Guardian Quest Martial Arts Dojo

WHITE BELT: The Hardest Belt to Earn.

Starting is Harder than Continuing.

In particular, I'm not talking about the "well... let's take a few classes and see if I like it..." person. Anyone can just give something a shot and decide based on enjoyment.

It's REALLY "Starting" ... not "check it out"... not "give it a try"... not "see if it's fun"... START. Especially as an adult who hasn't been a brand new beginner at something for YEARS... to decide to be awkward, to decide to be clueless, to decide to start from the "I'm just me and I don't know anything, yet" kind of Start is HARD for a LOT of people.

Sure, there are those who are constantly doing new things... we see them in dojos all the time. They do GKKD now... they did BJJ a few months ago... took kung fu for a month... took a Taekwondo class in college... a little of this... a little of that... and now they're here with their sixth White Belt...

But, in particular, we're talking about someone who really STARTS.

Because that's hard for a lot of people. Once you start... just keep going. A Black Belt is the White Belt that just didn't quit...

WHITE BELT: The Hardest Belt to Earn.

Starting is Harder than Continuing.

In particular, I'm not talking about the "well... let's take a few classes and see if I like it..." person. Anyone can just give something a shot and decide based on enjoyment.

It's REALLY "Starting" ... not "check it out"... not "give it a try"... not "see if it's fun"... START. Especially as an adult who hasn't been a brand new beginner at something for YEARS... to decide to be awkward, to decide to be clueless, to decide to start from the "I'm just me and I don't know anything, yet" kind of Start is HARD for a LOT of people.

Sure, there are those who are constantly doing new things... we see them in dojos all the time. They do GKKD now... they did BJJ a few months ago... took kung fu for a month... took a Taekwondo class in college... a little of this... a little of that... and now they're here with their sixth White Belt...

But, in particular, we're talking about someone who really STARTS.

Because that's hard for a lot of people. Once you start... just keep going. A Black Belt is the White Belt that just didn't quit...

ADDITION: A lot of people seem to be missing the point. In the broader population, in order to go from no belt to belt, you have to do something different. You need to make room in your schedule. You need to make room in your budget. And you need to make that carve-out as a new permanent thing.

We're not talking about the dabblers who are just going to try it out... we're talking about someone looking for a new permanent path. But once you're gotten started... once you REALLY earn that White Belt by starting a new habit that you'll continue... the rest is just a matter of "keep doing what you're doing." Just don't quit and the belts start to follow one another with simple ease just by sticking to that habit of training.

Starting martial arts... REALLY starting... is a lot like my father remarking about quitting smoking. He used to say "Quitting is easy. I've done it hundreds of times." Which, of course, is to say he didn't quit. He just created a momentary pause in his smoking habit. A lot of people do that with a lot of things we think we start... we never really started... we just sort of tried it out... and we didn't earn the white belt as a real beginner... because we were not really beginning.

WHEN AND HOW FAR?

A man literally gropes a woman's body... grabbing her butt or breasts obviously on purpose, obviously copping a feel, while making a very obscene (if drunken) comment about her clothes on the floor of his bedroom...

What's an appropriate level of FORCE in response? And by whom?

THERE WAS A DAY...

There was a day when pretty much any gentleman who was present - backed up by all the other gentlemen who might be present - would just deck the guy right then and there. If any of the gentlemen happened to be a husband, boyfriend, brother, father, son or other relative, no one would be surprised if it went a whole lot farther than just decking him... and if everyone was known to the local LEOs, they'd probably say he deserved it.

These are not those days.

TODAY...

If that same thing happened in 21st Century USA, every man who did violence when she was not in any danger of physical harm whatsoever would face some likelihood of arrest under most circumstances.

But what if SHE decked him?

SPECIFICALLY...

What if in response to having someone full-on grope her chest, she just hauled off and punched him full power right in the nose and left him bleeding with what could be a busted nose?

Or, in the Guardian Arts, we have a move called a Power Slap. It looks a lot like a slap, but the heel of the palm pops in at the last moment so it hits HARD... and if you "kempo-boost" it with nails, you could get a full-on palm strike to the jaw/temple, but also get nails raked across your face and maybe eyes.

Okay? Maybe okay? At least defensible, right? I think most juries would acquit for a breast grope if it were one solid hit.

What if it was butt instead of breasts? What it is was grabbing her arm trying to keep her from walking away?

TOTALITY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES

Some of it might depend upon other factors in the totality of the circumstances. What if she had been flirting with the man? "Just being nice" level of "flirting" might not change things, but what if it had been overtly sexual flirtation? What if they had previously been lovers? What if... and so on...

You can imagine any range of possibilities. Are there any extenuating circumstances that would change your view?

THE ART OF THE ESCALATING NO

Part of what I teach is The Art of the Escalating No.

