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Academy Christmas Message

Welcome to the spring edition of The Academia and The Academys final newsletter for 2012. As the end of the year approaches and we begin celebrating the festive season, it is appropriate to talk about the spirit of Christmas and The Academy. Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese sage once wrote; I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience and compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Wise words indeed, all too often we become wrapped up in the presentation of Christmas. Worrying over the smallest details, we forget about the bigger picture. Celebrate life, with your friends, your family, and yourselfthat is simple; smile, laugh and most importantly breathe deeply. There is a saying; for a childs first three birthdays just give them an empty box their imagination allows it to become a racing car, a spaceship, a castle and a cave to explore all in one afternoon. Allow yourself this Christmas to get back in touch with simplicity. Make this Christmas your ultimate training ground. While others rush around and stress to the point of anger ask yourself what is really important? Be humble, kind and harmonious in all of your dealings, remember one of the most important lessons The Academy asks you to learn, whether you train in Kempo or Tai Chi, is to accept change and be flexible not only in body but mind as well. That is one of the keys to patience. Try not to judge friends, family and strangers this Christmas. Accept people as they are. It is easy to love the saint, harder the sinner. Understand that as the commercial advertising machine of Christmas gets into full swing many people lose all sense of common decency in the mad rush. Step back, enjoy the journey and show a little compassion to those unfortunate people who have not yet discovered the benefits of training at The Academy. A merry and safe Christmas to all

Volume 4 Issue 4 October 2012

Inside this issue:

Academy News Training over Christmas Tai Chi Term Four news Shaolin Kempo Term Four news The Dragons of China Finish & start dates for 2012/2013 Important dates for Tai Chi Important dates for Shaolin Kempo 7 2 3 4

Business owners who train 10 at The Academy

The science of Martial Arts The future of fitness

ACADEMY NEWS
Page 2

The Academia

Christmas raffles open for all to enjoy

Last year the students were asked to donate items to make up Christmas baskets. With the wonderful success of last ye a r s C h r i s t m a s r a f f l e s , The Academy is again running this end of year event. Tickets for the Christmas hampers or Three Keas painting are $2.00 each and open to all friends and fa milies o f The Academy. Purchased your tickets off your local Instructors from November onwards . Draws will be made at the Tai Chi Christmas function and the Christmas baskets will be delivered the following week. Tickets for the main Christmas So ask not, what can Hamper will be available only on The Academy do for me, the day. So enter the Christmas instead ask yourself what spirit, give a little and maybe get a can I do for The Academy. Contributions can Last year our unorganized collection yielded be given to your five hampers and one super basket. local Instructors for Lets make this years baskets even collection. bet t er . We a lr ead y ha ve Cambridge artist Claire prizes including three month Hughes has donated a Academy passes, a tandem painting of three Keas massage valued at $160.00, Measuring about 900x600 half a lamb, a years membership at This beautiful painting will CLM gyms and more from local be raffled separately to the business to add to the baskets! Painting from Cambridge artist Claire Hughes Christmas baskets. How wonderful and full of goodies each basket is is up to us a l l c o nt r ibu t ing . Last year students generous donations ranged from bottles of wine, chocolates, chesses and cracker spreads and cakes to t inned fruit, preservat ives a nd biscuits.
values at over $300.00 up for raffle.

Tai Chi Grading system revised

Academy Instructors have a responsibility to teach students of all ages, technique that will improve and advance their ability in the arts. The process and structure of gradings within both the Tai Chi and Kempo s yllabus was discussed at great length when Mr Rodber spent four days with Instructor level and above can now Professor Gemmell in August. nominate any student for a grading It was accepted that identifying the r e vie w. T o be succ e ss fu l, students ability in class and a the nominee must be reviewed and developing understanding of accepted by either Mr Rodber or fundamental basics should be Mr Rush. In Tai Chi students are recognised ahead of a singular then invited to attend the next graduation to be officially recoggrading performance. nised and receive the certification All Academy Wardens of Assistant and promotion to their new grade.

Training over Christmas

One Thing at a Time
There can be a lot of things to think about in terms of improving your Tai Chi or Kempo over the Christmas break. The most important criteria is to do a little practice every day instead of an hour once a week. Regular daily practice commits the exercise into the long-term memory and develops a habit of training that can be used in other areas of your life to great success. You will find it easier to focus on one principle of the art you do at a time. The quality of your training not quantity is the key to a students improvement.
Grandmaster Robert Gemmell

In Kempo correct stance, hand positions, imagining your attacker, augmenting the move to produce power are all important components vital to the overall success of a singular technique. Never lose sight of training your four corner sets to improve your stance shifting and flow. If you are mostly practicing Qi Gong exercises or singular Kempo techniques you will find that the postural and stance elements are a lot easier to focus on because each move can be repeated several t imes in succession. Another benefit is that these individual exercises tend not to involve complex stepping patterns. So t he re is p le nt y o f opport unit y t o fo cus o n individual improvements in your basic movements over the Christmas break that will help build a solid foundation to develop from next year.

