OK...just posted a new article to the web site...Credibility of Distance Learning in the Martial Arts.

Please check it out at SierraMartial Arts & Fitness. Go to the site, click on the Articles page on the left hand side, click on the article inside the page. Please take the time to read it and let me know what you think.

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

New Certification

Well...after months of studying for and finally taking the test, I just received word that I have passed my certification in Senior Fitness through the International Fitness Association! This means I can now legally beat up on old people! OK...you know I'm just kidding. I believe that the Senior population of our society is going to be a huge market in the area of fitness...and even though it already is, I believe it will be even bigger since the baby boomer generation, of which I am one, is coming of age. I have had WAY too many of my friends die before their time due to "old age" getting the better of them. I just had one of my closest friends die from an overdose of medication due to problems with osteo-arthritis. He was 50 years old. Pretty sad.

Anyway, I feel pretty good about this certification and am currently in the stages of developing a Senior Fitness program that I am going to teach in the adult mobile home parks in my area. My friend Don Bauer and I have been tossing the idea back and forth for some time now and as the saying goes, no time like the present...especially with this new certification! I want to help as many older people as I can realize that they can live their lives in a more healthy and fulfilling fashion and that it can be accomplished with just a little effort 2-3 times a week.

Also, would like to encourage everyone I know and even those of you I don't, to check out the AKPKF...American Kick-Punch Karate Federation. I really like what this organization stands for. No pretenses, no selling their credibility in the form of trophies, awards and accolades...just a bunch of volunteers dedicated to advancing the martial arts for the betterment of practitioners world wide through honor and integrity. Sensei Danny Hill has just accepted the position of President of the AKPKF World Congress from 2008-2012. This is a man of very high honor and integrity. Aside from being a martial artist, he is also a Colonel in the US Army, and has just returned from his 2nd tour of duty in Iraq. God Bless him and welcome him back home to his family and friends.

Alreet...long weekend. Lots of sparring in preparation of my friend competing in the NorCal Pacific 5 Star TKD Championships in 2 weeks on November 17th in El Dorado Hills, CA. She is more than ready and I can't wait to see her "take it to them"! Stay tuned for a full report after the tournament!

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

Just finished reading an e-mail that was sent to me about my ranking of 4th Dan in the AKPKF, the American Karate Federation, and it is apparent to me that the person who wrote to me about it, doesn't like the way I received it nor am I deserving of such a ranking, that I don't have the knowledge to keep the rank. I say that's crap and this coming from someone who was just promoted 2 ranks above what he was by someone he barely even knows and who hardly knows him, something he stated was wrong with organizations like the AKPKF.

His point was that this type of ranking is bastardizing the Dan Ranking system and how holy the ranking system is, as if I didn't know that. My contention was that what is the difference between organizations doing this or a school that promotes students just because they pay their dues every month who don't even know the material for the rank they are testing for, yet they are passed anyway.

I have inquired about testing and advancement and am awaiting a response to this. Everyone else I have spoken to about this is very happy for me, everyone except this certain person who thinks he has the market cornered on integrity in the arts. That speaks to me of ego.

This is also the same person who admonished me for helping to promote a self-defense system that he is developing, and told me I was over-stepping my boundaries, after he had asked me or invited me to be a part of it and to help promote the new system as one of it's first International Black Belt Instructors. It was almost like I was stealing his thunder and he didn't like it when all I was doing was trying to help get this off the ground as was asked of me. Nothing was ever done without his consent or without considering this person as Soke of this system.

In all of this I say take what is given to you and then do the rank proud by learning and continuing to learn all you can about the arts. Study daily and become a better martial artist so that you can help to keep the integrity of the arts alive by learning the material and training with all your heart. Follow the tenets of the Martial Arts ie: Honor, Integrity, Discipline, Indomitable Spirit, Perseverance, etc. and pass these qualities along to others who follow in your footsteps so that the Martial Arts can keep advancing.

Sorry if this sounds a bit angry...it isn't meant to be. I just am tired of the egos I encounter in the arts on a daily basis. If this person was truly a student of the arts or a teacher of the arts, he would be more receptive to encouraging his student to move forward with this and help him build on the accomplishment...not discourage the act.

