Auvenshine’s Taekwondo 13th Annual Martial Arts Tournament – March 17, 2012

Get ready for another tournament, everyone!

Mr. and Mrs. Bill and Patty Auvenshine host their 13th Annual Martial Arts Tournament at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill., on Saturday, March 17, 2012.

Events include Forms, Sparring and Grappling. Grand champions will be awarded in junior and adult black belt forms divisions. Please note the the Sparring event is Olympic-style, meaning there will be two rounds of continuous sparring with 30 seconds of rest in between the rounds.

The cost is $40 for one event, plus $5 for each additional event. Spectators ages 12+ must pay $3, 6-11 $2, and ages 5 and under get in free.

Unlike many tournaments, this event includes electronic scoring and matted rings.

For a complete breakdown of rules, see the Auvenshine’s tournament package.

Metamora Martial Arts has competed in the Auvenshine’s tournament several times – first in 2007, then again in 2010 (Jake Potter and I both took 2nd place in our Forms divisions) and 2011.

04. February 2012 by Adam Bockler
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The 2012 10th Annual Supreme Way Challenge is in Pekin on March 10

This year’s Supreme Way Challenge is located in Pekin at the Moose Lodge. The March 10 event features Forms (Kata), Sparring (Kumite) and Weapons (Kobudo). Special events include Chanbarra, Self-defense, and Three-person Team Synchronized Kata.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the tournament begins at 11.

As you’ll see, the tournament organizers require the following safety equipment: Foam headgear, hand pads, foot pads, mouth guard and groin cup for male competitors.

The tournament is hosted by Frank and Patricia Fink of Kosho Kai Karate in Pekin. For more information, I’ll include the tournament flyer, registration form and rules summary.

The Finks can be contacted via email or at 309-353-8639.

The last time Metamora Martial Arts competed in the Supreme Way Challenge was 2007.

03. February 2012 by Adam Bockler
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Learn to visualize

I can’t stress this enough. Learn to visualize.

For one, visualizing helps us see what we’re doing. When we’re performing a kata, we’re not just throwing our arms and legs wildly into the air. In our minds, our intent should be to picture attackers in our mind who intend to hurt us. It is our responsibility to make sure that does not happen. We shouldn’t just memorize a series of movements.

Secondly, visualizing helps us see where we are going. This is how we make it through the form. Think to yourself if you’ve ever been doing a form, had a brainfart, and forgot where you were in the movements. There’s a good chance you thought to yourself, “This isn’t the right place for me to be in. I know where I need to be for my next movement, and this isn’t going to help me get there.”

In some respects, we should be exhausted after performing a kata because, in our minds, we have just eliminated several attackers that wanted to cause us harm. We’ve fought a handful of attackers in a matter of 45 seconds.

I was inspired to write this post today after an article I read at YMAA. Yang’s Martial Arts Association has been around since the 1980s, and YMAA is a leading publisher in the martial arts industry. The article caught my eye because it focused on tai chi chuan, an art I’ve practiced now for a year and a half. But even though karate and tai chi chuan come from different traditions, the methods of visualization the two use are very similar:

“Even when you can do the form very well, it may still be dead. To make it come alive you must develop a sense of enemy. When practicing the solo sequence, you must imagine there is an enemy in front of you, and you must clearly feel his movements and his interaction with you. Your ability to visualize realistically will be greatly aided if you practice the techniques with a partner. There are times when you will not use visualizations, but every time you do the sequence your movement must be flavored with this knowledge of how you interact with an opponent. The more you practice with this imaginary enemy before you, the more realistic and useful your practice will be. If you practice with a very vivid sense of enemy, you will learn to apply your qi and jin (power) naturally, and your whole spirit will melt into the sequence. This is not unlike performing music. If one musician just plays the music and the other plays it with his whole heart and mind, the two performances are as different as night and day. In one case the music is dead, while in the other it is alive and touches us.” –Dr. Yang as quoted by David Silver, Yang Tai Chi for Beginners, Jan. 30, 2012

28. January 2012 by Adam Bockler
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January 2012 newsletter

Hello, everyone, and happy 2012 from all of us at Metamora Martial Arts!

This is the first in a series of new monthly newsletters to update students, families and friends of the program what we’re up to. This month’s newsletter will be longer than most due to the amount of material that I feel needs to be addressed as we start another year (our tenth!). While you’ll only receive one newsletter each month, you’ll receive periodic emails relating to policies (see below), events and more.

This month’s edition serves as a guide as to who we are and where we’re headed in 2012. In the future, I’ll try to write more columns or opinion pieces as opposed to housekeeping items.