Build your forms by working on the linking and flow between the first two moves. Once confident add a third, then fourth move and so on. Often in any art we train we become overly concerned with learning new techniques and forms or perfecting certain advanced stepping techniques and lose sight of what is really important. Which is, for the most of us, obtaining good health both physically and mentally and protecting our independence so we can enjoy the lifestyle we lead. Tai Chi students should think of Set One and Two as your five serving s o f fru it and vegetables a day. Not only are these sets of exercises the foundation which your Tai Chi is built upon but within them we find the keys necessary for good health and vitality. Every effort should be made to practice these sets every day. The same holds true for the Kempoist regarding the individual hand and leg t echniques, yo ur t hr ee st ep spar r ing, four corner sets and Katas.

The best way to train is to repeat the movement several times. Each time focusing on a different aspect of the movement. That way youll see a little improvement every time you do your practice. Gradually, as you increase your awareness of all the different elements of the technique or exercise, it will all come together. For instance, when practicing Qi Gong, the first time through concentrate on the alignment of the neck and spine. Next focus on the alignment of your hips, then the breath, the breath with the movement, then perhaps flow.

The easiest way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

Your Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Kempo Forms are a different mat t er good st ruct ural alignment is essential for power and stability. Ensuring that balance and stances are correct is paramount.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle

Tai Chi Term Four News in brief

FINAL YI JIN JING SEMINAR section of the form. This year The Academy students have been working through the twelve movements of the famous Yi Jin Jing (Muscle Tendon Changing Classic.) This term we revise the first nine moves and complete the energizing set by learning the final three moves. Join us after the seminar at the local caf for a light lunch and to met and mingle with students from other branches. For more information see the Tai Chi Calendar on page eight. notified shortly. While it is not compulsory to accept a grading promotion, the small fee does help keep The Academy running and its ability to present classes to all the locations it currently caters to. CHRISTMAS FUNCTION The Academy invites all Tai Chi students from past and present, from all regions and friends and family members to join us in celebrating a wonderful year of Tai Chi training. The Academy Tai Chi Christmas Lunch will be held in Cambridge at Trinity Saint Pauls Church on Saturday, December the 15th. With a kitchen, plenty of space and off street parking it is a wonderful venue for us to come together and celebrate the end of the year. Enjoy demonstrations of the Tai Chi sword and fan, a sneak preview of upcoming forms for next year and enter the raffles to be in to win one of the Christmas Hampers full of goodies. The fun will start at 10 am with a salute to the great effort you have all put in this year At 11am mix, meet and mingle with other students and Instructors from The Bay of Plenty and Waikato over lunch. Advise your Instructor of your intention to come so we can ensure t he d a y r u ns s mo o t h ly. Please a small plate of food for the lunch. Tea, coffee and juice will be provided.
Pukete students take advantage of training outdoors any opportunity they get. We wish to thank to the Pukete Community house for all their help this year.

TAI CHI FAN WORKSHOP This term all students who are working with the fan have one last chance, before the Christmas break, to revise the sets and areas of the forms they are currently working on. This two hour workshop will inc lude refinements of the first section for For more information see the advanced students and look at moving on newer students Tai Chi Calendar on page eight. working through the first sets. NOTE: The Waikato seminar has been moved back to the Pukete For more information see the Tai Chi Calendar on page eight. Sportsdrome.

This term the dedicated Tai Chi sword team learn the final section of the Chen Sword form as students of the Tai Chi fan revise sections 1-3.

CHEN SWORD SEMINAR Exciting times for the Chen Single Sword Form students this term as we revise the first three sections then move on to learn the final

TAI CHI GRADUATION There are a number of students who have been nominated for a new Tai Chi sash level. Successful applicants will be

Shu shen-see you all there.

