June 2007 Newsletter

Where are you from originally and what brought you to the United States?

I am a Russian from Russia. I grew up in the country formerly known as Soviet Union. My home town is Tula, which is in the central part of Russia-proper, not far from Moscow. I decided to try to come to the United States when I was finishing graduate school in Moscow State University. I succeeded due to a set of lucky coincidences that allowed me to get admitted to a graduate school in Arizona at the time when no other Russian students were able to come yet - it was 1991 in Soviet Union and the social liberties we are so used to taking for granted now did not exist yet there.

What first turned you on to martial arts?

I was drawn to martial arts in my teenage years after being able to see some smuggled martial arts movies. It looked cool and I wanted to learn to do that. Unfortunately, at that time martial arts were banned in Soviet Union and that desire was not fulfilled. Later, right before coming to the United States, martial arts schools started to appear in Moscow but the quality of teaching left much to desire. Nevertheless, there was a decent aikido school associated with Moscow State University and so I started studying that.

What was your motivation for coming to PAMA?

Actually, my kids expressed interest in martial arts and started coming to PAMA. After a while they stared encouraging me to come, too. That did it for me - the idea of morally supporting my children and (finally!) trying to do what I couldn't do 25 years ago.

What do you most enjoy about your training?

The results of the training are certainly enjoyable - I feel I am in better shape and I am gradually pushing my body to do things I felt I was definitely not made for. Besides that I enjoy the "play" aspect of the training -- working with a partner, making a technique flow, even if that means I am getting hit or tapped out.

What are your goals you hope to achieve through martial arts?

My basic goals are supporting my children by example, staying in shape while having fun and, hopefully, being able to progress to a level when I actually can say I understood a bit of the arts that are being taught.

In what ways has your training at PAMA permeated into other aspects of your life?

In a way, martial arts are like life itself (pardon me being a bit philosophical) - you train to deal with what is being thrown at you, you train to use your body and mind to deal with an unpredictable situation, you train yourself to persevere. I also find it one of the most humbling experiences a normal life can present to a person. And it's a good thing!

Your children also train at PAMA. What effect has this commonality had on your family?

I like to think that it brings my children and myself closer together. I feel what they are going through and they see that there are things in life that a parent struggles with just as much as (actually, more than!) they do. In the back of my mind I also entertain a thought of being able to be a sparring partner for them in a few years - who knows!

What is your profession and background?

I am a physicist by training. Currently I am the head of the research and development group at a small high-tech company in Princeton area.

Any closing remarks?

I'd like to thank Sifu, the rest of the instructors and everybody else who keep the school going - it is an unique place in this area where such a great variety of arts can be learned and practiced. Please keep it up!