Posts Tagged ‘poway samurai martial arts’

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We’re very excited to announce our 2010 Samurai Summer Camp!

We will be covering the traditional martial arts skills from the samurai of the sengoku jidai period of Japan. A time period of the samurai that helped inspire a modern mythology and phenomenon. Our “Jidai Knights” program offers not only martial arts training, self defense and awareness training but an in-depth look at the philosophy, art appreciation and history of these historical figures. We are the only school able to offer this program and each session will be limited to 15 participants. Our Jidai Knights program offers a one of a kind look at some of the most central inspirations in modern mythology!

Date: Samurai Summer Kids Camp is two weeks long starting Monday, June 14 through Friday, June 25th
Time: 9am – 12pm each day.
Ages: 7 – 13
Class limit: 15 kids, so, sign up now as spaces will fill quickly!
Cost: $300 which can be paid in two installment of $150 per week. (A $50 deposit is required to hold your space)
Uniform fee: $30 (if you are not currently a student)
Number of class meetings: 10

RSVP: #858-486-0059 or email info@powaymartialartsschool.com to learn more.

Update 6/9/10: Enrollment is now closed. Please email us to be on the mailing list for next year.

See you at Summer Camp!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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Below is the current schedule for the “Women’s Self Defense & Personal Safety Class”.

2010 Schedule:
Sunday March 21, 1 – 4pm (sold out)
Sunday March 28, 1 – 4pm (sold out)
Sunday April 11, 1 – 4pm (sold out)
Saturday May 15, 1 – 4pm (sold out)
Saturday August 7, 1 – 4pm (now accepting enrollment)

Women who attend this class learn physical techniques as well as unique strategies to help them control, avoid, evade and escape dangerous situations.

Here’s what other women have said about the class:

“Great information! Much more updated and relevant than the class I took way back in grade school over 20 years ago!!” – Michelle C., San Diego

“I highly recommend this class for all girls and women.” Robin H., Poway

“Tony is a big man, with a big heart, who can stay soft teaching hard concepts for women’s self protection.”

“Amazing, interactive class that creates possibilities for getting out of situations as well as teaching and promoting awareness.” Michaela V., San Diego

“This class was one of the most helpful classes I’ve ever taken. I’m so thrilled I made my Mom come!” Hannah P., Poway

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. Or, email us at info @ powaymartialartsschool dot com.

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

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Qi Gong (sometimes called Chi Kung) and tai Chi often travel closely together. Despite this fact, they are often confused for each other because they both cultivate qi (chi) or life energy. Without going into a full essay on the differences, both provide some health benefits and focus on relaxed movement. But, Tai Chi, if instructed properly, is a martial art and should be taught as such. Tai Chi is not just exercise. While it uses and can cultivate chi it does so in a manner of focus for martial purposes.

Qi Gong is exercise! It is a series of exercises intended solely for relaxation and health. Moving the energy and cultivating it to help attain optimal health. Its movements stimulate the internal organs and the meridians helping to keep the body in balance.

So if you are looking for exercise focusing on health and relaxation, Qi Gong classesare what you are looking for. Join us every Saturday at 9:30am to reduce your stress and get on the road to good health!

See you in the dojo.
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai 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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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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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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This class will be held Sunday May 23rd, 1 – 3pm

I’m very excited to have been asked back to speak at the Japanese Friendship Garden again. The Japanese Friendship Garden is an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city Yokohama that binds the two cultures to create a unique experience for visitors from all over the world. In addition to the beautiful stone arrangements, Koi pond, tea house, ornamental tree collection, and display of Japanese artifacts, the Garden also serves as an educational resource to the community, providing a variety of seminars, classes and workshops as well as accredited horticultural classes.

I am pleased that they want to share the topic of Bushido with their members and guests. The topic that I have been asked to lecture on is called:
“Bushido: Why the Code of the Samurai Matters Today”

Bushido is the “Way of the Warrior”. I will be discussing how this ancient Japanese code of conduct is important in modern times. Bushido is defined as a unique philosophy that spread through the warrior class during the Muromachi period. It is the code of moral principles which the samurai were required or instructed to observe, which was frequently unuttered and unwritten.

It is typified by the Seven Virtues: Recitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honour and Loyalty. Codes of conduct and moral principles, like that of the Samurai, are lacking in the youth of today. Gangs and peer pressure have a strong influence and are putting children at risk. I will discuss how martial arts programs can aid in getting these kids back on the right track.

Those who learn the Samurai Way find it has a powerful effect on them. Their lives are changed as they learn things about themselves they did not even know they were looking for. Come and learn about Bushido and let it have a powerful effect on you!

Call the Garden to RSVP for this event: #(619) 232-2721
The lecture will take place this Sunday, May 23rd from 1 – 3pm at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park. Cost is $10 for Garden members, $15 for non-members.

See you there!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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Martial Arts Class - Bowing In and Out

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There are number of ways and meanings of bowing in and out of a traditional martial art school and there are differing mantras or sayings as well. At Poway Samurai Martial Arts, we use the bow in before class to state a mantra that is really more of a promise to keep each other safe and honor the tradition handed down to us just as those who proceeded us in the arts did. At the end, we bow out and thank the instructor and each other for the training and keeping each other safe.

Remember the kanji for “Nin” in ninjutsu (or ninpo as it is more aptly called today) is the sword over the heart, symbolizing patience, persistence and a guarding of one’s heart against the things that would do it harm or lead it to evil or wrong actions. It is through our discipline and patience that we learn the essence of our art both in the physical skills and the greater meaning.

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

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Little Ninjas Martial Arts Classes

Our kids martial arts classes in Poway are going in full swing again now that we are mostly settled into our new location in the Poway Library Plaza. I am excited about the participation and growth seen in just a few weeks. There is still a lot to do but the kids are already learning so much, like basic counting in Japanese, basic tumbling, assertiveness, and how to move safely from being touched or grabbed. The skills are reinforced with fun drills and games designed to build muscle memory and correct movement while doing so in a safe and exciting environment that has them excited and asking to do the drills again and again.

When is the last time you saw a child asking to do their homework again because it is so much fun? If you stop by and watch our little ninjas in action, that is exactly what you’ll see! We offer one free class to anyone to come and check out our kids (and adults) martial arts classes. Just call us or stop by Poway Samurai Martial Arts to schedule your free class. See our martial arts class schedule to learn more.

See you in the dojo.
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)

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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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