Fight…Flight ….or …..Freeze!

This post is an amazing story about JG, the1st degree Brown Belt Karate-Do student above, who is practicing defensive Hook Kicks against the stretching bar.JG has studied at JRRMAS since he was a very small child. He has just successfully completed his first year at Deerfield Academy. He was also fortunate to get job at DA this summer as a life guard for the DA pool. Now for the ‘amazing’ part; Last week was JG’s second week as a life guard. He was guarding a 6th grade class swimming in the DA pool. All of a sudden he notices a 6th grader sinking below the surface. Much to JG’s amazement the 6th grader was sinking below the surface without struggling at all! Simply sinking below the surface with limbs limp and the boy was taking water into his lungs. In that very instant of recognition…..Without panicking……or freezing….JG leaped into action and saved the boy’s life. Wow….Amazing!I only hope that the years of training at JRRMAS contributed in some small way to JG acting decisively in that moment of crisis. Correct Martial Arts training is not merely designed to kick and punch others in self-defense but is more accurately designed to give the practitioner that little bit extra that one needs in such a crisis situation. JG’s ability to use the Life Guard Training, the confidence in his own abilities to swim and help others, that enabled him to act decisively, instead of freezing or panicking! You never know if the training is going to pay off until push comes to shove. Lesson 1:In Martial Arts it’s moments of crisis…that the training is designed to prepare you for….So that you…Don’t FREEZE!Don’t PANIC!So that you are able to ACT,able to stay CALM, to stay CENTERED and feel STRONG and CAPABLE….. So that you may act immediately and decisively!In a crisis…Yours or someone else’s life may depend upon your ability to…… act!!SifuJG ….All of us at JRRMAS are very proud of you……That SAVE was the ‘real deal’. Bravo from Sifu!!

An amazing story about one of our students!

This week end one of our best young students Scott M. a Green Belt who also assists with the Youth Karate-Do classes, accomplished an amazing feat for a truly worthwhile cause….outstanding Scott! We are all very proud of you. Those of us that have lost loved ones to cancer (my Dad in 1992) are very grateful and appreciative of you and your teammates efforts…..Go Green Wave!
Why they Relay
The Green Wave Team is comprised of current members, alumni, and friends of the Greenfield High School cross-country and track teams. Last year, one of its freshmen, Scott, asked if some of his friends and teammates could form a Relay For Life team to support his mother, Sharon, who was recovering from breast cancer. The cross-country and track teams had experienced devastating losses during the previous year and the athletes understood the importance of his request. Eli and Luke had lost their father,Ken, during the last weekend of the cross-country season and Marcus lost his younger brother, Logan. Ryan learned that the cancer courageously endured by his mother, Mary, was terminal and CJ and Austin supported their mother, Carlene, as she began her battle against breast cancer. Joined by cross-country and track alumni, the team members decided to run every lap of the Relay For Life. Scott and several other members ran the twenty-six miles that constitutes a marathon distance while most ran at least twenty miles. This year, the Green Wave is running in honor of cancer survivors Carlene and Sharon, and in memory of Ken, Logan, and Mary. Like last year, the team plans to run every lap. Parents and alumni will host a spaghetti supper and meeting of hope and remembrance for team members the night before Relay at Greenfield High School. How can one team experience so much loss? This team has spirit, energy and a serious commitment to run every lap in honor and in memory of their loved ones. Be sure to give them applause (and plenty of water) as they run their way to finding a cure! Go Green Wave!

NOTE: REPRINTED from The Relay News June 2009 edition – Thanks Sharon