Welcome Home

I sent the following email out to my students today:

This is just a quick note to announce that the building inspector has signed off on all the inspections, and we now have a certificate of occupancy to operate at 95 Everett Street!

So, effective immediately, all of our classes will be run in the new dojo space. Thank you for being so patient with crowded doorways, a small training floor, low ceilings, fluctuating temperatures, bathrooms way down the hall, trains passing just outside the window, and any number of other annoyances that you've quietly put up with.

But let's not forget that our old dojo was very good to us: I'm extremely grateful for the time we spent there, and I know that we'll still be telling the "dungeon dojo" stories many years from now.

There are still a few items in our old space that need to be moved across the street, but most of the heavy lifting is done. It will take us some time to get fully settled into the new place: We have furniture to assemble, mats to install, and lots of stuff to hang on the walls. (Yes, the skylights are coming. More on that later.) And of course, we have a ton of new memories to build!

Planning and coordinating this move has occupied most of my attention for the last couple of months. As you may have noticed, I've been distracted and a little out of focus lately, and the quality of our training has suffered as a result. I'm really looking forward to getting back on track with some good old-fashioned intensity!

For now, though, let's all relax for a bit and enjoy the view (unless, of course, you're testing on the 20th). We're in the process of slowing things down for the year, but the annual January workout training is just around the bend! Next month, we're really going to sweat and grind it out on the mat.

Our new, larger space will give us much greater flexibility in how we schedule and run our classes. You'll soon see some changes happening in the way we operate the dojo, but nothing too earth-shattering. I value your input and suggestions, so shortly, I'll be sending out an electronic survey to give you the opportunity to provide me with some feedback. Please keep an eye out for it!

Welcome home.

An Honor, Some Humor

I was recently contacted by Grand Master Ernest Dukes of the Black Warrior Martial Arts organization, who invited me to his Hall of Honors banquet to recognize me with a Silver Pioneer award for 25 years in the martial arts. I was surprised, honored, and flattered — after all, I kind of feel like I'm just getting started in the martial arts — but a quick look at the calendar verified the claim. I really have been at this a long time. I was unable to travel to North Carolina to receive the award in person, but I spoke with Master Dukes on the phone, and he graciously offered to send the award to me. Sheepishly, I looked forward to placing a plaque on the wall of the office of my new dojo.

The award arrived this week, and upon opening the package, I immediately discovered the following:

• Someone else's name was on the award
• The award was for a different achievement
• The award was broken

Clearly, this was a simple shipping error, but I immediately found the entire episode hilarious. I laughed out loud. And I suppose that's a good thing. For some reason, it reminded me of a story I once heard that during ancient times, when a conquering general returned to adoring and cheering crowds in Rome, a slave was assigned to continually whisper in his ear, "Remember, you're just a mortal. You're no better than anyone else."

I'm sure I can resolve this issue with a simple phone call... And, perhaps, some duct tape.

Every Little Stitch Helps

I love this picture of a knitted cap next to the weapons rack in our dojo. It was taken by my student, Linda, and it I captures, without using words or rhetoric, the power that the martial arts have to change the world. We use the bo, jo, sai, tonfa, kama, nunchaku, knife, techu, kai-bo, naginata, and other weapons at our dojo.

Now, please add knitting needles to the list.

My student Carolyn's community service project has really been taking off. She was featured in a local newspaper article just this past week. Ahh, the student becomes the teacher... how refreshing.

This month's Ode magazine features an article titled, "Every Little Stich Helps." I've ordered a copy of "Knitting for Good" to add to the dojo library. I'll place it right next to the books on weapons training.

MADDCAP

Last week, I taught my first MADDCAP class to two groups of kids during lunchtime at a local elementary school here in Boston. The group I spoke with were kids identified as being "at risk" for diabetes by the school staff — I was amazed to find that nearly 100% of the kids knew someone in their immediate family who had type II diabetes. Amazing.

I spent most of my time talking to the kids about adding color to their diet. And no, orange Powerade is NOT an orange food!

This has been quite a learning experience. I certainly now know more about the disease than I ever wanted to, but doing something about it is something that calls to me now... I briefly spoke with the principal, who was very grateful for my presentation — "It's absolutely necessary that we educate the whole child," she told me.

Healthy living as "self-defense." Planning to give more presentations to the community in 2009.

Semper Fi!

Happy Birthday to my Marine brothers and sisters — past, present, and future — for your service, courage, and dedication. And Happy Veterans Day, too.

Caps for Kids, and Other Stuff

I fanally got a hold of Last Child in the Woods at Coach Tom's suggestion. After "leafing" through it, I'm determined to take my daughter into the trees this weekend. Otherwise, I've been very busy (hey, when am I NOT busy?) planning for the new dojo opening. You can read all about the build out on our blog.

In the meantime, my students have been very busy serving the community and making me proud:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, please contact:Sensei Jason Gould
Emerald Necklace Martial Arts
Jason.gould@karateinboston.com
(617) 230 1973

Punches, Kicks — and Knitting — at Local Karate School

Boston (Allston) MA — November 5, 2008. This fall, Allston's Emerald Necklace Martial Arts is participating in a "Caps for Kids" drive: Instead of punching and kicking, Karate students are knitting children's hats, scarves, mittens, and booties that will be donated to day care centers, elementary schools, housing shelters, and neighborhood health and community centers in Boston. Caps For Kids is a 100% volunteer organization affiliated with Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

The students at Emerald Necklace Martial Arts regularly participate in community service activities as part of their Black Belt training. The "Caps for Kids" knitting project is being led and organized by karate student Carolyn Conroy.

"Doing this project allows us to provide something that's needed in our local community, and it's also an opportunity to spend time together as friends outside of Karate class," she says.

Many Emerald Necklace Martial Arts members have been holding weekly knitting circles, either in the dojo (karate school) or in local coffee shops, to work on their projects together. Other members are learning to knit, or sponsoring knitters by purchasing yarn and other supplies. The box of items to be donated that sits in the dojo is steadily growing.

Although Conroy has already surpassed her goal of collecting 50 handmade items, she will continue to lead the project through November 24. Anyone wishing to contribute to the project may contact Sensei Jason Gould at 617-230-1973, and knitted items may also dropped off at Emerald Necklace Martial Arts: 129 Braintree Street, Suite 213, in Allston MA.