1. Be Polite
2. Be Polite and Firm
3. Be Polite with a Warning
4. Be Impolite

Add that into your thinking. He's been pretty forward with her and she said a polite no, a firm no, and a no with a warning... and he keeps escalating and then gropes her, and that's when she hits him so hard with surprising force that goes to the ground - no knocked out - but clearly hurt.

Is that different than if it looked like a sexy, playful flirtation and then he pushes it to a grope and she decked him?

THE ART OF DEFENDING OTHERS

Then there's the Art of Defending Others.

That path also has an escalation.

1. Witness
2. Engage
3. In The Way (But Not In Between)

Start with making it clear to them that they are seen. Some people, when aware of witnesses, stop. In a case like this, probably not, but that's where you start.

Then Engage. Talk to them and try to get them talking to you instead of continuing to talk at the woman.

Finally, get in the way. If you know the woman and you are 100% sure that there is no relationship between the two (LEOs responding to domestic violence calls can tell you that victims often attack officers when they are arresting the abuser they were called to come get), in between might not be a terrible idea - but most of the time you just want to get in the way enough to keep some distance between them and make him have to deal with you to reach her.

But just in case she gets back involved from behind your back, don't get directly in between with your back to her. Also, just in case someone else grabs her, you want to be able to keep an eye out.

Then, if he gets physical with you, you have your standard self-defense escalation you can do because now you're the target.

DEFENSE OF HONOR

These days, there's very little room in the law allowing violence to "defend someone's honor," not even your own.

Maybe that's a better world. Maybe it's a worse world.

But it's the world we live in now.

36 YEARS SINCE WE STARTED

May 1, 1990 is the official founding day of Guardian Kempo Kajuko Do. I'd been doing martial arts for 19 years at the time, and was formerly an instructor in another system, a member of the national board, and a regional director.

I had the help of ten grandmasters to do what I did. Grandmasters Marx, Riedner, and Boyer helped me the most in the early years, and Grandmasters Generalao and Tejero helped me the most in the latter years - and several others in between. I owe a debt of gratitude to Grandmasters Kuoha, Demura, Jay, Chau, Haralson, and Burk. Many others also contributed thoughts and ideas over the years through seminars.

I remember how bittersweet the anniversary was in 2020. It was the first one without me having a dojo. In 1990, we started in my mother's game room at the Ridgemoor house. By 1991, we were at a Rec Center, by 1992, two Rec Centers and subleasing in Pacific Beach. By 1993, we had a commercial dojo. 1998 we were closed and taught in a home and a park. In 1999 we opened the Spring Valley location and where there until 2019.

In 2020, no dojo for me. The Loyas had taken over teaching GKKD, but, of course, the Pandemic. They taught a few students at their home for while, but, for me, it was my first year without my own students to teach since 1989.

Today is the first anniversary since my 10th Dan Celebration last October... and it feels a little strange to have achieved such a milestone and have no one to be teaching.

That said... I am working on the next GKKD Book. Last year for my 10th Dan, we published the Menkyo Kaiden book. It's a first pass at my attempt to systematically leave a Menkyo Kaiden Multi-Media Library behind so GKKD can continue without me at some time in the future.

There's an old idea that masters, over their lifetime, would "write their book" in the form of master-students who would inherit the system. While I had four renshi-level students and some senior sensei, no one person ever learned the whole system.

The Senseis Loya were on their way as a team, and, in fact, they helped inspire the idea of a Soke Council (as opposed to a Soke Inheritor). Between the two of them, they could have done it, but it would have taken the two of them each playing to their strengths to really do all of it. It gave me the idea that maybe we can achieve Generational Continuity through a group rather than an individual.

As it is, the probability is high that GKKD dies with me. I'm okay with that. Over the centuries of martial arts history, I have no doubt that many, many family arts died out. Wu Mui Kung Fu still exists today after three separate times where there was literally only one living person who knew the whole art since its founding. There are arts in my generation that have died out, and many, many more that die with the last living master.

If mine is a one-generation art, that's okay. It did good work while it was here.

We did better than 30 for 30 in real self-defense and defense of others. We taught good leadership and good philosophy that continues to ripple through the generations. Right now, we have five art/dojo books, plus much of my philosophical material in many other books, audios, and videos. I'm working on the system book with the moves lists - looking to make it more than just a list of moves for our entire curriculum - but we'll see how that goes!

For all the Guardian students out there... Happy 36th Anniversary.

"WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS..."

We used to have a saying. "What happens in Vegas comes home to the dojo floor."

That was for our Leadership Trips. Back in the dojo days we used to take leaders to Las Vegas for the Martial Arts Supershow. For three days, they'd be around the larger martial arts community and attend as many as ten seminars with leaders and masters in the industry.

