The more things change...

Lots of changes recently at the Keishoukan Dojo, but like the old saying - The more things change the more they stay the same.

This Thursday on St. Patrick's day I celebrate my 15th anniversary as a Police Officer for the city of Mounds View.

Not quite six months after I was hired I started teaching martial arts in the area.  I trained with Alvin McClure Sensei on Monday and Wednesday nights as my schedule would allow and every Saturday morning (Every other on 3 hours sleep after working over night)

Tuesdays and Thursdays I would teach at the Mounds View Community Center.
I remember the first class was Tuesday September 11th 2001.  Not so much because the class was so memorable, but obviously other stuff was going on in the world on that day.

Heath Carter was with me on that first night

Heath was at class last night.  The more things change the more they stay the same

For many reasons, and ever changing circumstances, the Dojo has moved and changed several times over the years.

The only constant is change

Nothing stays the same but change

If something is bugging you, especially something that would not usually bother you, that is the Universe telling you , you need to change.

I never want this blog to get political.  However, this concept is why I disagree with a federally mandated high minimum wage or living wage.  You are not supposed to support a family with a minimum wage job. Minimum wage jobs are suppose to suck.  That suck feeling is what encourages / forces you to get the training, education, experience, apprenticeship, what ever it takes to do something with your life that doesn't suck.

If we encourage people to become comfortable doing menial labor, we are actively discouraging them from becoming better versions of themselves.

There is nothing wrong with menial labor.  It teaches life lessons you can't learn anywhere else, but no one wants, or should spend their entire life doing menial labor.

I believe that feeling of suck is the Universe telling you that you need to change, you need to find a different path.

It is not easy , but nothing truly worth doing ever is.

As I have mentioned, for many reasons, and ever changing circumstances, the Dojo has moved and changed several times over the years.

It was not easy but each change yielded positive results.  I am better off for them.  The changes needed to happen.

Most recently I started to feel that suck feeling at the gym.  People leaving equipment in the middle of the floor where they know we have class should not be a big thing.  But it was making me really mad.  People dragging  $300 tatami mats that don't belong to them or the gym across the floor to do hand stands, covering said mats in chalk shouldn't make me mad, but it did.

If something is bugging you, especially something that would not usually bother you, that is the Universe telling you , you need to change.

Sometimes you have to burn your boats on the shore.  Victory or death.

So I changed.
What do I really want?
An open area, with room for storage, and if other people have access to this area they put there stuff away.
If that area is private, away from other people, and quiet, away from loud very bad music that would be a bonus.
That area has to be available on the days and times my guys are accustomed to (changed their schedules around for) training.  Times and days I can train with out risking divorce.

I know I have a picture of my lovely wife punching me in the face.  I wanted to share that here for comedic relief, but I couldn't find it.  So here is a picture from our wedding.  You can use my no neck, face that looks like it was stung by a thousand bees for a giggle.

Back to today's post - what else do I really want?
Ample parking.
Shower and locker facilities
Management that will support and promote a not for profit organization (see also not being treated like the red headed step child).

A difficult challenge, but challenge also creates opportunities.

Did I find a place that meets the above mentioned criteria?
C'mon guys it's me your favorite Suburban Samurai, I don't get paid to lose.

Where, you might ask did I find such a place.
The same place I started 15 years ago.
The Mounds View Community Center.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

The Studio we are using was something else entirely back in 2001.
When the student is ready the teacher will appear.
When the teacher is ready the facility will appear.

This change also created alternate semi clandestine training facilities.  So if the Community Center is closed, or the training is more suited for one of the other locations we have access to a local area high school wrestling room.  Also, and I am very excited about this, we have access to The Harm Farm Mark I (more on this in future posts).

If we ignore the suck, if we do nothing, if we settle and allow ourselves to become comfortable we are actively preventing ourselves from finding our best selves.

I believe that feeling of suck is the Universe telling you that you need to change, you need to find a different path.

This recent change was tough but necessary.  The Universe was sending me messages for the last couple of months.

Because of these changes, I have finally found my niche.

The flip side is, if something feels right that is also the Universe telling you something.  Despite the frustrations with the gym lately, I have been experiencing what I call the "Budo Buzz" and really having a blast.  Because of the material we have been working on, but mostly because of the crew I have been rolling with (find good people).

I'm not going to share my whole business plan here except to say I finally have a fucking business plan.

The simple questions Randy King asked me at the USMAA Northern Regional Training Camp over a year ago, the ones that I should have been able to answer, the ones I have been struggling to answer since then, finally have an answer.

That uneasy feeling was the Universe forcing me to find my best answers to those seemingly simple questions.

I can't be all things to all people, to all people, all the time.
I had to discover what brings me the most joy (Budo Buzz).
I had to figure out who I have the most fun training.
I had to develop a way to deliver what I enjoy doing most to the people I enjoy playing with most.

Because, besides all the side benefits at the end of the day if you are not having fun, what is the point?

Train hard, train smart, be safe

Never settle

Violence Dynamics West Coast

Days off form regular job confirmed.  Plane tickets booked.  Place to crash reserved.  In 5 weeks I'll be headed to the west coast.  In case you couldn't tell by the font that last part was written in 2 Pac's voice as I flashed hand signs.

After years of presenting and refining the Violence Dynamics Seminar Series we are taking the show on the road.