More information about Emerald Necklace Martial Arts can be found online at http://www.karateinboston.com/.

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Forgotten, But Not Gone!

Team, I'm swamped. Please forgive my lack of journaling recently. I've been invisible, but VERY busy...

My wife and I started our daughter on her insulin pump 2 weeks ago, and I don't believe she or I have slept more than 2 or 3 consecutive hours since then. That being said, things are going GREAT, and we're seeing better control of Ava's blood sugar levels than we have since her diagnosis last December. So, sleep can't be too far behind!

Lots of other stuff going on, too: I ran an anti-bullying seminar at one local grade school, where I'll also be doing some diabetes awareness training next month. At another local school, I'm seven weeks into an early morning, karate-based character education program, and my students there are giving their final performance this Friday. At still another school here in town, I'm working with a group of 6 Deaf teens, using martial arts principles to teach them confidence, discipline, self-respect, and mutual respect. Phew!


And still there's more: I'm smack dab in the middle of building out the new dojo — purchasing equipment, arranging for utility services, and planning for additional classes and programs. Couldn't do it without the help of key people on my mostly volunteer staff. Thanks, guys! More on the dojo expansion at: http://emeraldnecklacedojo.blogspot.com/

And more! A group of my new students — seven of them — just graduated from their White Belt course, and I have another 5 students starting their training this weekend. We're growing!

And more! One of my students is leading us in a "Caps of Kids" community service project. Our goal is to knit hats, gloves, and scarves, and to provide them to needy kids for the winter. We've completed over 50 items so far, and the project will continue for another month.


Did I mention I'm still holding down that pesky, full-time job where I manage a team of 25 people (20 of them are in India)? That's a whole other bucket of challenges I won't go into here except to mention that my senior students are writing papers on nonviolent conflict resolution for their Brown Belts. How do the two connect? One of the student papers I read this weekend had everything to do with learning to understand how our cultural lenses filter our reality and often contribute to conflict in the workplace.

See? I'm still learning!


Sorry to have been underground lately, team, but that's where all the growth occurs in a healthy plant before it breaks through the surface!

Service Nation

You all know by now (I hope!) that my students and I are committed to community activism through service projects and project-based leadership training, right? I've just discovered — and will continue to investigate — a new outlet and connection for our community service initiatives. Please take a few moments to check out Service Nation.

And, if you feel inspired to do so, sign their Declaration of Service. I did, and I challenge you to do the same!

Right now, some of my students are planning their community service projects. Right now, we are creating excitement and buzz in our community. Right now, we are, bit by bit, making the world a better place.

What more could I ask for?

This, I believe, is the ultimate expression of martial art!

Some Interesting Empathy Training

Last weekend both my wife and I wore infusion sets for an insulin pump to see which configuration will be most comfortable for our daughter Ava. For those who don't know, an infusion set is a small needle that gets inserted into the body which then connects to a tube that leads to an insulin pump. When Ava gets her pump, it will be attached to her 24 hours a day to deliver the insulin that will regulate her blood sugar. The pump itself is about the size of a pager -- not so bad for an adult, but for a 2-year-old it's HUGE.

She'll be on the pump for life, or until a cure for diabetes is found. We're all praying for that. By the way the JDRF Walk for A Cure is coming up: please donate if you can. One of my long-time karate training partners is participating in the walk. You can contribute to her walking page here.

Anyway, I wore two types of infusion sets -- one plastic, one metal -- throughout the weekend to get a sense of what wearing one full-time would feel like. It wasn't entirely comfortable, but it wasn't painful, either. In fact, I taught 3 karate classes last Saturday morning while wearing the sets: I was literally a walking pin cushion, but it didn't really affect my performance on the floor. I didn't tell my students what I was up to either, I guess because I wanted to prove to myself that my daughter would not be slowed down by this disease.

And Ava, my little hero, wore a set over the weekend too. She didn't have to, but she asked for it when she saw my wife and I wearing ours. So I imagine Ava's playground roughhousing won't be too interrupted once she's on the pump. But man, did she EVER scream when we took it off.

Such a brave little trooper!

So Much To Do, So Little Time!

Just a quick post today, folks. I've been so busy planning for the new studio I haven't had time to write — or sleep. Build out plans, paint colors, telephone installation, equipment ordering... Man, there's a lot that goes into this "running a dojo" thing!

In any case, the latest information on the progress at our new facility can be found here.

Last week's presentation at the local school went extremely well. Haven't had time to reflect on it, but I felt energized by speaking to a room full of educators about education!

I read Coach Tom's post from earlier this week, and I'm happy to announce that we've added a yoga program at our dojo. Check out the new yoga page here.

I'm coming up on the end of my UBBT, and I owe everyone a progress report. Coming soon!

Exploring New Opportunities

The principal of the local school has invited me to speak not to the kids, not to the parents, but to all of the teachers and staff at his school. He has followed my UBBT and the service activities at my dojo, and he's asked me — ME! — to come and talk to his entire staff (100+ teachers, aides, and support personnel) about the "role of an educator."

Essentially, he wants me to fire them up at their start-of-year-staff orientation meeting — to inspire them at the start of the new school year and zero them in on some new concepts of "teaching."

Of course, I'll tie what I say to my martial arts experience, but I won't be wearing my gi or breaking bricks during my presentation. Nope, this is a suit and tie affair.

I'm still putting the final touches on my presentation, but my major themes will be:

1. You are not the teacher, you are the student.
2. Don't be a "teacher," be an "educator."
3. Education is self-defense.

Me, a motivational speaker. Who would have thought?

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

Another busy week. I've been ratcheting up marketing activity in preparation for moving over to our new location: ordered vinyl banners for the building, printed up 2,000 new flyers, created an ad for a fall marketing campaign, and sent out a press release. I'm interviewing potential new staff members for youth and yoga programs, picking out paint colors, making build out modification plans, and calculating move-in expenses. And oh yeah, I'm still teaching classes, too!

Trying to finish up the MADDCAP education materials and keep up with my own training. Now that we've wrapped up our summer tai chi program at the dojo, I've been watching one of Bill Kipp's FAST Defense videos (great stuff, Bill!) and working on ground defense techniques, and also brushing up on stick work.

