The 2010 Milwaukee Gathering

YouTube Vids

Here's the videos we filmed last month. Check 'em out and make sure to share them with your friends.

Quotable Quotes

A student suggested that we post a few famous quotes that relate to martial arts training. It's important to read the wisdom of those who have laid the foundation for our training and philosophy. Sometimes it only takes a few words to lead us toward enlightenment.

The great thing about these quotes is that you can remove "martial arts" and include any other subject matter that is important in your life such as work, school, or health, and the words still ring true.


Tomorrow's battle is won during today's practice. - Samurai maxim

"Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to go to his class." - Choi, Hong Hi, Founder of Taekwon-Do

A warrior must only take care that his spirit is never broken. - Shissai

Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow, or it can crash. Be water my friend. - Bruce Lee

"Do, or do not, there is no try." -Yoda

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. ~ Bruce Lee

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. ~ Aristotle

"To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill." - Sun-Tsu

The bully is looking for a victim and not a challenge. - Unknown


"The wood should fear your hand--not the other way around. No wonder you can't do it--you acquiesce to defeat before you even begin." -- Pai Mai on board breaking

"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." -Confucius

There is no beginning to practice nor end to enlightenment; There is no beginning to enlightenment nor end to practice. ~Dogen

“To be a warrior is not a simple matter of wishing to be one. It is rather an endless struggle that will go on to the very last moment of our lives. Nobody is born a warrior, in exactly the same way that nobody is born an average man. We make ourselves into one or the other" - Kokoro

What's next?

It takes a great deal of patience to train in martial arts. It seems that as a student, one is always waiting for the next big thing. As beginners, students have to learn the basics before they can begin to learn the "cool" techniques. Once students reach the intermediate stages of training, they can begin to explore the more complicated aspects of the art, but they absolutely must continue to practice the fundamentals regularly to achieve a level of relative expertise. When students finally find themselves at the advanced levels of training they can focus more on the elaborate and complex techniques that inspired them to train in the first place (Of course, a student should ALWAYS continue to practice basics). Through each of these stages of training, students must practice a certain amount of patience. It can be frustrating but one reason they continue is that there is always something new on the horizon; something to look forward to. But what about students that have trained for 10, 15, 20 years? What motivation do they have to continue training?

The most profound learning comes through teaching.

While you'll never run out of new techniques and concepts to learn as you progress through your training, there comes a time when you will practice what you know more often than learn something new. There are effective ways to keep your training fresh such as cross-training or seeking alternate applications for established techniques. Of course, practicing what you already know is important and the path to continuous improvement. But beyond that, ask any instructor and they'll tell you that sharing the art through teaching can have the most profound impact on your growth as an advanced practitioner.

Teaching forces the advanced martial artist to take a different perspective on techniques. Instructors must be aware of every detail in order to help students learn. Moreover, instructors must find different ways to teach the same technique based on the needs and learning style of an individual student. Throughout the course of developing a teaching style, the instructors gain intimate knowledge of the various techniques, which in turn leads to improvement in their own skills. Sharing the art is the pinnacle of martial arts training. In essence, teaching is the highest level of learning.

Whether or not you continue training for 10 years, 20 years or for your entire life is entirely up to you. Once you have reached that level of experience, it's also up to you to make the commitment to share the art. The most profound learning comes through teaching.

Did you know...about Mr. Sorce?

In the spirit of another well known list, here are some little known facts about our instructor, Mr. Peter Sorce. We encourage others to post their own...

Peter Sorce is so fast that he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.

Google will not search for Peter Sorce because it knows that you don't find Peter Sorce, he finds you.

Peter Sorce can win a game of Connect Four in three moves.

Peter Sorce can slam a revolving door.

There is no theory of evolution, just a list of animals that Peter Sorce has allowed to live.

If you spell Peter Sorce in Scrabble, you win. Forever.

Peter Sorce's first job was as a paperboy. There were no survivors.

When Peter Sorce wants an egg, he cracks open a chicken.

Peter Sorce has actually been to Mars. That's why there's no signs of life there.

Peter Sorce is what Willis was talking about.

Peter Sorce beats rock, paper AND scissors.

Peter Sorce is why Waldo is hiding.

It only takes Peter Sorce twenty minutes to watch 60 Minutes.

When Bruce Banner gets mad, he turns into the Hulk. When the Hulk gets mad, he turns into Peter Sorce.

