PAMA Newsletter - May 2009

- Student of the Month - Events - Testing - Recommended Book - Video Technique - Dietary Supplement -

Student of the Month

- Javier Estrada -

Javier Estrada

What is your profession and personal background?

I was born in Puerto Rico and my family moved to the United States when I was one. I grew up and attended high school in Millville, NJ. In high school I played baseball and ran cross country and track.

In 2003 I graduated from Rutgers with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineer. I currently work for the New Jersey Department of Transportation as a Civil Engineer. I've been working for the Department of Transportation for the past six years.

In October of 2007 I married my long time girlfriend Amy who I met in college. Amy and I have been living in Hillsborough, NJ for the past two years.
What first turned you on to martial arts and what made you chose to make it a part of your life?

After going to a gym for several years, I wanted to try something new. I was always interested in boxing, so a friend of mine who trains in Taekwondo suggested that I try martial arts. He explained how he has benefited from his martial arts training, so I decided to give it a shot. After going to my first class at PAMA, I was hooked.
How did you first hear about PAMA and what was your motivation for coming to PAMA?

I found PAMA on the internet when searching for martial arts schools. Not sure what type of martial art I wanted to study, I was drawn to PAMA since it offered so many types of martial arts.
What do you most enjoy about your training? And which arts?

I like that I'm able to train in so many disciplines. While training I am constantly learning and being challenged. I feel that I'm being pushed in every class to perform beyond my limitations. You have to learn to push yourself to develop the attributes needed to perform in Martial Arts.

Since joining PAMA I've regularly attended Muay Thai, Jun Fan, MMA and boxing skills class.
What are your goals you hope to achieve through martial arts?

I recently passed my 4 month test in Jun Fan and I'm working towards passing my 8 month test. My long term goals are to improve my martial arts skills and achieve physical fitness.
Any additional comments?

I just want to thank Sifu and the instructors at PAMA for all their hard work.

Events

- Communiversity 2009 -

April 25th was a beautiful and clear day. It was a great day for Communiversity in Princeton and despite the heat, the instructors and students of the Princeton Academy of Martial Arts put on a high energy demonstration for a large crowd. The instructors opened the demo with a mix of Kali double stick and bo staff drills, Muay Thai, and Jun Fan kickboxing drills. PAMA's Little Dragons, the kids, followed up with a demonstration of Sil Lim Tao and a variety of Kali, Jun Fan kickboxing, and trapping. The teenage students got to showcase their skills as well. Then Aubrey Mulford and Newell Woodworth showed how effective the kid's program at PAMA is by successfully defending themselves against an attacker twice their size. The attacker must have regretted picking on them.

(left) The 2009 Communiversity Opens with a bang, (right) The Little Dragons show off their impressive form.

(left) Kurt learns not to mess with Aubrey... the hard way. (right) Newell escapes Kurt's grasp and makes him pay for it.

Click here to see all the pictures taken during Communiversity.

Then it was time for the PAMA instructors to give the crowd an overview of the adult program. They began by showing some of the different areas of Kali including double stick, single stick, stick and dagger, and long weapons. Sandy Lee and Mary Jo Colli gave the crowd a taste of some Women's Self Defense techniques while giving their attackers a taste of the pavement and a barrage of kicks, hits, and stomps. Then the instructors showed various trapping drills from Jun Fan such as chi sao as well as several variations of hubud lubud from Kali.

Mary Jo Colli, Mike Lee, and Mike Wolfert take the fight to their attackers.

Click here to see all the pictures taken during Communiversity.

Mike Lee went empty hands against several attackers; some with knives, some with sticks. He disarmed and subdued all of them and finished by taking one opponent's stick and choking him out with it. Mike Wolhfert also took on multiple opponents. He used some Silat techniques to take them to the ground and make sure they didn't get back up. Then the crowd was treated to a Mixed Martial Arts match between Poneyboy Miller and Kurt Komoda. Even after receiving a flying elbow to the head Kurt was able to keep his composure, escape from Poneyboy's knee bar and choke him out from the back. A stick fighting match between Mike Lee and Mike Wolhfert followed. From long range to short range the sticks and kicks were flying for an intense round under the hot sun. The demo was a success. Thanks to all who participated and thanks to the crowd for their support.

The end...

The 2009 Communiversity Demo Team

Click here to see all the pictures taken during Communiversity.

Testing

- Jun Fan 4 and 8 Month Tests -

(l-r) Joe Calzada, Craig Cuello, Joe Naggar, Jesus Barcons

This month, Joe Calzada, Craig Cuello, Joe Naggar, and Jesus Barcons all passed their 4 month tests in Jun Fan. Excellent work guys and we look forward to seeing you again in 4 more months!

- Childrens Testing: 9-13 Year Old Test -

(left) Max Ramsay and Mac Naggar, (right) Rosalind Stengle, Spencer Lee, Nikita Volodin

Congratulations to Max Ramsay and Mac Naggar for passing their first level test in the Children's 9-13 Jun Fan/Kali Program and earning their Gold Sashes. Great work guys! Also moving up to the next level, earning Green Sashes, were Rosalind Stengle, Spencer Lee, and Nikita Volodin. Wonderful job and welcome to the Intermediate Class!

Sifu Recommends a Book

- Wing Chun Kung-Fu -

Wing Chun Kung-Fu,
by James Yimm Lee

Wing Chun Kung-Fu, written for James Lee by Si Jo Bruce Lee to help raise money for James Lee's cancer treatment, is a must have text for every PAMA student and practioner in the art of Wing Chun and Jun Fan Gun Fu. In the book the first form of Wing Chun, Sil Lum Tao, is covered in excellent and easy to understand detail, demonstrated with more than 100 photographs. Also included are explanations of centerline theory, hand and foot positions, terminology, exercises, and more. James Yimm Lee studied Wing Chun before training with Bruce Lee in Jeet Kune Do.

Video Technique

VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL for many great techniques and videos by Sifu Rick.
http://www.youtube.com/RickTucciPAMA

Dietary Supplement

- Del-Immune V by Pure Research Products-

Del-Immune V
by Pure Research Products

Our intestinal tract is home to 70% of the immune system. Lactic acid bacteria (lactobacillus) present in the intestine plays an active and important role in the regulation, development, and processing of our immune system.

Lactic acid bacteria within our intestine are digested to produce cell wall fragments that initiate the process for stimulating the body's natural immune response. The reason for this response is due to proteins and other biological substances that are contained within the cell walls (see electron microsopic views of actual cell wall fragments). The immune system does not respond to the presence of whole lactic acid bacteria until digestion occurs and cell wall fragments are produced. This is the process for the natural immune response.

Each capsule of Del-Immune V® contains 2+billion cell wall fragments of lactobacillus rhamnosus (found naturally in the intestine) to immediately and naturally launch the work of the immune system.... natures way!

Credits:
Video/Pictures: Mary Jo Colli, Kurt Komoda, Mike Lee
Stories: Mary Jo Colli, Matt Foster, Mike Lee