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

Hey gang...just wanted to let you know that as of October 30, 2007, I have been awarded the rank of 4th Dan Black Belt through the American Karate Federation. I submitted my resume for rank after joining this federation and after they reviewed it, based on my time spent in training and teaching along with my knowledge of the arts, they awarded me with the rank of 4th Dan. I am very excited to say the least! It is always an honor to be acknowledged for one's hard work.

Also, I have a web site and a training system I would like for all of you to check out. It is the IRJJA or the International Renzoku Jiu Jitsu Association headed up by the founder Soke John Cozatt. The reason I am excited about this system is that it is a hybrid jiu jitsu system that incorporates techniques from a few different styles to create a new and innovative system of jiu jitsu. It is also available as a home study course to be done in your own dojo for rank through 5th Dan should you desire to do so. Please check it out.

OK...that's all for now. Stay strong...keep your passion for the martial arts alive by "training from the heart".

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

International International Renzoku Jiu-Jitsu Association.

New Web Site

Hey gang...been a while. Just wanted to touch base and let you know that my new re-designed web site at Sierra Martial Arts is up and running. Take a moment and check it out. Let me know what you think. Thanks again to my brother Steve for his hard work in putting this together. Also, just submitted a new article on Sports Nutrition. I'll let you know when it's online and available to read.

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

Busy, busy, busy...

Been a while since I last posted. So much has been going on. Many things moving forward. I'll begin with the ISK Kempo International.

My Sensei, Shihan Matt Thomas has been working very hard putting together material for this new system. The Yellow and Orange Belt material are done and filming of this new system will begin sometime in December. I have been invited by Shihan to share in preserving this new material on film. I will be his "uke" for the new techniques. I am very excited about this and couldn't ask for a better opportunity to advance my knowledge of the Martial Arts. Shihan Matt is very meticulous about how he works so you can be assured that this will be top of the line material.

Next, my good friend Juliet LaMers-Noble has decided to defend her sparring title in the 5 Star TKD Championships being held next month. I was privileged enough to help her train for her title last year which she won in sterling fashion: 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, that she decided to enlist my help again this year. I am so very excited for a couple of reasons, 1.) because I love to teach and I am very humbled that she chose to work with me again this year and 2.) I am even more excited for her as she is a great competitor, student and all-around wonderful human being! She works very hard and no matter what I throw at her, she always gives it her best effort and ends every training session with a smile! Now that's heart!

Now, onto something in my personal life that has me on top of the world! I am so very blessed to have two new, well, kinda new, women in my life again (thus the "kinda new" comment). My love Natalie and her daughter Carley have come back into my life, actually back into my family's life, (gotta include "da kidz"), and I couldn't ask for a better way to get through my days than to have them with me again. Natalie and I have a certain "chemistry" that ignites when we are together. Both of us being Fire Signs, there is a certain amount of electricity that flows between us and the exchange is nothing short of amazing! Aside from the "spark" that we have, she is also my voice of reason when I am completely overwhelmed by what surrounds me. She keeps me centered and is/was the missing piece of my existence. I am a better person because she is in my life. Thank you baby! Ya tebya lyublu!!!!

Finally, thanks to the tireless efforts of my "younger brother" Steve Harwood, I have now been able to publish 3 articles about the Martial Arts on www.ezinearticles.com. If you get the time, go on over and check them out. Please feel free to send feedback and let me know what you think. Go to the site, punch in my name, Tim Gannon, into their search engine and faster than you can say "Bob's your uncle", my articles will appear.

Even though things have been moving along very quickly I had time to reflect while speaking to my class this evening about diligence, perseverance, integrity, etc. and how these qualities do not just belong to the Martial Arts, but are there to be applied all throughout life. I remember how hard it was coming up through the ranks to Black Belt and the let downs and all the negative crap I had to deal with, but in every bad situation, you can always find something good. Well, my good has been that after all this time and hard work, I am starting to see the rewards of my efforts. I am not mentioning this as an ego booster...that's not my style. I am so completely excited about this because it opens up a great opportunity to me for advanced learning and being able to teach in a new medium via the net, as well as pass along the new material I am studying to my students.