I'm still keeping a hand on the pulse of the community by writing a letter of support for the local Family Literacy Program where I gave a presentation on goal setting and time management last spring. They have an excellent program for immigrant families, and they are seeking funding for a program Coordinator and classroom instructors. It's a nice feeling to be able to help them out.

Picked up a new book called Do Less, Achieve More. I think it's exactly what the doctor ordered.

Now, if I could just find a few minutes to read it!

August 13

Not too much new: It's been a busy week (what week isn't a busy week these days?), with getting ready for the opening of the new dojo space, visiting family, work, and training. Haven't had much time for rest or reflection, so I took some this morning and posted to my Martial Musings blog. Please check it out and let me know what you think.

I've been running a series of self-defense classes at the Carroll Center for the Blind this month. For the last three weeks, I've been working with a group of about 25 teenagers there. An amazing, inspiring, and insightful group of kids -- what a wonderful opportunity! Working with them stretches me, as I have to think and teach more creatively. I'm impressed by their maturity — and their ability to generate power while practicing physical resistance techniques!

The Rise and Fall of a Future Black Belt

Over the weekend, we ran belt testing in my dojo, in which two of my senior students were attempting ikkyu, the rank immediately before Black Belt. The testing was fairly intense, and consisted of basics, forms, weapons, and sparring. Things were going great during the test, and I was pleased with how both students were performing under pressure. But, in the very last second of the sparring portion of the test, one of my students tripped up and badly sprained her ankle.

It wasn't a glorious injury. My student didn't get hurt while doing anything heroic or overly complicated. It wasn't the kind of injury that you can later tell war stories about. My student just tripped and got hurt. I'm sure we'll all have a good laugh about it later. But with her friends and family looking on, she fell to the floor in what was clearly a great deal of pain. I'm not sure which one of us was more disappointed.

Of course, my student passed her test. But I was sorry to have to hand her her new rank certificate and belt on the edge of the mat where she sat on the sideline with her foot on ice and elevated.

And that's when the realization hit me: it could have been any one of us.

Life comes at us all the time with ankle sprains, and other challenges, right when we least expect them. These little surprises – these gifts – come at the worst possible time, to test us, to knock us off our game plan, and to see what we're really made of.

Seems like I'm "spraining my ankle" on a daily basis as of late. How about you? Keep moving forward – even if you have to limp. If it really hurts, rest. But don't sit there on the sidelines of life forever!

I think Rocky said it best:

Playing All-Out

Last night was the first night in almost 2 weeks that I was able to sleep more than 3 consecutive hours. Ava's blood sugar levels have been all over the board, and my wife and I have been running ourselves ragged trying day and night to get things back under control. Blood sugar checks, insulin corrections, and emergency feedings at midnight, 2:00 am and 4:00 am have been the norm for us for days and days on end.

And oh yeah, our roof is leaking from the recent heavy rains. The house is a disaster because we've had to empty out a large closet, which needs to be redone to get at all the moisture and mold up in the ceiling. All of this, combined with a hectic schedule at work and an extra heavy load of classes at the dojo and in the community, has transformed me into a bit of a zombie. I'm exhausted. I've lost a few pounds. My brain is fuzzy. But lots of good things are happening:

This week, I was able to finalize my contribution to the "Wisdom of the Martial Arts" book project. One of my students completed folding 1,000 origami cranes, and he'll be delivering them in person next week to 'Sadako Peace Day' in Santa Barbara, CA. I had the pleasure of teaching self defense to delightful group of 25 teens at the Carroll Center for the Blind. The City of Boston's Zoning Board of Appeals approved the change in use of the building we'll be moving in to this fall, which means heavy construction can now begin. I have 10 students testing for new rank at the end of the week, and new students are enrolling for my next beginner's course.

I'm playing all-out. But in place of my UBBT pushups and sit-ups this week, I've concentrated on keeping my sense of humor and an attitude of gratitude. I'll just have to catch up later.

Shambhala Sunrise

The other day I got up extra early for some sorely needed quiet time. As the sun came up, I spent a few peaceful minutes scanning Shambhala Sun magazine, reading one article by Thich Nhat Hanh on mindful living and the environment, and another by Pema Chodron on the importance of continually returning our minds and our focus to the present moment.

I followed my reading with a few minutes of meditation, stretching, and some deep breathing exercises. A gently rumbling thunderstorm broke the morning's silence as the house grew brighter, and I enjoyed the chorus of heavy raindrops spattering on the broad maple leaves just outside the window. What a gift!

Every morning should start like this.

Lost My #^$% Internet Connection

Not too much to report this week. My home Internet service is on the fritz, so I can't do all the things I'm used to doing from home: emailing, journaling, paying bills, finding random stuff on Google. The down side is I feel like I can't get anything done. The up side is that time away from the computer means more time with family. Cool!

Tai chi class is going well. I'm enjoying it so much that I almost forget that I'm the one who's running the class. D'oh!

I did take a few minutes this week to create and launch a new blog on the build-out of the new dojo space. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'll hold of on showing it to everyone for now…

Well, that's one way to build the anticipation, no?

Stressed? Me Too!

I'm stressed out this week.

No need to go into details, we've all been where I am at one point or another, right? Too much to do, too little time, not enough money. Too much noise and congestion. Feeling stifled and countered at every turn with no place to rest. And damn! It's hot, too!

Struggle, struggle, struggle, blah, blah, blah.

I'm done with whining, though, because I don't like myself when I'm down and crotchety.

So I've decided to just STOP, and seek solace within. I've "checked out" this week, spending much more time in quiet contemplation, reading and breathing deeply. I find that when I'm stressed, flipping through the Tao Te Ching always — always — seems to help.

Seek knowledge daily and increase,
Seek the Tao, and diminish
Lose, lose again
Until you are emptied.

There, that's better, isn't it?

My busy work this week: drinking green tea, listening to lots of Vivaldi, folding paper cranes. Maybe even a little tai chi. This month's issue of Ode Magazine is "The Silence Issue." Recommended reading for anyone feeling the press of modern life, as I am this week.

I still did my pushups and crunches this morning, though. It would have felt weird if I'd skipped them.