Who we are

Since we’ve only sent out less than a handful of emails between the end of 2010 and now, I wanted to reintroduce Metamora Martial Arts.

We are an after-school karate program that is free for high school students and available at a minimal cost for all other students. In addition to Metamora High School, our grade school locations are in Germantown (GHMS) and Spring Bay (Riverview). Because we are not a full-time business, you’ll never have to deal with the hassle of contracts. We just want to provide a fun environment in which students can learn self-defense moves safely.

Joe Chianakas founded the program in 2002. Mr. C is a former English teacher who now teaches communication classes full-time at Illinois Central College.

I’m Adam Bockler, a second-degree black belt. I’ve been involved with the program since 2003, teaching the 3:30-4:30 class on Thursdays for the past semester. I’ll be the one writing these newsletters and I’m available for any and all questions or answers at the email address with which I’m sending this message. Please don’t hesitate to email. It is the best way to get in contact with me.

As you may have noticed, we’ve undergone some structural changes this semester, though we have regrouped and each instructor has added responsibilities with the hope that we’ll all be able to maximize our efforts for the program. Mr. Chianakas will be discussing these plans with his instructors soon as we move forward.

If you or your child is not active in the program anymore and you don’t wish to receive these emails, there is a link near the end of this email giving you the option to opt out.

Our class schedule can be viewed on our website: http://metamoramartialarts.com/blog/classes

Review of policies

As of now, Mr. Chianakas and the rest of the instructors are still finalizing policies for students earning a PE waiver, how promotions will be handled, and what we’ll do about student absences. Hard copies will be sent home with students. It’s likely we’ll send out a newsletter and announce it online.

Program goals

The most important thing students can do is review what they’ve learned in class at home. We make mention that students can achieve their black belt by the time they’re seniors, but that only comes with lots of practice outside of class. We can teach the material, but it is up to the student to keep reviewing to make sure the information is still remembered. Please make sure you or your student is putting in a good amount of training at home.

Our goal as a martial arts program is to attend more tournaments this year. I know of at least two this spring that are great – one in Springfield and one in Moline. Tournaments run anywhere from about $40 to $70, after all fees (and gas) are paid for. Please start saving now! We’ll get you and your student ready for these. Tournaments are lots of fun and a great way to see what other martial artists are doing. As you head for black belt, it’s important to know what else is out there. I will be doing research and posting any information I receive on our Facebook page and our website.

We’re also going to do more social gatherings. If you have an idea, please let us know. Many of you may watch the UFC, so we could try to head to a restaurant that’s airing a pay-per-view event. I’m not sure of any martial arts-related movies coming out in 2012, but I’m sure there are several. Please keep your eyes peeled and let us know what you’d like to do.

Finally, in May, I’d like to do two things – group pictures and an awards ceremony/potluck. More details will come on dates and such, but I want to make sure these happen. They’ll probably be on Thursdays toward the end of May.

Advanced belt stripe review Jan. 12

On Thursday, Jan. 12, Mr. Chianakas will be testing purple, brown and red belts at MTHS. Before we went on break, I had tested blue and under and promised you all that Mr. C would make a class to test you. This is your chance. Please be ready. If you feel you are missing something, please make sure you are at all classes prior to make sure you can talk with an instructor about what you need. You’ll be reviewing until then.

Help Metamora Martial Arts turn 10!

Our 10-year anniversary is this February. As such, I’m looking for all former and inactive members of the program to reach out to me by replying to this message with a valid email address.

More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Like us and follow us

Like Metamora Martial Arts on Facebook – http://facebook.com/metamoramartialarts

Follow us on Twitter @metamorama.

Find us on YouTube – http://youtube.com/metamoramartialarts

We have different content on all of our social networks. Please make sure to check us out!

Quote of the month

The Alchemist book coverSometimes, you just can’t hold back the river.” -Paulo Coelho

To celebrate winter break, I delved into The Alchemist, a book Mr. C bought for his martial artists several years ago. I found it a great read at this stage in my life, having just graduated and with a full-time job ahead of me. Not only was this quote inspiring to me personally, but I really think it’s fitting as Metamora Martial Arts heads into 2012.

02. January 2012 by Adam Bockler
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This month in history: January

2004

Extreme Martial Arts (XMA) is officially launched as part of the Metamora Martial Arts curriculum.

2005

January 25 – Our satellite program at Metamora Grade School is launched for the first time. The program would last until May 2009.

January 28 – Metamora Martial Arts performed its first MTHS varsity basketball halftime demonstration.

