Episode 968- Master George Rego
In today's episode Jeremy sits down in person and chats with Master George Rego, a martial artist from Florida.Master George Rego - Episode 968
SUMMARY
In this engaging conversation, Jeremy and Master George Rego explore the intersections of martial arts, self-defense, and personal preparedness. They discuss the importance of a self-defense mindset, the role of confidence in preventing attacks, and Master Rego's personal journey into martial arts, highlighting how early experiences shaped his passion for the discipline. In this conversation, he shares his journey into martial arts, detailing his early fascination with a dojo and the impact it had on his life. He discusses the evolution of his training, the importance of mentorship, and how martial arts shaped his character and academic pursuits. Master Rego reflects on his commitment to teaching and the legacy he aims to pass on to future generations, including the publication of his book documenting the history of jiu-jitsu in America. In this conversation, he discusses the significance of research in writing martial arts books, the challenges of navigating historical narratives, and the importance of community and continuous improvement in martial arts training. He also shares insights from his book on the founding of Jujitsu and Judo in America, emphasizing the need for accurate historical representation while acknowledging potential controversies. The discussion also highlights the value of investing in training and the philosophy of kaizen, or continuous improvement, in martial arts practice.
TAKEAWAYS
• Self-defense is not just physical; it's a mindset.
• Preparation for emergencies, like hurricanes, is a form of self-defense.
• Swimming is an essential life skill, akin to martial arts.
• Confidence and body language can deter potential threats.
• Self-defense training promotes physical autonomy and awareness.
• Mitigation of risks is key to personal safety.
• There are no guarantees in life, but we can increase our chances of success.
• Martial arts can foster a sense of community and support.
• Teaching confidence is crucial for martial arts instructors.
• The approach to martial arts can be holistic and self-defense oriented.
• Martial arts can keep you focused and disciplined in school.
• The book documents the history of jiu-jitsu in America. Research-driven writing enhances credibility and depth.
• Historical accuracy is crucial in martial arts literature.
• Controversial narratives can arise from historical interpretations.
• Community support is vital for martial arts growth.
• Continuous improvement leads to long-term success.
• Investing in training yields compounding benefits over time.
• Self-filtering approaches foster a positive training environment.
• Engagement with local media can amplify reach.
• Sharing experiences enriches the martial arts community.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage
08:58 Self-Defense and Preparedness
19:48 The Importance of Confidence in Self-Defense
22:03 George's Journey into Martial Arts
26:31 The Journey Begins: Discovering Martial Arts
32:20 The Evolution of a Martial Artist
37:03 Navigating Peer Relationships and Martial Arts
40:55 Balancing Academics and Passion
45:40 A Lifelong Commitment to Martial Arts
48:02 Passing the Torch: Mentorship and Legacy
50:49 Documenting History: The Founding of Jiu-Jitsu in America
57:54 The Importance of Research in Writing
01:00:32 Exploring the Journey of Book Creation
01:03:40 The Value of Community in Martial Arts
01:06:34 The Philosophy of Continuous Improvement
Show Notes
This episode is sponsored by Kataaro. Please check out their site at Kataaro Custom Martial Arts Products - Kataaro. And use the code WK10 to save 10% off your first order. And be sure to ask them about a wholesale account for school owners!
To connect with Master Rego:
www.youtube.com/jukidoacademy
www.facebook.com/jukidoacademy
www.instagram.com/jukidojujitsu
www.facebook.com/jujutsuamerica
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Show Transcript
Jeremy (00:02.206)
What's happening everybody? Welcome. It's another episode of whistle kick martial arts radio and today I'm joined by Jim Pizii Jim Thanks for being here. Welcome to the show. Thank you for those of you out there if you're new to what we do or You're not you're probably not you've probably been around for a while. You probably know why we do what we do We're here to connect educate and entertain the traditional martial artists in the world whistle kick exists to support you Whether it's the first day of your journey
or you've been training for years and you're, you you got more stripes on your belt than belt at this point. You know, maybe it's paperclip together. The point being we believe martial arts makes people better, brings out the best in us. And that's why we do what we do. Go to whistlekick .com, see all the things that we do, the events. We're here in outside Philadelphia because yesterday was free training day mid Atlantic. If you want to know about the events that we do, go to whistlekick .com. Shout out.
to Jenny and Matt Nather for hosting us here today. And also thank you to our sponsor, Kataaro. I don't if you're familiar with Kotaro. They do some really cool stuff with primarily belt. People know their belt stuff. So if you're watching, you can see they sent me this cool belt bag that it's just, I don't know, just something about putting a belt in a bag. dig and I understand that it's more common in Okinawa and Japan to put your belt in something. Maybe that's true. I don't know, but.
at request they design this belt which you can get on their website and by the way WK 10 capital letters WK 10 10 % off your first order was not was okay at Kataaro K a t a a ro .com this is the belt I wear now the black wears through to white on the inside the white wears through to black on the inside which is just kind of you know my vision of martial arts a few other people have have that belt too but you get that any of the other belts they do crazy custom stuff and they they're
proud supporter of the show. so please consider supporting them. And actually we're going to connect you with them. They do cool stuff for our guests of the episodes that they sponsor. So Andrew, I'll get you hooked up with them. All right. But Jim, thanks for being here. And I heard from Andrew that you, and you mentioned another person that's been on the show, Andy Rodriguez recommended you. Yes, Andy Rodriguez is a good friend of mine.
Jeremy (02:26.542)
We've been friends for many years and every once in a I'll go down and train in his dojo or be there for some, you know, presentation of something or just train, you know, and he's a good martial artist, good guy. I like his dojo and the way he has it set up and he just playing good all around. He's got a good heart. Yes. I had the chance to talk to him and then.
he and Eric came to an event that we did, I think it was the last free training day before it flipped into Marshall Summit in New Hampshire and just had such a blast with him. His wife's great, wonderful people. was telling them that there was a few weeks back, Andy and his wife Sherry and my wife and I, we went out to dinner and we did a lot of laughing at dinner. I texted him the next day, said,
well, we are a little bit too loud at the dinner, know, but it was a nice time. They're great people. You know, there's something about the bonds that we can build as martial artists, right? It doesn't always happen right away. It usually requires hanging out with some people that have been doing it a while, right? We've got the time in and you're with people that...
can put the ego down. like, we're here, we're here to train, hang out, whatever. And you realize, hey, wait a second. I don't just like training with you or sparring with you or training under you. I actually like you as a human being too. Yeah. That's true. know, and, and he's one of those people. It's about 20 other people that you interview with in the past, which my, dear late friend, we call it Angel Lemus and
He was just, he was my Buddha brother for years and years and years. And, he was, that was a big part of my journey of being training with him. How did you meet him? well, I was at the time, even at the time I was part of the, Sabre con organization and he, he was brought in by, you know, Tim Rogers and, I saw something there that I saw this guy is a talented person.