I am truly grateful to all those who have helped me along the way. I have been taught well and just as I was given the opportunity to learn and teach, now it is my turn to "pay it forward". Be well. Be healthy. Peace.

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

Full Moon Fever

Been a bit under the weather lately. Not sure if it is a "bug" or what but it has been "kickin'" my butt. Had to take off of training this week and haven't posted here in a couple of days.

On a HUGE note...anyone see the full moon? MAN!!! I was driving east on Highway 50 going towards South Lake Tahoe and it looked like it was on fire! Beautiful, big, round orange ball in the night sky! Just awesome!!

I am lucky that I live where the stars at night are big and bright...no...not deep in the heart of Texas...but in the Northern California Foothills. When it is pitch black here you can what seems like every star in the night sky. It's pretty amazing. The Milky Way...the body of stars not the candy bar... runs right over the top of my house, which is a good thing what with the price of milk at $4.69 a gallon, it's nice to have an alternative source of "moo juice" for my bowl of cereal.

So, I guess all of this is a roundabout way to say...take the time to enjoy life, your surroundings and your loved ones. I lost my oldest brother at the beginning of this year and it just reaffirmed that we all need to slow down and appreciate what we have.

Read a great quote recently which goes like this...

"Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results."

James Lane Allen

The thing is, don't just sit back and wait for your life or success to come to you. Challenge yourself constantly, every day if necessary, and do not give in to complacency. If you choose to "play it safe" and take the "easy way out", you've decided to stop learning...to stop growing. We are not guaranteed or owed anything in this life. There is no entitlement. We are only promised right now. There is nothing worse than sitting back and waiting for someone else to do something for you that you can do for yourself with a little effort, focus and determination.

Get off the sidelines, get in the game people and live life to the fullest!

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

Recently I have been going through a sort of "identity crisis" pertaining to my teaching and what effect it has on my students and my ability to "keep my head in it" as I teach. This has been playing pretty heavy on me over the last few weeks and so, in an effort to better understand what I was going through, I went to the one person I know I can trust to give me a straight answer...my Sensei, Shihan Matt Thomas.

I explained to him how I was feeling, inadequate, unappreciated, burned out, etc., and that I was thinking about taking a break from teaching, actually thinking about closing my doors, and just concentrate on my own training, my upcoming tests, my blog and web site, helping in developing and teaching the material of the ISK Kempo International under Shihan's tutelage, and many things beyond. I definitely have a full plate but one fact remains...I love to teach and that doing the above mentioned tasks, however necessary for me to advance in my training and life, seems very selfish.

As always, Shihan gave me the right advice at the right time. With his permission, I would like to relate to you some of what he passed along to me.

"The feelings that you are going through with your studio is exactly what I, and I presume most, go through with their school. I had to chuckle a little because it was exactly how I felt when I was a few years into my school. Sometimes, as martial arts instructors, we feel a little more important in our students lives than we really are. I had to learn that even though they were the most important people in my life (I taught for a living, not as a side job), they did not always see Karate (a hobby) as the most important in theirs. To kids (more so parents), Karate is just another thing to drop the kid off to. It's like baseball or ballet. For example, let's say I have a student named Johnny. I only have one Johnny, and I love having him in class. Johnny, however, has me at 5:00 pm, the baseball coach on weekends, his sister's dance class that he has to sit through on Fridays, teachers at school that sit with him for 6 hours a day, mom, dad, his babysitter...etc. My point is, we as karate instructors are playing a role in the kids lives just like all of the other adults. Also, most kids won't practice at home because they are in the learning phase and they have so many things to do and learn in the day, that the kids just want to go home and be a kid. I didn't force my kid students to practice at home because I wanted them to enjoy coming to karate, not to see it as a chore.

We play a role in the students lives. They come to us for a reason. My students were there because they enjoyed coming to me and got whatever "they" wanted out of it...not what I wanted for them to get out of it. They come to you because you fill a need in their lives.