2006 MTHS varsity basketball halftime demo

2006

January 31 – Metamora Martial Arts performed MTHS basketball halftime performances for both the sophomore and varsity teams.

2007

January 12 – Like the two years prior, martial artists performed at halftime of an MTHS varsity basketball game.

January 27 – Metamora Martial Arts attended the Auvenshines’ open tournament in Auburn, Illinois.

2007 - Auvenshine's open tournament8th Annual Auvenshine’s Taekwondo Martial Arts Tournament
Auburn Jr. High School – Auburn, IL

Stephen Arnold
1st place Forms
2nd place Weapons

Brock Blessman
1st place Forms
3rd place Sparring
4th place Weapons

Clay Blum
1st place Forms
2nd place Grappling
3rd place Sparring
Clay was forced to forfeit the match due to injury.

Adam Bockler
Competed, but did not place, in Forms

Daisy Breitbarth
1st place Forms
1st place Grappling
1st place Sparring
1st place Weapons

Joe Chianakas
1st place Forms
Adult Forms Grand Champion

Jim Craig
2nd place Forms
1st place Weapons

Mark Craig
1st place Forms
1st place Sparring
Jim and Mark competed in the same Forms division.

Carly Crabtree
1st place Forms
1st place Sparring

Roger Crow
1st place Forms
1st place Sparring

Jake Folger
4th place Forms
Jake also competed in Grappling.

Meaghan Gove
4th place Forms
3rd place Sparring

Tyler Prunty
1st place Forms
3rd place Weapons

Cliff Rummel
1st place Grappling
2nd place Sparring

Brandon Sassaman
2nd place Forms
2nd place Grappling
2nd place Sparring

Alex Schertz
1st place Forms
1st place Weapons
Alex was also in Tyler and Brock’s Weapons division.

Courtney Yeast
1st place Forms
Courtney and Meaghan were in the same Forms division.

01. January 2012 by Adam Bockler
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This month in history: December

2002

Metamora Martial Arts put on its first-ever holiday tournament.

Grand Champion (Sparring) – Adam Ulbricht
Best Competitor (Forms) Derek McAllister, Joe Maubach, and Julia Hovey

2003

Metamora Martial Arts hosts its 2nd Annual Holiday Tournament. The tournament was an inner-school event.

Grand Champion (Sparring) – Megan Siefken
Best Competitor (Forms) – Jason Szewczyk, Jessica Duffy, and Joe Maubach
Best Competitor (Overall) – Matt Katch

Extreme Kumi-Taku Martial Arts opens in Sunnyland. The school hosted various events, including Undoo Renshu, XMA founder Mike Chat, and a host of classes in addition to after-school classes at MTHS.

Mr. Chianakas introduces Xtreme Martial Arts (XMA) for the first time over winter break.

2004

Dec. 4 – The 3rd Annual Metamora Martial Arts Holiday Tournament takes place.

Grand Champion (Sparring) – Jason Szewczyk
Best Competitor (Forms) – Adam Ulbricht and Thomas Deters
Best Competitor (Overall) – Jason Szewczyk

At our holiday party, Adam Ulbricht is officially promoted to first-degree black belt.

2005

2005 Metamora Martial Arts

2005 Metamora Martial Arts

Dec. 10 – For the first time ever, all programs were in one building at the 4th Annual Metamora Martial Arts Holiday Tournament. Still not an open tournament, we had many more divisions with the inclusion of the grade school students and adults.

Grand Champion (Sparring) – Daisy Breitbarth
Best Competitor (Forms) – Thomas Deters and Ted Gove
Best Competitor (Overall) – Daisy Breitbarth

At our holiday party, Mr. Chianakas and Mr. Hawkey announced several award winners.

Bushi-do – Aaron Ruder
Most Improved Student and Best Assistant Instructor – Adam Bockler

Also, for the first time in 2005, Metamora Martial Arts introduced new categories.

Best Black Belt Instructor – Amanda Dixon
Most Improved Beginner Student – Tony Herr

Dragon, for the student who showed the most spirit and enthusiasm – Adam Ulbricht
Snake, for the student who fit anywhere and clicked with everyone – Amanda Dixon
Crane, for the student who was strong but humble – David Bess
Leopard, for the student who made the most balance out of their life – Ted Gove
Tiger, for the student who had the strength of fire – Daisy Breitbarth

2006

The holiday tournament results were…

Grand Champion (Sparring) – Mark Craig (high school) and Jim Craig (grade school)
Best Competitor (Forms) – Daisy Breitbarth
Best Competitor (Overall) – Daisy Breithbarth (high school) and Jim Craig (grade school)

Dec. 17 – Metamora Martial Arts performs a pre-game demo at a Peoria Rivermen game. Adam Bockler drops the puck with former WWE Diva Torrie Wilson.

