Z-Ultimate San Rafael Blog

Summer Camp!

2010-06-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

This summer is looking very promising here at San Rafael Dojo. We have our Anniversary, a flourish of demos, including one at the Marin County Fair, and our Summer Camp is bigger than ever.

Summer Camp:

This is the first year that we are changing things up just a bit for our kids. Usually we go to the pool two days a week, but this year one of the days will be exchanged for a day of either Mini Golf or Skating at McGinnis park. If you, or your kids, are going skating make sure proper gear is brought, for we will not be providing it. Also, instead of two days at the park, we will be spending one day at Stinson Beach, which parents are allowed to come for.

Other than those changes, it's the same Summer Camp! We will be seeing a movie once a week (Most likely either Toy Story 3, Avatar or Karate Kid, depending on the week), having a water day at Marinwood Park and swimming at the TL Rec Center.

Most importantly, we will be having accelerated Martial Arts Training in the beginning of the day for about 2 hours. So make sure that you bring a Gi!

The dates are July 12-16, 19-23, 26-30. Lunch will not be provided, but we will enforce consumption unless the parents say otherwise.

Talk to Sensei if you are interested in us babysitting - er, I mean, a fun way for kids to spend the summer!

*Prior training not necessary, so bring a friend, come right in, or give us a call!*

10 Year Anniversary!

2010-06-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

This July 10th is our Dojo's 10 Year Anniversary! We will be having a public event to celebrate this momentous occasion and will be ecstatic if as many people as possible came.

There will be: (drumroll)
     - Self Defense Demonstrations
   - Fire Demonstrations with the San Rafael Fire Department (@ 12:30 & 2 PM)
     - Ribbon cutting ceremony with the San Rafael Vice Mayor (@ 1 PM)
     - Presentation by the SRPD
     - Free Food & Cotton Candy (Yum!)
     - Fun Games and Activities
     - Face Painting
     - Free BALLOONS.
     - Bounce House!

This event means a lot to the dojo, especially those of us who have been here for the majority of those ten years. Come celebrate with us and, if you sign up, you may see the 20th Anniversary as well!

The entire event is from noon to 3 o'clock and there will be many activities and fun stuff for everyone, of all ages, to do.

Bonus! Anyone who enrolls on the day of the event gets the entire enrollment package for $100, almost a third the original price.

Keep in mind, this is a free public event. We are here to celebrate the awesomeness that is our Dojo for the previous 10 years.

NorCal Tournament!

2010-04-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. This weeks blog will be geared directly towards information about this years tournament.

      Where: South San Francisco Conference Center
                  255 South Airport Boulevard
                  South San Francisco, California 94080-6703

       When: Sunday, April 18th
                  Depending on your division, you could start anywhere from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Why?

Why would you go to the tournament? What a silly question... Let's see here:
                1. Show your stuff. We prepare you, drill you, critique you, compliment you and work you on your kata and sparring for a good month before the tournament. Why waste that precious effort and not show off the benefits?
                2.Watch your peers. We all enjoy it when people watch our forms and sparring matches, we feel supported and loved. Make sure you share that feeling with both the people of your dojo and the other dojos.
                3. Observe the differing styles. Here at San Rafael, we have a pretty specific style and way of doing things. When you go to the tournament, you will see that all dojos are not the same. Some instructors teach different moves and focus on different things, check it out and see what you think!
                4. It's FUN.

Reasons you shouldn't go to the tournament:

                                            Ahem.

                                     *Cricket chirp*

NONE.

See you on Sunday!

Hawaii

2010-02-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

Sensei Jordan left for Hawaii today! He will be out for then next week and a half or so. While he's gone, Sensei Brandon will be coming on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. You oldies out there may remember him from a couple years ago when he taught at this dojo.

We have a Weapon's Seminar scheduled for March 13th! Anyone interested in learning how to use a Bo Staff, or increase your repertoire of Bo material? There will be a seminar a couple hours long, and after you will have two extra lessons that can be scheduled at your convenience. Talk to Sensei if you are interested!

