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Our Mission
Awakening courage, integrity and consciousness within each individual, facilitating the creation of a life of freedom and abundance.
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Thank you Master Scott Leitch for the precious gift of your teachings.
Martial Arts Secrets Revealed: Did you know ...?
4. The worst, most devastating enemy we will ever have to face during our lives is ourself. The enemy within you, unless defeated daily, will surely defeat you. You will be unprepared for the challenges that surely lie ahead, impotent to accomplish what you should, even helpless to save your life in dangerous times or situations if you are ruled by emotions and behaviors such as fear, doubt, indecision, anger, hate, resentment, envy, egotism, guilt, impatience, stubbornness, procrastination, laziness, pleasure seeking and pain avoidance.
The attacker standing before you is of little consequence in comparison with the power of the formidable foe within you. Other people can never cause you the harm you cause yourself. Learn now how to ally with the attacker’s enemy within him, while facing and mastering your own self. Know well those who wish to take your liberty, property, health or life, but know youself even better. Find where your limitations lie. Then push them further away from you. Find and use the power, which also lives within you, to defeat the real "enemy". 092307
3. Countless fighting systems have been developed throughout the ages, practiced and honed only to finally be lost to us in the mists of time, becoming extinct not because of inferiority but because of a weak link in the chain of the generations of mankind. A lack of eager and capable students able to recognize the value of the arts and carry them forward, or a failure of the arts’ caretakers to pass on the gift they had received, erased them from man’s consciousness, as though they had never existed.
Starting about 650 years ago in the village of Pon Hong in Guangdong Province in southern China the monks of the Kwan Yin monastery developed and refined a temple boxing art known as tsoi-li-ho-fut-hung. This practical and effective art and it’s techniques came into the possession of the Chin family in the late 1700's, was passed from generation to generation, and by the late 1800's had been used by them to gain governing control over an entire province the size of Orange County, California.
In 1942 the Japanese invasion of China had moved northward reaching Chin Siu Hung’s village. Hung, then 73 years old, was forced to answer the challenge of a regimental karate champion or see the people of his village executed. Against his will Hung participated in what was intended as an exhibition of power, superiority and control over the conquered people. Instead he killed the challenger after about 20 seconds of fighting. He and most of his students were in turn killed by machine gun and the art in effect disappeared from it’s country of origin.
Fortunately for us, this art had previously been carried to America in 1935 and was preserved there by Hung’s nephew, _______ who taught the art which he called _______ to thousands prior to his death in 1991. (Answers on How to Choose a Martial Art Page).
Since his passing no one has been strong or respected enough to fill the shoes of the founder and this art’s association has become defunct amidst posturing and petty bickering. In this new atmosphere, free from politics and either control or support, will the art and it’s techniques, standing on their own merit, survive, thrive or die? Will this generation pass on the legacy so that it will be available to future ones? Time will tell. 072706
2. The outcome of a physical confrontation is largely determined by mental factors. While a trained body capable of the desired action is necessary, it is the mind which directs the body to do it’s will, choosing good or poor strategy and tactics. Inability to control emotions leads to lack of awareness, distorted perception of reality, poor reasoning, indecision, frustration, doubt and paralyzing fear. Slow reaction and incomplete or inaccurate execution are the result.
The potential of the mind is without limit. A correct exercise of attitude can make visualizations of desirable outcomes real. In a crisis frail, elderly women have been known to throw tractors or cars off their husband who was pinned underneath. The mind can be unshackled to produce these results at will as well.
In the late 1500's and early 1600's Japan was emerging from a century of civil war and strife. Armies were disbanded and displaced masterless samurai swordsmen known as “ronin” roamed the country, testing their fighting prowess, hoping to build a reputation which would land them one of the scarce bodyguard jobs as a retainer with some local lord. Contests sometimes resulted in dismemberment, but usually in the death of one of the combatants.
It was in this environment that 13 year old Miyamoto Musashi fought his first duel killing a skilled swordsman using a blunt piece of wood in the shape of a sword. By the age of 29 he had engaged in more than ___ such lethal fights, sometimes honorable contests at prearranged times and places, but many times against multiple assailants motivated by revenge, fear and greed, and under circumstances of surprise or disadvantage designed to ensure his elimination by whatever means available. (Answer on How to Choose a Martial Art page)
Never did he fail to attain victory. Through disciplined self control, unhindered instinct, innovations such as the use of two swords simultaneously, and the use of the psychology of fighting and battlefield tactics to unnerve, demoralize and confuse his opponents, he was protected against injury or death and was able to have the advantage over dozens of opponents at a time. He also fought in six army battles.
In 21st century America these timeless mental skills and the psychology of fighting still have value and can be turned to other useful purposes more suited to our times, or can be used to preserve us when necessary. 071206
1. You can increase the speed at which any particular bodily movement can be executed, through repetitious exercise of that movement. Through conditioning new, shorter and more efficient neural pathways are developed from the sensory organs to the brain where the incoming signal is processed and a course of action is selected, and from there to the muscles where the execution takes place through the complex and measured motor movements required. The neural impulse will actually jump across the synapses between neurons more quickly. At least Bruce Lee thought so. He was able to complete a two foot punch starting with his hands at his sides in ___ of a second. (Answer on How to Choose an Art page).
Critics accused Lee of using "special" cameras in the action scenes of his movies to make himself appear quicker than he was. He did use high speed cameras which film more frames per second, allowing the camera to capture some of the movements which otherwise would have been lost. He then slowed down the film so that the viewer could see what he was doing in the action sequences. His movies make him appear slower than he actually was.
Bruce Lee was a unique individual and not all of us can accomplish all the same things he did but we can improve our skills many fold and realize our own achievements. We can certainly surpass the vast majority of people who do not try, and like the tumble weed are blown to and fro without purpose or direction. The hardest step is the first one; choosing, becoming inspired. 062906
Excellence in Martial Arts and Fitness Since 1999
Integrative Functional Conditioning SM ALFA TM
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