Jeremy (04:49.64)
and he was hungry for more. Always wanted to, you know, like, okay, we're doing this, but why are we doing this? Okay. Where did this come from? And how does this, how do we connect the dots? And I got on that same bandwagon with him of trying to say, it's just not us and show it in Jiryu. It's all the martial arts. There's a connection. Okay. And what is that connection? And he was
He was the person up there on the front horse trying to figure out what are we doing and why are we doing it that way? And it was a fun ride, know, for years. and, you know, him and I were just friends, you know, whenever he came to the East Coast, stayed at my house and he left this earth too early, you know? So, I mean, was, you know, I was 10 years older than him. was...
Slightly senior to him as because he came up in the ranks of really good. These are good Hey person is good in their skill set and in their knowledge. You have to give credit with credit is doing you know, so anyway, it's a that was back in the 1980 time frame and Myself I started in 1965 Okay, so yeah, I start the YMCA. Yeah and
And, it was, I was a teenager, young teenager and. You know, I was a person I surfing, skateboarding, boxing, surfing and skateboarding in the sixties. Where were you living? Here, but I would go to, yes, I I would go down to, Seattle city or ocean city. mostly Seattle and go surfing and skateboarding. was.
Was there much skateboarding then? It was on a two by four roller skates attached to the bottom. not a lot of skateboarding going on. Cause my understanding of that culture at that time was all California. Yeah. Well, we, me and some friends, so I was involved in anything. was, I wrestled and it was anything that was, you know, skied. also snow skied. It was either me against nature or me against another person. And I was never a team sport person, even though I participated, I was more like.
Jeremy (07:07.866)
If I'm across from you and you get the better of me, well, good for you. Okay. And it's my issue, but if it's a team, go, well, someone did this on the team and you go, that's why, you know, maybe that's why we won or maybe that's why we lost. Okay. Where did that attitude come from? that something, did you have siblings and you were always rivals or was it parental pressure? I don't have a sister, but my good friends would, we would.
You know, we always competed, you know, we tried to wrestle, tried to box, you know, and I got together with some of my cousins and did boxing. I was a young kid. And actually I think boxing, even though I started martial arts, it was just offered to why I just walked into a class and it was like, okay. And I thought this is just another one of those things I did. And you heard about it. I saw it at the gym at the YMCA in Westchester. You observed it. Yeah. And said, on in and try it out. And so I would go there.
And but it didn't, there wasn't any passion for it. was just, I'm going to do a karate class. I'm going to go swimming and then I go home. was another thing that you would do. Yes. It was just another thing I would do. And, and I enjoyed it, you know, and, it didn't, it wasn't up here compared to the others actually start from this way up here. Okay. That was the thing I enjoyed the most. And, and so I started from there.
And then, you know, after I graduated from high school, right in the service, was in submarine service. Okay. Did you grow up in a military family? My father was in, what were two, my uncle, you know, so I went in and I was in submarines. And first thing I did was I got myself aligned to, when I was in submarine school and basic, you know, after basic training, I
I found a martial arts school. They, styles and types didn't mean that much, you know? So I got myself into a Taekwondo school and it, you know, I knew it was Taekwondo, but it didn't make that much difference to me. It was out there learning basic. You just wanted to train? I just wanted to train. then, and where were you stationed? Well, originally we, I was in Bremerton, Washington when the ship, a boat was in the shipyard and then I
Jeremy (09:30.734)
moved to the East Coast, was at La Grotte in Connecticut. I was training up there. And then we would do our patrols and when we were out to sea, when I had free time, I would train as much as I could on my own. And there's not a whole lot of room on a submarine. Yeah. So, you know, I've been on a submarine. Okay. So for those... is as as you, but I've, and I remember thinking that, you I'm a small person as is, and I think I was probably 12 when I was on just going...
They put how many people on this too? Yeah. And when you train, you have to be very conscious because everything on the sub is heavy, thick steel. Anything you hit does not make a sound. You make the sound because of the pain. So, you know, I would try to tone my training down and, you know, there would be people on it. Some people would do calisthenics if they could, you know, whatever it is that they did. People play cards or read a book or in their off time, you know, don't watch and then.
We moved to our boat move, you know, we operated out of road of Spain and then I got transferred to the West Coast Actually was out in home for it was Hawaii but the boat we are but was in Guam we operate out there soon in Hawaii I I continued on a different type one dose Well, that's because that's and it was right there and then the guy that taught was a very talented person, you know and
It was nearby where, because I was living off base at the time. It was kind of funny because I was the only, I was like Caucasian, everybody else was Asian, but I was a bigger guy, you know? And this guy used to hit me in every class. He'd punch me, kick me, and he'd knock me down, and I'd get back up, and he liked me. At first I thought, is he picking on me? No. He was testing me, but he actually liked me because it wouldn't matter what he did.
got back up, you know. yeah, I was hurting. But then, you know, again, I had that attitude, okay, I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna go back to my apartment. I'm gonna go surfing, you know. So surfing was still the passion, martial arts was still at that point of thing you just did? It was moving up. Okay. It was moving up. And what was it about it that it was moving up?
Jeremy (11:54.931)
My when I wouldn't the surfing part it's you against nature and When in the martial arts part is me against a person Santa Claus for me so I had a human to deal with and You know in surfing you just have the wave is the weight You know, it's not out to get you. Yeah, it can get you was that I think that you was the person you're doing a community and say
Okay, and this person's good. The person's average and the person's horrible, but you know, and then I that passion start to build. Okay, and by the time I I did my six years in the service that went ahead to surfing. Okay, and then I I got out and I came back to the East Coast here in United States and I continue with another martial arts school just for about two years and then I got tired.
of the Korean style, okay? And, you know, there were some issues and things that weren't that pleasant, but I got through it. And then, you're being delicate, but it sounds like we can sum it up under, is it politics? we talking there was politics, yeah. To give you an example, I went to a tournament and...
Politics and I politics. Okay, how did I know it's like I've had these conversations and experience this stuff? they had all the people in this Korean organization and so I was there and I was I was competing in black belt division and sparring and I Remember after being out there for a couple of minutes all the points I scored by hand
And they stopped him and hit him in the and said, why aren't you kicking? And I said, cause I didn't have to. Well, we want you to kick this is Korean style. said, so now you tell me how to, how to spar. You know, I got, I got irritated by that. And so, so what, what year is that? That would be like 1976.
Jeremy (14:11.854)
Okay, 77. 1977. that lines up with my understanding of the time. I don't know if you've read A Killing Art by Alex Gillis? I heard of it by the... Great book. Alex has been on the show. A lot of the audience has read that book. Fantastic book. But in there, if you know your Taekwondo history, that was during the time where Taekwondo was trying to position itself and spread itself. And if you're out there just punching, you're like, man.
