Upcoming  Dates:

·         February 23 - Bernard Kerik will be a special guest speaker from 6-7 PM at our dojo. All dojo students and parents are invited and encouraged to attend. Please note t at regular classes will be canceled on this date. See back side for additional details.

·         February 24 - NAGA grappling tournament will be held in Salem, OR. If you are interested in competing, please speak with Sensei Larry.

·         April 7 - Our next graduation event. Please make sure that all attendance and homework requirements are met before this date.

·         April 7 & May 12 - Sub League tournament qualifiers will be taking place at Liberty High School in Hillsboro. If you are interested in competing, please speak with Sensei Larry.

Bernard Kerik: Leadership & Overcoming Adversity

Friday, February 23rd at 6 PM

Our dojo has a special opportunity to hear from Bernard Kerik as he speaks about Leadership and Overcoming Adversity. Mr. Kerik is a 5th degree black belt and former Police Commissioner of the City of New York. All dojo students and parents are invited and encouraged to attend this special event. Please note that regularly scheduled classes will be canceled on this date. Please read below for a  brief bio on Mr. Kerik.

This event is FREE to all dojo members. If you are interested in 

coming to listen, RSVP with Sensei Larry, Olga or Brian so we can 

get a proper head count.

 

Mr. Kerik's inspirational and insightful presentation contains many lessons that can be applied to business, government and all aspects of life, such as the leadership challenge, organizational restructuring, managing stress and adaptability. 

Bernard B. Kerik is one of the most dynamic, undisputed, controversial and accomplished leaders in law enforcement, correction, and national security in the United States. For more than thirty years, he served his country with distinction, honor, and valor, most notably as the 40th Police Commissioner of the City of New York.

Considered one of the most decorated police commissioners in the New York City Police Department, in the line of duty, he has rescued people from burning buildings, been stabbed, shot at, and saved his partner who had been wounded in a gun battle. He survived the terror attacks on 9/11, and a bombing plot in Iraq. He has been the target of numerous death threats, seized tons of cocaine and millions in drugs proceeds from the Cali Cartel, and brought cop

killers, Colombian drug lords and Iraqi terrorists to justice.

“One of the most accomplished and effective leaders of law enforcement in America.”

-President of the United States George W. Bush

February Word of the Month: Leadership

Week 1 “Leadership isn’t a position, it’s a process.” John C. Maxwell	Week 2 “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Peter F. Drucker
Week 3	Week 4
“A leader is a dealer in hope.”	”A leader is one who knows the way, goes
	the way and shows the way.“
Napoleon Bonaparte	John C. Maxwell

January 2018 Word of the Month: Character

Week 1

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for  him.”

James D. Miles

Week 2

”A ‘No’ uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.”

Mahatma Gandhi, 20th century proponent of non-violence and the spiritual leader of India’s independence

Week 3

“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

Week 4

“Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.”

Elmer G. Letterman, business executive

2018 Goal Setting--Be the person others wish to train with

Since we are in the month of January and keeping with the tradition of making resolutions for the new year, I thought it timely to offer some suggestions for goal setting in the dojo that is sure to enhance the training experience for everyone in the dojo.

“It should be your goal to be the person others desire to practice with.” --Jigoro Kano

If you are a good practice partner, others will want to practice with you. What does it take to be the person others wish to partner with?

•  Show up!—You can never replace the time away from training. When you are gone, your partners suffer as well as you. We need other bodies to work with, other minds to analyze with, and teammates to perpetuate growth. Consistent time on the mats is one of the greatest ways to get a good grasp on the intricacies of Jiu-jitsu.
•  Practice good dojo etiquette—Etiquette is about politeness, safety, and tradition. If you start with good etiquette, you are on the right path for martial arts success.
• Good hygiene—having a clean uniform, no body odor, and fresh breath really help make you a more desirable training partner.
• Stick to the curriculum—If the instructor directs you to work on something, that is the thing you should be working on. If you decide to improvise, you are preventing yourself and your partner from fully grasping the nuances of the techniques, tactics, and strategies being taught. Even if you have done the technique numerous times before, perhaps your partner hasn't. Also, repetition develops muscle memory. 
• Be safe—you are in a position of trust. Your partner essentially is putting their safety and at times even their life in your care. If you are reckless, you are endangering your partner. No one wants to practice with someone that is not trustworthy.
• Work ethic—accurate repetition is key to developing muscle memory. Get in your repetitions in a timely manner allowing your partner to do the same. If you finish before the rest of the class, continue to trade repetitions until others are finished. Remember, “It isn’t the hours you put into your work that counts, but the work you put into the hours.”
• Learning environment—Remember that the dojo is not a contest zone, it is a place of enlightenment. You are not in competition with your training partners. You and your partners depend upon one another to learn the finite details of Jiu-jitsu. In the dojo, mistakes are an opportunity to learn.
• Positive attitude—treat the dojo like a sanctuary. When you bow and step onto the mat, let go of all you outside troubles and worries. Approach your training with enthusiasm and focus. Your enthusiasm will be contagious and will encourage a better overall training environment.

If you take these steps, you will surely be on your way to another great year of learning and having a great time. Happy New Year!  

May 2017 Word of the Month: Success

Week 1 

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
Henry David Thoreau, 19th Century American writer

Week 2

“You always pass failure on the way to success.”
Mickey Rooney, legendary Hollywood actor, singer, dancer and musician

Week 3

“Success isn’t permanent, and failure isn’t fatal.”
Mike Ditka, National Football League Hall of Fame player and coach

Week 4 

“If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results.”
Anthony Robbins, world-famous author and speaker on leadership and personal development

December Word of the Month: Gratitude

Week 1

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”

--Eric Hoffer, 20th American philosopher and poet

Week 2

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

--John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States

Week 3

“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.”

--William James, 19th century American philosopher and psychologist

Week 4

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”

--Cynthia Ozick, 20th century American novelist and short-story writer

October Word of the Month: Criticism

Week 1

“All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.”

Week 2

“Criticism is more effective when it sounds like praise.”

--Arnold H. Glasow, one of America’s most quoted humorists

Week 3

“Don’t mind criticism. If it is untrue, disregard it. If it is unfair, keep from irritation. It if is ignorant, smile. If it is justified, learn from it.”

Week 4

“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish one’s growth without destroying one’s roots.”

Sensei's Recommended Reading

Youth and Adult Jiu-jitsu Students--

1--Psychology of Winning (Ten Qualities of a Total Winner)-by Dr. Dennis Waitley **Available on Audible.com

2--What to Say When You Talk to Yourself--by Shad Helmstetter Ph.D.

Adult Jiu-jitsu Students--

3--Living the Martial Way (A Manual for the Way a Modern Warrior Should Think)--by Forest E. Morgan

4--In the Dojo: A Guide to the Rituals and Etiquette of the Japanese Martial Arts--by Dave Lowry **Available on Audible.com 

5--Musashi's Book of Five Rings (The Definitive Interpretation of Miyamoto Musashi's Classic Book of Strategy)--by Stephen F. Kaufman

6--Bushido: The Warriors Code--by Inazo Nitobe