How I Found Zen Martial Arts

[Jonathan Schultz]

My name is Jonathan Schultz, I am 36 years old, I live in Sacramento and make my living as an IT professional.  Last year my wife and I got married, and a close friend of ours lost his home and came to live with us.  The added stresses of a room-mate and a wedding to plan dramatically demonstrated my need for a more balanced lifestyle that included an appropriate share of exercise.

I have always preferred solo sports to team sports, choosing bicycling, golf, and swimming over baseball, soccer, and football.  I am also very unmotivated to exercise unless my mind is engaged while I am training my body.  Add to the above my many-year interest in Buddhism and Taoism, and martial arts had long been something that I was interested in, but had never quite been motivated to actually engage and try.

In the end, my now-wife-then-fiance urged me to find an activity to do outside the house, on my own that involved exercise.  I searched around looking mostly for Tai Chi classes, as my karmic concerns steered me away from more 'combat'-centric martial arts.  Unsatisfied with my findings, I sent an email message to Mr. Oliver after looking over his web-site.  He called me back and we had a brief conversation during which I got the impression that Mr. Oliver was a concerned teacher.  He offered me a free lesson that I huffed and puffed through, and after it was over he asked if I was interested in joining the school.

At the time I remember being drenched in sweat, as is often the case after a class, and being a little wobbly in my knees.  I still had butterflies in my stomach from being nervous about the new experience, however, and was still well outside my comfort zone.  I had just done more physical activity in the previous hour than I had done in the months leading up to it; and yet, the other members of the class were undeniably friendly, and the feeling of having met and overcome a challenge was intoxicating.  I was hooked, and I told Mr. Oliver then that I was interested, and to expect me the next week.

I have been attending classes as regularly as I can manage since then.  I am really enjoying learning kata and the benefits of being more physically fit.

[Lisa Clark]

Jonathan,

You're doing great with the kata! Plus, you have a killer kick in sparring. Looking forward to our next sparring match.

See you then,

Lisa

[Mike Oliver]

Mr. Schultz,

Did you know that Soke Shimabuku studied that classic philosophical works such as the I-Ching and the Bubishi. In fact, it was his uncle that taught him how to a be a sumuchi, which is sort of like a fortune teller. They were held in very high esteem, especially at a time when not a lot of people were literate, let alone could read the Chinese Characters. Soke Shimabuku had hand-written copies of some these classic texts that he laboriously copied from his teachers--it was the only way to get them.

I remember your first class. It was a tough one, but we knew you would be a good student if you managed to want to come back for more. It is a wonderful feeling, to test yourself like that isn't it? What are some of the benefits you've noticed when it comes to physical fitness?

[Jonathan Schultz]

It is wonderful to test yourself, it is a feeling I am trying to cultivate more now that I have been reacquainted with it. As for the benefits of physical fitness, first I notice that I am losing inches particularly around my belly. Also, my balance and spatial awareness is much improved, I am not as klutzy stumbling or running into things. I feel better overall because of the exercise, and also because it is inspiring me to make other healthy choices such as with my diet and quitting smoking.

[Mike Oliver]

Mr. Schultz,

How long have you been smoke free now?

I've noticed that your cardio has improved a great deal since that first class of yours.

[Jonathan Schultz]

Mr. Oliver,

I have been smoke-free for about 5 weeks now. Feels pretty good!

[Holly ODonnell]

Hey Mr. Schultz, welcome to the site!

I Can't wait to see your training in the future. You're already great at sparring! You already endure like a blackbelt and It looks like you have a good will over your body. A lot of us would like to quit when It gets tough but last time we sparred you didn't run out of steam. ust take everything that Mr. Oliver gives you and put it into action. Knowledge is only power once It's applied. But once you apply It you can become unstoppable!

I like that you recognized that Mr. Oliver is a concerned teacher. He truly is, and so am I. We're here to help you grow and It sounds like you already have a great deal. It's matter how young or old you are =) Good luck and keep on!