Don't Eat the Plate

Strange experience this week: One of my best friends and long-time training partners told me that he has decided to stop teaching and practicing karate altogether. Even though he is one of the most naturally gifted martial artists I know – and a wonderful instructor, too – he is closing down his dojo, and he is directing his students to seek out and train with other instructors. Wow.

The weird thing is, I saw this coming, and I'm not surprised at all. I've been training with my friend for 20 years, and I know him well. I know he didn't burn out. He didn't get injured. And he didn't do anything stupid that would put him in the newspaper in a bad light. No, nothing like that at all. His rationale for leaving karate behind was far more simple. And much more complex at the same time.

My friend realized that his walk on the martial path no longer served a purpose in his life. He felt strongly that karate had taught him all the lessons that he needed. All of the physical training, the tactics, the strategy – they no longer called to him. The time had come for him to move on to another path. So he just decided to stop walking the one he was on. (And I know it wasn't an easy decision.)

I guess it's sort of like when you're pleasantly full at the end of a good meal, you don't get yourself another helping, and you don't eat the plate. You simply put down your fork, neatly fold your napkin, thank the cook, and excuse yourself from the table.

I am sad that my friend no longer walks the martial path with me, but I understand. I am extremely grateful for having had such wonderful company during my journey. So I support my friend, and I wish him well.

In Canada

I'm up in Canada this week, taking my annual "vacation:" A weeklong, intensive martial arts seminar at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Three workouts a day, plus lectures at night. Our training is covering tai chi, chi kung, weapons, sparring, kata, jujitsu, and more. We're three days in, and I'm sore, but enjoying the immersion!

One of the benefits of a week away is that I'm able to eat much healthier: I've found that when I don't need to work all day, shop for food, plan and cook meals, or do dishes after eating, it's much easier to make better food choices. Eating mindfully and mostly vegetarian this week. I need to incorporate some of these eating habits into my everyday life.

I'm also doing little to no teaching this week – I'm very much a student here, and that feels great!

Just Another Day in the UBBT Life

Tonight, our dojo is sponsoring a free workshop on negotiation and conflict management skills. I've turned the training floor into a classroom, complete with chairs, handouts, a flip chart, and a table for the projector. It's a very different feel for the room, considering just last night we were on the floor sweating and pounding away on the focus mitts!

I'm expecting about 10 or 15 participants – a mix of my students and members of the community who heard about the class from my postings on local blogs. Should be a good class – and one I hope to offer on a regular basis. I want our dojo to be known as a center of learning, personal development and peace education, and not just a place where you learn to hit things!

I ratcheted up my training a bit this week, carrying my clubbells into the park and swinging them around between sets of pushups and crunches. And while in the park, I noticed that someone or some group did something wonderful – a small wooden obelisk inscribed with "May Peace Prevail On Earth" has been installed in the park by the tennis courts. I couldn't resist a few minutes of tai chi near the newfound inspiration!

Ubuntu

Spent some time this week assisting UBBT team member Debby Young by getting the "Peace is More Important than Punches" cards translated into Swahili so that they can be sent to Ms. Joyce Oneko, a Kenyan woman who founded "Mama na Dada"

This is organization's mission is to help Kenyan women "gain financial and mental independence by facilitating education, training, income generation activities and research and by advocating for women's rights." She is a well-known and highly respected peace activist world wide.

I was able to enlist the aid of a translation and localization company that I've worked with in my day job for several years — they agreed to take on the translation of the peace cards as a pro-bono project. (Thanks, Nabil!)

A great demonstration of the potential we all have to make an impact way, waaayyy out there with very little effort: Simply by lifting a finger (or in my case, making a phone call) we can make things happen together. Small actions really can make a difference.

I listened to an NPR segment on the concept of "Ubuntu" this week. As I understand the concept, in short, it means something along the lines of, "I want you to be all that you can be, because I am what I am because of you."

So, Deb — and all of us in the UBBT — Ubuntu!

Who can YOU inspire this week by being all that you can be?

Seeking Balance

On my way in to work this morning, I found myself listening to a BBC News report about the current famine in Ethiopia, which has been caused by drought-induced crop failure. The report went into great length about the starving, malnourished children, the lack of adequate medical care, and the inability/failure of the Ethiopian government to properly respond to the growing crisis.

Not wanting to totally ruin my day with negative energy, I changed the channel.

An instant later, "Love Shack" by the B-52's poured out of my car's stereo speakers. You know the tune: "The loooove shack is the little old place where we can get togetherrr-rrrr... Love shack babyyyyyyy..."

And then, I thought to myself, "How callous and insensitive of me. Thousands of people are dying of starvation, and my first response is to change the channel and enjoy some music in my air conditioned car." Ashamed, I switched back to the BBC report, finished listening, turned off the radio, and then spent the rest of my commute in silence.

I can't allow myself to be constantly bombarded by sadness. That's not healthy. But I won't allow myself to remain in ignorant bliss, either. I can't do nothing, but I can't fix everything... And Heaven knows I've got enough challenges of my own... How to find balance?

Bad News and Good News

My Sensei, Brian Ricci, always told me, "You can't want more for the students than they want for themselves." That phrase really helps keeps me grounded. People never fail to disappoint me. This morning, for example, I walked my dog behind a guy who pitched his used paper coffee cup onto the grass in the park. The nearest public trash can was in plain view — SIX PACES AWAY. (Yep. Six. I counted them.)

Now, I'm not sure if this guy was my student or my teacher this morning, but there was no point yelling at him, or confronting him. After all, you can't fix stupid, and who wants to disturb a nice quiet walk on a beautiful morning?

So instead, I swallowed my disgust and disappointment. I just quietly picked up the cup and threw it away. Of course I picked it up. And then I spent the next 10 minutes picking up every other piece of trash I could find in the park. And then I did a few extra sets of pushups and crunches (I really had to burn off my anger). And then?

I finished my walk.

Yeah, people never fail to disappoint me.... The good news is that people never fail to surprise me, either. So there's hope.

Reflections on June 7

Ten years ago today — On June 7, 1998 — I was a Marine Captain serving aboard the U.S.S. Wasp as part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducting exercises and combat operations in the Mediterranean Sea. On that day, I made the following entry in my journal:

"I want to open a martial arts school that focuses on character and community. I want to create an organization that can spread budo, assist the community, and provide role models. I also want to leave a mark that shows that I sought to be a part of something greater than myself, that I strove to achieve something worthwhile and inherently good. I'd like to touch lives and share the martial experience with other people."