Also, we have to big events coming up in the next few months: The NorCal Tournament and Summer Camp! NorCal Tournament is going to be April 18th, so start practicing now and make sure you are ready to show your stuff. We will have more information as we get closer to April. As for Summer Camp, all kids ages 5-12 can participate in our dojo day camp where we do fun activities such as movies, park adventures, water games and pool trips and much, much more!

The Way [Beta]
The point of this is going to be to give you a 2000 year old poem that says the same thing that Sensei tells you almost everyday. Maybe it will help. The Way is a series of poems/passages/sayings (no one can really decide what exactly they are) that were written by the eastern philosopher Lao Tzu. The series is known as "The Way" or, more formally, Tao Te Ching. The version we use is an interpolation by Peter Merel, there are many different interpolations out there by many different people - we will stick to this version for consistency.

63. Difficulty

Practice no-action;
Attend to do-nothing;
Taste the flavorless,
Magnify the small,
Multiply the few,
Return love for hate.

Deal with the difficult while it is yet easy;
Deal with the great while it is yet small;

The difficult develops naturally from the easy,
And the great from the small;
So the sage, by dealing with the small,
Achieves the great.
Who finds it easy to promise finds it hard to be trusted;
Who takes things lightly finds things difficult;
The sage recognizes difficulty, and so has none.
- Lao Tzu

For the most part, these poems/passages/sayings are for your own interpretation. I am here explain how it relates to you and the Dojo! When Sensei teaches you a new form, be it your first or your tenth, there are several ways to go about it. On your first attempt, or your first practice, you can do it with minimal attention to detail and minimal effort towards doing it the best that you can technique-wise. Of course, there is a "justifiable" reason for this: you want to get the moves down, you want to have the form memorized. On the other end, on your first practice, you can do it completely gung-ho, full power, completely into it, putting as much energy as possible into the from. Another "justifiable" reason: you want to do what you think looks best. So, ask yourself, do you do one of these? Do you think one of these is the correct way to go about practicing for the first time? What is more more important than getting the moves down, and what is more important than getting full power and full energy, is getting the technique right. The first time you practice should have the following: bent knees, full recoils, controlled hands, good posture, knowledge of the targets, knowledge of the strikes, 4 moves to every kick, etc. All of these things can, and should, be done on the first time, so that we don't spend countless lessons afterwards correcting basics. "Deal with the difficult while it is yet easy; Deal with the great while it is yet small." Both of the previous examples of different ways of going about forms is not for a lack of effort, but effort not put into the most efficient areas.

A form should not be memorized, it should be learned. A form doesn't need speed and power until it is understood. If you get anything out of the previous paragraph, it should be those two sentences.

If a form is practiced without this mindset, and is instead focused on superficial details, the form, instead of being improved upon immediately in technique, will have to be corrected on its basics. Acknowledge and understand technique first; memorization, speed and power, as you learn it, practice it, and master it will come to you naturally.

Notice how I have been saying "form". The easiest and most accessible way to explain this is through form, but this concept applies to every part of your training: sparring, techniques, moves, strikes, improv. Everything.

Food for thought.

Thanks for reading!

Important Dates to Remember:

- Weapon Seminar: Saturday, March 13th
- Norcal Tournament: Sunday, April 18th
- Sensei Jordan Gone: February 25th to March 9th

Long Time, No Blog

2010-02-12T19:13:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

The Dojo blog is back up and running. The last update we made was the holidays (ouch!), but they will be updated more regularly now.

Congratulations to all the kids that tested last Saturday! We had a rockin' test and now have an influx of new ranks (which means we get the pleasure of passing on new material!) and this weekend (tomorrow) is the adult test. Good luck!

In other news, we have a Weapon's Seminar scheduled for March 13th. Anyone interested in learning how to use a Bo Staff, or increase your repertoire of Bo material? There will be a seminar a couple hours long, and after you will have extra lessons that can be scheduled at your convenience. Talk to Sensei if you are interested!

So - I have decided to play around with a new 'section' of the blog. We shall call it The Way [Beta]. The point of this is going to be to give you a 2000 year old poem that says the same thing that Sensei tells you almost everyday. Maybe it will help. The Way is a series of poems/passages/sayings (no one can really decide what exactly they are) that were written by the eastern philosopher Lao Tzu. The series is known as "The Way" or, more formally, Tao TeChing.

