Shoka Magazine April 2024

Marty Callahan

8th Degree Black

Belt

April 1, 2024

Captain of Your Own Aircraft Carrier – The U.S.S. Gerald Ford

Last month Sensei Reece Flaherty and myself visited the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. We were there with a group of martial art school owners to learn more about how the U.S. Navy develops leaders and what it takes to operate a top-notched martial art school. For more detail, please read the accompanying article. By the way U.S. aircraft carriers are named after U.S. Presidents.

Welcome to our new and returning students: Alexis Cambigue, Estaban and Alan Barrera, Brian Alderman, Everett Weigand, Manuel Astacio, Tamiko Powell, Hudson Shaw, Isaih Flores, Andrei Cherin, Lexani Goodwin, Yariel Baltazar, Phillip Addor, Alani Irish, Audie Hernandez, Guilietta Gonzalez, Stella Gutierrez, Waylon Wilson, Giovanni Scalfaro, Anayeli Ortuno, Missael Flores

Here’s what’s on the calendar for spring right now:

• Fri. April 12: Return of Sensei Kevin Warner + Black Belt Exam

• Sat. April 13: Sensei Warner and Spring 2024 Santa Rosa Invitational Karate Tournament

• Mon. & Tues. April 15-16: Instructional Period 2 Performance Exams in class

• Sat. April 20: Spring 2024 Award Ceremony at the Finley Center

• Sat. & Sun. April 27-28: Home Show... stop by and see us!

Here’s what’s in it this month’s Shoka Magazine:

• Our visit to Norfolk Naval Academy and Tour of the U.S.S. Gerald Ford

• Return of Sensei Kevin Warner: teaching classes and giving Black Belt Exam

• Spring 2024 Santa Rosa Invitational Karate Tournament

• Spring 2024 Award Ceremony 6p Saturday, April 20th Finley Community Center

• Article: Fists of Femininity, by our very own Rhonda Alderman

Yours truly,

Marty Callahan, Chief Instructor, 8th Degree Black Belt, Speaker, Award Winning Author of The Hero’s Journey Act I – The Separation

Shotokan Karate Leadership School®

3082 Marlow Road B1, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 707-575-1681-ph, 707-861-0092-txt

Marty Callahan 8th Degree Black Belt

Our Visit to the Norfolk Virginia Naval Base

“Warriors are not what you think of as warriors. The warrior is not someone who fights, for no one has the right to take another life. The warrior, for us, is the one who sacrifices himself for the good of others. His task is to take care of the elderly, the defenseless, those who cannot provide for themselves, and above all, the children, the future of humanity.”

-Sitting Bull, Hunkpapa Lakota Indian Chief

Captain of Your Own Aircraft Carrier – The U.S.S. Gerald Ford

Last month Sensei Reece Flaherty and myself visited the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. We were there with a group of martial art school owners to learn more about how the U.S. Navy develops leaders and what it takes to operate a top-notched martial art school. We had the opportunity to tour the U.S.S. Gerald Ford – the largest aircraft carrier in the world. If it stood up it would be taller than the Empire State Building. It is powered by two nuclear reactors. It was immense to say the least. We were duly impressed.

We also had the opportunity to listen to a seminar presented by Robert Pizzini. Mr. Pizzini is a veteran of 26 years in Navy Special Operations and the owner of a multi-million-dollar business, He shared his experiences, successes, and failures with us. He is a leadership coach, a mentor, and a speaker. We also picked up a copy of his book: Elevate Your Leadership: How to Develop, Maintain and Advance Lifelong Leadership. Here are some nuggets from his seminar. There is a lot more detail to this. If you’d like more information, I’d suggest that you visit Amazon and pick up a copy of his book.

Training is teaching the skill, coaching is learning how to use the skill, and mentoring is learning where we are going, with this skill.

When you are looking for a team member or staff member look for commitment not compliance You have a voice but not a vote.

Ask why 5 times.

All of us have peak times, down times (trough), and recovery times. Mono – stereo – surround sound.

