More podcasts uploaded

I added several more recordings. The rest of the Graham Lelliott interviews and one on an analysis of the original orange belt techniques. See the link on my home page at http://www.leewedlake.com/.

Kenpo biker update

I added a video link to an interview with Bill Hayes in the previous post entitled Kenpo Biker.

More fake diplomas

Yet another rip off. This one has a version of the Mitose crest on it. Has Ed Parker's signature and also Tom Kelly's. Mr. Kelly is not amused. 
http://cgi.ebay.com/Kenpo-Karate-Diploma-IKKA-Certificate-International-/190408720387?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c553e8003

Fake diploma update

The supplier of the fake IKKA diplomas has been reported to the Parker estate's attorneys. Some of you have also sent e-mails to the supplier as well. Kudos!
Sibok Tom Kelly says he knows who the guy is.

She lobbies me, too

An article about my niece.

LOCAL CADET LOBBIES CONGRESS

Cadet Lt Col Serena Wedlake representing the Charlotte County Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol went to Washington D.C., accompanied by 150 other CAP members from around the nation, to lobby members of Congress on several important issues. Serena served as the Florida Wing and South East Region Cadet Advisory Council Vice Chair and the National CAC Primary Representative for the South East Region.
Their major thrust of the visit was to address the Fiscal Year 2011 Operations and Maintenance Funding which was reduced by $4.5 million. It was noted that if CAP’s O&M is not fully funded, our readiness to support emergency and operational missions will be significantly degraded. Among the impacts brought up were:
• A reduction of 12,000 flight hours in support of local, state and federal missions
• Operational training by over 35%
• Counterdrug and other support to states reduced by 80% or eliminated
• 8 positions eliminated from National Headquarters
• CAP’s ability to safely conduct air operations will be compromised, and
• Support to the cadet program will be reduced
• CAP would not be able to perform 90% of all Inland Search and Rescue Missions

They also spoke with the Congressional members about CAP’s Homeland Security Bill
(S704) which is awaiting action in The Senate Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee. They urged the members of the Committee to pass the bill out of committee.
Another matter discussed was the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of CAP’s World War II Service. CAP was formed on December 1, 1941 and was instrumental in forcing the German submarine fleet to leave our shores. They urged Members of Congress to cosponsor the bill as it is introduced.
Lt Col Wedlake stated this was one of the best experiences of her CAP career, giving her, at age 19, the chance to meet with Congressmen and discuss the bills and issues of importance to CAP. She will be attending Legislative Day again next year looking forward to meeting new members of Congress. We at the CC Squadron are very proud of the performance of this young lady in all of her duties.

Kenpo biker

I was contacted by a Southern California Parker kenpo instructor recently. His name is Bill Hayes. It turns out that, like me, he rides a Harley and is a published author. Bill has had articles published in Black Belt magazine, so you may recognize the name.
   Bill and I think a lot alike. He knew Mr. Parker and trained under Mr. Bob Perry, who was a Parker guy and known as "The Voice of the Internationals". Perry got that name because he used to emcee the tournament. I can hear his voice when I think about him. He passed away way too early. Back to Bill.
   Bill also writes about bikers and has a book, American Biker, coming out in October ( http://www.americanbikerthebook.com/ site shopping cart may not be working yet) that will be available on Amazon.  There is a mystique about the biker lifestyle and many books have been written about it. Bill has a rare perspective in that he is a member of the Boozefighters club. That club is widely known in the riding community largely because a reputation gained in connection to the Hollister "riot" in 1947. An enterprising writer had an article published in Life magazine about how motorcyclists supposedly took over a town. A movie was soon based on it and its title was The Wild One starring Lee Marvin and Marlon Brando. It caught on and the biker persona was known world-wide. The Original Wild Ones is Bill's first book.
   Bill and his partner, Jennifer, have a studio in Torrance, CA near Los Angeles. Nice looking school from what I see on their site.http://www.oldschoolkenpo.com./ The name says it all.


Here's the Amazon link for the new book.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Biker-History-Clubs-Lifestyle/dp/0615375952/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276044976&sr=1-7

Here's a video interview.
http://vimeo.com/12868592



    

Podcasts

Well, I finally figured this out. Below is the link to my first podcasts. Now I need to figure out how to do the i Tunes thing and all that techno-stuff.
http://feed.podcastmachine.com/podcasts/3314/mp3.rss
Feel free to send suggestions to me about subjects. I hope you like them.