Metamora Martial Arts at the Peoria Rivermen game

Metamora Martial Arts at the Peoria Rivermen game, Dec. 2006

Dec. 27 – Justin Knobeloch is officially promoted to black belt after having tested earlier that month. As a result of his new promotion, Daisy Breitbarth was presented with the sempai title, the senior student under black belt.

The following awards were given at our holiday party…

Best Black Belt Instructor – Adam Ulbricht (who also was promoted to second-degree black belt)
Best Assistant Instructor – Daisy Breitbarth
Bushi-do – Adam Bockler
Most Improved Student – Mark Craig (high school) and Alex Schertz (grade school)
Most Dedicated Beginner Student – Clay Blum and Roger Crow
Most Improved Beginner Student – Andy Seidel

Dragon – Thomas Deters
Snake – Tony Herr
Crane – Adam Bockler
Leopard – Justin Knobeloch
Tiger – Daisy Breitbarth

Finally in December 2006, MetamoraMartialArts.com went live for the first time.

2007

Dec. 20 – For our annual holiday party, the black belts performed a skit for friends and family in which Mr. C lost his karate spirit.

Also announced were the following awards…

Best Black Belt Instructor – Adam Bockler
Best Assistant Instructor – Clay Blum
Bushi-do – Thomas Deters
Most Improved Student – Tiffany Robertson
Most Dedicated Beginner Students – Trinidad Marin and Adair Rodriguez
Most Improved Beginner Student – Bianca Kamm

Dragon – Tony Herr
Snake – Amanda Dixon (dan) and Meaghan Gove (kyu)
Crane – Adam Ulbricht (dan) and Brandon Sassaman (kyu)
Leopard – Thomas Deters (dan) and Maggie Fandel (kyu)
Tiger – Adam Bockler (dan) and Mark Craig (kyu)

We also introduced a new award, the Choki Motobu Award. Motobu, who we trace in our Shuri-ryu lineage, was said to have a very physical and dominating personality. As a new award for students who did conditioning classes with us, we named Clay Blum the 2007 Choki Motobu Award winner.

2008

Thomas Deters was officially promoted to a deshi, or a second-degree black belt. Tony Herr was also awarded the sempai title at our 2008 holiday party. Other awards included…

Best Black Belt Instructor – Adam Ulbricht
Best Assistant Instructor – Andy Seidel
Bushi-do – Justin Knobeloch
Most Improved Student – Adair Rodriguez (MTHS), Jake Pfister (MGS), Rachel Arnold (RGS), Bridget Bryning (Germantown)
Most Dedicated Beginner Student – Melanie Davis

Dragon – Adair Rodriguez
Snake – Chris Schirer
Crane – Tony Herr
Leopard – Caitlan Rohman
Tiger – Thomas Deters

Choki Motobu Award – Adair Rodriguez

Also new this year was the Warai Warrior Award, given to the person who could make is laugh. The only person to ever receive this award was Tiffany Robertson.

2009

Dec. 17 – Our holiday party was held at the Grand Village Buffet in East Peoria. No awards were given out.

2010

Dec. 10 – Like 2009, our holiday party was held at Grand Village Buffet in East Peoria.

01. December 2011 by Adam Bockler
Categories: This month in history | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Where are they now? Russel Boulton: What Extreme Kumi-Taku did for me

Russel Boulton 2004 - Mike Chat visit

Note from Adam: For those of you unaware of the term, extreme kumi-taku is the name designated to our particular system. Mr. Chianakas named it because kumi-taku means a combination of many, as we incorporate other styles into our karate training. Extreme Kumi-Taku Martial Arts (EKTMA or XKT, depending on how you want to slice it) was also the name of the dojo Mr. Chianakas operated in Sunnyland from 2004-2005.

I owe so much to the Metamora Martial Arts program. The fun, focus and therapy that was provided for me has certainly kept me from making life mistakes and has enhanced my skill set for the career path I have chosen. The program is an outlet for many in search of guidance, often for those which conventional school sports hold little appeal.

Russel Boulton in a 2011 family photo

Russel Boulton in a 2011 family photo

Sensei’s heart-felt approach to the art has changed the attitude of tough guys coming in just to learn to beat people up to that of bushido, and given those meek of voice the spirit to stand tall and speak with pride. EKTMA students can be recognized on the tournament mats, speech team room, musical stage or sales floor by the confidence in their step, command of voice, and courteous demeanor. Sensei and his leadership team are keenly aware that there is a world and a life outside of MTHS and the dojo walls, and they do the best to prepare students to meet it.

