As many as 7 million people practice martial arts in the U.S. This includes anything from passive and peaceful arts like Tai Chi, to extreme combat arts like MMA. People practice these arts for different reasons . . . improved fitness, stress reduction, flexibility, self-defense, self-discipline, and competition to name a few. These are all great things to take from the martial arts, but for those who can manage a longer stay in the “arts”, there are benefits that go much deeper and are more rewarding. So, what is this sorcery . . . the secret sauce . . . the magical unicorn? We can use different words for it but, one good one is clarity. Other words like Zen, nirvana, or enlightenment tend to make many people squirm. Most Americans look at these as some flaky mysticism, or proverbial snake oil. A good portion of martial artist in the west don’t get it and, in many cases, they don’t want to get it. They can invest a good portion of their lives to training in the martial arts and completely miss this critical aspect of development. Over time, dedicated training should help us develop the ability to minimize distractions, noise, confusion, and drama in our lives. We can become more aware of our surroundings, more aware of ourselves, more aware of others, and of the world as a whole. The longer we train the more aware we become. Eventually, we can more clearly see important things about ourselves, and what is truly important in our lives, in our community, and in the world. Martial arts training can also be empowering. Learning strategies that neutralize aggression can make students feel more secure about themselves. Often people refer to this as building “confidence” but, this can easily be confused with, or even cultivated as arrogance. This should be avoided at all costs! Slipping into a contrived confidence will not only make us a monster that few people will want to be around, but will also sabotage any progress or real understanding of the art we’re practicing. REAL confidence is the ability to stay relaxed and focused in all situations. It is believing in yourself, but staying humble. We want to be genuinely comfortable with being grounded and based in truth. This mentality will help us keep a pragmatic understanding of how our art functions in reality. We should also learn to “live in the moment.” This principle trains us to focus on what’s happening now, and not be distracted by what has happened or might happen. Letting go of the past is important, because we can’t change the past. We can only learn from it. Worrying about the future will rob us of a happy present and, ironically, distract us from planning our actual future effectively! Focusing on our present allows us to perform better and experience more fully whatever we do . . . whether its our work, sports, recreation or just relaxing. With better awareness, genuine confidence, and the ability to focus on the present its much easier to have a more positive outlook on life. We learn to minimize negativity, and focus on the positive aspects of our lives. We are free to think more clearly and make sound decisions. We can intelligently build and tailor our lives in a way that makes us and the people around us happy. We can learn to be truly relaxed and enjoy ourselves more. Often times, students will gain clarity about what they really want out of life, and make some major changes. They may go back to college, they change jobs, they move to a different area, they start a family, etc. Sometimes they actually stop training as a result of these changes, without realizing that the “arts” helped them arrive at the new understanding of themselves. This is still a good thing and, when this happens, instructors and friends can still feel good that the student is happier and improving their life. Essentially, the martial arts unicorn is about living a long, productive and happy life. Its being a leader in the community for being helpful and kinder to others. Its being less angry, frustrated, hostile and confrontational. Its about being comfortable socially and not afraid of other people or groups. It’s stability during the inevitable peaks and valleys on the roller-coaster of life. It’s being able to adapt to changes moment to moment, day to day, and year to year. Its inner peace and harmonizing with our world. We will all experience good and bad times and, eventually, our lives will end. Being able to enjoy or at least endure these things well will improve the quality of our lives, as well as that of those around us. ZenQuest’s Mixed Martial Arts team went 2-0 again on Friday, April 24th. Matt “The Machine” Bienia and Neil “Beast Mode” Von Flatern were two of the fights on a full card in Kaged Kombat 22 on April 24th in Saratoga, New York. Matt and Neil, once again, dominated game opponents in front of a nearly sold out crowd...including about forty supporters from Team Z. Both fighters showed great calm and composure before and during their fights and THAT, ultimately, proved to be a key piece of their victories. First up was Neil who faced Art “Fists of Fury” Scovens. Scovens, who was 2-1 going into the contest, had demonstrated solid kickboxing skills in his previous bouts and had a significant reach advantage over Neil. At the outset of this contest, the fighters touched gloves and began to measure each other. “Beast Mode” pressed forward for a takedown and Art intelligently used lateral movement to evade. The two returned to the center of the cage and continued to feel each other out. Evidently, Art’s strategy was to wait for Neil to attack, and try to counter with strikes as he moved in. Neil’s