So it's like karate. We don't want to look like karate. Right there. They're just, you're, ruining our plans. Yeah. How dare you do well as it ended up is I took first place and I got reprimanded and the referee of my match for all the matches. Like he, he, says, you know, I can't control these guys. These guys are telling me how to referee now. And I said, was not a big deal. So when they came out with the trophies,
They took the first place trophy and they walked over to me and they walked right to the next guy and they gave him the first place and they gave second place. Then they gave me the third place trophy. So I said, okay, I don't care. So when I left and I went out to the parking lot, in my car, the other two guys came up to me with their trophies and they wanted to exchange the trophies. They said, you rightfully won this. said, you know what, good sports.
Yeah, I said in the great scheme of everything It says a lot for the time I haven't heard that version of that story, but I've heard things like that, you know, so some of which I'll again so then show and then after after that my cousin Dom Matty only he was involved in the Sabre consul of Okinawa and at the time it was headed by Zempo Shimabukuro, who's alive and well in Okinawa and
And there was, they had a group run by Walter Daly who was Dom's Sensei. And he came down to a dojo and I found people who could really fight. I said, whoa, these guys, they knew a lot. They knew a lot. And so he said, would you like to join our school? I said, I'm in. And that was it. And I went into Okinawa and Marsh House and I learned a lot. Okay. And I...
Jeremy (16:39.958)
I learned that they had, they weren't all just kicking, you know, were kicking punch in the pocket. was, you know, name it. They were doing everything, you know, whatever worked. Yeah. And so I jumped on that in a heartbeat. And like, and, before I knew it, I was in the organization. And then when I went to their first inter, their first American meeting, and there was, I was the eyeball cause everyone else had been a student.
And here I was an outsider came in. was already established, you know, black belt in Taekwondo, but I wasn't a black belt in Durstown. And he said, yeah, how did they treat you with that? There was, there was tension. Yes. Actually they treated me well, which impressed me. Okay. They treated me well and, they, they were very, they're very nice, but they said, you know, what, you don't have a black belt in this. said,
Okay, well, what do I have to do? And they go, well, these are the cottage, you learn this. said, fine, I'll learn all that. And so they let me wear my black belt. But it wasn't until two years later that they said, you're gonna test me with a black belt, but you gotta wear a brown belt to go out and test for your black belt. So I borrowed a brown belt and I went on testing, and then he gave me a black belt. I said, fine. And that was...
That was kind of neat. And these individuals, they're very, very nice people. But it was kind of funny because Okinawan, from what I read and do my research, these are whole island people. They're more laid back. And Japanese are more strict in two different worlds. So I go, OK, but the person who headed up the North American branch was Anise.
Japanese American and his was strict and the dojo was his way or the highway, you know, his name was Ed Takai and I go where you train in Okinawa under Zenryu Shimbun who's a local person there and a sensei but I heard he was very gentle and he didn't get the memo and but he was he would throw people out of the dojo left and right. He was tough.
Jeremy (19:07.042)
You know, and was he throwing the word for? He was where was he from? No, why would he throw people out? Or was he literally throwing them? No, he would he would tell people leave. OK, you're timid asleep. You know, and he was very strict that way. And and he would ask question. And if he didn't like the answer and he would tell you be quiet, I'm the teacher and that's it. So I live with that. But he was the only teacher I really had here. Whereas, you know, Sempo was a little bit.
but lay back, you know, he would come and fly into this country. then, and then I stayed with Takai for years and it was just getting worse and worse because he was becoming more and more strict. so if you were as he would talk about his, the organization was quite large at the time. And, I don't like this guy, this sensei. And they'll say, okay, I'm going to kick him out.
But then he kicked out all the students with that person. he was, he was just taking your organization down. says, you know, maybe if you have an issue with the teacher, maybe we should try to address that issue with that person. The students are innocent. just, you know, and he didn't want to hear me, you know, and then, then when he, he didn't kick you out. No, but he got mad at me lot. sounds like it. Cause I was, I was, questioned him. I questioned a lot of things. Like when we do things, go.
Why are we doing it that way? And then he would say, you don't ask a question, just do it. And that part always in back my mind, you know, and that's why you liked Angel because you found you weren't the only one who was looking at it. Yes. And, and so, you know, when I was met up with Angel, Angel and I, and I the gentlemen, Tim Rogers, we always had like, we train here and never come back to the hotel. And then we have our conversations and you go, we were.
We searching, and we don't think this is the way the Okinawans people are because we've heard that they're island people. They're like Hawaiian people. They have their own culture. You know, the people think, Okinawan, Japan, same thing. No, it's two different cultures, you know. And so I go, where is that? You know, we have a, you know, we train in Okinawan karate, but we're seeing a Japanese culture, you know, and no offense to anybody that's in the Japanese martial arts. It's just that.
Jeremy (21:34.284)
That's not what I was looking for. And that's not what Angel was looking for. we're looking for people more open. And so after many years with that, Angel and Tim Rogers and I, we decided to leave and form their own organization. were up in Belt ranks and form our own organization. But Angel was all over the place. was, he was taking Marsh Marsh from different things. Jim, try this out. Get a hold of this guy. You know, like he hooked me up with,
James Walters out in California for Tai Chi and Kung Fu, because there's things you would do when you're starting to connect the dots. sort of timing is it? 80s? That part would be, no, the part with the Kung Fu was in the past, I'll say five years. Okay, so that's real. Okay, but what it was was I was in Save a Con up until 1997 and then we left and we formed our own organization.
and then, we were trying to build and we, was a three of us, but we have two, we had two counselors who studied with Zenryo Shin, worked with older guys. one was Walter Daly and the other one's Larry Hall. And so they would try to say, this is how it was in Okinawa when we trained, you know, and the funny part is sometimes, and, and Ed Takai trained with, Zenryo, but they trained basically at the same time.
I'm gonna sitting there and David said, this is you do it. I go, no, that's not what that guy says. And then I remember saying to Larry Hull and Walter Dale, said, were you guys in the dojo at the same time? Yeah. Look what you're doing. And then they got to arguing about what was taught. Well, that was funny. Okay. It's a big game of telephone. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Same stuff, same time, people coming away with different experiences. Yeah. And I think from that...
I gained a better insight that we all don't look at a teacher the same way and what they're explaining and how they convey that message. And from that experience, I would always tell my students, I'm not the only person. Go out and find, go out and search other martial arts and see what they have to offer. Even if you just go to a presentation or, you know, they'll have like a little workshop.
Jeremy (24:00.898)
because you can gain something from it. Maybe someone can explain something I've been trying to say to you, but you didn't get, and they say it in such a special way. Now you got it. All I care is that you get it. And it's kind of funny because one of the things that I any of readers would always compliment me on was I encourage my students to go out and search and say, go out there and find what, know. Where did that come from? Because you
I would imagine from what you were talking about, you were not raised in that way, especially as you got into that organization that you left. It's my way or the highway. But it is my way or the highway in the dojo, but outside the dojo, I'm thinking very much. but I'm assuming that that was not encouraged. That was you going rogue. Yes. OK. But where did that instinct to go rogue come from? I guess.