Highly Unethical

There's someone on EBay selling bogus International Kenpo Karate Association (IKKA) rank certificates.
They charge $60, and are "signed" by Mr and Mrs Parker, Huk Planas and Joe Palanzo. At one time not long before Mr. Parker died, Huk was the Executive Vice-President of the association and Joe was the Vice-President. Leilani would sign as treasurer. On the instructor recommendation side it has the signature of Tony Martinez, one of the black belts out of the Salt Lake City studio run by Mills Crenshaw.
   The description says it's on tan paper "buff" parchment paper. The originals were done on a gray shade of paper. Each had a unique registration number and these appear to have the same number on all. It says you get "Your Name Here" and "Your Rank Here". The date does not appear to manipulated for the buyer. The date is 1987, from a school in Utah (where Mr. Martinez is) though. I am appalled. I don't want to think Mr. Martinez is involved in this. I have heard nothing but good about him. When my first real kenpo teacher, Mike Sanders, trained there he knew Tony and had nothing but good to say. If he's not he needs to know about this.
    These are replicas of the small certificate that was used for many years. At least it's not the large black belt certificate he's ripping off. The time frame of the certificate could be used to mislead, since it is before Mr. Parker's passing and signed by the correct individuals for the time. An unearned rank could obviously be issued  as well. If you don't know about the wrong color paper you could be led to believe it's real. In addition, the school code is incorrect. No school would be issued a code of "Kick1".
   Who would want an obviously fake certificate of rank signed by two people who are deceased, from an association that no longer exists? The same people who get a PhD through an ad in the back of a magazine?
    I'm upset, disgusted, disappointed. Not just angry this person would use my teacher's name like this but that people buy this stuff. I'd think that Mr. Planas and Mr. Palanzo would be, too. Here's the link. See what you think.
 http://cgi.ebay.com/Ed-Parker-IKKA-American-Kenpo-Karate-Certificate-/230478347044?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35a9947b24

More news. This seller has about 600 fake diplomas for martial arts, educational institutions, miltary, etc. He oe she's based in Dallas.

Don't Be a Victim TV show

Sent in by Tim Walker in Florida.

Denver, Colorado - Orion Multimedia is proud to announce the groundbreaking television production of DON'T BE A VICTIM, for Spike TV, set to deliver the largest personal defense audience in history.
DON'T BE A VICTIM, the two-hour block of original programming from Orion Multimedia, will be comprised of 4 series and 3 branded vignettes. This block is more than just television programming, it will be a term of empowerment for all those who tune in. Every year in this country more than 1.3 million violent crimes are committed - 3,700 each day. Aggravated assaults account for more than 60% of violent crime, robberies 32%; over 25,000 property crimes take place every day of the year, almost 23% of them burglaries. The compelling question for viewers is simply: Will you be a victim? Or will you be ready to defend yourself and your loved ones?
DON'T BE A VICTIM will feature proven professional strategies, tactics and methods of self-defense, recognizing and avoiding threats, the latest in gear, security systems and weaponry, so that audiences will learn what it takes to be a modern-day guardian of their own homes, families, and lives. It's a block that will awaken a massive audience to the need to take charge of their personal security and to develop a plan to keep themselves safe at home, work, school and any place in between.
Through the accounts of actual individuals who have faced real danger, to expert insight and demonstrations, paired with archival video and dramatic recreations and re-enactments, DON'T BE A VICTIM will prepare the viewer for whatever may come. The 100 million households that Spike reaches will learn how one can take responsibility for their own safety and the defense of the property and the people they care about when trouble or disaster strikes.
The DON'T BE A VICTIM panel of personal defense experts, tactical instructors and law enforcement trainers is the most diverse and experienced ever gathered. Joining our distinguished panel is DON'T BE A VICTIM host, Gerald McRaney; second amendment advocate and star of such long running hit series as Simon & Simon, Major Dad, Jericho and Deadwood.
DON'T BE A VICTIM's 4 cutting edge series' will comprise of; What If? - How a tragic incident could have been different if the victims and/or bystanders involved were armed, trained, and prepared to defend themselves. When Your Life Depends On It - Vivid stories from armed citizens who turned the tables on criminals. Practical Tactical - Personal defense experts teach you how to stay alive. Conceal + Carry = Survival - Victims of crime vow "never again" as we follow them through a concealed carry training class. The three sponsored vignettes will comprise of; Even the Odds - Common sense tips on how to escape any life-threatening scenario. Predator Stoppers - A look at the latest firearms and gear for home and personal use. School for Survival - A weekly handgun and personal protection classes.
"It's unprecedented to have a network the size of Spike's 100 million homes carrying this kind of personal defense content," says Orion Multimedia President, Chris Dorsey. "With unmatched story telling, production values, and audience size, this block will not only help sponsors grow market share, but we'll grow the market as we awaken a massive new, mainstream audience to the need for personal protection products and methods."
Complementing the innovative television series, Orion Multimedia is also set to launch DON'T BE A VICTIM WebTV. The webTV network will be an outlet and hub for millions of people who refuse to be a victim. Featured on the site will be a community of experts, tactical demonstrations, product reviews, e-newsletters, survival stories and message boards to empower everyone to take charge of their own safety.
DON'T BE A VICTIM will begin airing on Spike TV, beginning Saturday, July 3rd and will run for 26 weeks from 9am to 11am Eastern.
Check local listings for airdates and times in your area.

