Ninja and Samurai Martial Arts Dojo

Posts Tagged ‘martial arts’

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How to Evade a Touch

The response to our March 21st Women’s Self Defense Class has been so great that we are opening up a second class on March 28th, 1 – 4pm because the first class is almost at capacity. Everywhere I go in Poway this week, I hear people talking about the recent Chelsea King incident. Parents are concerned for their children and women are concerned for their own personal safety.

The “Tools for Personal Safety – Women’s Only Self Defense” workshop has never been more important to learn than right now. I don’t know if you saw the recent article from March 1st in the Union Tribune about the attack on a jogger from December, but, it mentioned that the reason that girl was able to escape was due to her martial arts training that she had been doing since she was a kid.

If you’ve never considered taking martial arts classes before, you should definitely attend the Women’s Safety class on March 28th, and also seriously give some thought to signing up for regular weekly training. As it is with any skill, practice makes perfect and all the tools you will learn will be easier to implement in the heat of the moment, when you have practiced them before you need it. With regular martial arts training, your natural reflexes will take over and you will be able to perform the techniques without even thinking about it.

Women who attend the class on March 28th will learn physical self defense techniques as well as unique strategies to help them control, avoid, evade and escape dangerous situations. You will learn how to get away from being grabbed by the arm, from behind or even if you are pinned to the ground. In addition, you’ll learn how predators think so you can improve your awareness of your surroundings and avoid dangerous situations entirely.

The “Tools for Personal Safety – Women’s only Self Defense” workshop is March 28, 2010, from 1 – 4 pm. We are located at 13160 Poway Road (in the Library Plaza Shopping Center).

Fee: $30 per person. If you bring a friend, you can save $5 each!

Participants should wear comfortable clothes. Please call Tony for more information or with any questions #858-486-0059.

See you in the dojo!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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In light of the recent abduction of Chelsea King right here in our neighborhood of Poway/Rancho Bernardo, I’ve been getting a lot of calls from women in town who are concerned for their safety and that of their children. In response to this, I’m holding the “Tools for Personal Safety – Women’s Only Self Defense” workshop on March 21, from 1 – 4pm.

This class has never been more important to learn than right now. I’ll be showing the women who attend actual, physical self defense techniques as well as unique strategies that can help them in escaping, avoiding, controlling, and evading dangerous situations that can jeopardize their safety. This information is not available at any other martial arts school in Poway or San Diego and you do not need any previous self defense training to learn and use it right away.

Some of the techniques will show women how to escape if an attacker grabs them from behind, by the arm, or even if they have you pinned to the ground or held against your will. Yes, even if they are strattled on top of you, there is an escape move you can use to get away.

Also, we’ll cover tips women can use every day to increase their awareness of their surroundings. We’ll discuss what to do if a stranger approaches asking for help, how to protect yourself in the car and parking lot and most importantly, how to avoid dangerous situations all together.

Don’t miss this important Women’s Safety and Self Defense class and please share this information with anyone you know: mother, sister, aunt, niece, grandmother, wife, daughter, friend, co-worker. They will be glad you did.

The “Tools for Personal Safety – Women’s Only Self Defense” workshop will be held on March 21, 2010, from 1 – 4 pm at 13160 Poway Road (in the Library Plaza Shopping Center). NOTE We have opened up a 2nd class on March 28th because the class on the 21st is almost at capacity!

Fee: $30 per person. Those who bring a friend will save $5 per person.

Participants are asked to wear comfortable clothes. A limited number of sponsored spaces are also available to those who have previously been battered or abused. Please call Tony for more information on this valuable program at #858-486-0059.

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I’ve seen it time and time again. New students frustrated that they can’t just complete a martial arts skill, a kata or technique right off the bat. “It looks so easy when you do it!” I’ve been told. Well, that’s what about thirty years of practice will do for you. If martial arts were easy, I’m talking about real, traditional martial arts here, everyone would do it. The difficulty is in the details, not in being stronger or faster. Those aren’t bad things per say, but alone without nuance and detail, they can be overcome. The strength of martial arts, and this is not just waxing philosophically here, is in the spirit or heart. The training and training again and again, the never giving up is the key. That translates into everything in life too.

It is said that Takamatsu soke commented that to master a kata or skill, one must practice it correctly 10,000 times, to get 10,000 correct practices, one must do the skill AT LEAST 100,000 times. It is all about practice. Where you are in your practice, whatever art you practice, remember the words of Soke Masaaki Hatsumi “Gambatte!” (Keep going!)

See you in the dojo.
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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Martial arts awareness skills thwart possible robbery.

Our martial arts dojo is in one of the safest communities in San Diego County. Still anything can happen anywhere. A few nights ago I was in late to do some paperwork. I went to check the mail and noticed a hooded figure moving about the closed stores in the center we are located in. Having been a marine, I know a thing or two about guard duty and this person was not window shopping and my instincts went up. He noticed me coming out of the dojo and seemed to be taken aback that I was there (I had just arrived and entered through the back entrance). It seemed to me he had already checked the dojo and was confident no one was there (it is pretty open and he was right, when he looked in).

