- The Reverend Kensho Furuya of the Aikido Dojo Los Angeles - 1948-2007
This afternoon I discovered that The Reverend Kensho Furuya, founder of Little Tokyo's Aikido Center Los Angeles, passed away earlier this month, to the sadness of many friends, students, and fellow martial artists.The memorial web page, posted by his dojo community, displays his picture and simply refers to him as "Our Chief Instructor."Some may think this characterization is unduly modest, given the Sensei's many accomplishments. But to be a teacher is a very serious profession, often without immediate gratification and bearing heavy responsibilities for the development of others.Sensei Furuya bore his burden with humility and dedication, sharing this story - Should You Take Karate or a Public Speaking Class?
Most responsible dojos and martial arts instructors screen prospective students by asking at least a few pertinent questions. For example, "Why are you interested in learning karate"? If a punk just offers a sadistic smile or he drools, "I want to kill the Boys Vice-Principal at my high school with my bare hands!" instead of a responsible, socially acceptable answer, he is politely turned away. Some folks will say "self defense" or "I want to build my self-confidence", which are perfectly suitable replies.But why don’t they buy a gun or take a Dale Carnegie course? These will do the trick a lot faster, won’t they? - Facing the Martial Art of Life
If you feel you’re peaking in your dojo skills, maybe it’s time to take them outdoors into the bright sunshine and the dark alleys of reality.Dr. Gary S. Goodman, top speaker, international consultant, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate says you’ll find enough self-doubts and fears to conquer there that you could ever ask for! - The Greatest Tragedy Is To Have an Enemy
Among other things, I am a martial artist, and like many who have elected this path and put in years of practice and study, I have returned to a place of contentment where the last thing I want in my life is violence of any kind.There is a memorable scene in one of the Frankenstein movies, when the monster is befriended by a blind fiddler. Without speech, the brute ingratiates himself and is accepted for his inner beauty, and without sight, the fiddler is appreciated for his hearth, his warmth, and his hospitality.They become friends, as the firelight flickers in the modest cabin, somewhere up at the tree line’s edge, beyond the reach of the town and its torch bearing tormentors.The "Tao" the revered book of Chinese wisdom attributed to Lao Tsu, says the greatest tragedy is to have an enemy.This line presupposes that in living, deep conflicts are optional, not customary. In a sense we choose an adversarial life, and if this is so, it is a very bad election to make, says Dr. Gary S. Goodman, Kenpo Karate Black Belt, top speaker, best-selling author, radio and TV expert guest, and Fortune 1000 consultant. - A Martial Artist’s View of Jet Li’s Latest & Last Martial Arts Film: “Fearless”
In "Fearless," Jet Li shoews he is s the real deal, as a martial artist, and most important, he leaves his fans and sometimes overly enthusiastic brawlers with more to ponder than their speed or athleticism.He shows that the martial arts are a noble and humane endeavor, and their true aim is the perfection of character. I hope you like this film as much as I did, says Dr. Gary S. Goodman, top speaker, best-selling author, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. - A Martial Artist’s View of The Film: “United 93”
United Airlines Flight 93 was the plane that crashed in a Pennsylvania field on 9-11, killing all aboard.This film reconstructs what happened on that fateful day and flight, and it is a tense and moving drama involving four simultaneous hijackings and the efforts of authorities to cope with an unprecedented assault on American monuments, people, and security.Every martial artist should see this film.It’s easy to tire of politicians telling us that the world is dangerous for Americans; that we’re in a war to the death, with terrorists.After seeing United 93, you won’t need a politician to remind you of this stark and undeniable fact, says Dr. Gary S. Goodman, top speaker, best-selling author, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. - When Is It Wrong To Fight?
I must have been in the fourth grade when I was called into the school disciplinarian's office.Having just come back from living on Chicago's South Side, I was wound a little too tightly, you could say."Big city paranoid" might come closer to the mark in describing my attitude.Anyway, I settled scores with my fists.As Sean Connery's streetwise cop said in the movie, "The Untouchables," confronting force with force, never running from a fight, mixing it up; well, it's "The Chicago Way."Mrs. Sturgess was hell-bent on teaching me The California Way."HERE, we use our WORDS when we disagree with someone," she admonished.Reluctantly, dubiously, but ultimately, I got the message, says Dr. Gary S. Goodman, top speaker and trainer, best-selling author, Kenpo Karate Black Belt, and Fortune 1000 consultant. - A Martial Artist's View of the Film, "The Natural"
Martial arts training forces us to step up to fight one adversary after another. We learn that the greatest threats aren’t physical.They’re spiritual. They can come in the form people who try to thwart us, by thinking or whispering or even bellowing, “You’re a loser!”Through our training we can learn to detect the presence of these evil forces and take decisive action to repel them.Check out “The Natural” on video. In the main character, Roy Hobbs, we see yet another face of the martial artist, suggests Dr. Gary S. Goodman, top speaker, best-selling author, Fortune 1000 consultant, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. - A Martial Artist's View of the Film, "Sketches of Frank Gehry"
The director of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain says the structure looks like it came from outer space, that it landed here thousands of years ago. - Martial Artist Says: The Belt Doesn't Make The Warrior
You’ve heard the adage that says the size of the dog in a fight doesn’t matter. What matters is the size of the fight in the dog! - Martial Artist Says It Pays To Be Out of Uniform!
You’re walking down a dark street at night and two thugs are walking in front of you, so you cross the street and as you do, a third starts to come up behind you. - A Martial Artist's View of the Film: "Galaxy Quest"
What if a distant civilization, threatened by an evil empire, received TV transmissions from Earth that carried old “Star Trek” episodes, and instead of interpreting them as entertainment, they thought they were “historical documents,” that Captain Kirk, Spock, Sulu, and Scotty were real warriors, the best in the universe? - A Martial Artist's View of The Film: "Forrest Gump"
When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences does a Tom Hanks retrospective, I hope they pass quickly over the cute films, such as “Big” and “The Burbs,” and “Sleepless In Seattle,” entertaining as they may have been. - Martial Artist Says: Right Makes Might!
Machiavelli, that enduring political philosopher and writer, asked a pivotal question.
If you’re a ruler of society, is it better to be feared or loved?
He equivocated a little, but finally, he settled on fear because it’s more predictable and reliable, and less fickle than love.
A kindred question was asked by Plato in his famous Dialogues: - Martial Artist Asks: Can We Devise A Nonviolent Martial Art?
The founder of our martial arts dojo was fond of telling a story about a 98 pound weakling in high school who served as an unwilling punching bag for the local bullies. - Martial Artist Agrees: Karate Is A Life Long Pursuit
Long before I studied karate, I studied karate.
I read books on the subject, involved myself in an appreciation of Eastern philosophy and living practices, and sensed, on a deep level, that my journey and the martial artist’s, are one. - A Martial Artist's View of The Film:
The first time I saw “Dead Man” was by sheer accident. I was channel surfing as it came on. The fact that it stars Johnny Depp in the title role, made it promising, and he’s very good in the film. - Martial Arts Speaker Asks: Why Learn A Martial Art?
Of course, we know he may have been a great farmer, aided in no small measure by servants and slaves, but he was also a first rate political philosopher and not a bad President, either. - Martial Arts Speaker Asks: Is That Angry Gas Station Hobo Really A Threat?
Tonight my dashboard emitted the shrill signal that says I was running on empty and I had to sidle up to a pump, and pronto.
Fortunately, across from where I ate dinner there is a discount station that sells Union 76 gas, which I suppose is of fairly high quality because the company is so big.
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