It was heavily influenced by Angel Amos and Tim Rogers when during the eighties, 1980s that there's more to this. And this is not what we envision. Yes. You know, and, and for all of those people, martial artists, you know, that you can learn certain punch kicks, block, that was whatever. They can work in a dojo, but they may not work out in the street. There's two different worlds, you know? And, so with that, you know,
It always, we got into this mindset to look outside, you know, and this person has, this person's explained something or does something to go, I like that. I'm going to borrow that. And I like that. I'm to borrow that, you know, and, or maybe they explain something about what you're currently doing and way you're doing it. That is more, functional. Okay. It makes more sense.
And so as this journey was going on in Zantoka Kai, John and we had the seminars, Angel Lemus always led the seminars. And because he was the one now hunting, he goes, I train with this sensei and, know, with the Joe and he would do something. And he picked up things. Unbelievable. You know, and I go, OK. And, you know, I just sort of followed along with him.
Jeremy (26:25.945)
But we would discuss things and it was kind of funny because after Angel had passed away, I got, which was back two years ago, two years plus, I got, invited to go to a dojo in Potchetown, Pennsylvania with Jimmy Teller. Jimmy Teller is half Okinawan. His father's Robert Teller, but Jimmy has his own, but he, Jimmy Teller trained with his family.
He comes from a middle -class family in Okinawa and his, he fits what I always thought about Okinawa. Very, very, you know, casual, easy going to get a train, you know, there's not that strict type of thing. And, and we would train and if train would sit down and get a, you know, have a drink or whatever. And it was very, very, you know, and he worked on body mechanics more than.
then he said, you gotta train your body to move more natural. And he would say things that back in Saber Kahn that I learned was complete opposite. He said, you should move in a natural way. And I remember Takai sensei saying, if you do Akata and it feels comfortable, you're doing it wrong. I thought, well, why do I wanna train something to be uncomfortable in it? And so there was a mixed message, but then I understood what Jimmy's, psycho every...
Thursday night, go up to Joey Tellers and I train with him and he a dojo as part of his house and just a couple students. And that's the way he grew up with a small family environment, you know? And it is quite interesting, you know? And I go, well, here's the missing kid here I've been looking for, the way he explains things. Now, I turn 73 next month. You know, I can only, you know, I do what I do.
do as much as I can do, but as you get older, go, Your body gets tired. And it's kind of funny, I get tired at night, but after his class, we're done. I'm wide awake. I get it. I guess there'd be any kind of exercise you'd do, you? But you're also excited, you're stimulated. Just the way you're talking about it, I can tell that it's...
Jeremy (28:50.06)
It's like your entire martial arts path kind of led you to that just the way you're talking about saying that's what I always thought it was and you found it and now it's yeah. Well, one of the one of the things was some about I'm gonna say three years back. Okay, there's several months before angel passed away angel was at my house and I said, I'm gonna go to Jimmy tell us I want you to meet him and Jimmy and
Angel was there and he was listening to Jimmy, watching Jimmy train and we're training. And Angel pulled me to the side and he goes, stay with this guy. That was stuck with me. Cause Angel was saying, I think he found what we as a group of Okinawa Marshal officers were looking for. So I said, okay. cool. Yeah. you know, so, can you, cause I, I know that feeling.
And I was very, very fortunate that the school that I was originally raised in was that feeling. I didn't know that until I had contrast training and then re -engaging with those original instructors. But there may be some people out there who don't know that. How would you describe that? How do you describe finding that instructor, that school, that environment that you've always wanted, but didn't have? Describe the feeling? Yeah.
I think it's a great feeling because, I'll tell you what it's, it's a, it's a bittersweet moment. It's it's the sweet moment is you found that the bitter part is 72 right now. wanted to find it when I was 32 and, and, you know, would you have appreciated it as much at 32 though? I think so. I think so. You know, and, you know, and sometimes I'm not saying that my
My training from before was a waste of time. I'm not saying that I'm not getting that from you're saying. Yeah. just that I was looking for something and I, and I found it. Okay. And, and I'm very happy with it. And, and then, so I, I don't think there's anything else that's going to come along. That's going to want to take me away from that. However, I am open to go to, if someone had a, Kung Fu training session, I would go to it, you know,
Jeremy (31:14.638)
or, you know, my, my oldest son, he's 40, he does jujitsu, you know, and, you he that. he said, if you over, we can work on this or whatever. go, fine. You know, and, I said, you understand when, when you get me, when you get the better part of me, I cheat. That is.
That is very Okinawan. I like it. I'm not suggesting Okinawans. I'm just saying that my upbringing as someone who's trained with a number of Okinawan martial arts, there's no rules there. You gotta pinch and bite. You do what you gotta do. That's right. Unfortunately, I have a reputation going way back when I was in the Korean style in Taekwondo. One, two, when I was in...
Sabre Khan organization and then Zento Kukai organization today I'm a groin hitter from the get -go from the get -go You don't wait you're just let's do it. I mean like I was down at the Annie Rodriguez dojo Several weeks ago, and he tells the people that don't forget, you know, we caught P .C. Sensei hits the groin so Watch yourself
I don't hit the point. It's just the opportunity comes. It's just there. You're not going to protect it. I'm going to hit it. I don't look for it. And sometimes if someone's getting a better part of me, that just comes right out. And that is self -defense from the defense. And I always was the one, if you get into a self, you're being assaulted or whatever, it becomes fight or flight. Sure.
And you know, and as the older I get the flight park goes out the window. That's what good growing technique to slow things down. I can walk away from this, you know And you know, it stops people expect, you know, a lot of schools don't and admittedly Mine is one of them, you know We're not putting on big groin protection and everything. So there aren't a lot of growing techniques happening in a way that makes
Jeremy (33:32.058)
that allow people to get comfortable with them. Right? So you, you sparring me just, even, even top of the inside of the thigh and somebody has been training a while ago. Whoa. Wait a second. Hold on. That's against the rules. Yeah. And there are no rules. are no rules. Right. Yeah. You know, and how I got into that was from a very early age. I would watch boxing and these guys beat the crap out of each other with their fists. Someone gets a hip low blow and.
And I could stop the fight. go, well, that's the technique that's important. Yeah. And, know, and from that, you know, comes other things in figures in the eyes. Yeah. sure, there's all the other, you know, the joint marks and all that stuff is kind of neat. But in a real street fight, when you have multiple people, you don't do one thing and then go to this person and come back to that. Now, quick and dirty. You have to, has to be, it has to be very definitive.
that is it, you know, and so I look at my martial arts training, preparing for that. I am not preparing for a tournament. I'm not, and, and, know, people say, well, how would you rate yourself as a martial artist? Decent, you know, there's people, better than me and people that aren't as good as, and I'm in there somewhere, you know, I see some
very talented martial arts and give credit where credit's due. I said, good, good for them. I've been across some people who I knew were better than me and I said, we'd be friends. go, you may get the better of me, but you're gonna have to pay a price to get the better of me. Okay, in words, you're not gonna walk out unscathed. And those are probably the ones you are the most from. Yes. That's the thing that, I think in Western culture, we...