Mono is when you are only paying attention to yourself. Stereo is when you are paying attention to yourself and the one or two people around you. Surround sound is when you are paying attention to the wide audience you have.

There is a science to leadership that includes the following: Rest, hydration, nutrition, exercise, brain and heart health, and lifelong learning. Health actions include: sticking to the schedule, exercising early in the day, avoiding alcohol before bed, drinking ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily, drinking 2 glasses of water upon waking up, watch your waistline, watch your blood markers and keep up your grip strength, practice breathing using high intensity exercise for 4 minutes then rest for 30 seconds then start again. Exercise: reach an accelerated heart rate and hold it for 20 minutes 3 times a week. This could be from high intensity sprints. Work on resistance exercises for the legs, arms, torso, knee, and shoulders. This is just a small portion of what we learned. It was a great experience. Our next trip is to Evergreen, Colorado in May of 2024.

Shotokan Karate Leadership School®

3082 Marlow Road B1, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

707-575-1681

The Return of Sensei Kevin Warner 7th Degree Black Belt!

We are excited to announce the return of Instructor Extraordinaire, Sensei Kevin Warner, on Friday, April 12th and Saturday, April 13th. Sensei Warner is a former international competitor and a member of the Advisory Committee of Shotokan International Alliance He will be here to teach classes, give a Black Belt Exam and assist us in presenting our Spring 2024 Santa Rosa Invitational Karate Tournament. He’s an extraordinary instructor and his classes are in high demand. Please sign up in advance. You don’t want to miss this.

Friday, April 12th

5p Shoka / BBSL All Ranks & All Ages

6p All Brown and Black Belts, All Ages 7p Black Belt Exam

Saturday, April 13th

9a Shoka / BBSL All Ranks Age 7 and up

10a All White, Yellow and Orange Belts, All Ages 10:30a to 12:30p Santa Rosa Invitational Karate Tournament

Mark your calendars now!

Spring 2024 Santa Rosa Invitational Karate Tournament

Location: Shotokan Karate Leadership School®

Date & Time: 10:30a Saturday, April 13th

Spring 2024 Award Ceremony

Location: Finley Community Center

Date & Time: 6p Saturday, April 20th

Rhonda Alderman

Fists of Femininity

Have you ever desired but declined from participating in an activity which did not exactly fit your gender? The truth is that we often deprive ourselves from doing what we really want to do in order to conform with society’s norms and may miss out on some of life's greatest experiences.

As I was growing up my mother put me in dance lessons for 5 years and then in competitive gymnastics for another 5 years. I wanted to do these activities, but here I am, 25 years old, and participating in an activity that doesn’t suit my gender – martial arts – and I love it.

In the beginning my mind and body resisted. I believed that only men could throw a good punch. It felt a bit uncouth for me, a young woman, to punch and generate maximized power for the execution of an effective punch or kick.

When I began training, I pulled my hair back, wiped off my lipstick and took on the attitude of ‘go for it’. There were 30 students in the class, with 5 of them being women. But still there was a strong feeling of equality and respect for each other.

I encountered both men and some women, put up an invisible security wall, after realizing I was training in martial arts, as a woman. It was interesting to observe. It’s more what society was like at that time and the conditioning it had imposed on them

I completely love what I am doing and feel very feminine in a much more balanced way. I don’t feel like a one-sided person who is only accustomed to what is expected of her gender. I feel balanced because I love dressing up, putting on make-up, perfume and simultaneously feeling self-reliant from the inner confidence that I have from knowing that I can take care of myself if I’m in danger and not having to rely on someone else.

I feel very fortunate that I was lucky enough to have a chance to experience what I love and that’s what makes me the happiest. I appreciate martial arts specialness, preeminently when I acknowledge how very easily it could have been lost from my life if I had succumbed to the idealistic role of being the ‘proper female’.

Rhonda wrote this article in 1990 when she was 25 years old. She is an accomplished martial artist having previously earned a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Shorinji Kempo. She started training with us about 6-8 months ago with her two sons Brandon, age 16, and Brian, age 26 They love being here and are a great addition to our school.

707-575-1681