I knew of the program my sophomore year at Metamora, but I was recovering from a broken ankle and could not participate. My best friends were active – and successful – in the program. While I was cautious and did not understand it, I did support them. My need to join did not arise until November of my junior year. I was struggling with a lot of stress (family, relationship, music, studies, and future education) and could not contain my frustration. I was a loose cannon in search of a target, which was not a healthy approach to high school. My friends urged me to come to karate, and my English teacher noticed that it might do me some good, and prescribed this action, too.  Of course, it helps that he was also the martial arts instructor, so he was slightly biased.

After a long run in crisp Midwest autumn air I returned to the school, clad all in Metamora red, and found myself standing in room 200 where class one was about to take hold. I was tired, but mad for no particular reason, and I dove into the study, certain I would fail, or hate it, or be turned away. None of the above occurred. I struggled with the stances. I did not get the Japanese. I did give it my best, and Sensei worked with me, guiding me, correcting, and praising the effort, power, and potential he saw.

I was hooked. The forms were puzzles for my brain to solve, the actions meditative but practical. The conditioning my body craved, and consumed the foul energy that had been building within me. The camaraderie was on par with the connection found in the many other activities I engaged in.

Then I found sparring. Oh, what a wonderful thing. I used to box. My older brother and I went for about a year or so to a converted garage that served as a gym, and took lessons from a Tough Guy champion who was training his hockey-playing sons and their buddies. It was fun, but not well directed. Having only been 13 at the time, my coordination had not caught up to my power, and I became a bag that hit back – hard.

Russel Boulton 2004 - Mike Chat visit

Russel Boulton with Mike Chat's assistants during an XMA seminar in 2004

After breaking a few noses and knocking my own brother out, we stopped attending. What I found in kumite was peace. If I was mad, I was terrible. I was not fast enough. I was not thinking ahead. I would get beat time and time again by students that were not in good shape, not very quick – and if they were, I was defeated in a minute or less. If I entered the circle with a light heart, a smile, and freedom I was good. I got better. It became my number one competitive event, and the boxes of trophies can attest to the success. I also craved a challenge. In many sessions, I wanted to fight the higher ranks, teachers, and Sensei himself, so I could lose, learn, and come back again.

I played basketball, ran cross country, marched sousaphone in the band, and lifted regularly, but martial arts got me in the best shape, pound for pound, in my life.  I was better balanced. I could jump higher, even dunk the basketball for about a year, and felt great, despite the bruises, sore muscles and ligaments. My flexibility was just about ridiculous and coordination was improving weekly. My busy lifestyle led to me pioneering the PE waiver for the program. I was academically over extended, but needed one more PE credit for graduation. Sensei and I came up with a plan and presented it to the office, and they used me as the guinea pig. The XMA, sparring, spring runs, and self-defense lessons were impressive enough that one of the wrestling coaches began coming to study, and helped endorse the waiver credit. This system has kept many students from enduring the haphazardness of the average PE class and allowed them to feel the team affect afforded to the organized athletics.

This program’s success in a very conservative community is something of a marvel. Many adults opposed the concept, fearing it would cause a wave of Eastern or pagan beliefs and poison their youth. I feel that one of the best benefits of the program is the cultural education and support of free thinking. The roots of these arts are thousands of years older than modern Christianity and older than this country, which was founded on the principle of free expression and practice. EKTMA has given a window into another way of thinking and living, which has been integrated in my personal philosophy and increased my respect for those with another way of life. Such open-mindedness is appreciated by communities overseas.

The program’s trip to Japan and my 2008 trip to China gave me proof enough of the acceptance of open-minded Americans and the thankful attitude many have when we do not judge by what we do not understand. I had to break down my fears and cautions to join the program, and when those prejudices were discarded my life was enriched and curiosity peeked, helping inspire my global travels and studies. Many students have spent time overseas, and some quite extensive, teaching, serving and building communities. Each of us has been an ambassador of this fine nation and a representative of our unique community and life-skill program.

In college, I became a resident assistant. I helped manage the educational, social, and civic well being for 150 students in a $4.5-million facility for Millikin University. Having been an assistant instructor for Metamora Martial Arts, a senior TA for Sensei, and an education major, this seemed to augment the skill set I had and fulfilled a service drive instilled by my church and scout troop.

This was not a sunshine-and-daisy-filled job. Messes, tears, and paper work were frequent occasions, but every now and again this included a fight. The skills taught to me by Sensei gave me the ability to defuse these situations with a variety of techniques – often with no serious injury incurred by anyone. Sometimes it was words, other times proximity, creating space, or using a lock, block, or sweep to incapacitate one or both combatants.