We try to create these opportunities where we are in the front of the room or where the biggest fish in the pond or whatever metaphor you want to use. And when it comes to martial arts, I want to be in the back of the room. I want to be wearing the white belt. I want to be the worst in the room because that's where I have the most opportunity for growth. Yeah. And the sad part. As I spend more time is that's less likely to happen. There are fewer opportunities for that. Yeah. So I have to hunt them. Well, and it's kind of funny.
Jeremy (35:56.524)
When I, the last time I was down at Andy's, I read his dojo, he was running something and. And I, this is your thing. I just get back with the students. love it. When I go to Jimmy Taylor's place, I, there's only a total of three students. know, we, I stand with them, you know, and even though my rank, my belt rank is higher than his, I get back in it. Cause I'm there to learn something. That's all I care about, you know? And,
You know, when you spend a lot of years being upfront, after a while you go, yeah, I'll leave it back here, you know, and learn. it's not been, you know, I don't mean any disrespect to my belt rank, but my belt rank in $2, I'll buy cup of coffee. I just, I started a long time ago. Yeah. Yeah. It is a woefully imperfect way.
to score what we do, especially if we value the non -combative aspects of what we also do. and you know, when I look at, you know, of the things I remember when I was young in the martial arts, I'm gonna say young, I'm gonna say my 30s, someone would say, if someone came at you with this, what would you do? And I had an answer. I would do this and this and this. But as time, as I matured, go, no.
do whatever comes out and now people go what I don't know you know you know well I said throw something at me yeah and they'll see what happens yeah they go well no it because I couldn't tell them where's their weight distribution which place forward which hand is it where am I what's behind me who is with me right you know we we like and again this is this is my understanding
of a Western thing, like to have check boxes. We like to say, you know, if this, then that, because it allows it to be, we can move on to the next thing, but the world is shades of gray. It's nuance. I don't know. Give me a more specific example. Show me the thing. Okay, that. Okay, now do that one again. you've done it a little differently. I'm gonna respond completely differently, because that's what's appropriate. Yeah, you're gonna, the same move.
Jeremy (38:23.938)
come at you five times and you may react differently. five, you know, different times. And it's not beneath me when it comes to self -defense. I mean, can take a rock and hit someone inside the head. That works in the self -defense, you know, if I'm being mugged or whatever, trying to get in my car or something, that works, you know, it's not beneath me. Right. No, it's if the goal is to go home. Yes. And there are no rules. Yes. And the rock is there. Yeah. Use the rock. Yeah.
Why break your hand if there's a rock there? Yeah, and then and then you know I get today is like people say well What do you think about the martial arts today? It's all over place today, know, and I sometimes I see videos on Facebook Well, that's what's if that's important to them fine, you know, don't see I don't get anything from it, you know You know like training with any kind of weapons today some of the weapons I see demonstration so I go
It's a demonstration of what they can technically do. but it's not a practical real life, you know, use of the weapon. I've seen people swing a bow or do it, twirl a bow. looks like it's propeller, you know, going so fast and shiny metal. go, okay. I mean, they look like a major red on steroids. Yeah. But just, just as, you know, I'm not going to do a jump spinning crescent kick.
In a confrontation, but as I get better at doing that, doing around house kicks pretty trivial. Yeah. Right. And, and most of, I'm not, I'm not going to say all, but the majority of the folks who do the fancy also do the basic. and there was a time I was doing a lot of jumping techniques, you know, they were fun to do and they keep you better in shape and stuff like that. there's nothing wrong with that, you know, and not, and so
People said, well, you don't do it. said, well, you know, if I'm between my car and another car and someone's trying to steal my wallet, what am going to jump to? There's no place to go. You got curves, got, know, and as a matter of today when I train my students, we train at my house. I've given up the dojo back in 19, actually 2017. I trained at my house, but we go into my garage or we go outside.
Jeremy (40:48.806)
And we'll be on the camp, we wear shoes. Here's a different world for people who are in a dojo on a smooth wooden floor, you know, and I remember back in my earlier days in Okinawa Karate when they were doing Okara, they sort of slide up to do a move and I'm thinking, I don't know, we slide up because we can.
Put on sneakers you go outside and not slide. You're assaulted. You're probably wearing shoes. Yes. That's right. You know, so I would look at that's the kind of questions I would get back and I would talk to Angel and Tim Rogers about this. You know, yeah, that works in the dojo. And, you know, I stress to my students, your training here is good, but you got to you have to sort of expand upon your training here. Think of the practical aspects of what you're doing. I said, but
A lot of you have quite a few years here now with me being on sneakers, wearing sneakers. And that's more real world, you know? you know, it's some, you know, like the talk about sometimes rooting your stances and stuff and you've gone, you've been through that. Yeah. Well, your stances in sand, loose sand. Different world. Yeah. Try to take off from sand.
And my favorite, you know, because I've lived in New England my whole life, training on uneven ground. yeah. How about how about a slant? How about a 20 degree slope? Yeah, that's that's a whole different experience. You do do a takedown on somebody they might go for a little while. Yeah, that's that's true. I in fact, I was talking about a movie that goes, I think it was called Excalibur, where there's a fight scene with there were an armor and.
and they take it down to a stream and it's shallow and in the fight scene, people stop and they take off their helmets to breathe. From what I read, that wasn't supposed to be. These were actors who said they couldn't breathe wearing all this stuff because that was a real world situation. And today in the martial arts, when you go to a demonstration, that is what it's supposed to be. Look what we can do. Fine. And I appreciate that. When you see, that took some skill set.
Jeremy (43:12.962)
do this and the timing and stuff like that. And I'm not into, and if I step on anyone's toes, I don't mean to, the martial arts, which comes up under martial arts, where they move people without touching, you know? I don't know. I've never seen anyone do that for real, you know, but if it exists, but I've never, you know, if someone went like this to me. I don't know how to do it. Yeah.
Yeah. So, but I see a lot of it, you know, and it's almost like students are in a cult. There's, there's this weird thing that happens with, with the way people post videos. Nobody's ever going to post a video of someone just being a good solid martial artist doing a, doing a forum or sparring, you know, pretty well. get the best and you get whatever people think.
Is the other end of that spectrum? because the stuff in the middle the stuff where where I am where it sounds like you were Where you would put yourself? We watch so much of that. Yeah Well, you know
I watched an interview with a fight coordinator for movies in Hollywood. I don't know if the guy was Chinese or not, but he seemed to be a very knowledgeable, talented person. What he was saying reminds me of when people do demonstrations in front of audience, martial arts demonstrations, he says, the fight scene, you're playing to a camera. You have to present them something that they can see.