Another war story

I have a black belt named Rick Stone, who was in the first SAS regiment. The SAS (Special Air Service) is the forerunner to Special Ops units like the Green Berets. Their motto is "Who Dares Wins". Rick is now 86 years old and still doing martial arts. He got his black in kenpo at the age of 73. Years ago he came in and told me he'd had an altercation on the street.
     Rick was driving home down McGregor Bl here, a busy two lane road. It's the road that passes Thomas Edison's home here and ran down to Punta Rassa where the ranchers would load their cattle for shipment many years ago. It's historic for the huge palm trees Edison planted along it and that's why they didn't widen it. It makes it difficult to turn into the subdivision Rick lives in when traffic is heavy. Rick was momentarily holding so a car coming from the opposite direction could make the left into the street, an act of courtesy.
   Apparently the driver behind Rick didn't think so and blew his horn. The other driver made the turn, Rick turned in to follow and the driver behind Rick followed. You'd think he was in a hurry but you will see that he was not so time-crunched that he could not take the time to assault Rick.
    The street they were now on is two lanes with a raised grass median between the lanes and a bike lane in each direction. The driver pulled around Rick on the right using the bike lane, got in front and stopped diagonally to block the road. Rick is now stopped on the street between the median and someone's lawn with the car in front blocking.
   The driver got out and approached. "What did you do?" I asked. He stated that he got out of his car. I'm thinking YIKES! and asked how old the other guy was. Rick guessed he was about 35, making him half Rick's age. It ran through my mind that staying in the car was a pretty good option but Rick is not that kind of guy. So he got out to face him.
   "What did he do?" I asked, interested in the development of the situation. "He grabbed me with his left hand on my lapel" and had his right cocked to punch, as Rick described it. When I asked what he did next he said, very matter-of-factly, "I did what you taught me." Rick pinned the hand, struck and locked the elbow with a vertical forearm like the Conquering Shield  technique to get the attacker canceled and up on his toes. "It was perfect, just like you said. I saw the leg and took him down with a looping roundhouse to the back of his leg. I controlled him and had him in a wrist lock, face-down, with my foot on his back to pin him."
   Now, Rick is British and still has a bit of the accent even though he's lived here since the 70's. He continues with "I told him that if he was quite done I'd let him up. He nodded. I covered out, he jumped up and ran to to his car, got in and drove over the median to escape." The mental image of the cover out makes me smile and I get a huge charge out of his polite "If you're quite done I'll let you up" statement.
   "He was going to beat me" was Rick's response when I asked what he thought the man was going to do when he got out of his car. The guy could have simply run his mouth, kicked the car, or something of that nature but Rick was sure the guy was going to get physical. So he handled it.That's Rick - and there are a lot of guys out there just like him. That's why not getting into it with someone is the best course. People get hurt. Rick could have been beaten in the street had he not had the skills and attitude he has. By the way, it's a felony in Florida to attack a senior citizen. Rick could have broken the guy's arm, shattered a kneecap when he took him down, strained or broken his wrist with the lock and stomped him instead of pinning. The amount of force applied was appropriate. Nobody really got hurt although I'm sure there's a bruised ego out there somewhere. How would you like to be that young stud? He has to live with getting all puffed up, grabbing an "old" guy in the street and then getting his ass kicked.
   There's a lot of lessons in this story. Maybe there's something to this Old Guys Rule thing.