Put Your Oxygen Mask on First

This week's entry comes directly from the keyboard of Mr. Sorce.

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When you fly in an airplane, the safety instructions are given, “In case of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the compartment above you. Be sure to put on your own oxygen mask first, before assisting others." Without your mask on, you run the risk of losing consciousness and you can't help anyone if you're asleep. Sometimes, the best way to help others is by taking good care of yourself.

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending a seminar with Dr. Maung Gyi. Dr Gyi is a grandmaster in Bando, a Burmese Martial Art System, but he now primarily teaches “healing arts." Specifically, he teaches Yoga and Meditation. He said something that really hit home with me, “My Health is the best gift I can give my family." Dr. Gyi is in his early 80’s, but you would never think so. He lives in a retirement community and in the assisted living area he helps take care of people who cannot bathe themselves, feed themselves, or use the rest room on their own.

“My Health is the best gift I can give my family”

When someone gets to the point where they can no longer take care of themselves, the family either has to take care of him or he has to be put into an assisted living facility. This is upsetting for the family. It causes anxiety, stress, guilt and emotional pain.

Dr. Gyi was talking to me and he told me that I need to stay healthy so that I can continue teach, and be here for my students and my family. To me this means eating healthy, keeping my body healthy, and managing my thoughts and emotions.

This makes me think of others. Today’s world is more demanding and stressful than ever. So many of us are not taking very good care of ourselves. Our excuse is all of the responsibilities we have; family, job, housework. So many people say to me, "I don’t have the time." We all have to meet the demands of work, parenting, chauffeur kids from one activity to the next, being a good spouse, maybe having to care for a loved one, dealing with losses…

How can you be a mother, boss, spouse, teacher if you don’t take the time to keep yourself healthy? Physically, mentally and emotionally.

I even have people say to me, "I want to do martial arts, but I can’t justify spending the money on myself." They will do anything for their children and their spouses, but they are neglecting themselves and their own health. How can you be a mother, boss, spouse, teacher if you don’t take the time to keep yourself healthy? Physically, mentally and emotionally.

We need to make taking care of ourselves a priority. If you don’t have your health what do you have? People around you care about you and will help you. If you are overworked, overstressed and emotionally drained, you need to do something about it. Ask for help, talk about it with your family and friends. After all, the best way to make sure you can continue to help the people you care about is to, "...put on your own oxygen mask first."

Martial Arts and Competition

Where do tournaments and competition fit with the traditional characteristics of the martial arts?

Students benefit from martial arts training in many ways, depending on one's own personal goals. You may find improvements in your fitness, self-defense skills or peace of mind. Often, the focus of instructors is on the philosophical or spiritual or character building aspects of martial arts. There are times, though, when instructors encourage students to compete in tournaments. Why? Where do tournaments and competition fit with the traditional characteristics of the martial arts?

It's important to remember that the martial arts originally were developed as systems of unarmed combat. The first martial artists practiced as a means of protection and survival. Thankfully, we don't really need martial arts to survive in our day-to-day lives. In fact, we hope that we'll never have to use martial arts for protection (but it's nice to know we can!) In that regard, tournaments are a way to use some of what we learn in a safe and controlled environment.

For some, competition can serve as a good short-term goal to help us train harder and learn more. Say, for instance, that there is an upcoming event in which you'd like to compete. Perhaps you decide that you'd really like to try a new technique for the board breaking division. You decide on the technique, ask for guidance from your instructor, and practice, practice, practice. Sometimes, if it's a really difficult technique, you may need to train more often than you would normally. Your body becomes stronger and your coordination improves. Finally, the day of the tournament comes and you perform your new technique flawlessly! Through your training, you have added a technique to your repertoire and improved in several other aspects, too. Tournaments can be a great path to long-lasting improvement through a short-term goal.

Beyond the actual training (and perhaps even more importantly), tournaments can provide a fantastic fellowship opportunity. Tournaments are usually attended by students from many different schools and cities. You have the opportunity to meet people and form lasting friendships with them, even if you only see each other once a year at the event. You also get the chance (as with the upcoming Oshkosh tourny) to spend more time with the students from your own school. You can cheer on your fellow students as they compete as they'll do the same for you. Tournaments can offer you a chance to experience the sense of fellowship within the martial arts community.

These are only a few reasons why we encourage students to compete, and maybe you have your own. What's important is that students get the most out of their training. Competition is another way in which students can do just that.