December 2007 Newsletter

Please share with our readers a little bit of your non-martial arts background.

I was born and raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey the youngest of three children (I'm the baby with two older sisters) until my Junior year of high school, in which I moved to South Brunswick and subsequently Franklin Township where I now reside. I attended NYU for a year intent on majoring in Finance, but transferred to Rutgers after a year's hiatus from school to save up money. I graduated Rutgers University with a major in Political Science convinced I was going to law school but realized that was not where my passion was. Now, I continue to bartend at a local restaurant and play poker until I figure out what it is that I want to do for the rest of my life. Perhaps grad school, perhaps not... I just know that I want to make a difference in the world while I can and young enough to try. I enjoy reading, writing, languages, music, and movies and consider myself a Renaissance Man in a Modern World. There is nothing I don't find interesting so much as I learn something new.

What made you first interested in Martial Arts?

I believe the first real influence I had regarding the Martial Arts probably stems from the Karate Kid movies and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I grew up too late to be of the Bruce Lee generation, so I was always hoping that a Mr. Miyagi would move in next door to me, offering to teach me karate if I agreed to wash his cars. That never happened. I ended up just washing cars. Regardless, it was something that I always wanted to learn - I just never was given the opportunity.

How did you hear about PAMA? What influenced you to join PAMA?

Oddly enough, I found PAMA on the Internet. Like I said in the previous answer, I always wanted to learn a martial art, except growing up my parents never had the extra money for things like that. It was roughly three years ago that I knew the ball was in my court and it was time to take action. I seriously began researching different styles that weren't the typical karate or tae kwon do school (nothing against those disciplines; I just wanted something different, more traditional, and non-'watered-down'). I eventually determined that it had to be a Gung (Kung) Fu system or an Aikido school. I googled both, got several different results, had e-mail correspondence with several schools, and just wasn't impressed. Eventually I started reading about Bruce Lee, later Jeet Kune Do, and I was sold. I just had to find a school relatively close to my home. PAMA's website came up and I read about all the different arts, most of which I had never heard of. What enticed me the most was PAMA's philosophy page; that self-defense for the real world was the main priority - not pretty belts with fancy stripes. After reading about the school and Sifu's experience on the Internet, I had to tryout a class. And like most students, after my first class I didn't need any convincing to stay. The curriculum, the practicality of the class, the instructor-student relationship were just a few of the factors that made my decision easy. The rest, as they say, is history.

Which martial arts have you studied to date and for how long?

The only experience I had with any martial arts prior to PAMA was when I was attending NYU in 2001. The school's local gym had a variety of classes you were able to sign up for and every Saturday there was an instructor for the Praying Mantis style. I went every Saturday for about three months, but eventually lost interest. I don't think I remember a single thing from it.

What are some of the key things that Martial Arts has taught you?

Heh. This question makes me chuckle, simply because I know I have so much more to learn than what I've already been taught. It reminds me of something an old high school teacher of mine used to say: "There are no answers, only more questions." I guess that this idea in itself is one of the biggest lessons the martial arts has taught me - there is just so much more in the world and in life to learn that what I do know is only a miniscule amount of what's really out there. Figuratively speaking aside, every time I think I improve upon a technique in the slightest bit, I realize that it can always be better. And even at best, it's never guaranteed to work. Therefore, I must constantly be attentive, alert, ready to adapt.

I learned that knowing how to throw a punch is just as important as learning how to take a punch. Or better yet, intercept a punch and return one with greater speed and power.

I learned that big muscles may look nice, but aren't very effective. Before PAMA, the only thing I knew about fighting was weightlifting, in other words looking tough. Half the time it works, but they'll never win against a guy who is quicker, more agile, mentally and physically tougher than you.

Most importantly, I learned that I am not made of glass. I was never one of the biggest guys growing up (hence the weight-training) and shied away from physical confrontation mostly because I never wanted to get hurt. But bruises heal, and sometimes you need to get hit to learn a lesson. We're all stronger than we think - PAMA has helped me realize that.

What are your favorite arts and why?

My favorite arts continue to be Jun Fan, Kali, and Silat. Though of late, I really have been only participating in Jun Fan classes. I love the effectiveness and the no-nonsense approach that each of those arts base their principles on: if attacked, defend yourself in as little movement as possible, end the fight, and walk away alive. If I had to pick one, it'd probably be Jun Fan because of Bruce Lee's scientific approach to self-defense, especially since I believe largely in empiricism myself.

What is your impression of PAMA today? What do you like most about PAMA?

PAMA today is an integral part of my life though I'm not there as much as I'd like to be. Like most others, PAMA to me is not only a place of learning, but an escape from the daily doldrums of life. Sifu constantly says to leave everything at the door when training (which I sometimes forget to do). It's a place I know I can go to when I want to be outside the world.

What I like most continues to be the high level of instruction, the dedication to the Martial Arts and what Martial Arts truly stand for in the face of the current MMA craze. I like the fact that on some days, I'll team up with someone who's a lot more experienced than me like Mike Wolhfert or Mary Jo where I can pick up a thing or two, and conversely train with someone who's had less experience and reflect on something that I thought I knew. I also like the camaraderie and meeting all the different people.

Anything else additional you would like to add?

I just want to thank everyone who's worked with me and helped me along my path, especially Sifu and all the instructors. Everyone who has ever trained or talked with me has been a teacher in one way or the other, and therefore has helped my growth as a person. Most importantly, my success as a martial artist is only as limited to how I consciously choose to apply myself and the same goes for everyone. The door is there every night; we just have to walk through it.