I had thought initially he was casing the plaza and he moved quickly to intercept me as I passed by another store in the center that was still open (I usually wave hello to the person running the store as I walk to the mail box). He made a brief mostly unintelligible comment and as I gathered my mail, I watched him watching me. I returned to my Poway dojo without incident but watched the man from the store front to see if he got into a car and I would gather its license plate number.
About that time the other store owner ran to the dojo door and attempted to open the door and then knocked quickly before running back towards his own store. I quickly left the dojo in pursuit to find out what was happening and how I could help. That was when I found there was a second person already in his store.

My arrival to the store caused the first hooded man to return to the store front quickly (I will not give out too many details here of what happened) but it was apparent my arrival caught the men off guard and the first man was not really casing the place but acting as a lookout (hence roaming more like sentry which caught my eye). Standing between the men and the store owner I remained calm and watched the men preparing for how I would respond to whichever man made the first move or drew a weapon.

At this point the man with the hood looked at me and said “Batman huh?”(I was still wearing a sweatshirt with the batman symbol on it from when I was playing with my kids earlier in the day.) I understood his indirect question, Are you going to play hero? I nodded and replied “Batman!” Already uncomfortable I was there and knowing I had come from the martial arts school, he was already uncomfortable, with my answer he simply called to his friend “C’mon, let’s just go! Let’s just go!” The other man then exited the store and they left. I watched them as they departed and alerted the authorities.

Being aware of your surroundings and paying attention to the details are important not just in the dojo with a kata or technique but how those skills translate into real life. I wasn’t looking for a fight and neither were they; they were looking for an easy robbery. If I had been confrontational or pushed anything could have happened. I simply stood and spoke to the owner quietly while watching the men. I used the philosophy of Sun Tzu, loosely translated here, to achieve a victory without causing anyone to be defeated. Everyone went home safe that night. The art of fighting without fighting the heart of true martial arts!

See you in the dojo!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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This Saturday February 27th starts “Bring a Friend to Class” day for the dojo. For one week, students can bring a friend to Qi Gong, Little Ninjas, Kids class, Adults class or Sword Class. The event starts Saturday February 27th and runs through Thursday March 4th.

Your friend can come to class and train with you for free that day. Please tell your friends and direct them to this blog post to learn more. You can bring more than one friend and you do not need to RSVP in advance, just bring them along!

Poway Samurai Martial Arts isn’t just a dojo, or training center, it’s an opportunity to see, hear, and experience training techniques that have been passed down for hundreds of years, learning the same movements as Ninja and Samurai of old. We’re not just a karate school, but San Diego’s finest school teaching “martial arts with meaning”.

Qi Gong is a series of exercises that integrates meditation, slow physical movements, and breathing, for improving the Qi (life energy) in your body. Numerous physical, and mental benefits can be achieved and aliments can be alleviated or eliminated, by practicing Qi Gong.

See you in the dojo!

Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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I’m excited to be speaking at the Mira Mar Rotary club this Thursday about how to reach At Risk Youths. Every year the number of kids who become “at risk” for getting involved in gangs increases. Especially in these tough economic times, parents are working as much as possible and unfortunately away from home for longer periods of time than ever before. Many parents cannot afford after school programs for their kids and some kids who do attend them, are not getting the attention and mental stimulation they need to stay out of trouble.

A traditional martial arts program can help kids of all ages stay out of risk and out of trouble. One of the main reasons it works is due to the focus on self-improvement. This leads to higher self-esteem and when you feel good about yourself, you are not looking for ways to act out for negative attention. Martial arts classes motivate kids to work hard and improve themselves, day by day. An ethical instructor provides a strong role model so the children learn important life lessons. When kids don’t have a role model to learn from, they try to learn right from wrong from their peers which doesn’t work. This can lead to gang situations and lots of trouble for society.

In a good traditional martial arts program like the one we teach at Poway Samurai Martial Arts, everyone participates and supports each other. Unlike many sports activities, there are no teams. Everyone learns together and excels together but each in their own way. Kids can even help each other learn as the older ones can become role models for the younger ones. All the students learn positive life skills and values to help them succeed in whatever they choose to do in life.

I will be emphasizing this information to the Mira Mar Rotary club tomorrow because it really is a simple matter of “Pay Now” by sponsoring kids to take martial arts classes and save them while there is still time or “Pay A Lot More Later” as their actions cause society to suffer with crime and violence. If you have a group interested in learning more about how to support “At Risk Youth Programs” or, if you know of an organization ready to provide a sponsorship for kids now, please contact me at #858-486-0059.

Thank you!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)

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Donate for the San Diego Food Bank

Poway Samurai Martial Arts has teamed up with KOHunger.com, a national coalition of martial arts schools who are committed to help end hunger in their own communities. Residents of Poway and San Diego are encouraged to donate a can of food to receive one free week of martial arts training.

Being of service to others is a key part of the training at Poway Samurai Martial Arts. Participating in the KOHunger program fits in well with our philosophy and is why we decided to help and offer the free week for a good cause.