Tai Chi-Stay young, fit and healthy for longer

Shaolin Kempo Term Four News in brief

OVERVIEW OF TERM FOUR Well the year certainly has flown by and with it a number of milestones achieved. The growing bond between The Acade my, Senior Grandmaster Robert Gemmell and the Shaolin Chuan Fa Association continues to strengthen. Association. On his recent trip to Wellington Mr Rodber was given an unprecedented insight into the fu t ur e o f mar t ia l art s training. Many of these new training methods have been implemented with good results. As we all begin to relax into the gung fu style of training the flow of energy and benefits gained will become more apparent. CHRISTMAS FUNCTION The Academy invites all Kempo students from past and present, friends and family members to join us in celebrating a wonderful year of martial arts training. The Academy Kempo Christmas Dinner will be held in Gate Pa at the Saint George Church on Friday, December the 14th. With a kitchen and off street parking it is a wonderful venue for us to come toget her and celebrate the end of the year. Enjoy demonstrations from the Black Belts, a sneak preview of upcoming forms for next year and presentations. The fun will start at 7 pm with a salute to the great effort you have all put in this year At 8 pm mix, meet and mingle with other students and Instructors from The Bay of Plenty over a pot-luck dinner.

Mr Trevor Rodber (far left) with Jade Courts two full time Instructors, Master Mary Davy (ZsN first female Shaolin Kempo Black Belt) and Senior Grandmaster Robert.

In August Branch Chief Trevor Rodber travelled to Wellington and spent four days training with Professor Gemmell, advancing his own technique and helping refocus and align The Academy syllabus. The midyear Kempo grading saw The Academy welcome two new Black Belts, Chris and Jessica Van Ekeren, into the family and saw the deserved promotion of Trevor Rodgers to 5th degree. Most importantly these grading promotions were accepted by Senior Grandmaster and become part of his ongoing legacy and lineage. IMPROVING YOUR GUNG FU Professor Gemmell has spent the last five years revising the training manuals for the Shaolin Chuan Fa

BEACH TRAINING

Beach training has a long tradition in the Shaolin Chuan Fa system. It is a fun way to round out the year and a great chance for all students to practice falls and take-downs in a safe environment. All students should Advise your Instructor of your endeavour to get across to intention to come so we can ensure the evening runs smoothly. Papamoa for this yearly event. Please a small plate of food for the For more information see the dinner. Tea, coffee and juice will Kempo Calendar on page nine. be provided. For more information see the Kempo Calendar on page nine.

Beach training adds a new dimension to your training.

The Dragons of China

The Shaolin Temple developed t wo mar t ia l ar t syst ems. Shaolin Chuan Fa, (kempo) as an effective self defence system and close quarters fighting method against singular opponents and Shao lin Chuan Chang, the movements of the animals, using long range techniques to deal primarily with multiple attackers. It is the combination of theses two styles that creates the complete and impressive fighting syllabus of a Shaolin martial artist. The hit and run skills of the Leopard. weapon and in doing so learnt the power behind focus, control, honest and humility, developed mental and physical endurance and respect. Individual qualities and aspects of the first four animals collect together within the Dragon. The focus and power of the Tiger is increased by the control of the Crane, the unique angular attacks of the leopard made even more deadly with the accuracy and internal strength of the snake.

and the d e a d l y c i r c u l a r pin-point In Shaolin martial arts, the Five a c c u r a t e Animals are the Tiger, Crane, s t r i k i n g Leopard, Snake, and Dragon. powers of the According to legend the original Snake. 18 Luohan Hands was expanded This term a look at the most firstly to 72 movements then into mythical of the five animals. approximately 170 techniques and The Dragon organized into the Five Animals. Representing wisdom and good Last term we looked at the deep fortune in China, the image of the low stances and strong hand Dragon in martial arts is seen as techniques of the Tiger. the apex of knowledge and technical ability.

With great power comes great

responsibility
It is often said the Dragon is carried within the martial artist, to the outside world a peaceful, unassuming confidence is the only clue to the awesome power that lies within. However should there come a time when the Black belt deems it necessary they will open the lid and let the Dragon out. As the spirit of the Dragon flows all obstacles are overcome and any threat neutralized wit h calm, deadly p in - po int efficiency.

The long range kicks and intricate hand techniques of the Crane.

Years of training and dedication instills on the diligent student the five characteristics of mind and five characteristics of action that make up Wude (martial virtue.) The journey to Black Belt excellence has taught the student many things. They will have spilt blood, sweat and tears, learned how to use their body as a lethal

Unlock your potential

Finish & Start dates 2012/2013 TAI CHI 2012

Rolling bow outs in the Tai Chi classes throughout the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions are as follows: PAPAMOA: Thursday 13th December WAIKATO/GATE PA: Friday 14th December LAURNSTON PARK: Monday 17th December OMOKOROA/GREERTON: Thursday 20th Dec ROTORUA: Thursday 20th December

TAI CHI 2013

BAY OF PLENTY
Saturday 5th January 9-10 am
Papamoa outdoor beach training. Open to all students, End of Domain Road. Meet behind Blue Bayou.