War Story

Got this from Tom Saviano in Chicago. He got it from Brad Steiner, a name many of you know. Read on.

These are the kinds of stories that crop up, and that make us happy as hell!

Note: 1. No ground-grappling bullshit
2. More than 1 attacker
3. Elderly man targeted
4. Only simple, basic actions retained from long ago worked
5. ATTITUDE saved the day
6. The multiple attackers were plainly cowards
7. The attack came in a street environment - unexpectedly
8. Initial attacker came from BEHIND
While we prefer actions other than the over-shoulder throw (the first technique employed by O'Dell), note that ALL 8 FACTORS THAT CHARACTERIZED THIS INCIDENT REFLECT EXACTLY THAT WHICH WE HAVE ALWAYS INSISTED IS LIKELY WHEN A REAL ATTACK SITUATION OCCURS!
Brad

******** **********

70-year-old ex-SAS soldier dares to tackle four muggers and wins
A 70-year-old former British soldier who fought guerillas in Aden and Triad gangs in Hong Kong showed four muggers how it doesn't pay to mess with the SAS.
Douglas O'Dell is past retirement age but the moves he learned as a volunteer in Britain's toughest regiment half-a-century ago stood him in good stead when he was ambushed near his home in Bielefeld, Germany, by four local toughs.
The former Provost Sergeant put paid to the danger on the street like he once took out bandits in hotspots across the globe.
THWACK! The first mistake came when one of the teenagers grabbed him around the throat and said in German: "Give my your money, grandad, if you don't want to get hurt."
"Bad move," said Douglas. "The only part he got right was grandad. If you're gonna grab someone from behind take their arms and pin them to their waist.
"This joker, I was able to grab his elbow, crouch down and throw him over my shoulder. He landed on his back on a fence and squealed like a stuck pig."
CRASH! As one went down another moved in and Douglas thought he saw him reaching for a knife. The Birmingham-born divorcee, who has a daughter and three grandchildren, said: "I had the measure of him but I slipped on some wet leaves as he came for me and bashed my face badly on the concrete.
"I saw his boot coming towards my face and I thought: 'No you don't, sunshine.' I grabbed his leg and twisted it until he too was screaming out in agony.
"Then I got to my feet and kicked him in the chest." With two down the two remaining would-be muggers had enough. One peeled his groaning pal from the fence, the other picked up his crippled accomplice from the pavement.
"The last I saw of them they were limping down the pavement like a WW1 trench raiding party who got clobbered," said Douglas.
Douglas, who served nearly nine years with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment before leaving the army in the late 1950s, learned his combat moves when he was accepted for SAS training.
He completed the course and was to join the famous regiment when he contracted malaria and had to leave the army.
"I was upset at the time but I made the best of it. It's funny, but I never thought I would need to know that stuff again, the unarmed combat, but it came back just when I needed it."
The youths ambushed him just 60 feet from the flat he lives in in the British Army garrison town he has called home since 1961.
He went on: "The police only became involved because I went to the hospital with my face. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. They didn't get anything except a bloody good hiding.
"They were German, I think east Germans, from their accent. There have been a lot of break-ins in my road.
"I just didn't think this would happen to me. I was only returning from a pal's place after drinking a few beers."
Douglas, who spent three years as a policeman in Birmingham before returning to Germany to live after his marriage ended, shares his flat with a mongrel dog called Schnuffi.
He still works, as a delivery driver, "because my pension isn't very good." Police in Bielefeld are still looking for his attackers. But a spokesman said: "He had everything under control. These guys picked the wrong guy on the wrong night."

Lineage patch

Jack Nilon in Australia created a lineage patch for us and I have some. If you're in one of our schools you can buy them through the online store on my site at http://www.leewedlake.com/. Thanks, Jack!