Russel Boulton in 2005, with Thomas Deters and Mr. Chianakas

Russel Boulton with Thomas Deters and Mr. Chianakas during a 2005 picnic at Black Partridge Park

Now, as a teacher, fights happen from time to time as well. In the high school or the grade school, my presence has helped avoid injury and created the chance to solve problems rather than exacerbate them into re-occurring out-bursts. To do so without hurting students, and therefore facing legal action, was a skill developed as an assistant working with the grade school programs. Students need to see the reality and practicality of maneuvers and strikes, but it does them little good if they are hurt and cannot continue to study. Developing control and speed is key to this success and Sensei was a master at it, inspiring others to do the same.

Now, as an adult and professional, the skills, abilities, and focus taught and inspired by the Metamora Martial Arts club has instilled in me a sense of quiet confidence. In social and professional situations there are times when one could be goaded into making overly aggressive actions that could have serious consequences.  Knowing what I can do keeps me from needing to prove it, and helps hold emotion in check. An objective eye helps rational thinking prevail and keeps rules of engagement clear. Pride is a foolish thing to get in trouble over. “If you must fight, then you have already lost,” Sensei used to say. “At that point it is your job to lose less.”

I regret not joining the program sooner. If I had, I may have reached black belt. College and work have gotten in the way of continuing my studies, but my appreciation and respect for the arts has only increased over the years. I am very pleased to see the program reach its tenth anniversary in 2012 and am very happy for all still actively involved.

I regularly say to those close to me that I miss the hours spent training, and returning to martial arts is something I will do, as real life settles and I understand my place in it. I thank Sensei Chianakas, Sensei Hawkey, the black belt core and many clinicians and volunteers for the lessons learned and opportunities provided over years and I wish them continued success in the future.

Russel T. Boulton

Middle School Choir Director at Peoria First United Methodist Church

Assistant Instructor and red-black belt as of 2005

16. November 2011 by Adam Bockler
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This month in history: November

2006

November 25 – Metamora Martial Arts hosted its Fifth Annual Holiday Tournament, the last tournament of its kind we hosted. It was a competition for members of the program.

Grand Champions (Sparring) – Mark Craig (High School) and Jim Craig (Grade School)
Best Competitor (Forms) – Daisy Breitbarth
Best Competitor (Overall) – Daisy Breithbarth (High School) and Jim Craig (Grade School)

Ben Alig
2nd place in Breaking

Jon Bell
2nd place in Breaking

David Bess
1st place in Forms

Brock Blessman
2nd place in Sparring
3rd place in Forms
3rd place in Weapons

Clay Blum
2nd place in Forms

Daisy Breitbarth
1st place in Breaking
1st place in Forms

Jim Craig
Youth Sparring Grand Champion
1st place in Breaking
1st place in Forms
1st place in Soft Sword Sparring
1st place in Sparring
1st place in Weapons

Mark Craig
Adult Sparring Grand Champion
1st place in Breaking
1st place in Soft Sword Sparring
1st place in Sparring
3rd place in Forms

Roger Crow
1st place in Breaking

Jake Folger
1st place in Forms

Ted Gove
2nd place in Forms
3rd place in Breaking

Travis Haedicke
3rd place in Forms

Tony Herr
1st place in Forms
2nd place in Breaking

Greg Johnston
3rd place in Forms

Brandon Love
3rd place in Breaking
3rd place in Forms

Robert Pitts
3rd place in Sparring

Tyler Prunty
1st place in Soft Sword Sparring
1st place in Sparring
1st place in Weapons
2nd place in Forms
Tyler was the runner-up in the Youth Sparring Grand Championship!

Faith Robertson
1st place in Forms
2nd place in Soft Sword Sparring

Tiffany Robertson
2nd place in Forms
3rd place in Soft Sword Sparring

Cliff Rummel
2nd place in Forms

Brandon Sassaman
1st place in Forms

Alex Schertz
1st place in Forms
2nd place in Weapons

Bob Schertz
2nd place in Breaking

Andy Seidel
3rd place in Forms

Sarah Turpen
2nd place in Breaking

Robert Unger
1st place in Breaking

The 2006 Metamora Martial Arts roster

2007

November 3 – Metamora Martial Artists travel to Rantoul, Ill., for the Supreme Way Challenge.

In alphabetical order, here are the results.