The first of the many - The Way [Beta]

27. Perfection

The perfect traveller leaves no trail to be followed;
The perfect speaker leaves no question to be answered;
The perfect accountant leaves no working to be completed;
The perfect container leaves no lock to be closed;
The perfect knot leaves no end to be ravelled.

So the sage nurtures all men
And abandons no one.
He accepts everything
And rejects nothing.
He attends to the smallest details.

So the strong must guide the weak,
For the weak are raw material to the strong.
If the guide is not respected,
Or the material is not cared for,
Confusion will result, no matter how clever one is.

This is the secret of perfection:
When raw wood is carved, it becomes a tool;
When a man is employed, he becomes a tool;
The perfect carpenter leaves no wood to be carved.
- Lao Tzu

For the most part, these poems/passages/sayings are for your own interpretation. I am here explain how it relates to you and the Dojo! Every person walks into the dojo as a white belt. What we are here for is to show you your abilities and push you to your extremes - all so that you can fully know yourself. At yellow belt, you start to become aware of how your body works. By purple belt, you have an idea of how to make it do what you want and you start to understand how far you can physically go. The higher you get in the ranks, the more you know what you need, and the less you depend on us. Our goal by black belt is for you to understand your movements, understand how they affect yourself and affect others. (It's after black belt that you learn how to use this to your best advantage - yes, that means you are not done at black belt!) The Senior Instructors call black belt the "master of basics." It becomes mental understanding along with physical understanding. You reach a "perfection of self," if you will, that is shown in this poem, without wasting "raw wood" (your raw abilities). We start as your teacher, your instructor, and end as your guide, your friend, and your advisor.

You may be asking yourself - yes, that sounds all special and good. But, how am I supposed to do that...?

You know what's coming: Practice, Practice, Practice!

If you want to feel confident in your training, and retain the information that Sensei teaches you in your lessons, you have to practice by yourself. We can tell you what to do, we can explain to you how it works, we can even have you do it for a whole lesson. But your lesson is, at the very least, a half hour long. The other 23.5 hours are yours. Consider what you do in those hours, can you spare 10 minutes for your training? Even if it's only picturing it in your mind?

Food for thought.

Thanks for reading!

Important Dates to Remember:
- Adult Test (by Instructor invitation only) : Saturday, February 13th
- Weapon Seminar: Saturday, February 20th
- Closed on Monday, February 15th
- Norcal Tournament: Sunday, April 18th

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-16T20:05:00.000-08:00

Hey all, hope everyone has great plans for the holidays, here is an update for what is going on at the dojo:

First, we are thinking of doing a holiday camp THIS Saturday, December 19th. The cost is 60 dollars and is only one day.There will be extended training, games and a movie. Come into the dojo for more information.

Second, Sensei Jordan is considering doing something special for the 3 days we are open between Christmas and New Years (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday). His idea is to change the schedule so that we will be holding all 4 classes each day. This means the Pee Wees will have class on all 3 days. Kids will have classes on all three days. Juniors will have classes on all three days. However, we will only be changing ot this if people respond and are interested. You can tell us you are interested through email, the facebook event, a comment here or some other median where we can check it. In addition, these will not be regular run-of-the-mill classes. Sensei will be teaching something different, and also something that will take all three classes to learn. What he is thinking is either a weapons form or an open hand form that no one has. So, by all means, please come! [There will not be an additional cost] If you have prior engagements and/or family plans, we understand and we hope you have fun.

The Dojo will be closed Dec. 24th- 27th, open again on Dec. 28th-30th, and closed through New Years.

Updates on past events:
The Tournament: Everyone, I believe, can agree that the tournament was fun, as they usually are. The Master's Seminar was amazing, as planned, and very informative. Can't wait for the next one, Only 5 or 6 months away!

Best of the Bay: We still need votes on Best of the Bay! Everyone keep voting, and even if you have already, check to see if they will let you vote again! The voting is almost over so make sure you get as much as you can! http://bestofthebaytv.com/

Still want to get more connected? The dojo has many sites you can get connected through!
Main Website
Facebook
Twitter
Cloud Profile
LinkedIn

Thanks for reading!

Big Scizzors cutting the red tape on our Grand Re-Openening in the new space!