From there, they'd take what they learned back to the dojo and teach it on the dojo floor.

ONE WEEK LEADERSHIP RETREATS

The leadership would typically have the opportunity to come to Las Vegas for a whole week. I'd put them up in a condo, buy groceries, and pay for their convention pass. With regularity, we'd treat them to a Vegas Buffet (though a couple of times someone else paid for it - as I remember one particular time that Joshua and Andrea Loya paid for the buffet), and, when we could manage it, we'd treat them to some kind of Vegas Show.

Sometimes we'd do a bonus activity. We'd been the Hoover Dam, to the Valley of Fire, to Red Rocks, to the David Tupaz Boutique (where David set aside a whole afternoon to talk with us), to a local water park..

All in all... some GREAT years!

SMALL GROUPS TO BIG GROUPS

There were a few years it was just me and one or two other instructors. In time, though, it came to be more an more of a leadership perk at the dojo. Many started to misunderstand it as a "black belt perk" since all of our Black Belts were leaders in the dojo and regularly taught - but, no, not just for the rank, for the leadership. A few Black Belts who specifically did not lead were not invited, but had to be reminded that it was a Leadership Perk, not a belt-based perk.

There were a couple of years I took much larger groups - as many as 14... twice! When my step-sons and other teens were leaders in the dojo, we started to have minors with us on many of the trips. Because of the excellent behavior and formality, we got special dispensation to bring people normally considered too young to attend. The regular rule was no one under age 16... but we had younger leader than that with us - and Sensei Ayden became convention-famous and well-liked by all those running booths. Sensei Noora (who might have been 14 her first time there) was respected almost instantly as a quality leader, and Sensei Vanessa was recognized for years for her red bow in her hair. So much so that the first year she wasn't there, I was asked about her half-a-dozen times!

For our GKKD 25th ANNIVERSARY trip, I brought the entire leadership team plus their significant others, got five condos (a mix of one and two bedroom units) and we had an amazing celebration. Some were surprised that I still invited my ex-wife - but she was a senior dojo leader - so, of course! And also "of course" she had her own space. I think that was 14 people for that trip, too.

PLUGGING INTO THE LARGER MARTIAL ARS INDUSTRY

Back in 1996, I was invited to join the American Council on Martial Arts by John Corcoran and wrote more of the Instructor Certification Manual than any other author - and, from that, starting in 1997, I started teaching at National Association of Professional Martial Artists convention in Florida. 2000 was my last year teaching there - but that's when I took advantage of being in Florida to start visiting Disney World and Universal Florida.

2001 was the first Supershow in Las Vegas. I missed that one. I heard about it after it was too late to attend, but starting in 2002, it was an annual thing. In 2020, it was canceled due to Covid... and remained shut down in 2021 (masks were still required... and it was a martial arts event... so....)... and finally in 2022 they finally got to apply all their planning to host the event. It had about half the attendance it used to have, and they lost a LOT of money on that one. They no longer host that event.

Instead, they have folded it into the Martial Arts Industry Association event, and since I no longer have a dojo, I no longer attend - though I do periodically ponder going just to see old friends and colleagues.

A FAVORITE VACATION SPOT

Meanwhile, Vegas has been and remains a favorite vacation destination. I used to come here when I was kid... often staying at Circus Circus or the original MGM (they were one of rare places that had shopping and a great arcade downstairs - and I used to hang out at the sci-fi shop for hours!).

There were less than half-a-million people living here for most of my life. I remember so many of the old casinos - the Landmark being a unique one from my childhood that I never stayed at - Vegas World - Frontier, Stardust, Desert Inn - got to stay at the Sands - Tropicana... so many places that are no longer there. My first Vegas show was at the Hacienda - no longer there - followed by Riviera - also gone.

When it came time to buy a timeshare, after visiting dozens of different presentations, we finally settled on Polo Towers in Las Vegas - and I really leverage my points into a lot of stays! I almost never spend full points for anything, 50%-75% off being my usual. That's part of how I seem to land on so many weeks of luxury vacation every year! I'm buying groceries instead of having every meal out, getting my weeks for half to a quarter of the retail point cost, and periodically getting dinners and show tickets for sitting through presentations (they call it an "update," but, of course, they're trying to sell you).

A POSSIBLE NEW HOME

I'm in no particular hurry to move, but my mother does have her senior living home picked out. She could move at any time she wants... but doesn't need to move anytime soon. When she decides to move, she won't need her sons handy anymore, and I'll move... maybe to Las Vegas (and maybe to St. Louis... and possibly to Orlando). Las Vegas is high on the list because almost all of my friends would come here sooner or later, but if I'm in St. Louis, I'll see my St. Louis friends often, but I don't think my other friends would pass through town very often if at all.