Adam Bockler
1st place Team Forms

Mr. Chianakas
1st place Team Forms

Carly Crabtree
1st place Forms
1st place Sparring

Jim Craig
1st place Forms

Mark Craig
3rd place Sparring

Thomas Deters
1st place Team Forms
2nd place Forms
3rd place Weapons

Tony Herr
2nd place Sparring

Greg Martin
1st place Sparring
2nd place Forms

Jake Potter
4th place Forms
2nd place Sparring

Alex Schertz
1st place Forms

Some of the MMA crew in Rantoul

01. November 2011 by Adam Bockler
Categories: This month in history | Tags: , | 1 comment

This month in history: October

2004

October 27 – XMA founder Mike Chat visits our Sunnyland dojo. The former blue Power Ranger visited several local schools to promote Extreme Kumi-Taku Martial Arts, then wound up back at the dojo to perform some seminars for current students.

Mike Chat, Tom Livingston, Joe Chianakas

2006

October 15 – We visited the North American Nationals in South Beloit, Ill. By rank, here is how our competitors placed at the Ramada Inn Convention Center.

Thomas Deters
1st Place in Forms
1st Place in Weapons
Thomas won the Weapons division against a previously undefeated kama competitor from the nationally ranked Team Diamond.

Adam Bockler
1st place in Forms
3rd place in Sparring

Daisy Breitbarth
2nd place in Forms
1st place in Sparring
Daisy also competed in a large 13-17 Weapons division.

Brandon Sassaman
1st place in Forms

Jim Craig
1st place in Forms
Jim also competed in Daisy’s 13-17 Weapons division.

Alex Schertz
2nd place in Forms
Alex also competed in a Weapons division.

Honorable mentions go to…

Mark Craig (Forms), Tony Herr (Forms), Meaghan Gove (Forms and Sparring), Jon Herr (Forms and Weapons), and Stephen Arnold (Forms and Weapons).

The Metamora Martial Arts crew poses with their winnings

October 21-22 – Adam Bockler tested for first-degree black belt on Saturday and was officially promoted on Sunday. The test began at noon and lasted six hours and 45 minutes.

Joe Chianakas congratulates Adam Bockler at the completion of his black belt test

01. November 2011 by Adam Bockler
Categories: This month in history | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Matt Erik Katch: Don’t let people tell you it can’t be done

Note from Adam: You can follow Matt Katch’s adventures in Japan on Twitter @under_obvious. The 2005 MTHS graduate posts cool pictures from his stay in Japan and has a variety of martial arts experience spanning more than eight years.

Matt Erik Katch, circa 2010

Matt Erik Katch, circa 2010

Part I

I trained with the MTHS program for about two and one-half years, if I recall correctly. It’s a little fuzzy, as I kept coming back while I was taking classes for my undergrad at Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington-Normal. While I was in high school I reached 二級, or in our terms, red belt with two stripes. While at university, I had four years of muay Thai, two years of boxing, two years of judo, and a year of BJJ (done as two classes: one in street clothes, one in gi).

As for the academic side of my life, I studied creative writing, which is what my undergraduate degree is in. I also had focuses in philosophy and Japanese culture; though I can say I re-learned a good deal of the latter of those during the most recent years of my life. I openly admit that in the early stages of my academic career I was skeptical more than anything, and I was very good at getting excellent grades without learning very much. Since Japanese was one of the first things I studied at college, I regrettably lost a good deal of what would have been a doorway for me into the language. However, at a certain point, life started expecting me to know things, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say I could tell the difference between smart people and merely clever people. For any of you who’ve watched the TV sitcom Community, there’s a good bit where Jeff Winger says that the thing about being smart is you’ve never really had to study. Being clever wasn’t as great as it once was, and I now spend a good deal of my time legitimately learning.

Part II

What martial arts and Mr. Chianakas gave me was the beginnings of how I learned to be a better person. I can honestly say that I do not like the person I was in high school. And I also believe that without the martial arts program I would still be that person. I’m not saying I magically changed overnight, but what the martial arts – and especially Mr. Chianakas – taught me about what I could do, and how I could do it, has changed the way I live. Some of the lessons I probably should have learned back then, I am still learning now.

I am wary of saying I am ambitious because the contemporary connotations of ambition are not the qualities I value, though I do take pride in the ambitions of my friends. I prefer a model whereby a talent or ability is pursued and refined through use. I prefer to think of myself as driven.