That was a decade ago… Want to know the rest of the story? Well, it’s a work in progress.

Literally.

I’ve recently signed on to participate in “Wisdom of the Martial Arts.” It’s a collaboration in which I’ll be co-authoring a book along with notable martial arts greats Fumio Demura, Jhoon Rhee, Ernie Reyes Sr., Stpehen Hayes, and others. I’m excited and honored to be a part of this project. The printed book is due out this fall — which will, oddly enough coincide with the grand opening for Emerald Necklace Martial Arts in its new location.

I’ll be writing about how the martial arts have shaped my life, about how dedication to a vision can make amazing things happen, and about the potential power that martial arts and martial artists have to make a real and positive difference in the world.

I told my students today that my story has become OUR story. We're writing it together, and even I don't know the ending yet!

Standing Out in Our Community

We are taking positive and significant steps toward becoming a worthy institution in our community. This morning, I sent the following letter out to our local papers and community news blogs:

Dear Friends,

On Tuesday, June 17, Allston's Emerald Necklace Martial Arts will be hosting a special workshop offered by Vantage Partners on building negotiation and conflict resolution skills. The event will take place in our dojo at 129 Braintree Street from 6:30-8:30 PM.

At our karate dojo, we have a strong belief that this kind of training is directly linked to our martial arts practice, and that developing specific skills for peacefully resolving our interpersonal conflicts is far more important than improving our punches and kicks! We are proud to offer this workshop to the community, and we hope you'll decide to join us.

This event is free, but space is limited. To reserve a spot or for more information, please contact me at 617-230-1973 or jason.gold@karateinboston.com.

Best regards,

Jason
Sensei Jason Gould
Emerald Necklace Martial Arts
129 Braintree Street, Suite 213 Allston, MA
www.karateinboston.com
617-230-1973

The best part is that I can give all of the credit for putting this program together to one of my Yellow Belt students, who has only been training at the dojo for about six months. Just imagine what she'll be doing for the community a few years down the road as a Black Belt!

A Week Of Simple Living

Just finished up some long-overdue vacation time with my family, reconnecting with my wife and daughter. We spent an entire week in the mountains of New Hampshire – a week with no phone calls, no emails, no work, no training, no teaching, and no television. Just precious quality time! I even had a few minutes to catch up on reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s, “The Art of Power.”

We spent most of our week surrounded by the splendor and magnificence of mountain scenery, lakes, and streams. And in the midst of it all, I found myself most awed by my daughter, who, instead of taking in the awesome panoramic views, bent down again and again to gleefully observe an ant or ladybug crawling on her shoe. Her raw curiosity, and her ability to find pleasure in the most mundane things was more amazing and humbling than anything nature could put before me. Now that really put things in perspective. Miracles and teachers come in all sizes, I guess!

And now I’m back in the swing of things. It’s interesting to observe how quickly the training wears off – Getting back up to speed with the push-ups and crunches, I’m feeling the difference of the layoff.

Taming An Urban Jungle

There's a narrow strip of public green space alongside the road next door to our dojo. It's a sharply sloping piece of land along an overpass, maybe 30 or 40 yards long by 10 yards deep at its widest point. Not a huge swath of land by any means, but pretty big by city standards. The space is unkempt, overgrown, filled with weeds, and it tends to collect the trash that gets discarded by careless drivers and passers-by. But oh, it's got potential!

The green space I'm describing will essentially be our dojo's backyard when we move into our new space this fall. Because we embrace "environmental self-defense" as a philosophy, I've contacted our local Community Development Corporation and it's network of Green Space Advocates to learn more about how to get my dojo involved in helping to enhance, protect, and maintain the area. It will make an excellent "classroom" for us, and a place where we can readily connect with nature in the city.

It Just Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

Big Fresh, one of my favorite healthy eating spots, sells "Green Guides" from Chelsea Green Publishing to their customers. These little books cover a range of environmentally friendly subjects: biking to work, composting, conserving water, recycling, saving energy, and greening the workplace. As I sat there eating my bean salad, it occurred to me that I should have these guides sitting in the dojo, as part of the dojo library. I already require my students to complete acts of "environmental self-defense" as part of their training, so these Green Guides should fit right in as a "training resource" for my students — right next to the books on punches and kicks.

(As an aside, we also have a growing list of peace education, nonviolent communication, and anger management-related books and materials on the shelves. Yep, that's right: Ghandi and Funakoshi right alongside one another, and somehow it all makes sense!)

Two of my students will be wrapping up their community service project early next week: As part of their Purple Belt test, they've collected over $1,400 and more than 1,000 books for Boston area schools. (Read the full details here.) I'm truly impressed by the leadership, organization, and communications skills my students demonstrate when they put their projects together. And ahhh! Martial artists serving as a force for good in the world! It just doesn't get any better than this!

Moving into summer now. Must make time to rest and relax, even as I gear up mentally (and financially, and strategically…) for our dojo's big move to a new location in the fall! I keep telling myself that I need to dream BIGGER and BOLDER: It was Helen Keller who said, "Life is a great adventure, or nothing at all." Let the games begin!

The Kind of Stuff That Stretches Me

Lots happening this week. One of my students is helping me to develop and coordinate a training/presentation on increasing our interpersonal conflict resolution skills. (Actually, I should really say that I'm helping HER — she's taken the ball and she's really running with it!) When it's ready, I hope to offer this training for all of my students, and then eventually, to also sponsor the training — or something like it — at the dojo for anyone in the community. I'm sure I'll learn a thing or two from the presentation. More tools for the toolkit of life!

I received a request from the Carroll Center for the Blind to provide self-defense and self-empowerment training to a group of teens during their summer camp program. All of the teens in the program will be blind or have some significant vision loss; a few participants may have other developmental disabilities as well. I ran a similar training session for the center last year, and really enjoyed it: the kids were an enthusiastic bunch, and I learned more from them than I could ever have anticipated. This kind of stuff stretches me — it's an honor to be asked to teach — and I'm looking forward to revising and expanding the program for this year's group.