Tuesday 8th & Thursday 10th January

Omokoroa and Greerton: Normal classes resume

KEMPO 2012
Tuesday 11th December, 5 pm
Last class at Papamoa Sports and Recreation Center

Saturday 12th, 19th, 26th January 10-11 am

Papamoa Sports & Recreation Center. Open to all.

Thursday 31st January:

All normal classes resume Papamoa and Gate Pa

Kempo Beach bow out 2012

Thursday 13th December, 5 pm
Papamoa outdoor beach training. Open to all students, End of Domain Road. Meet behind Blue Bayou. Arrive in uniform, bring towel and change of clothes

WAIKATO
Wednesday 9th January Open to all students
Hamilton, 9.30 am: Hamilton Gardens, Gate One Cambridge, 1 pm: Te Koutu Park, Albert St

Friday 14th December, 7 pm

Bow out at Saint George Church, Gate Pa Open to all students

Wednesday 16th/23rd/30th January

Cambridge 7.30 am: Intermediate class resumes Hamilton, 9.30 am: Memorial Park, River Road Netherville, 11 am: Normal classes resume Cambridge 1 pm: Normal classes resume

KEMPO 2013
Thursday 10th/ 17th/ 24th January, 5 pm
Outdoor training, open to all students Meet at Papamoa Sports and Recreation Center

Friday 18th/25th January & 1st February

Hamilton, 8 am: Intermediate class resumes Netherville, 11 am: Normal classes resume Cambridge 1 pm: Normal classes resume

Friday 11th/ 18th/ 25th January, 7pm

Outdoor training, open to all students Waipuna Park, Kaitemako Rd, Welcome Bay

Monday 21st January

Laurnston Park, 8.45 am: Normal class resumes

Friday 8th February

Hamilton, 9.30 am: Pukete classes resume

Thursday 31st January, 5 pm

Papamoa Kempo classes resume

Friday 1st February, 4 pm onwards

All Gate Pa Kempo classes resume

ROTORUA
To be advised

Important Dates for Tai Chi

Schedule of Events
Yi Jin Jing Seminar
Saturday 10th November. 9 am-12 noon. Papamoa Sports & Rec Center. $10.00 Includes handout. Open to all Academy students. Friday 23rd November. 9 am-12 noon. Pukete Sportsdrome $10.00 Includes handout. Open to all Academy students.
Sat

November 2012
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri

1 3 10 17 24 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

December 2012
1 8 15 22 29 2 9 16 23 30 3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28

Kung Fu Fan Revision

Saturday 17th November 9 am-11 am. Papamoa Sports & Rec Center. $5.00 Revision of first three sections.

Chen Tai Chi Sword Seminar

Saturday 17th November 12 noon-3 pm Papamoa Sports & Rec Center $15.00 Includes revision sections 1-3 plus DVD of final section.

Tai Chi Christmas Function

Saturday 15th December. 10 am-12 noon Trinity Saint Pauls Church Cambridge

Tai Chi Grading Graduation

Saturday 1st December. 9 am-12 noon Papamoa Sports & Rec Center Lunch at Pacifica Caf afterwards

Be fond of learning for its neighbour is

WISDOM

Important Dates for Kempo

November 2012
Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri

Schedule of Events
Yi Jin Jing Seminar
Saturday 10th November. 9 am-12 noon. Papamoa Sports & Rec Center. $10.00 Includes handout. Open to all Academy students.

1 3 10 17 24 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

Kempo Grading
Saturday 8th December. 9 am-12 noon Papamoa Sports & Rec Center

December 2012
1 8 15 22 29 2 9 16 23 30 3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28

The gem can not be polished without friction, nor can man be perfected without trials. Kempo Beach bow out 2012
Thursday 13th December, 5 pm Papamoa outdoor beach training. End of Domain Road. Meet at carpark behind Blue Bayou. Arrive in uniform, bring towel and change of clothes

Kempo Christmas Function

Friday 14th December. 7 pm-9 pm Saint George Church, Church St, Gate Pa Off Cameron Road, behind Mega Mitre 10, Gate Pa

Shaolin Kempo
Way of the fist from the Young Forest

Kevin Elder works a chin na move on Chris Van Ekeren in the surf.

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