PA seminar

My visit to Brian Price's studio in Leesport, PA was great. Mr. Price and his people are a great group. The kids class was big fun, and adults came from other schools as well, resulting in two well-attended seminars. The subjects were family groupings and I covered some self-defense concepts using an idea of breaking a technique in half.
I'm looking forward to going back later this year.

The doctor is in

Dr. Rowe found this and passed it on to me about tai chi and diabetes.

London, Apr 1: Tai Chi Chuan, the traditional Chinese martial arts exercises, could help curb symptoms of type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.The study suggested that Tai Chi might prompt a fall in blood glucose levels, or improve blood glucose metabolism, triggering a drop in the inflammatory response, reports the British Medical Journal.The findings of the study indicate that regular Tai Chi Chuan exercise improves T cell helper function of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with an increase in T-bet transcription factor and IL-12 production.T cells are a vital constituent of the body's immune system, which generate powerful chemicals, including interleukins (ILs), which alter the immune response.For the study, the scientists examined the impact of a 12-week programme of Tai Chi exercises on the T helper cell activity of 30 patients with type 2 diabetes and 30 healthy people of the same age.The researchers observed that at the end of the 12-week programme, there was a significant fall of 7.59 percent to 7.16 percent in the glycated haemoglobin levels in the diabetic patients. It was found that the levels of interleukin-12, which boosts the immune response, doubled; while the levels of interleukin-4, which suppresses the immune response fell. In addition, there was a significant increase in T cell activity.The authors of the study said that strenuous physical activity result in disruption of the immune system response, but moderate exercise appears to trigger the opposite effect. Tai Chi is classified as moderate exercise.Previous research has shown that it boosts cardiovascular and respiratory function, as well as improving flexibility and relieving stress, they added.Tai Chi may prompt a fall in blood glucose levels, or improve blood glucose metabolism, sparking a drop in the inflammatory response.In a separate study, a 12 week programme of Tai Chi and Qigong (another Chinese exercise) prompted a significant fall in blood glucose levels and significant improvements in other indicators of the metabolic syndrome in 11 middle aged to older adults.The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms, including high blood pressure and high blood glucose that is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.The study was published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. (ANI)

Force progessions, etc

In my website I have a section for members that has an article entitled The question that won't go away, about use of force. This was added to it as a follow-up in answer to a rhetorical question I ask. It's submitted by Australian instructor Tony Perez. Have a look.

Hi Lee,

Thank you for posting our recent discussion on your blog (the question that won't go away) To answer your last question, "what are you going to do about it", I'd like to share with you the the mental conditioning I've introduced for my students.

1. Establish your belief system. Notice I've stated "your" belief system rather than "a" belief system. This is much more empowering. Your belief system establish clearly not only what you should and would fight but also that you can defend yourself. Just as importantly it gives you permission to fight. This programming instills the self confidence neeeded in step 2.

2. Let a smile and handshake guide your life. Your clearly defined belief system enables you to allow good manners and courtesy to be your first responses thus providing you with a tool to avoid confrontation. After all the best defence is not to be in harms way in the first place right? This level of thinking supports step 3

3. Respond with reason rather than emotion. This can be summed up simply as believing that,
" those who talk, can be pursuaded to walk." But there is a certain skill set needed to do this which leads to step 4.

4. Use choice speech. Engage in tactical dialogue to bring the person in front of you "off the boil". Rule of thumb to achieve this - never tell an angry person to "calm dowm" The key here is to use empathy. Over 2000 years of civilisation and we still don't get it that you don't fight fire with fire. Step 5 brings in the legal angle.

5. Ask Bruce. I've introduced a use of force model adapted from our states Police service which is what they are held accountable to. I've coined this the Bruce L.E.E. model. Basically when push comes to shove, to be deemed as having acted reasonably in the eyes of our state laws you must ask yourself is your intended response;- Lawful; Ethical and Effective. Hence the phrase "Ask Bruce" Once you've reached this point there is only step 6 remaining.

6. Resolute Action. If a physical response is your only option then basically it comes down to "He who hesitates will meditate in a horizontal position."

Anyway, Lee, this is my contibution to try and answer "the question that won't go away"

Cheers,
Tony

Belated birthday

March 19 was Ed Parker's birthday. He would have been 77 year old this month. Some of us were discussing, with some disbelief, that it's been close to 20 years since he passed.
He and I shared the same astrological sign, Pisces. Descriptions of Piscean characteristics often include being a dreamer. One thing I can say is that he wasn't a dreamer in the sense that he'd just think about things and never take action - he made things happen. And with all he accomplished you'd think he was a big, brash guy. Not so, being on the quiet side was a characteristic we shared, too. Mrs. Parker told me he didn't talk much. But, like the old E.F. Hutton commercials used to say, when he talked, people listened.
I seem to remember the date of his passing better than his birthday and I missed the date again this year. Better to remember late than not at all.

Bunny Run

Here in Ft. Myers and in other cities, bikers get together to have a "Bunny Run" at Easter. It's like the Christmas Toys for Tots runs for kids that are so popular. Everyone brings a toy and we drop them in a bin at the local hospital.

There were about 300 bikes starting out from the Harley dealership this morning on a 21 mile ride to Lee Memorial's Health Park hospital. We were escorted by the county sheriff's deputies and jammed up traffic all over town at the height of tourist season.

I rode in with a group of friends from the Special Forces Motorcycle Club. We were told that stuffed animals could not be given to the kids but the evening before I had run into the Katz family, whose son and daughter are Kenpo students and they gave me this big, stuffed Easter Bunny to get to the kids. I had to bungee him to my back as you see in the photos and we were a bit of a hit. A reporter came by to ask me both my and the rabbit's name. Had to name her Anna, after the Katz young'in. I took "Anna" upstairs to the Pediatric unit for the nurses. The nurse who took custody with a laugh said "She needs resuscitation, she's blue." I replied we had to ride in the rain a bit but she'd be Ok. She thanked me and all the hundreds of bikers that participated. I have to thank nurses, they're incredible.

The next event here in Ft. Myers is for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation on 11-12 April to raise money for their scholarship fund. You can see an article titled "The Warrior Foundation" about it elsewhere in this blog.

Happy Easter from "Anna" and all of us here in Ft. Myers.

Stormin' Norman

General Norman Schwartzkopf is known as "Stormin' Norman". He will be in Florida the first weekend of April for a function. From what I understand he and Paul Newman have several camps around the country to help children. The event in April will recognize contributors to the fund that makes this possible.

Brad and Colbi Congress of Bradley's Fine Jewelers in Ft. Myers were commissioned to design a pin to be given to those donors. Brad is one of my black belts. He has created a Five Swords pendant from the artwork by Ed Parker Jr., which you see at the top of the picture here.

The General will be presented with one of the Five Swords warrior pendants along with this certificate. The certificate is signed by Ed Jr, Brad and myself. Brad is a key person in something called the "E-Generation", one of the reasons why the list of E-related principles is on the certificate. If you're "green" you'll be interested in what Brad is doing. (239) 337-2723. If you want to get one of the Five Swords pendants, go to my online store at www.leewedlake.com.

I'm honored that Brad included me in this recognition for General Schwartzkopf, one inspirational person.

Kenpo Karate 601 update

Kenpo 601 is almost ready to go to the printer. I'm hoping it will be out by May. Preface by Chicago's Kurt Barnhart, cover by Ed Parker Jr. This will be the last of the form book series. Let someone else write Seven and Eight, 201 thru 601 took six years.