And he said, real situation, most likely no one's gonna see it happen so fast and no one saw it. That doesn't make for a good presentation. You know who Michael Jai White is? Yes. So I've heard him, fortunate enough to share a little bit of lineage with him, and heard him talk about his first movie. And so he's out there in his mind doing the absolute best he can.
Jeremy (45:21.248)
as hard and as fast as he can make his techniques and you couldn't see them on camera. He went too fast, it didn't work. that stuck with me because martial arts is applicable to the context that it's in. Competition versus sparring is different versus a demonstration versus a movie versus how I might teach someone who's been training for a while versus how I might teach someone on their first day. It's all...
You know, it all come from the same body of knowledge, but I got to implement it differently. That's, that's turned some wheels for a while. Well, yeah, I used to do some demonstrations by earlier days and I don't get involved anymore because like when I train in Cod, I do it in the mornings and I get to YMCA and I go into the gym and I train in the cod and stuff. And it's just for me. That's all I do it for is for me. And, but I share whatever I work with my students and,
You know, and I'll go up to Jimmy Teller's house and I'll train with him and, and, and chat and share if that, if the sharing opportunity comes up to, and, and he'll question about, I'll say, well, you know, he'll, he'll hit me with tough questions. Why do you do it that way? Okay. And, and I see where he's coming from. He'll talk about, you that comfortable doing it or is this something you train yourself to be comfortable in? You know, and I go, wow. Okay. You know, he has, he has some.
really different approach, know, I like that. And, you know, cause in real life, we can walk outside and be a bunch of people. we're to do whatever we kind of do, and then it will not look like what we do in the dojo. No, it's always ugly. Yeah. You know, I don't like watching the videos of actual fights. they kind of hurt my soul, but I see them. Yeah. And it's ugly. It doesn't matter how long you've been training. It's ugly. Yeah.
Because the other person's not waiting for you to cue them stepping in and punching cleanly at your center line. Yeah. Yeah. And you know, a lot of times a template may be just, mean, a kata may be just a template to work with, you know, and I understand this. you know, when you get people who doing the same kata from different backgrounds, different, and you go, well, this person has this movement and this person doesn't, which one's the real one? Well, who knows?
Jeremy (47:43.278)
you know, like whoever. think that's the wrong question. Yeah. mean, like, you know, it's like, you know, whoever put this thing together back 150 years ago or 200 years ago, but they're gone. Okay. So that, that kata could be taught, retaught, modified, and it works as up to today. And this person looks like this and this person looks like that. It's the value you get out of those moves, the individual. That's what counts. I look at that. I, I,
You've probably seen as I have the videos of the side by side, you know, here's say song from a few different styles. To me, the value in, this move is different here. It's the contrast. Okay. What can I learn from the fact that it's this here and this here, especially if maybe the lead in move is the same. Okay. Now there's, there's a different way to implement different way to respond. we, when we look at that application, I find that fast. I, I, I like the connections. Like, when I was.
Training with some with the change of authors out and they don't be a zoom We I would do moves that would come full and I go on this is very similar to it in this kind of there's a lot of Okinawan Karate King from China. It worked its way across and you see the influence. I like that. That's you know it's not like This is one color and this is another color to don't blend. It's it's all the same thing and this is where I think
The part of martial arts I really like is, you know, the commonality of moves, whether it comes from the Korean style or Chinese or, you know, survive. Was that French? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. And you need to look at it go, okay, there's some commonality there. And I like that. And go, well, if it's here, there, there, there, it must be pretty decent. Yeah. And so.
So here I am today at, you know, training at an older age and people go, why? Well, if you, you know, if you stop, will stop. Okay. And I have a lot of old friends that are my age. We don't do anything. And, and they find what I do kind of foolish on the why, but they can't do it they can't do it. So they dismiss it. Yeah. So I got, okay. But I bet you're healthier.
Jeremy (50:08.69)
You enjoy your life better. You can do whatever you want. Yeah. And know, and, like today, I know the two basic things. do three things in my workouts. I, I, I do some weight training. And I do my martial arts. And I also, which people find kind of on years or two is like, compete in, with the, in track with the javelin phone. cool. And I've been, I started that some years ago.
And, it was pretty cool because I always had a decent arm to throw. Now I go to meets and was that a new skill for you? I did in high school. Then I stopped. And then when I was, when my son was in high school, I was in my, sixties, early sixties. And when he was in high school, he took up, javelin and I would go to watch him practice. I I'm not watching this. I'm going to do it. So,
I got back into it and then I, I align myself with a excellent javelin coach who, Dr. Robert Singh, he lives down towards media, but he was on the 1980 Olympic team. so he's a great teacher, you know, and, and, I align myself with him and, and I would go to meets and when my son and I would go to open meets, well, he's in his division being young, I'm with the older people, you know, and,
He liked the fact that he's doing something father and son. And I'm just with the older folks, that's all. My last meet was down in early August down in Maryland for the Maryland Olympics, okay, the senior Olympics. And people go, still do that? I go, yeah, I enjoy it. And for people out there, you gotta move. because if you don't move, well, it's over with.
The thing that I've observed among older folks is when they retire, they tend to go in one of two directions.
Jeremy (52:17.964)
I'm going to relax now. You know, and that sounds really sexy for about five minutes to me. You they sit on the couch, they do very little and they don't seem to last long. And then you've got folks who say, I can't wait to retire. I get to do more of the fun stuff that I like to do. And they're picking up, you know, maybe not new skills, but something they hadn't done for a while. Or maybe they are, maybe they're traveling, they're learning a new language. And they live so much longer. How many people?
I bet you know some who retired and within a year or two they passed away. That's right. Because they didn't have purpose. And I martial arts can maintain a purpose for us whether it is we're remaining students because there's always more to learn or we're passing on our information with it that you know that's important to us to to share with the next generation of martial artists or you know figure out how to throw a modern spear as far as we can. That's right. Well I remember Angel Lima's telling me we were talking one time it goes
He would talk to people who think about joining martial arts because if you go to the gym and exercise you might as do an exercise that has a purpose besides your health. and he goes so when you're You can go to gym and join a class. That's aerobic type You can go and do a martial arts class and you would learn a skill set while you're getting your exercise. He killed two birds with one stone so
And I said, yep, you're absolutely right. And so that's where I am today. And people say, when will you stop? I said, probably when I'm dead. And it is the most common answer. I basically stopped asking that question. It usually comes up organically in some way or another. Because why are you going to stop? If it's still serving you, why would you stop if eating certain food?
makes you feel good, you're probably not gonna stop. If training makes you feel good, why would you stop? Well, I heard a line from Tom Jones, the singer. He was on some musical show where they'd sing and someone said, and he sang a song and someone said, you had a great music career. He said, no, I'm having a great music career. That was pretty clever. said, there you go, Tom. Yeah. How was his voice? Excellent.