Some badly needed family vacation time coming up at the end of the month!

Some Thoughts on Falling Short

The UBBT asks a lot of us: diet, nutrition, acts of kindness, community service, weekly journaling, daily exercise and meditation, and more. I do the best I can; so do most of my teammates. I'm not overly disappointed when I fall short. I'm not too hard on myself because the falling itself reveals my own imperfections, my own humanity.

Sometimes I'm too lazy. Sometimes I'm too tired, or sick, or injured. Sometimes, I'm just not in the mood. But, I fail forward. My failings bring awareness and they reveal to me the next steps that I need to take in my personal evolution.

There's something magical about failing publicly, too: Even when I fail, I've usually gone beyond the point that most would dare to attempt. I've failed or fallen short while attempting something amazing (or "insane"). Even when I don't hit the mark, I hope that I inspire others just by making the effort.

Besides, wouldn't it be terribly boring if I did every part of the test exactly as it is prescribed?

:)

Same Stuff, Different Applications

Life has been a whirlwind lately. Lots going on in every area — personal, home, dojo, work — and it's left me precious little time to eat and sleep, let alone journal. Please forgive my lack of recent UBBT updates.

Our environmental clean-up project on the Emerald Necklace was a great time. Everyone seemed to have a good time working in the muck together. A great bonding and "environmental self-defense" experience. We weren't in the dojo, but we still managed to squeeze in some training after ward.

An interesting opportunity for demonstrating "how the Black Belt attitude has relevance in everyday life" has come my way: I've been invited by a local, nonprofit "family nurturing" organization to speak on the subjects of goal setting, positive thinking, visualization, and persistence. Here's the twist: My audience will be a group of recent immigrants (most of them non-English speakers) who are facing the challenges of language, culture shock, working and paying the bills, and keeping their kids safe and in school. Apparently, someone in their organization thought that a local karate instructor and marital arts activist like me would make the perfect person for the task of encouraging and motivating such a group. I guess they're right in a way: no one earns a Black Belt without goal setting, positive thinking, visualization, and persistence. Same stuff, different application. I'm looking forward to making the connection. Okay, now, things are getting interesting!

Working with the wonderful folks at the Defeat Diabetes organization, I've decided to sign up for the MADDCAP program to educate the people in my community about the Diabetes. With their help, I'll be adding a health based curriculum component to what I teach at the dojo and in my community: this aligns perfectly with my concept of fitness, wellness, and healthy living as "self-defense."

Learning to Fly

A personal, huge MOMENT OF TRUTH is approaching for me and my dojo, folks. An opportunity to expand our dojo from its current footprint (a "whopping" 840 square feet on the second story in the back corner of an old industrial building - yep, that's a grand 520 feet of training space) to a stand-alone 2,500 square foot building with parking and visibility from the street (Not to mention changing rooms, bathrooms, an office, a lobby area, and all the other amenities that you'd expect to find an a professional martial arts institution)!

(Team, you can ask Hal Gustin about my dojo. he's been there!)

This is something I've wanted to happen for years now. Something that would enable us to take our dojo to an entirely new level. Something that I believe would be nothing short of AMAZING.

So, what's the problem? Well, tripling our size would mean tripling our rent, and even though the landlord is willing to be flexible with a graduated ramp-up rent schedule, I'm absolutely terrified. I can't see how I'll make it all WORK, and I'm hesitating.

I have rationalized all the reasons why I should turn and run from this challenge, all the reasons why I should continue to hide my light — and the light of my students — in the back corner. But it's go or no-go time. THIS is MY Ultimate Black Belt test, my biggest goal. It's the main reason why I signed up for this $%*&! adventure in the first place. I know that all I really need to do is increase the size of my VISION, and then take the leap of faith (and learn how to fly before I hit the ground).

It's time for me to put up or shut up. It's time for me to either step up, or shut down the dojo and walk away — and forget about teaching the martial arts at all.

Teammates, I need your support, your encouragement, your experience — and, perhaps, a gentle, compassionate nudge off the edge of this cliff that I find myself standing on!

Help!

Even On The Busiest of Days...

Missed journaling last week. Caught up in all of my to-do lists, I guess. I've got too much on my plate, but then again, so does everyone these days, right?

I've come to realize that what I really lack is the organization and sense of clear priorities that will help me navigate the chaos more successfully. (Somehow I've gotten away from my daily planner, and I have de-evolved to a "system" of post-it notes. Gotta fix that!)

I also need to admit – and be comfortable with – the fact that I'm never actually going to get it all done. As I heard Wayne Dyer say in an audio presentation, "I'm going to die with a half a tube of toothpaste in the bathroom." If I'm always waiting until everything is 100% done to relax, I'll never actually get to take a breath. So, no more killing myself so I can "afford" to take a break.

This week, I've committed to doing LESS multitasking and more focusing on the NOW. After all, as I heard on one of my audiobooks during this morning's commute to work (okay, that was the "good" kind of multitasking!): "Even on the busiest days, the cramped hours come to us in single moments." Is essence, we can only do one thing at a time, so it's foolish to try to do more.

The Tao Te Ching says, "the sage accomplishes more by doing less." I'm willing to give it a try, and enjoy more of my single moments NOW.

Adding Meaning to Our Martial Arts Training

My students have a number of interesting projects underway or in various stages of planning at the dojo:

1. A children's book drive for local public schools. To date, we've collected over 300 books and $1,000.

2. A concert to benefit the Home for Little Wanderers. In the planning stages now, but what an idea!

3. A walk to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

4. A park cleanup in conjunction with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy

More examples from our school's project portfolio can be found online at: http://www.emeraldnecklacebudo.com/cs.htm

I'm proud these efforts, and of the students leading the charge on these projects. We're doing good things for others and the community. We're redefining what it means to be a martial artist and a Black Belt.

Not bad for a tiny dojo of only 30 members… Just imagine how much our ability to make a difference will grow as our dojo grows in size!

Bonsai and Martial Arts

Not much to report today. Focusing on staying healthy and sane, taking care of family, and growing the dojo. I took some time today to post to my other blog, "The Martial Musings of an Artist of Life."

I think my thoughts there are relevant to this UBBT journey, so please check it out if you can.