Blink

If you read my recent article on implicit or explicit thinking, either the excerpt I posted here or the whole article in my website, you will enjoy Blink. It was written by Malcolm Gladwell, an insightful writer and a columnist for the New Yorker. I read his books, Outliers and The Tipping Point ,originally recommended to me by Teresa WestkaemperPennsylvania (Thanks!). Both were very interesting.
    The book is about how we make decisions, snap decisions in particular. They are made in a blink, hence the title. He posits that often our best decisions are the ones made quickly versus what we are taught, which is to gather as much information as possible, analyze it and make the decision.
   I think it's a good read for martial artists because that's what we have to do when applying our art. We must take in loads of information and react appropriately. He writes that it can take longer to describe a complex reaction(s) than it took to do it and cites many examples. A section on bodyguards is particularly interesting to me and will be to you, too, since it deals with personal protection.
   Gladwell researches his material well and gets top-flight professionals to fuel his information base. In this section on bodyguards he writes about Gavin DeBecker, who wrote The Gift of Fear. That book is now in a second edition and has been referred to as a book "any serious self-defense instructor" uses. I highly recommend it. Every woman I have urged to read it has come back and thanked me. Gladwell made a mistake in Outliers regarding aviation and I sent him an e-mail with the corrections and sources. I did not expect a reply. But he wrote and thanked me and assured the next edition would contain the correction. The items were minor but I felt they affected credibility in a book that I thought was outstanding. It was a pleasant surprise to get the response. Back to the bodyguards. When he gets into reaction time and examples of how your mind works he points out that we can be functionally autistic due to stress reactions. He refers to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's books there, too. Grossman wrote both On Combat and On Killing, two more books you should read. I don't hear kenpo instructors talk about the effects of stress on performance or how it goes all the way down to the biochemical level. The chemicals released into your blood during a stress event differ depending on whether it's physical stress or perceived life-threatening stress. We always said that a hard physical belt test replicated the stress one would experience in a street altercation. Apparently that's not so according to studies. The book will provide some perspective on how we decide to do so much in our lives but when put in the Kenpo perspective, I think it will give you a lot to think about.
   

I hate those guys

That was just to get your attention. I was thinking about how there are three body types. There's a classification that calls them mesomorphs, endomorphs and ectomorphs but that is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the average, round and sharp types.
     Most of our training partners are of the first two. The last is the group that "cuts". I have partners who fall into that category, as you probably do. Most people you work with it's about as comfortable as it can be, considering that you're throwing fists and feet at each other and you get hit now and again. That third group just lets you know every shot is there.
   I call them sharp because most of them are slim people; crane-body types. It seems that their elbows, forerarms, knees, shins, fists and feet are just that much more angular or unpadded than most. So you work with them and it's just one ding after another. Sure you get some of that with the average and round people, that's what karate is about -  making pointy things to hit with. But these guys will slice you up, intentionally or not. Not much you can do about it other than laugh. It's just an observation on one of the small things we run into in martial arts practice.

Online learning site update

The beta testers are in and I'm getting good feedback. We are having a problem on the registration end that absolutely is priority one to get fixed. We've found some other items that are being addressed, too. The comments so far are very encouraging.
   I just uploaded about 15 more clips in the Instructing for Instructors section. They range from appearance and demeanor to descriptions of the Telling/Doing and Demonstration/Performance methods of instruction. Yesterday I shot 15 more of the original Blue belt techniques. When are loaded we will have about 550 videos available for you.

Heard of this?

Chess Boxing! I heard about it on the radio last week and looked it up. It's a blend of boxing and speed chess. Who would have thought? They call it the thinking man's contact sport. From Wiki - "A match consists of up to eleven alternating rounds of boxing and chess. The match begins with a four-minute chess round. This is followed by three minutes of boxing, with rounds of chess and boxing alternating until the end.[1] There is a one minute break between rounds. Speed chess is used, a form in which each player has a total of only twelve minutes for the whole game.

Competitors may win by a knockout, achieving a checkmate, by the judges' decision, or if their opponent's twelve minutes of chess time is exceeded.[1] If a competitor fails to make a move during the chess round, he is issued a warning and he must move within the next 10 seconds.[2] Repeated warnings may result in a disqualification. The players put on headphones so that they do not hear any shouted assistance from the audience."

Here's the Wikipedia description.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_boxing
Here's a YouTube clip.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Wcbd0dJpQ
There are several links available if you want to know more.