Jeremy (54:42.543)
You it's little tidbits like this that sort of support what I'm where I am in my life, you know, and You know one of the things as a martial artist and some guys and women have gone through this sometimes if you're married marriage life and children can it's hard to But you just got to fit it in now I can say this I say kind of in callous way, but I don't you know, I remember saying to my first wife
Martial arts was here before you and over here after you. Okay, and and it's not like I'm at Joe's Bar and Grill drinking and know, sure running around and stuff I'm at the dojo. That's what I'm doing. It's important to you. It's it was important to you You're not gonna stop doing it because she's there because it is core to who you are Yeah, and you know when I have my my children, you know I you know, they all were involved in martial arts at one point one is still involved
You know, my daughter, she, she was involved at very early age until she got to about 16 and didn't admit it wasn't ladylike, you know? So fine. She stopped, but she's into bodybuilding or something today. Fine. She's doing something. Then, my younger son, he did it for many years. And then, when he got into, involved into, I guess in his high school years, when he was involved in track and field and soccer, was only so much hours you have, you know, and
He had to stop. felt bad about telling me. He no, I understand. And then he would say to me, no, now he's 25 today. Someday I may take him back up. I said, fine, it's here. And right now he's working on his career. He has good job and he just moved to North Carolina and he's getting himself organized, what he's doing in his life. I said, fine. So like I said, my older son, does jujitsu.
That's kind of neat. And I said, look, you're 40 years old and you're, and you're moving in your, I've been to some of his competitions, you know, that's funny to watch you do too, because you're looking on the ground and you don't see too much going on. All of a you see a tap out and you go subtle. It's subtle unless you're on the other side of it. Yeah. And you go, I didn't see anything, but someone said there's pain, you know? Yeah. And, I always said that if I ever got into a scourge with a grappler,
Jeremy (57:09.538)
And they get, start getting it before they get in the better part of me. I'm to do this and see if they let go. then I'll be fine. I'll condition or tap. like, and then you'll kick them in the ground. Yeah. And, well, I, yeah, I don't want to skip the, I do hit my head a lot, know, you think you've been in some of them joint life or someone taking down the ground. And I always had a groin shot with my last dying act.
Cause I'm on my way down and this is not going to be pleasant, but maybe take this as I'm going down. And if you're over it like this, I'm trying to recover to get up and, know, and all is fair. Yeah. So, and I'm just trying to think this today. What do you call it? Like, I, I sometimes I get people say, well my child is, is, five years old and he's a second degree black belt.
Okay, okay muscle yeah Yeah, and I you know, there's a I have any pet peeves about martial arts? I would say this one there was one was people who trained to get to a black belt. Let me stop I Go. Well, that's the beginning of To that's you really when you're learning, you know Like you
take piano lessons until you can really play well, that's it, I'm So, to me, if you got into it, if you're in a decent school and you reach that special belt rank, now you can learn, you can absorb more. That's why people that I surround myself with, they can go to a demonstration, they can go to be part of a
A training session, a totally different organization style, whatever, and get something from it. Okay. Cause they're back there at that point. So I could just as yourself, you know, and you can go someplace and go, wow, don't practice that. I want to do it all. I want to come back a hundred times and just learn as much as I can. Wanting to do it all is, is I.
Jeremy (59:33.26)
We all have that, you know, and as you get older, you go, why couldn't I be at this point back then? But there'd still be more. Yeah. Because you'd understand more and you could see more. Right. mean, that's there's to me the the the beauty and the frustration of martial arts is that not just that there's more than I'll ever be able to work. Yeah. Or that.
Jeremy (01:00:05.146)
I can't even try it all, but that the more I learn, the more there is to learn. Not just the more I realize is available, but genuinely as I understand, okay, this is a punch, the better I get at that punch, the more ways I have to work that punch. And that is, I don't know anything else that's like that. There's an infinite amount of information I can derive from that punch or that one form.
And the more time I spend with it, the more that is almost magically available to me. it's just, it's infinite. And sometimes it hurts my brain. And I say, there's no end point here. This is the beauty. It's that there is no end point that I can just keep riding this wave and learning more. And I don't know anything else like that.
I understand that completely. Back when I was in my 40s, I was hiking in the Poconos and my early 40s and I thought man, the top is right there. I'm trying to get to that top. And the top was getting further away as I was climbing. And then finally when I get there, I feel like a sense of accomplishment only to look out and see higher mountains.
people want to call it the Poker No. mountains. It's taller than this. go, what the hell? There's always another. Yeah. And I watch, I watch the videos with podcast with Neil deGrasse Tyson about the universe. those are good. And then the more you look at the more of this out there, it's like, thing doesn't end at all. It just goes on and on and on and on and on and you know, and, and that's how we both agree. That's how the Marsh Watch is. It's just so much, you know, I mean, there's
There could be some guy in a little tiny village in some place and he could be doing something. was handed down, handed down and he kept it to him. Just his family and that's it. And you go, wow, that's some good stuff. My, you know, we'll, we'll start to wind down here, you know,
Jeremy (01:02:20.578)
have these moments, and I bet you still have them. They don't happen often, but you're training with someone. might be, no, it could be a peer, it could be a student. Now I have most of them with my students because they're looking at everything I've got through these different eyes. And one of them will ask the question and then I go, I never thought of that in that way. And it gets the wheels turning and I go back and I sit and maybe I'm writing or maybe I'm just sitting there going, I need to process this for a while.
I've been training a while. Those moments still happen. It makes me so happy to have them because it means I can still make progress. I can still at, you you've got a couple of years on me, but it gives me hope that there's never a point where I will look and say, I can't keep getting better. The only point where I won't get better is when I'm in the ground. And up until that point, I have that opportunity. I just, I think that's so incredible because I don't know anything else.
There is not. Well, I agree with you. I don't discount white belts whatsoever. You don't know what they're going to say or do. And you can sit there and stand across from them. know, I used to make this example, I said, I can stand across from, you know, another black belt. I can pretty much see some of the moves they're going to, I know what they're going to do.
You'd cross what the hell they're going to They can trip over their own feet and hit you in the groin on the way down the ground, you know, and they didn't plan on it, but that's what came out. And they said, you have to deal with that. And I find that a good learning experience because they're closest thing you're going to get to a street person, you know? And I would tell people who think about the martial arts and the versus atmosphere, said, a street person doesn't work on defense. No, they don't.
Their rules of engagement are very different. Yes. And one of the things I said, I think the perfect mugger would be they walk up to someone, they don't say anything, the person hands in the money and they walk away. That would be the ideal world. But there's still some people who are very physically aggressive and they want to do something, you know? so anyway.