Teach your students, love your students...but don't be surprised if they don't love you back the way we expect them to. We play a role in their lives, and if we weren't doing our job, then they wouldn't be there. We can't produce all Bruce Lee's. But maybe, just maybe, out of our hundreds of students, we will get one or two that will be just like us. We all want the best, hardcore students, and get frustrated with the others. Anyone can teach the hard cores...give me the others and let me see what I can do with them."

These words put everything back into perspective for me. Sometimes we, as Black Belts, parents, teachers, etc., feel we know what is best for the people we interact with or teach and for situations we put ourselves in. Most times we make emotional decisions about how to proceed and end up regretting those decisions because we remove ourselves from and lose the very things we love the most. We do what we do because 1.) we HAVE to do it or 2.) ...and this is what I hold on to...we love what it is we are doing. I cannot think of anything better than being allowed to pass along knowledge to those who are thirsty for learning.

As for me, I am a parent, a student, a teacher, a friend, a companion...I am a Martial Artist...and I am proud to be all of those things and will continue, to the best of my ability, to spread good will and understanding through my teachings.

Thank you Shihan for allowing me, through your words, to step back and take a good look at and reevaluate myself. It is greatly appreciated.

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

I feel compelled to comment on what I see as a growing trend in the Martial Arts and that is the the use of the gi as a costume instead of a traditional uniform. I see students around the area in which I live who, after their training sessions, walk around town and in and out of stores with their uniforms still on including their belt tied snugly around their waists. What is up with that?

It's one thing to be proud of the fact that you train in the Martial Arts but quite another to flaunt that fact as to be so arrogant as to walk around disrespecting the tradition of the arts and the traditional uniform. I see students who wear their gi's like they would wear a Halloween costume. The sad part is...some of them actually do wear their gi's at Halloween! What's worse is that the parents think nothing of this and apparently, neither do the instructors. The main reason I see for this trend is that people who are "training" in the arts are students in the literal sense of the word but not really "students" of the tradition of the arts. By that I mean they train in class but they haven't availed themselves of the knowledge and history behind the Martial Arts enough to know that what they are doing is just plain wrong.

The biggest offenders in my area are from a local Tae Kwon Do school near where I live. Now, before anyone goes off on me for bagging on TKD, I am not. I am just stating a fact from first hand knowledge. That being said, every student I see from that school who walks around after training with their gi's and belts still on do so in a fashion that is embarrassing to me as a Black Belt and a Martial Artist. The thumbs tucked neatly in their belts while they strut through the stores only suggests ego and arrogance, two things anyone would consider to be undesirable qualities in any form of Martial Arts. That fact that these uniforms are white only makes it worse as we all know that white shows everything in the way of dirt and grime. Where is the sense in all of this?

I actually observed a family in a Mexican restaurant one night having dinner after their two boys had finished their training at this particular TKD school. They were in full uniform complete with their belts and proceeded to spill salsa, cheese sauce, green sauce, etc. on their gi's while eating. The parents, who witnessed this, could have cared less. One would think that after seeing this mess on what is supposed to be an integral part of Martial Arts training, they would have at least taken the gi top off. Instead it remained a "catch-all" for that night's meal.

The reason I am so up in arms about this is because this represents a lack of integrity, respect and overall knowledge of the tradition of the arts. A true Martial Artist doesn't just show respect in one aspect of the training and fore go that respect in other areas. In my classes, we, the students and instructors, put our gi tops on after arriving for class. Then, we all tie our belts together before class commences and at the end, remove our belts together in a fashion befitting the tradition of and respect for the roots of our training. I insist that my students learn right from the start that the training and everything from their gi and belt right down to tying their belt properly have a place in the tradition of the arts and that this tradition must be respected every step of the way.

I know this may seem trivial to a lot of you out there but to me, it is the essence of what Martial Arts training is all about...integrity, honor and respect. There is no integrity, honor or respect in trashing your uniform just for the sake of "looking cool". We must adhere to what has gone before us. We, as martial artists, have an obligation to uphold and maintain that which has existed for centuries. I feel it is absolutely necessary for the survival of the arts.