The whole family visited the Boston Flower Show last weekend. It was packed, but still a great day trip. Fell in love all over again with the art of bonsai, and as a result, I picked up a small juniper tree for $15 at the local Home Depot. Just started working on it yesterday. I've managed to kill a few bonsai in my time, so I promise to do better with this one. Perhaps my parenting skills will come into play…!

Since picking up the tree, trimming it, watering it, and wiring it, I've been drawing 1,000's of parallels in my mind between martial arts training and "training" my new little tree friend. With time and attention, it might even become a masterpiece, like the one pictured here!

Have a great week!

A Haiku to Start the Day

I came up with this one while walking the dog this morning:

Not as cold today:

Winter is losing its grip.

Look! - A crocus bud!

Ahhh, spring is on the way! At last! My attitude is improving (thawing?) as Daylight Saving Time approaches. The days are getting longer, the snow has almost completely melted, and I'm looking forward to evening walks after work with my wife daughter while the sun is still up.

Just read a wonderful passage from 365 Tao:

"No matter how much we achieve one day, we must continue the next. Progress is often so subtle that we may often feel the effort futile, and it is hard to get up each morning with the same enthusiasm. Yet this is precisely what we must do."

Somehow, the daily pushups and crunches seemed easier today.

:)

I Have a Right to Feel Good!

Just the other day, I was looking around and found my attitude... it was in the toilet. I'm tired. My back hurts. I'm worried about my daughter. The economy is tanking. This Boston weather stinks.

Man, what a spiral I was in. And for the most part, I could justify every negative aspect. "With all that's happening, I have a right to feel like crap," I thought. And I was right. So consciously, I left my attitude exactly where it was — in the toilet.

But today, I got up and tried really hard to change my attitude. Walking the dog this morning, I observed the sun coming up over the rooftops, and the long shadows in the snow covered park. "Marvelous," I thought. The air was cold and crisp. (Okay, it was 11 *&^#$% degrees.) "Wonderful," I thought.

Hey, I know it's a small start. But I have a right to feel good, too.

It's really my choice!

It Takes a Village to Raise a Martial Arts Master

To my own students at Emerald Necklace Martial Arts:

You all know I'm on the UBBT. You all think I'm crazy. But Coach Tom has just issued a challenge to YOU: keep me honest by holding me accountable. Please see the video, below.

And, thanks for helping me be better in every way!

Sensei J.

Less Is More!

Sometimes my daily meditation consists of simply laying quietly in bed for a few minutes immediately after waking up — before Ava wakes and needs to be fed, before the dog needs to be walked, before I set the day's agenda and need to get ready for work. It's quiet — as quiet as a fairly busy city street gets, anyway — and I can relax into the moment, calm my mind, and enjoy BEING. Taking time to notice simple things: the increasing light as the sun rises, the sound of rain on the roof, the dog's heavy breathing... This clears my mind of all the "stuff," and my problems and challenges suddenly get more manageable.

After finishing another pass of the Tao Te Ching last week, I decided to do more reading about Taoism: I'm now working through "365 Tao" by Deng Ming-Dao, and each meditation is a wonderful reminder to relax, accept, simplify, and reconnect to nature. Walking in the park, I notice the spring buds already coming out, without effort, and (I trust) exactly on time. There's a lesson there, to be sure!

I've been trying to simplify, too: last week I donated 3 coats I'll never wear again. There's nothing wrong with them at all, other than the clutter they were making in my closet — and my mind! I'm now looking for more stuff to get rid of!

Everything's going to be OK... with a little work!

Confession time: Last week, and so far this week, I haven't done a single pushup or crunch. I haven't run or sparred, either. I'm absolutely exhausted, and I'm taking a much needed rest. Two months ago today, my 18-month old daughter was diagnosed as having Type I diabetes. Life has been chaotic since that day: constantly monitoring blood sugar levels, checking for keytones, weighing food, counting carbs, administering insulin injections, re-thinking daycare options, careers, and more. We've been up in the middle of every night to make sure Ava's blood sugar levels are safe — Neither I nor my wife have slept for more than 5 consecutive hours in the last two months. Somehow, I've managed — mostly — to keep up with teaching, training, working, shopping, paying the bills, and all of the other things that life requires, but last week, I finally got sick and had to slow down.

Feeling better now. Not 100%, but "better". And although I don't know what tomorrow or next week will bring, the smiles on the faces of my wife and daughter this morning tell me that everything is going to be just fine. Somehow.

I've been reading a lot. It's a nice distraction from "diabetes information overload." Currently on the bookshelf: My old, dog-eared copy of the Tao Te Ching, "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan, and "Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun" by Geoffrey Canada. Some good self-defense lessons in each.

From the Tao Te Ching:

"Blunt your sharpness, untie your knots, soften your gaze, settle your dust."

In the midst of chaos, it's amazing what a little quiet yoga and meditation time can do for your soul.

From "In Defense of Food":

"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

Proper diet leads to proper health. Eating at a table and establishing mealtime rituals has been huge in reinforcing loving connections with family, especially in these stressful times.

From "Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun":

"There is no safe way to deal with the violence that our children face. The only way we are going to make a difference is to place well-trained and caring adults in the middle of what can only be called a free-fire zone in our poorest communities."

It's time to roll up our sleeves.

And the hits just keep on comin'…

It always seems that when things start to go "wrong," they tend to form a mini avalanche of headaches that makes life even more challenging than normal. Just in the past 3 weeks, we've replaced or had to repair our dryer, our washing machine, our dishwasher and our microwave. The side view mirror on my wife's car was kicked off by a vandal. My Internet service provider reported that my emails are not reaching their intended recipients because their email server has been hacked into by spammers. The recent cold weather snap cracked two windows in our house. I could go on…

But my point is this: So long as we remember to count our blessings before we count our problems, the things that go wrong in our lives can't and won't overwhelm us. A sense of humor helps, too. I have my health, my family, and my community to be grateful for. I will eat something for dinner – even if the microwave doesn't work. I have clean clothes to wear – even though I had to haul them to the Laundromat down the street. I'm going to sleep in a warm bed tonight – unless, of course, the furnace blows.

