpo brothers and sisters away from the confines of the comfortable which
allowed us to open up in new ways, to see things in new ways and to enjoy one
another in new ways. If nothing else, this should teach us that anyplace can
truly be a dojo. Mr. Hyams later, in his book, defines Sensei as
“one who is born before”. This year, as in years past, we were blessed with
many who were “born”, in Kenpo, before us. Men and women who carry with them
years of dedication to knowledge that it is our duty to absorb for the day when
they will no longer be with us. These teachers bring with them a wealth of
knowledge that has been passed down to them from those who went before them and
must be passed down to those who will come after us so that it will not be lost. Among those who give so freely of themselves were Bob
Liles, Howard Silva, Tommy Burks, Ron Sanchez, Albert Cornejo, Paul Dye, Scott
Higgins, Wes Idol, Gurujodha Singh Khalsa, Patrick Pace, and Robert Lennon. Each
of these men brings with them a perception and philosophy of the art and the
world that alone would be worth a weekend to investigate. To bring them all
together gives us lifetimes of knowledge. That they would give of themselves so
freely and with such grace and enthusiasm is enough to inspire even the newest
Kenpoist. The kicks, the gun take-aways, the knife work, the club work, or just
the plain old hard work alone makes time spent with these Seniors worth more
than can be paid in a lifetime but to absorb just a little of their spirit and
integrity in the time we share is beyond description. They are the true meaning
of the Japanese word Giri. Of course, after a hard day’s work there is need for
fellowship and camaraderie, a time to unwind and share our mutual respect and
love, a place to sit and talk and relax and relate. This year, as years past,
our haven was the Pacific Dining Car where our host, Wes Idol, opened his place
of business to us, offering a repast of fine food, drink and friendship. The evening was, for those of us from Bryan Hawkins
Kenpo, bittersweet as we bade farewell to a long-time friend who is returning to
his home state of Texas. Steve Tapper was given a Mike Pick knife by Mr. Idol
and his brothers and sisters that he may always remember the bruises traded and
the love never lost. In return he offered a speech both touching and funny that
By William Joseph Pemberton
Pictures from the camp now
online!
In his book Zen in the Martial Arts Joe Hyams says
“a dojo is a place where we can make contact with ourselves — our fears,
anxieties, reactions, and habits.” He later goes on to quote an old Buddhist
saying that “anyplace can be a dojo.” My own instructor, Bryan Hawkins, has
said that one of the purposes of Kenpo is to train to adapt to the unfamiliar.
Most of us go through our days pretty much the same. We get up, we work, we eat,
we play and, in our cases, we train. We train in our dojos, in our gis, with no
shoes, on a mat or carpet, on a flat surface. One day something happens and we
find ourselves in unfamiliar circumstances in a strange place when we are tired,
hungry, out of sorts. Our car breaks down miles from nowhere. We are lost in the
bad side of a strange town. Someone who is not supposed to be there is in our
house at three in the morning. We are caught in a fire or an earthquake.
Something unforeseen shakes up our world and how we deal with it defines us,
shapes our lives and forms our futures. We, as Kenpoists, should be able to
adapt to life’s little, and not so little, trials with calm and focus because,
after all, that is what we have trained for. The world is our dojo and life is
our workout.
Along with those who had traded blows of self growth earlier in the day we must remember two men who joined us for a dinner of shared interest and conversation. George Waite, to whom we can all look as an example of someone who has seen much and contributed more but whose friendship is his greatest attribute, and Joe Hyams, whose books chronicle our art and give us a sense of history that guarantees that those memories will never be lost to those of us who came later. To share time with those who helped shaped this gift that brings us together is something that we must appreciate in this time of uncertainty, fear and divisiveness.
Edmund K. Parker left us a gift, these instructors give it form and substance, we must carry it on in our hearts, in our lives and in our actions. We must personify the unity of mind, body and spirit in this world if we are to honor what we have been given by those who were “born before” in Kenpo. Senseis, instructors, those who have gone before are our dojos. The world is our dojo. It is our responsibility to be receptive to it, to see it, to simply open our eyes and our hearts and our minds.
To those who carry on the legacy we offer our thanks and our pledge “to sharpen [our] skills, to increase [our] knowledge, and to broaden [our] horizons” as well as the horizons of those who come after us.
As always, thank you to Mr. Hawkins and those who helped put this camp together. The gift of their time may never be forgotten.
And, of course, thank you to those who come out to participate for without them, the next generation, there would be no Kenpo to pass on for without the students any knowledge must die out in the end.
Thank you and we shall see you next year.