was a similar strategy, trying catch Art with a takedown as he moved forward. Once Neil realized that Art was not being as aggressive as he had been in the past, he attacked with an overhand right and pinned Art against the cage. Neil immediately executed a high “double-leg” to take Art down and quickly established control on the ground. He gradually took advantage of Scovens’ movement to improve his position. Once Neil was in the “Mounted Position” he was able to secure a “Guillotine Choke” and finish the fight at 1:47 of the first round. Next up was Matt Bienia versus Matt Woods. Woods is a Law Enforcement Officer and former Military Policeman who now trains MMA. After touching gloves, these two squared up and Woods immediately landed a solid right leg-kick. Bienia reset and then returned a blistering right leg-kick of his own followed by a glancing straight right. The “Machine” then threw another right leg-kick and dropped down to shoot in for a double-leg takedown. Woods tried to counter by reversing the takedown, but Bienia stabilized the situation, maintaining a somewhat awkward top position. Woods tried to establish a “crucifix” hold from the bottom, but Bienia was able to escape and improve his position to a “North-South Turtle” situation. Bienia began to apply pressure by using punches and knees to strike, and setting up chokes from that position. Eventually, Woods stood up and the “Machine” was able to sink a Standing Guillotine choke to finish the fight at 2:30 of the first round! The wins pushed the team’s winning streak up to 6-0! Last year Neil had two wins, and Matt and Eugene Plekhanov each had one. Only one of those wins were by Unanimous Decision, while the others were all via dominating finishes! Although it may be difficult for some to see how the intensity and chaos of Mixed Martial Arts relates to self-defense and their own training, many people believe that MMA is actually the best way to test martial arts and self-defense skills. Even though 98% of the students at ZenQuest will never compete on this level, the success of the fight team is an indication of the effectiveness of the arts, and quality of instruction here! The next Kaged Kombat event is scheduled for Saturday, June 20th. It is likely that Team ZenQuest will be at that one, too! Please stay tuned for more details and possibly a big announcement!! Our 2015 Children’s Tournament was a big success! Dozens of students from as far away as Stoughton, Massachusetts rose to the occasion and performed beautifully at the event’s 25th annual installment. The kids demonstrated and competed in Kumite or point-sparring, Jiu-jitsu sparring, and a variety of Kata or forms divisions. Nearly 100 trophies and fifty medals were awarded to the brave students who met the challenge and showed their skills in front of the judges...AND a sizeable crowd of onlookers! This kind of experience is amazing for developing confidence and poise in young people that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. The process of preparing for, and performing their skills under pressure ALWAYS improves the students’ abilities in the martial arts...regardless of any trophies and medals! All of this also helps the students progress in their pursuit of the ultimate goal of achieving the Black Belt!! Congratulations to ALL of the tournament participants!! Special thanks to all of the volunteers who made the event a reality, too. See you all next year!! ZenQuest’s Jiu-jitsu guru Demian Maia dominated undefeated up-and-comer Ryan LaFlare in the main event of the UFC’s Fight Night Rio on March 21st. The Unanimous Decision for his 20th appearance in the “Big Show” was in spite of a debilitating case of “Osteomyelitis” (a severe bone infection) in the fall of last year that kept Demian from training, and weakened his body for over four months. The set backs from the injury took their toll in the last round of the fight, but for the first four rounds, Demian was nothing short of brilliant with an incredible display of wrestling and Jiu-jitsu strategies. Just a few days after his fight, Demian traveled to ZenQuest to provide training for most of his North American affiliate schools. Instructors from Florida, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Washington and, of course, ZenQuest were drilled on technique and strategy, teaching standards, and class structure in Demian’s Jiu-jitsu system. Demian was assisted by his own Instructors Silvio Moraes and Marcelo “Manga” Fraguas. In all, fourteen hours of intensive training were covered over the four days between Thursday, March 26th and Sunday, March 29th. Demian also conducted an open three-hour seminar on Saturday, March 28th. Almost fifty participants, including five kids, learned some amazing material for both Gi (with the traditional uniform) and No-Gi (without.) Students saw several new strategies for different situations, AND some new twists on other “old school” techniques. At the end of the seminar four students from ZenQuest were promoted including: Mike Jezak to Blue Belt, Dan Dufur to 1-stripe Blue, Herb Gregg received his Purple Belt, and Tim Somerville was promoted to 1-stripe Purple Belt. Also, at the end of the affiliate training, some of the affiliate instructors were promoted including Coach Connie, who received her 2nd-stripe Brown Belt, and Coach Mark who received his 3rd-stripe Brown Belt. Demian and his management team are in the process of developing systems to better organize and publicize their affiliate network. One of the improvements soon to come is a new website which features more information about his affiliate schools