AKS Quarterly Newsletter

"The Punchline Editorial"
September 2020

The Master's Edge

Frederic A. Reinecke
9th Dan
AKS Chief Instructor

Six Months into the Pandemic

Several months ago I wrote an editorial concerning the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, a little over 6 months since it started, things are starting to open up. The good news is that wearing masks and social distancing have had a positive effect. Whether you agree with how the Governor of Michigan has handle the crisis, in most cases, it seems to have helped because Michigan is very low in the spread of the virus. This allows us to go out with care. My karate class, through Orchard View Continuing Education, will start the first week in October. We have to wear masks and are limited to 10 people. This will take some adjustment. I see, via the internet, that many karate schools along with gymnasiums are starting to reopen. So this gives me hope.

In the last Punchline, I suggested working outside and concentrate on your Katas/Forms. Well the weather, for the most part, has been exceptional for outside workouts. I'm still teaching on Thursday evenings in North Muskegon at Custer Park; 6 till 8 pm. Also on Sundays at noon at Pere Marquette Park by the channel. There is still time to come and learn a new form. Throughout the summer, with the help of the other half of my karate brain, Tom Twining 8th Dan and I have reviewed and relearned many Forms. At the end of this article is the list of forms available to all in the AKS.

I'm not sure how things are going in the other states that have AKS clubs. I'm hoping to hear from our other members shortly. I would like to prepare for a seminar here in Muskegon in the upcoming spring. Most likely in April 2021. Also a Summer Camp in July 2021. Because none of us can predict the future, I'm just going to be optimistic for next year. So any of you that have ideas for the coming year please contact me so we can start planning.

Good Luck to all and stay safe.

AKS Forms

H form, Tigers 1 through 5, Pinon 3, Kima, Cat Forms 1 through 4, Cat Form 5 on the list to be relearned.

Other Style Forms

Tekki 1,2,3, Enpi, Kusanku, Bassai, Jion, Hangetsu, Nijishiho Japanese, Nijishiho Okinawan, Jutte, Seuchin, Gojushiho, Okan, Small Circle Form / Chidokwan

Weapons Forms

Nunchuk 1, 2 & 3, Sai Shono, Tsuken Shita Haku No Sai, Nincho Sai, Chuon no kon Bo, Suchinokun Bo, Kihon Bo 1,2, 3 & 4, Ryubi Bo, Jo forms 1, 2 & 3, Tonfa of Hamahiga, Kihone Tonfa Ni, Eku Form, Arnis Form, Kama Form

Sincerely,
Frederic A. Reinecke 9th Dan
Chief Instructor AKS
231-777-1996

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KEEP WASHING YOUR HANDS!

The DoJo

Dave Thomas
8th Dan AKS

The Aging Martial Artist

by Dave Thomas

It's a challenge to age gracefully as a martial artist. Trying to maintain the skills of one's youth while taking several breaths to blow out all the birthday candles is demanding. Today's memories are of past glories while repressing the remembrance of injuries, many push-ups and very tired muscles. Tournament competition and life-long friends are commonly what I reflect on when I ponder the many years of martial arts training.

My katas may not be as crisp as they were 20 or even 30 years ago. Reaction time has added a second or two, and recovering from a strenuous work-out takes longer with more Motrin than in years past. All these are conditions to be anticipated when I count my time in decades instead of months.

Though I may have slowed a step, there are many aspects I retain and continue to enhance. I train the new students with more patience and acquired wisdom. I want them to embrace the many benefits of martial training, and the life-long values that can be gained. I also want to school the young Black Belts in history and philosophy so they can learn the "why" of what we do, not just the "how."

The years have taught me to hold dear the virtues of honor and loyalty, the shared ideals with our fellow martial artists. These values are acquired through years of experience, not just discussion.

For me, karate training more than any other discipline helped take fear out of my life. Fear of failure, fear of disappointment and fear of intimidation. Learning to cope with setbacks and modifying expectations makes the road of life much less bumpy. And even at 70 years old, when someone recently threatened to "beat me up," I smiled and said, "Oh, I don't think that's going to happen." In the words of Toby Keith, "I ain't as good as I once was; but I'm as good once as I ever was."