I learned to read Japanese – fairly effectively, still refining – in about a year. That’s two 48-letter alphabets/syllabaries and in my case, around 3,100 Chinese characters. I did it through simple persistence. I’m not telling you this to boast; I bring it up because it is something many people think is impossible, or nearly. It typically falls into that mental category of too difficult or time consuming to be worth pursuing. Japanese students learn their written language over the course of about nine years. And even they learn about a thousand less kanji (Chinese characters) than I currently know. Dedication over time yields results but you cannot give in to the pressures of fatigue. Trust me, they are many, and I’m sure you’ve already encountered some in your life. When we think of five years, ten years, and so on, we have difficulty conceptualizing that kind of time. But what you can accomplish if you wholeheartedly pursue something for a year is amazing. I cannot conceive of what five years of honestly working at something will yield for me, but by that admission, it will be greater than I can imagine. I know that purportedly I’ve been pursuing martial arts for a long time, but never with the dedication I owed myself – to be fair, I was still learning what real dedication was, which is still time well spent.

I am predominantly a fighter by nature. I like fighting. When I was attending MTHS, the martial arts program was more focused on the acquisition of knowledge than implementation. Really, early on, this is what you need as a martial artist, especially since it gives you time to enjoy a great variety of things about the martial arts that you might never appreciate if you skip straight to an octagon and a steel cage. Of course, I had almost no patience at the time, which didn’t often go so well.

Let me say that I understand what it’s like for those of you who want a bit of a scrap, and now and then Chianakas sensei does curb the class more towards our type; still, remember that patience and honing your abilities is key, so that when you need a kick it isn’t there because you know it’s the right time to throw it, it’s there because you do it. My strikes don’t come because I want them to — they do so because it is the right time. If this is how you feel, you have an advantage because this extra energy is easy to channel into making your tools (bones, muscles, sinews, endurance) into the sharpest things in anybody’s shed. Get a punching bag. Run. Cycle. Lift weights. All these things will help you ease that excess energy and the desire to fight, and they’ll make you better at what you do. A large part of being a good fighter is about turning off a lot of the thinking and letting your training take over. One of my favorite quotations has always been “we do not rise to the level of our aspirations; we fall to the level of our training.”

Part III

This closing segment that Joe has asked me to prepare comes at an interesting point in my own life. Contrary to the confident impression I have often tried to give, after graduating from university I was mostly aimless.

I moved to Japan, where I have been working for the last two years. I made many new friends, and now have many friends from all over the world. But I was no longer refining those skills I had spent most of my life in pursuit of. Everything I did was off and on with long lapses of going through the motions without any real progress.

It is only now after a little over two years I can say I am back in the swing of writing, and that I have re-dedicated much of my life to the pursuit of physical health and fighting ability, becoming a better person as well as a better fighter. We can all falter, and for me it was very difficult to find my way back, to uncover the same kind of energy I had once had.

By the end of college, I would run for two hours in the morning, go and swim a kilometer to cool off, go to class, lift in the afternoon, and then go to boxing and muay Thai in the evenings. And yes I did have friends, and if you must know, a special someone (I drank a lot of coffee and didn’t sleep much). With work I don’t have quite the same amount of time, but I have regained my feeling for the nuances that I loved so much. I understand my passion again, and don’t simply go through the motions. I think a martial artist’s life is prone to doubt the same as any other life generally is. I think the key is to find those things that you enjoy most about whatever your thing is. Forget the big picture – it only brings extra stress and concern – and focus on what your passion is; once you have your passion back, the big picture will be an adventure again.

For the time being, I am living in Japan (and perhaps there will be more on that later). After I finish here in a year or so (the jury is still out), I intend to pursue my master’s and eventually a doctoral degree. I’ve been looking at schools in New York, California, and Ireland – I have this thing about sitting still.

I want to close on a note about the way we think about our futures and career-life. I know I was inculcated to believe in the need to start my career as young as possible, and I’m sure that has little changed in recent history. Every once and awhile, you need to think like a kid again: astronaut, president, marine biologist. It sounds a little cheesy but I bring it up because what I want to do isn’t on that list. Ideally, I would like to write, and as an accompaniment to that, I want to be able to keep on the move. I get a sense of unease and need to be getting on with things the longer I am in one place. Everything is out there: that’s why they call it everything. And I would still believe that after Japan my only choices were schooling or finding a more stable career path, except that I now have many friends who feel as I do. Friends who taught English in Japan for 3-5 years and now are teaching in Korea, Spain, China, a friend of mine moved to be with his girlfriend in Brazil, and so on.

Whatever your pursuits, your dreams, whether it be a career, the world, loved ones… don’t let people tell you it can’t be done. There’s nothing cocky or arrogant about truly believing in yourself. People will always be telling you that something you want to do is impractical, but if you have figured out how to make it work, what other incentive are you waiting around for?

18. October 2011 by Adam Bockler
Categories: Where are they now? | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

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