So... I'm looking... not looking specifically for a place just now... but looking at options to help me decide. I'm sure well in advance of an actual move, there will be posts.

“If you’re going Black Friday shopping, be a decent human being and turn your phone horizontal before recording any fights. Thanks in advance.”

RECEIVE THE LESSON FIRST...

I often use our trips to the Martial Arts Supershow as an example. Guardian Black Belts were trained and understood that we are attending seminars with masters. Learn first. Understand as best you can. "What happens in Vegas goes back to the dojo floor."

Often, we have participants in these seminars that will watch what the master teaches, and then start in with "The way we do that at our dojo is..." or "I don't think that would work because..." or "I think it would be better if..."

We are there to train with the masters teaching the seminar. We already know what we know... so skipping the master's lesson to talk about what we already know wastes our time. We're there to learn from the masters... so when a training partners starts in with what they do... we're not there to learn from them. We're there to learn from the master. Our Black Belts periodically had to draw non-Guardian partners back to the lessons at hand... or just change partners.

Often, there were enough Guardian Black Belts around that they could just partner with each other.

Now... might we do it differently? Might we apply it differently? Might it work or not work with us for any of many reasons? All true. But none of it matters if we can't start off with what the master is teaching.

That's how we learn... understand the lesson first... THEN evaluate.

For instance, Renshi Stewart learned this cool counter against a single leg takedown from Matt Hughes. He just asked me to do a single leg on him and he'd show me. It didn't work. We slowed down so he could make sure he did the move right... and he did... but our single leg isn't a traditional single leg takedown. It didn't work because we begin our single and double the same way as our duck and hook punch. When I adjusted to doing a traditional single leg... it worked on me every time!

So... he learned it first... we developed an understanding of it... and then we saw where it worked and where it did not. For where it worked, it was an enormously powerful defense - simple, elegant, and required timing but nothing fancy.

If Renshi had just tried our single leg on a partner who did the technique and it didn't work... he'd have missed a really cool technique. He learned it first... got it to work... and then took it to his master for further analysis.

Note that I didn't just see that it didn't work on me and decide it was obviously a bad technique. It wasn't. It just wasn't designed for a Guardian single leg takedown. That doesn't make it a bad technique, and it doesn't make our single leg a better one that all the others because it made that technique not work... it did work... most of the time, too, because most grapplers do the single leg the way that would make that defense absolutely stop the move.

Good stuff... IF you keep an open, empty enough mind to learn... even when it SEEMS like it isn't working... because there's just a little more left to know.

Water doesn’t resist… it adapts, evolves, and finds a way forward every single time. 🌊 @therealshannonlee breaks down the true essence of “Be water, my friend,” and how you can apply it to your mindset, your ambition, and every challenge you face. 💭⚡️ To dive deeper into her perspective and hear the full conversation, head over to Icons hosted by @tylerwaye on YouTube. 🎥🔥 . . . #shannonlee #brucelee #motivation #inspiration #mindset

You can do a Tai Chi class with Disney characters at Hong Kong Disney! I can imagine the job interview. “Yes, we know you teach Tai Chi, but can you do it in THIS???” *brings out character costume*

Goofy teaches Tai Chi at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel 🧘 This was one of our favourite things we experienced at HKDL and we event got to take a photo with Goofy after! 📸 #Goofy #Disneyland #HongKongDisneyland #HongKongDisney #HongKongDisneylandHotel #DisneylandHotel #DisneyHotel #DisneyResort #TaiChi

Corporal Zachary Foster, Robinson PD

I last saw him when he was Corporal Zachary Foster, USMC

Back in the day, he was the most talented grappler I had at the dojo. He could consistently beat everyone in the dojo except me, and if he had another 6-12 months to train with us, he'd have been beating me, too.

His experience as a champion wrester, amateur cage fighter, and leader of a USMC grappling team... and having life-and-death combat experience and preternatural physical strength, he had everything going for him. Stack on some cheat codes on application of details in technique... and he was on his way to being unstoppable.

Now he applies those skills as a husband and father of four - being as inspired and unstoppable a husband and father as he was a Marine and grappler... and bringing his sensibilities to the RPD as their newest corporal.

This reminded me of my old-school days of mixing colors for painting. Unless you do that kind if art, you’ll never know the mix of precision and science with creative artistry. It’s “just paint.”

Much if martial arts is the same. There are old-school, classic ways we did things… some if those ways a combination of science and art… of combat and self-perfection… and, perhaps, at least some of those old ways worth considering even in this age where modern ways have left many classic ways behind.

In martial arts, we are losing many arts because there aren’t upcoming masters devoted to generational continuity, and the future will become disconnected from the past. Will that be good or bad? We might debate some of that, but, perhaps, we might agree that the loss of classic arts is, at least, a little sad.

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