This is an example of Grafting!

Carotid choke article

Some of you have asked about the article I had published last year with Dr. Rowe. You can find it for purchase here.
http://www.journalofasianmartialarts.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=103&category_id=23&page=shop.browse&limit=20&limitstart=40

The doctor is in

Dr. Rowe sent this in. This study shows that people will not practice at home alone as much as being with a group. As karate instructors I think we know this. Marketing in studios and health clubs often use buddy deals to get people in so they will have a bit of peer pressure to go to class. I think this study proves this concept. But it also opens the avenues of tele-study, something I have been looking into.

Group tele-exercise for improving balance in elders.
Wu G, Keyes LM.
Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, USA. ge.wu@uvm.edu

Abstract

This study was to assess the level of acceptance and efficacy of a group tele-exercise program designed for balance impaired elders to improve balance and reduce fear of falling. The program would allow a group of elderly subjects to participate in a structured, interactive, and supervised exercise class from their own homes through a videoconferencing system. A total of 17 independent living elderly subjects (mean age, 81 +/- 8 years) participated in the study. An Internet-based videoconferencing device (VCD) was installed in each subject's home, allowing real-time video and audio communication with the exercise instructor and all other participants. The exercise was in the form of Tai Chi Quan, three times per week for 15 weeks. The main study measures included exercise compliance, level of acceptance and satisfaction, and the effectiveness of the exercise program on balance, fear of falling, and general health. Three subjects dropped out of the study. For those remaining, the average compliance was 78% (range, 51% to 98%). All subjects were able to operate the VCD independently, and expressed earnest interest in continuing tele-exercise programs in the future. There were significant improvement (p < 0.05) postexercise in fear of falling score (18%), single leg stance time (43%), Up-and-Go time (21%), and body sway during quiet stance (>8%). This study has demonstrated that the group tele-exercise program is acceptable and welcomed by elders, and is effective for improving balance and reducing fear of falling.

PMID: 17042710 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

European Kenpo

I was over in Athens, Greece this past weekend. John Fillipidis had me as his guest. I was able to work with John privately and you can tell he's been paying attention to his lessons. His students know quite a bit about concept and principle, which shows me he's passing it on. They have depth of knowledge. John and his people ask good questions. I believe it's ingrained in the Greek mind to think deeply; Socrates, Plato and others come to mind. Their physical skills are very good and they have solid stances and footwork.

    Marc Sigle, from Esslingen, Germany came along with me. We had a great time in Athens. The people there were friendly and went out of their way to show us a good time. John took us down to the Acropolis area to walk around the Plaka and stroll through the Agora. It's a park today but many, many years ago it was where the market, Senate, temples and more were located. John told me it was where Socrates and others spent their time. It was a treat to walk the same ground.

   The lessons I taught were well-received. It was cool to work with guys named Panos, Yiannis, Achillies and Adonis. John himself is a craftsman, he works with wood. He made this for me, and the Ed Parker image for Marc. His attention to detail carries over to his teaching and execution of the art. John is intense.

On the way home I stopped at Marc Sigle's studio, where they are no less excited about Kenpo. I taught a big class or two there. Marc's people hit and they're fast. And it's good to see people I have come to know over time like Nadja, Paul, Lenny, Hannah, Paula, Griet, Andy (both of them), Anka, Friedeman, Kevin and the rest. It is interesting to see the cultural differences in the countries there and compare them to home. People are the same all over in many respects but they are also different. I ame very fortunate to be invited to the schools and privileged to carry the flame of the Parker system forward. I never thought I would be in these places, teaching the artt, when I first started.

New studio opening in Louisiana

On Monday, July 5th, two of our PKS black belts are opening a new studio in Covington, near New Orleans. Dr. Francis Rene and Mr. Danny Sullivan will operate it. Both are 4th degree black belts. Dr. Rene worked with Huk Planas for years and now studies with Mr. Steve White of Manchester, New Hampshire. Danny Sullivan is one of my home-grown Florida black belts. They are working closely with Steve White on the business end, which will certainly insure their success. Steve has what is probably the largest all-Parker Kenpo studio in the US. I wish them the best of luck. Their contact info is below.