A life time of karate training has given me many gifts; pride, self-discipline, self-esteem and self-confidence. These are values that come from training and working with talented teachers. They are the ideals and the gifts I hold dear. And now in my "golden years," I want to pass these same qualities on to the young students and Black Belts that will follow.

Dave Thomas
8th Dan

A Little Wisdom

Mark Soderstrom
3rd Dan AKS

A Tale of Two Guys

by Mark Soderstrom

This has been a difficult year. We have lost our freedom to meet and train. We have lost our tournaments to compete. Some have lost their health. Some have lost family. Let me introduce you to two men who faced loss.

Bill trained in wrestling during his high school years. He began his study of Judo in 1966, but was forced to discontinue his Judo because of an injury he suffered to his right knee during practice. Injury? He completely ripped the ligaments in his right knee. Yet, even while his knee was healing, he made a decision to learn karate.

In February 1967, while serving in the U.S. Air Force, he began studying karate. He focused on his left leg because of the Judo-related injury to his right knee; using the right leg primarily as a base. Obviously, this limited his options. He could not be a real athlete, he had a bad knee.

Funny thing . . . after entering the point fighting tournament scene and achieving success there, he switched to full-contact competition. He won 23 consecutive professional fights between 1974 and 1980, becoming the Professional Karate Association middleweight world full-contact karate champion and retiring undefeated . . . with a bad knee.

He relinquished the crown in 1980, undefeated.

Bill, even though his options were limited, did not give up. He focused on what he could do and did it better than anyone else.

Bill Wallace became known as "Superfoot," because of the speed of his left foot.

Steve, was an active child, he preferred team sports like football, baseball and basketball. Coaches, however, told him he lacked the necessary size to excel in these sports. Another physical attribute didn't help - one of his legs was shorter than the other. Most kids would just find something less physical to do since he had a "handicap."

But he noticed during an 8th grade P.E. class that he could outrun most other kids. This led him to pursue cross country distance running. His freshman year at Marshfield High School, he finished 53rd in the state meet . . . with one leg shorter than the other.

He upped his training regimen in the off season, participating in spring track and field in order to work on his running technique. Summers, he worked on high-mileage runs. The fall of his sophomore year, he placed sixth . . . with one leg shorter than the other.

But it wasn't good enough. Steve wanted to win. By the time his junior year rolled around, he won every single meet he competed in and took first in the state meet . . . as a junior. He would win it again his senior year, and would break the national high school record for the two-mile at 8:41.5 . . . with one leg shorter than the other.

Steve won 119 of 151 outdoor track races; including six NCAA titles, and set 15 American records at every distance from two miles through 10K . . . with one leg shorter than the other.

He had a secret weapon . . . his will.

He became a spokesman for change in American Athletics fighting with the AAU. The Olympics were the next goal for Steve. Everyone knew he would win. He never gave up.

Steve Prefontaine died in a car accident in 1975 at age 24.

Because of his undefeatable will, he has a kind of immortality. His quotes live on in T-shirts, posters and countless social media channels as inspiration towards athletic greatness.

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

"A lot of people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more."

Things are tough right now. We have not been practicing, we are out of shape, and we all hurt. (I think I have convinced my class that ouch, ouch, ouch is a Japanese Kiai.) That does not give us an excuse to quit. "Do not focus on what you cannot do, focus on what you can do and do it better than anyone else." I do not know who first said that, but it deserves to be said again.

There are good excuses to quit; family needs first of all, health, and others. However, all too often, we quit because our will is weak. Our will is our most powerful weapon, but only if we train it. Let's get out there and do what we can do . . . better than anyone else.

Promotions

CONGRATULATIONS to all students who have been promoted this past quarter, and to those we've missed in prior newsletters.

Best wishes in your continued training!

Attention Instructors, if you have students who have been promoted, please send this information so that we may acknowledge their accomplishments.