Jeremy (01:04:37.838)
You you you you have students are you taking students like is there a website if you want to get a hold of you? No, my students are all based basically my students when I in 2017 when I Folded school I had enough black belts and stuff and and I said look I'm gonna do this and they might want to come with me final good and so basically all my students Everyone there is 15 above they've been with me. No someone, you know something with me for 35 years. You know
You know 40 years whatever 25 years they've been with me for a long time and I said, you know, said I'm here if you want to come up I have class on this night come to class, know, but as far as new students know To me, I think new students would have a their look of Dojo like it's over here something or shiny wooden floor or something like and I don't have that I have a nice poly something whatever floor of my garage and
It's hard, you know, I do have maths, but I mean, if you fall, it's concrete. It's, it's your body in concrete, you know? And, and so I tell people don't fall, you So you're, you're working with students you've had for a while, advanced ranks. That's. That's right. Okay. Yeah. And you know, you I, I, like, I don't charge or anything as it, just comes. Cause you need people to work out with, right? Well, it's not that, you know,
for charging then it becomes a business and all this kind of stuff. I did all of that. I had my own commercial dojo. There was more headaches and it's like lot of the headaches were utilities issues here and there. I tried to rent out my space during the daytime when I had my regular job and then that wouldn't work because there are people that are customers who come and park in places they shouldn't park that I have.
the lease agreement with and like, yeah. And you understand all that. you understand? then, you got, don't need that at all. It's it is running a commercial school is difficult. Running a commercial school. Well, is extremely difficult making a commercial school, your full -time job based on the numbers. People don't talk about this is incredibly difficult. Yeah. Yeah. And
Jeremy (01:07:03.63)
You know, I taught children, you know, children are great. Sometimes parents and children aren't so great. And I used to say when I was teaching children, 95 % of my problems is with 5 % of the parents of children. Yeah, I believe that. And I said, I can't do this anymore. And, you know, my children is, you know, is in higher academics in school so that they should be this.
This is not an academic class I'm teaching here, you know, and I remember one time some lady was just so mad at me because her daughter was talking off as her wife. And I said, she's been here for a month and you know, she's like seven years old or eight. I said, I understand that she does well in her school and academic, but and she, she thought I should, this daughter should be moved up. I said, she didn't even know where left and right.
And so this woman was really insulted. I said, well, little girl said, said, raise your left hand. She raised her right hand. And the mother saw this and was outraged. I told her, grab the daughter and get your stuff and then he left. never saw him again. Sorry. Cause, cause that helps the kid, right? Let's deny the kid an aspect, an instructor who recognizes a deficiency in their child. It communicates that deficiency to the parent.
And is willing to help them progress in their physical body. Let's rob the kid of that. That's a great solution. Yeah So anyway, but it takes all kinds. Yeah, I appreciate talking to another martial artist because You know a lot of times I you know Talk into another martial arts. There's always interruptions go to I'll go to anything and and you're talking to somebody and then this person comes over didn't you know, it's like a chain reaction
Jeremy (01:09:01.63)
And then all of a sudden it goes into something, know, now I'm talking about, you know, this restaurant. Yeah, I don't want to talk about the restaurant. want to go back. Let's go back to talking about application. Yeah. Let's talk about how we would use, you know, that centerpiece. Yeah. If we were confronted by Table 5. Yeah. You know, let's talk about the fun stuff. Yeah.
But you know, that's beauty of having the door shut and being in here and getting our time for, you know, I do appreciate this. And as a of I saw this belt here on Andy Rodriguez, the other one, I was over to the dojo. Does he have one? Yeah, he has a black and white. I'm looking at it because look at this belt. And I go, what the hell is going on here? And I saw the white and he was showing me, OK, that's pretty cool. And he was
wearing a belt, and I thought that was pretty neat. said, okay, fine. So Andrew has one as well, and we've got other people in the audience and other folks on the Whistlekick team that have this, and it is available at Kataro, not to keep plugging them, they sponsored this episode, so we're gonna keep plugging. But I have no problem if I'm training. I might turn it on, put it on light side up. if someone's been training a lot,
You you might not have seen that felt before, but you might notice and go, I get it. Yeah, I get it. Right. And that's what it's meant to symbolize is I know some stuff, but I'm willing to submit to say, I want to know what you know. And when it's black side out, it's saying, I know some stuff, but I don't pretend I know everything. least that's what it says to me. I'm not going to say necessarily what it means to everyone else, but it's, it's really been in something that I've appreciated exists. And then
I mentioned the fact that it weirs through to suggest that yeah, part of that submission, that white belt.
Jeremy (01:11:02.254)
Shoshin, right? Is that the right term? I'm very tired. It's to suggest that as you submit, as you are white belt for long enough, you do start to learn some stuff. you know, it doesn't matter how long that black side is out, there's always more hence why you wear a sort of white And I've learned over the years is not to, when I go to a training seminar, the guards in my belt rank, not the upstage, who's ever teaching rank. So like I have a solid red belt.
Okay, and that's what I have so I don't wear that I would not like that and I just look like anybody else know and I you know I can wear that in my community in San Tokio Kai I wear that with them, but I don't really wear it outside of that because there are people in it if they see that if they understand what that belt means and They're in the front of the room Yeah
they start to get nervous and I've had that too. We run some events, we had an event yesterday, we gotta make sure we get you to next year's event around here. we might have some folks that it's their first time teaching a group. And we've had events where someone, we don't put a ranger, we've had some people who've been training three, four years and maybe they're not quite black belt. Say, I've got something I'd like to share. Great, you're on the schedule. And people show up and...
there might be somebody there who is in your position with a high rank and been training a long time and they want to learn and they're open and you get the person going, and they start freaking out. know, so yeah, I think it's, I think it's cool to you dressed down. So I like the idea you can put on, you can have a black, it's a term, I'm here to Well, Jim, I appreciate you being here. Thank you so much for your time. How would you want people to come away from this? You know, how would you close us out?
Well, never stop searching. And you know, and don't think that you've reached the top and there's nothing else. There's always something else out there. And don't be afraid to try with a new mind, maybe train with someone else from a different style or different organization just to see, and maybe you might find it.
Jeremy (01:13:28.49)
this is trivial and disimportant. You learn something, you know, and then you go to someone, hey, this is something I never experienced before. So have an open mind for all people. They all have something to contribute. I don't care what it is. They have something to contribute. Okay. And, you know, don't let your ego, get in your way of your training.
Jeremy (01:13:53.647)
Don't say you're the best. even think of saying you're the best. You can say, okay, okay. Cause there's a lot of people that are very, very good, you know, and it's the ones who don't say too much that can be the scariest. Okay. So I guess that's the biggest thing is keep searching. Okay. Just like Neil deGrasse Tyson about the universe, keep searching. Okay. There's a lot out there.
I didn't mean to quote mr. Or paraphrase the other person, but I do like his podcast. He's a a I He's such a good guy. I don't think he trains but I bet he would like training. Yes, I bet he would I bet he he He probably nerd out on the anatomy and physiology yeah aspects of stuff. Yeah