Beyond the day-to-day headaches, training is going well. Working on groundwork, aiki, and focusing on proper body dynamics during striking drills. I've lost some weight and gained some muscle tone. We're running some testing in the dojo this weekend, and I'm looking forward to seeing my students perform. I'm hoping to see an improvement in their kata, to see if they can convey the "battle" that's going on in each form!

Another week gone by already?

Where does the time go?

Been working on developing grappling skills by trying to recall and practice the basic techniques and fundamentals I've been taught over the years (a mix of BJJ, aikido, jujitsu and aiki-jutsu), and then spending time on the mats with my BBC students. Life's too hectic right now to go out and get formal training, so this will have to do. Still, I'm enjoying doing what I can: groundwork is a nice compliment to my traditional karate background.

Had a great conversation with some of my students this week about the shocking amount of violence that youth in this city are facing. I'm looking to help in whatever small way that I can with the time I can make available. Can I be a visible and engaged, positive role model? Can I connect with "at-risk" youth in a meaningful way?

Trying to Look Beyond My Own Challenges

Things are simultaneously wonderful and stressful. Enrollments are up at the dojo, our prospects for growth and expansion look great, and the students continue to make excellent progress with their training. Some of my students are wrapping up dynamic service projects, including a successful holiday toy collection event and a blood platelet donation drive. I even took a bit of time to teach a kickboxing class as part of a fundraiser to benefit the Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis.

I'm a little concerned that our little dojo isn't big enough to handle the influx of new members, but I suppose it's an excellent sign that our "little goldfish" needs a bigger tank! Wonderful things are on the way!

Physical training is going well, and my students and I are all getting back into shape. Our dojo's Black Belt Club is focusing on groundwork this quarter, which provides and excellent opportunity to work with ju-jitsu drills and other mat training.

Looking at the paper today — and beyond my own immediate problems and challenges — I was saddened and frustrated to read that there have already been four homicides in the city of Boston this year. We're only two weeks into 2008! And tragically, the average age of the victims is only 19 years of age: Joseph Clarke, 23, was fatally shot on a Dorchester street on January 6; Darrion Carrington, 18, was shot at a Chinese restaurant in Dorchester on January 7; Tyrone Hicks, 20, was shot on a Dorchester street on January 12; a 16-year-old boy named Carlos Sierra was shot to death in Boston's Dorchester section last night. Sierra, pictured above, was reportedly shot 13 times.

As a martial artist, how can I help to stop this unimaginable violence from harming our city's youth? What tools can I provide to help people to resolve their disputes peacefully – or at least without GUNS? This year, our dojo's focus on "self-defense" must continue to push beyond punches and kicks to get to the heart of this matter.

Life is hard, but life is good!

I've been focusing on getting back into shape this past week, and I'm dragging my students with me — literally kicking and screaming. (But this IS karate after all, right? Kicking and screaming is normal!) I've posted the week's exercises on the "torture board" by the dojo entrance, and every week we add another drill, or increase the repetitions from the week before. Sometimes we do both. The way things are going, we'll all be lean and mean by mid-February!

Things are going great at our dojo. The senior students are working on advanced forms in preparation for Black Belt testing, and the intermediate students are developing, launching, and completing their service and leadership projects, which they must complete to advance in rank. The beginners are coming into their own, too, learning the fundamentals of the art and adjusting to traditional training. Everyone is having fun. And the dojo is growing, too — we're expecting 8 new students this weekend, which is a HUGE injection of new energy for our tiny school. I'm feeling pumped!

I'm continuing to learn about nutrition, Diabetes, and how to care for our little Ava. One of the local schools here is interested in having me be a presenter for Health Week. One of my potential topics: Diabetes awareness and prevention for at-risk youth. A whole different kind of "self-defense" training.

This week life is hard, but life is good!

On Holiday Gifts, Gratitude, and Goals

Folks, I've been offline and out of the loop for several weeks, as I've just endured a really rough December!

Back on December 12, during what I thought was going to be a routine pediatrician visit, we learned that my daughter Ava has Type I Diabetes! There's a whole lot more drama to tell than I'm going to share here in this blog entry, but last month my wife and I unexpectedly spent 8 days living at Children's Hospital here in Boston taking care of our daughter, and learning about diabetes. The irony of meeting Andy Mandell, Mr. Diabetes, in the past year is not lost on me… Andy – you're the best. Thanks for being a part of my life, and part of this UBBT!

Our time in the hospital was terrifying, stressful, and sleepless, but after crash courses in how to check blood sugar, measure foods, count carbohydrates, draw and inject insulin — and after surviving illnesses, complications, and three major snowstorms in a week's time — we finally left the hospital exhausted and overwhelmed on December 20. Just in time for the holidays, but totally lacking the holiday spirit, to be sure.

Family, friends, and my UBBT teammates have been a HUGE help during our little crisis. Everyone really stepped up with their gifts, offers to help, errands, kind words of support, ears to listen, shoulders to cry on, and prayers. My students really stepped up in my absence to make sure classes continued to run at the dojo, too. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU. My family and I are truly blessed!

I've easily spent more time on my knees in the past 3 weeks to ask for strength than I have in the past 30 years. And to spend time in Children's Hospital, seeing so many other children who are REALLY sick, REALLY injured, and REALLY challenged — well that was a real eye opener for me. I guess I could complain about my daughter's illness, but not after seeing so many other children and parents who are dealing with far greater challenges display such courage, resolve, and bravery. Now THAT was a gift. And at just 17 months old, Ava has been a real trooper through all of the drama. She is truly one of my living heroes!

We're all still extremely stressed, scared, and unsure of the way forward, but our little family is getting back to the "new" normal now. Life can and must go on!

So I'm 3 weeks behind on all of my UBBT training, and I'm getting sore all over again doing my pushups, crunches, and bag work. But this is my Black Belt Test. I've spent some time drawing up new, exciting, and challenging goals for 2008, including reducing my meat consumption, enforcing personal sleep discipline, laughing and playing more, and following my dreams.

I will serve as an example of the ultimate student. I will not quit and I will not fail. Nothing, and I mean nothing will keep me from becoming my best: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Watch me. Encourage me. Train with me.

Wishing you all peace, health, happiness, success, and abundance in the new year — with gratitude,

Jason Gould
Emerald Necklace Martial Arts
http://www.karateinboston.com/
(617) 230-1973