Let me hear from you and your thoughts on this subject.

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

Just wanted to give a BIG shout out to two of my good friends in the Martial Arts.

First and foremost, to my Sensei, Shihan Matt Thomas, who was just promoted to 7th Dan by Dr. E. A. Moore, and the ISK Kempo International of which he is the founder and President. Shihan Matt is one of the few people in the Martial Arts I have had the honor of meeting and exchanging ideas with as well as learning from, who holds the Martial Arts and it's participants in the highest regard. He truly is a person of great Integrity and Honor, something that is missing in the arts today.

Secondly, to my newly found friend, Mr. Howard Silva. Mr. Silva is a 6th Degree Black Belt under Mr. Ed Parker Sr. in American Kenpo. Mr. Silva was not only a student of Mr. Parker's but also a close personal friend. Mr. Silva and I both share the same idea that when teaching a student, as Black Belts, we have an obligation to teach the entire system and not short cut the training by only teaching the techniques that make us, as Black Belts, look good. He has a great many stories and remembrances of his time training with Mr. Parker. I also consider Mr. Silva to be a person of great Integrity and Honor.

How lucky am I to be blessed with such companions in life and the Martial Arts?!?!?

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

As I sit here contemplating this last week, I keep playing back the events of my last class. My students were given an assignment 2 weeks ago to begin and maintain a daily journal, not just to chronicle their martial arts training but also to allow them to keep an account of their day to day goings on so they have some kind of reference as to emotions, feelings, etc, and how that affects their interaction with their parents and peers, as well as how it affects their training sessions.

Class began and I asked the students how their journals were coming along and not a single one of them had written anything...most hadn't even begun the journal. That really got me thinking about the integrity of the martial arts and the honor and discipline involved with being a martial artist. What has happened to these qualities?

Most people, when given an assignment, will either wait until the last minute to complete it, stressing themselves out trying to make the deadline, or they completely ignore it, formulating excuse after excuse as to why they weren't able to accomplish the task. Many reasons exist for this but the main reason I see is because they feel that something as simple as starting and maintaining a training journal, is an unnecessary part of martial arts training, or daily life training for that matter, not realizing that the task is designed to show integrity...keeping your word that you will do this...honor...making sure you follow through with the task and not lie about it...discipline...making sure that no matter what, because this is an assignment given by your Sensei or your parents or your school teacher, you will, to the best of your ability, accomplish the task with consistency.

Part of this lack of effort has to do with the "instant gratification" syndrome or the "sense of entitlement" that exists in our society, something that is so prevalent in the martial arts today where children and adults alike can't be bothered with seemingly unnecessary tasks and feel they should be rewarded first and only then acknowledge and follow through with what is required of them. Schools that promote without content or promote at all costs just so that "Little Johnny" doesn't have to face failure so mom and dad keep signing the checks to insure that the student base continues to grow are everywhere. 10 year old 3rd Degree Black Belts that have no idea what it means to be a Black Belt are the norm.

Have the Martial Arts become that compromised that the dollar is more important than the integrity of our art? People talk about tradition and growth within the martial arts and yes it still does exist, but I can guarantee you Gichin Funakoshi never had this in mind.

Let me hear from you. Tell me what you think and if you have experienced any of the same.

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

Hello to one and all and welcome to my web blog dedicated to all things Martial Arts and beyond! My name is Sensei Tim Gannon and I am a Black Belt in Shaolin-Kempo-Karate as well as a Certified Fitness Trainer, a Certified Functional Strength Trainer and a Certified Sports Nutritionist. I will be offering my thoughts on everything from the state of the Martial Arts as I see it today to what it takes to be at the top of your game physically, mentally and spiritually as well as offering training and nutrition tips for overall conditioning. I welcome all feedback and encourage you to send your comments about what I have written. Please join me as this takes shape and keep your eyes open for news on a new training system called the ISK Kempo International that is being developed by my Sensei, Shihan Matt Thomas. More on this in a future post.

Thanks for checking in and remember...train from the heart and help keep the Martial Arts spirit alive!

Until next time,

Sensei Tim

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