Covington Karate Studio
812 S. Tyler St. Suite C
Covington, LA 70433
985-893-9644

Member subscriptions

If you're a member on my website, that means you have a paid annual subscription to the Member Section, you may have been cancelled recently by PayPal. They tell me that if any member has recently changed their credit card or payment info and not updated it in the registration section of my site, you get cancelled automatically. Many of your names have come up recently as cancelling and some of you have contacted me to say you did not want to. Please go in and check to see that your info is current.
   I don't know a whole lot about this technical stuff and suspect there may be something else involved but it's a place to start. Sorry for the inconvenience.

New Member Section article

I had uploaded my latest article to the Member Section of my website at http://www.leewedlake.com/ entitled Implicit or Explicit. It's about memory. Here's an excerpt.

Brain researchers say that unconscious thought is what accounts for making decisions in micro-seconds. Quarterbacks must develop the ability to recognize patterns and apply them to a set of options, then select the option that will be successful. Sound familiar? You see the punch coming, determine if it’s right or left, straight, round, overhead or uppercut and whether you have room to step forward, back or to the side. You somehow decide if you should block or parry. Should it be inside, outside, over or under? Front hand, rear hand or both? Which foot forward? How much force to be applied? You do all this in the space of time it takes for the opponent to cover roughly the distance of a step-through or closer. And you make it work! How did you do that?

Seminars in Pennsylvania and Georgia

I was at Marc Shay's school in Broomall, PA (near Philly) and then down to Keith Mathew's studio in Canton, GA (near Atlanta) this past week. I had been in Washington, DC for Rolling Thunder over the Memorial Day weekend and stayed up there for some extra time. Sam Babikian in PA arranged to have me over to the Mr. Shay's. We had a good turnout for my session on family groupings with emphasis on body mechanics. Mike Corsello and Stephanie Hammond came down with students from their studio in North Wales and Brian Price made the trip over from the Reading area. Brian donated his body to science as my demo partner. It was my first time there and the group was a pleasure to work with.

    Since I had come up with friends from Florida and we trailered our motorcycles, I planned to ride back down to Florida. I did a combination of side roads, interstates and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's been a while since I'd ridden in the mountains so it was a bit mentally exhausting but I got my "groove" back quickly. I stopped in Roanoke, VA and Maggie Valley, NC for overnights before arriving at Keith's studio on Friday.

     I did four sessions for him there, including one for kids. Long 2, club and gun defenses for the adults and push defense for the kids. My good friend, Robert Wallace (some of you knew him as Robert Ray), showed up from Spartanburg, SC. He's been with me for 16 years and was the one who introduced me to Keith. We had discussed Keith's progress and I decided it was time to move him up to third black. We did his promotion just before lunch, between the seminars. Keith has been working steadily toward the rank, both having me up and travelling down to Ft. Myers. His students are showing that he's passing on the lessons - everyone is improving. My congrats to him!

  That's Keith with his youngest son, Parker and pictures of his kick up.

Rolling Thunder

I've always wanted to go to this event, one of the largest motorcycle events in the US. It's on the Sunday of every Memorial Day weekend for the last 23 years. This year, when my friends asked me if I could go, I was able to say yes. Six of us went up from Fort Myers, a thousand mile trip, one-way.
   The event started to raise awareness of the POW-MIA situation and has broadened to include a salute to all veterans. Last year they said they had 260,000 motorcycles show up and this year were expecting a half-million! The parade started at noon but we were staged at 7am, which put us somewhat toward the front. It still took us 40 minutes to get out of the parking lot after the first bike left. By the way, the parking lot was the north lot of the Pentagon. I have never seen that many motorcycles in one place in my life.

   While we were killing time, a B-52 bomber flew over at low level. Very appropriate, since the name "Rolling Thunder" was first used as a bombing mission name during the Vietnam war where those bombers continuously saturated that country.

    We rode the parade route through downtown DC. There were thousands of people lining the streets, waving, cheering, holding signs and yelling their thanks to the veterans. It was a touching experience. You may not agree with war but the troops say "Hate the game, not the players". The veterans deserve recognition and they got it that day. I'm glad I was there to see and be part of it.

   Many of our group were heading back to Florida the same day so we decided not to attend the activities at the Vietnam memorial. We rode back to the hotel and passed the Pentagon again, where the lot was still half-full of bikes. I don't know if they made the half-million mark but there were a whole lot of motorcycles in Washington that day.