and their Instructors. Other improvements that Demian and his team covered in the affiliate training will be phased into ZenQuest’s Jiu-jitsu program over the coming months. These include the addition of some “Fundamentals” classes to schedule for newer students, and some adjustments to the regular class format. These are all ultimately designed to enhance students’ learning experience and produce even better Jiu-jitsu players under Demian Maia! While Demian was here, he appeared on the Slater and Meg morning show on Live 95.9 Berkshire Radio. DJ Mike Heck, a big MMA fan, interviewed Professor Maia . . . asking several really interesting questions about the process of preparing for a typical fight. Coach Mark was also asked to talk about the Jiu-jitsu program at ZenQuest, and why Demian's particular style of BJJ is practiced there. The answer: The combination of Demian's effectiveness on the mat and in the cage, with his systematic approach to teaching AND his down to earth, even temperament is PERFECT for ZenQuest! Congrats to all of those promoted and thanks to everyone who participated in the seminar and affiliate training. Special thanks to Demian and his team!! On Friday, April 24th two members of Team ZenQuest will enter the MMA cage in Saratoga, New York. The “Kaged Kombat” event will take place at the Saratoga Springs City Center, and is scheduled to get underway at 8:00 PM (with doors opening at 7:00 pm.) Representing ZenQuest will be Neil “Beast Mode” Von Flatern and Matt “Machina” Bienia! Neil, with a record of 2-0, will be facing Art “Fist of Fury” Scovens, 2-1 at 170 pounds. Neil, currently ranked #16 in New York’s amateur 170 pound fighters, has dominated both of his opponents with grappling, but also solid striking skills. Scovens is an independent fighter originally form Baltimore, Maryland, who has a strong stand-up game. Matt Bienia will be squaring off with newcomer Matt Woods at 170 pounds. Bienia showed great grappling and striking in his debut, which ended via TKO in the second round. Woods, from Ticonderoga, New York, is a former Air Force Security officer and currently works in Law Enforcement. He has experience in striking and tactical grappling. Eugene Plekhanov, who currently has the ZenQuest record for quickest finish, was also scheduled to fight in this event, but his opponent dropped out recently. Please join us in supporting Neil and Matt on the 24th as they try to continue a perfect winning streak from 2014! The event will have a full card of other fights sure to make for an exciting night. Tickets for the event are $40 each and you can pick up “Fan Cards” at ZenQuest now. Jiu-jitsu and MMA standout Demian Maia is scheduled to visit the Berkshires again in late March. Demian will be conducting certification training for his north American affiliates between March 26th and 29th, as well as providing an open seminar on March 28th. The three-hour seminar will feature some of the strategies that earned Demian several world Jiu-jitsu titles and top-contender status in the UFC. The cost for the event will be $100 for pre-registration (up until March 26th), and $120 for registration thereafter.
Demian’s visit will follow his 20th appearance in the UFC on March 21st. This time, he will be facing up-and-comer Ryan LaFlare in the “Main Event” of UFC’s Fight Night Brazil on in Rio De Janeiro. He is a national hero in his homeland of Brazil, and recognized around the word for his effective Jiu-jitsu strategies in MMA. kids and parents! It’s time to start planning for the 2015 Youth tournament. An annual event for ages eighteen and under, the tournament is an amazing opportunity for ZenQuest’s younger students to show off and sharpen their skills. They also gain invaluable experience in the process for rank advancement...and for life! The event is for students of ALL abilities and age levels. Kids can participate several different categories, including: Kata (forms), Kumite (point sparring), Creative Kata, Team Events, and Jiu-jitsu! Although there are awards like Ribbons, Medals and trophies...the emphasis in all is on learning and having fun!! This year’s tournament is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 21. The event will start at 10:00 AM and usually wraps up between 3:00 and 4:00 PM. So, let’s mark our calendars and bump up our training to prepare for the best annual event for the kids at ZenQuest!! See you there. ZenQuest’s Kobudo program is growing! Since it’s start-up in the Fall of 2013 this traditional art has developed a solid group of dedicated students...and captures the attention of many new students. In the coming year, this program will expand in both the weapons and drills included. The word Kobudo refers to classical weapons training from the Ryukyu islands (or Okinawa.) During the feudal period in history, the ruling Japanese banned the Okinawans from owning or using the most advanced weapons of the time. Consequently, the Ryukyu people developed ways to protect themselves using common tools and everyday items. So, Kobudo at ZenQuest includes training for weapons like: the Bo (staff), the Nunchaku (chorded sticks), the Sai (Okinawan Daggers), the Jiffa (Hairpins), and Escrima sticks. Very soon, we will add more Kata (individual routines) for these weapons, as well as prearranged sparring drills for Bo vs. Bo and Bo vs. Sai! We will also soon add Kata for the Tekko (horse stirrups.) Plans are also in the works to add another class to the current schedule. We’re looking forward to some great training and fun in this exciting martial art in 2015! |
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