Best of the Bay Commercial

2009-11-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

You may have read about this "commercial" going around, here's the deal; all 12 dojos in the Bay Area pulled our resources together to advertise on KRON4's "Best of the Bay" contest. We rallied our kids, adults and teens to make a strong showing at the humungous Foster City Dojo. There we met a filming crew and showed off on camera. They took that footage and made a very pretty video of us that IS NOW SHOWING on KRON4's "Best of the Bay" website. What we need everyone and their brother to do is VOTE, VOTE, VOTE. At the moment, we are in 3rd place with over 2100 votes. The second place business, a dance school, is barely ahead of us approaching 2500 votes. However, the first place business, Gold Medal Martial Arts, is creeping up on 4000 votes. Having only had our commercial up for 10 days, when they have had their's for more than a couple months, we aren't doing too badly. We have until the end of the year to vote, but please don't wait! If we can get ahead now, we can always just maintain our spot later.

Now that we have you amped up, you may be asking yourself, "Well! How do I vote?"

1. Click the link above (blue and underlined).
2. Find "United Studios of..." That is us.3rd one, all the way to right. Top Row. Can't miss it.
3. Click VOTE!
4. Pat yourself on the back.

*If you have a rotating IP address, you can see if your computer will allow you to vote AGAIN*

5. Spread the word, tell your friends, email everyone!

Sensei Dan taking on the Turtle-Dragon

Columbus Day - And We're Open!

2009-10-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

*UPDATE: The Best of the Bay airing will NOT be on the 24th, it will be on the 26th at 1:30 PM*

Hey all, (which we are still making an effort for it to be a resounding "all," no longer "few" :) support!) Avalon here and I have news! Those of you that are in the know, the commercial is making progress and will air at 5:00 on Oct. 24th. We have a rough draft segment available to us, and though there are some errors and we made some edits, it is still ridiculously awesome and we are EXCITED! Those of you that have access to the dojo, come on in and ask to see it! Next up, we have Halloween! The dojo will be "closed" because we are having a Halloween Party. Come on the 30th (not the 31st, take note) at the dojo from 4-7 (Potluck, so bring food!). If any of you would like to support the dojo, we have cards that come with 2 free weeks of training that can handed out with candy (or instead of, if you are cheap).

Phew. So that's this month. Kinda busy? Now, NEXT month we have the tournament. Nov. 22nd is our NorCal tournament, and this year our Master's Seminar includes a very special guest. One those of you who are considiring NOT going (for SHAME!) you should definitley reconsider. We have the President of USSD and a 9th degree black belt - Shihan Paul Taylor! This is HUGE. Lessons with Shihan Taylor can be EXPENSIVE ($$$) and this is only $75 (or 100 if you are not participating in other events). He hasn't come up here from SoCal since our chief instructor, Jordan Penman, was a blue/green belt. That is a long time ago.

So, more news than last blog, we are making progress! Thanks and keep reading!

Sensei Jordan with the monks in China. (China trip with USSD)

First Post of the Dojo

2009-09-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

*UPDATE: The Best of the Bay airing will NOT be on the 24th, it will be on the 26th at 1:30 PM*

Hey all out there, pretty sure no one is reading this yet, but that doesn't mean the first blog is not important! So, we are a school involved with the largest Martial Arts organization in the United States, United Studios of Self Defense, usually referred to as USSD. We are located in San Rafael, hence the "USSD San Rafael," and this is our blog! For the most part (I think) [notice the uncertainty] I will be narrating the blogs. My name is Avalon and I am a student and an instructor. Those of you following this may also meet Jordan, our chief instructor, Anthony or Ryan, our senior instructors, Dan or Armenak, our assistant instructors, or Irina, a student instructor like myself. (Like that hierarchy there?).

So, first blog, first blog... let's start with what's going on right now. I am sitting at the desk and Sensei Dan is teaching a purple belt named Micheal who is one of our middle school kids. My legs are still slightly sore from the Dipsea Hike we did on Saturday. We have a Vegas tournament coming up (though I believe no one from our dojo is going) and we are starting to plan a Halloween Party at the dojo. I'll keep anybody following us in touch with upcoming events as much as possible. Keep reading!

Avalon