The offer of one free week of martial arts classes is available until Dec. 18. All proceeds will be donated to the San Diego food bank (sandiegofoodbank.org). Those who make donations can redeem their free week of classes for any program, any time before January 15, 2010.

Residents can train in unarmed and sword martial arts as well as Qi Gong classes for health and wellness. Poway Samurai Martial Arts trains in the classical unarmed and weapons training of the samurai, which includes the traditional virtues that can help strengthen all areas of a person’s life and the philosophies of service to others.

For more information or to make a donation of dry and canned food items, you can call #858-486-0059 or stop by Poway Samurai Martial Arts at 13160 Poway Road (in the Library Plaza).

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Our New Location at 13160 Poway Rd.

We’re so excited to announce our new location at 13160 Poway Road in the Library Plaza. We’re already getting to know our new neighbors very well. In celebration of our new venue we are holding a “Grand Re-Opening / 2 Year Anniversary” event on Saturday, November 21st from 1 – 4pm.

If you’ve ever been considering martial arts classes you owe it to yourself to attend our free event for your chance to win prizes and giveaways! We’ll have wonderful Oriental and Green Tea provided by Blisssville.com throughout the day as well as demonstrations and personal safety tools from the classes we offer.

Those in attendance will have the first opportunity to purchase gift certificates at reduced rates, as part of our “Best Holiday Gift Ever” promotion!! Just in time for the holidays and New Year’s resolutions, Martial Arts classes make a GREAT GIFT!! Just $49.00 for 3 months of the Adults Basic Program (regularly $300!)*. Kids class (ages 5 – 16) and Qi Gong certificates will be offered at 1/2 price or 2 for 1 when you buy 3 months.**

Here’s the schedule of events:

1:00 pm Doors open
1:30 pm Giveaway
2:00 pm Tools for Personal Safety Demonstration
2:30 pm Giveaway
3:00 pm Qi Gong Demonstration
3:30 pm Samurai Sword / Kobudo Demonstration
4:00 pm Giveaway – 3 Months of FREE Training in the Adults Basic Program*! A $300 Value!

Why The Samurai School? Our classes teach Leadership, Teamwork, Discipline, Fitness and Focus to Adults and Kids. We also offer Qi Gong classes for health, vitality and stress reduction. Get fit and be healthy without the repetition of a gym and gain some practical real self-defense tools and skills. Learn more online at: www.theSamuraiSchool.com and see why “The Difference is in the Tradition!”

We look forward to seeing you there!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)

*Equipment costs are not included. Must be redeemed by January 15, 2010.
**While supplies last. Best Holiday Gift Ever promotion ends December 18, 2009. Certificates must be redeemed by January 15, 2010. Call for details on reduced rates for Little Ninjas classes (ages 3 – 5), now forming.

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Southern California Martial Arts Convention

Last year I was fortunate enough to participate in the first Southern California Martial Arts Convention in San Diego, CA and it was a great event.

I will be doing so again this year. This is a fantastic event not just for exposure to different styles of martial arts and related items, but in the ability to share similar and different thought processes about martial arts.

From tournament martial arts to MMA to traditional styles there is the ability to meet many wonderful people and just have a great time. I hope to see lots of my new friends from last year again and make many more new friends at this years event! To learn more about this years event, taking place again at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on November 7 – 8, 2009 visit scmaconvention.com.

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Professional Martial Arts Instructor Anthony Whetstine of Poway Samurai Martial Arts, has used his years of study and research in the samurai martial arts and the code of Bushido, (The Way of the Warrior), to create a series of lectures that capture the “Virtues” of the code of Bushido. In these lectures, Mr. Whetstine will provide a historical look back, and a modern view, to see how the lessons of some of the most renown and enigmatic warriors of the past can offer a “code” for today that aids in rebuilding respectful disagreements, dialogue and encourages respect.

Bushido: Why the Code of the Samurai Matters Today
Our Most Popular Lecture looks at the origins of the Samurai and Bushido, examines the Seven Virtues as listed by Inazo Nitobe: Recitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honour, and Loyalty and offers a look at them in a modern perspective. This lecture is aimed at moving Bushido back out of the dojo of Japanese martial arts schools and using them as seeds that can become the “soul” of the modern world just as it became the heart and soul of Japan.

Business and Bushido: How the Code of the Samurai Made Japan an Industrial Super Power
A must for any company that considers ethical business and responsible business practices as important as the quality of their product or service. This lecture examines how the code of Bushido gave not only a rebirth to a post-World War two Japan and built it into an economic super power but how those same virtues can help turn around a worldwide economic downturn. If your organization has an ethics department or has ethic requirements as part of its’ company handbook, then this lecture is a must!

Bushido and the Law: Restoring Ethics and Respect to the Field of Practicing Law
This lecture should be part of every law school in America. This in depth look at the code of the samurai and how it was used not only as a personal code of ethics that is nearly universally respected, but how it took common soldiers, mercenaries and warriors and turned them into a respected class of Japanese society that fought for, administered and most importantly served justice and the laws of ancient Japan and how these same virtues can help restore respect and ethics to the field of practicing law.

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