Tuesday, April 12 – Sunday, April 17, 2016 in Oakland, CA, USA

In one six-day intensive course, we are creating the opportunity to explore the same concepts many force operators spend years of their lives and thousands of force encounters to buy.


As always Viody is:

Marc MacYoung

The gang-infested streets of Los Angeles not only gave Marc MacYoung his street name “Animal,” but also firsthand experience about what does and does not work for self-defense. What he teaches is based on experience and proven reliability for surviving violence. If it didn’t work, he wouldn’t be alive to talk about it.

He is considered by many to be one of the most analytical thinkers on the subject of surviving violence and personal safety today. He has taught police, military, martial artists and civilians around the world. His message is always the same: Hand-to-hand combat is a last ditch effort when other, more effective, preventive measures have failed.


Rory Miller

(This picture is so old they don't even make that type of body armor anymore)

“Force is a form of communication. It is the most emphatic possible way of saying ‘no’. For years my job was to say no, sometimes very emphatically, to violent people.

“I have been a Corrections Officer, a Sergeant, a Tactical Team member and a Tactical Team Leader; I have taught corrections and enforcement personnel skills from first aid to physical defense to crisis communication and mental health. I’ve done this from my west coast home to Baghdad. So far, my life has been a blast.

“I’m a bit scarred up, but generally happy.”


Kasey Keckeisen

Seriously guys, this is the promotion picture we are using?  

Well I do look pretty good, like if Jason Statham was into My Pretty Pony"

Kasey Keckeisen is an experienced Police Officer, SWAT team leader, and SWAT training coordinator. Kasey Keckeisen is the United States Midwest Regional Director for the Edo Machi-Kata Taiho Jutsu organization, and the Minnesota State Director for One-On-One Control Tactics. Keckeisen holds 6th degree black belts in Judo, Jujitsu, and Aikido and a black belt in Taiho Jutsu Keckeisen is also recognized as a Shihan by the International Shin Budo Association. He is also a Catch Wrestling and Bare knuckle Boxing enthusiast, and a terrific dancer.  

Keckeisen runs Judo Minnesota, an organization that provides free training to Law Enforcement and Military, and provides opportunities for youth to have positive experiences with Law Enforcement through martial arts training.

Joining the roster for our West Coast adventure

Kathy Jackson

“I’m a firearms instructor, a homeschool mom, a small business owner, a former magazine editor, and a freelance writer. I guess you could say I wear a lot of hats. My husband and I have been married more than 25 years, and we have five sons.

“I’m a frequent contributor to Women & Guns Magazine, and my work has appeared in SWAT Magazine. I co-authored Lessons from Armed America, a book which presents several real-life accounts of people protecting themselves from criminals and the lessons we can learn from those situations. My most recent book is: The Cornered Cat: A Woman’s Guide to Concealed Carry.”



Terry Trahan

Having spent many years dealing with violence, various subcultures, and street life gives Terry Trahan a unique view on life and the dynamics of violence.

Having a strong interest in efficient answers to violence, de-escalation, urban survival, and escape, Terry’s focus is more on the civilian end of dealing with violence, covering armed, unarmed, improvised weapons, threat assessment, awareness, and unconventional strategies.

Terry has years of training in SouthEast Asian Martial Arts, heads the Kapatiran Suntukan Martial Arts organization, and is the lead instructor for WeaselCraft, his non-traditional approach to personal security, and specializes in all aspects of knives, from use, to design and function.


The schedule subject to change but here is a preliminary class offering

Day One: Tuesday, April 12
Session 1. Rory: Intro to 1-step
Session 2. Kasey: Violence Dynamics
Session 3. Terry: Leverage
Session 4. Kasey: Logic of Violence

Day Two: Wednesday, April 13
Session 1. Marc: ConCom 1
Session 2. Marc: ConCom 2
Session 3. Marc: Power Generation
Session 4. Terry: Targeting

Day Three: Thursday, April 14
This is an on-site range day with Kathy Jackson.
Session 1: Safety Brief
Session 2: Retention
Lunch Lecture, Q&A
Session 4: Fundamentals
Session 4: Applications

Day Four: Friday, April 15
Session 1. Terry: Threat Assessment
Session 2. Rory: Blindfold
Session 3. Rory: Ground
Session 4. Terry & Kathy: Weapons Familiarization

Day Five: Saturday, April 16
Session 1. Kasey: Self Defense Law
Session 2. Terry: Weapon Defense
Session 3. Rory: Environmental Fighting
Session 4: Debrief, Q/A
Day Six: Sunday, April 17
Environmental Awareness
Rory Miller
Marc MacYoung
Kasey Keckeisen
Kathy Jackson
Terry Trahan

I know on day three Rory has some surprise classes lined up for those attending that do not wish to take part in the fire arms portion of the seminar.

Classes are filling quickly reserve your spot today
Click HERE to sign up.

Those of you that read the blog regularly know I rarely give out compliments.  It is extremely difficult for me to get days off.  There is a reason I jumped through all the flaming hoops placed in my way in order to be part of this seminar.   These instructors are worthy of your time and money.  (That is the highest praise I can think of)

If traveling to Minnesota has made it difficult for you to attend a VioDy seminar in the past, this is an excellent opportunity for you to come and check it out.

If you have been to VioDy before I know there is some very cool things planned for the "OG's"

This is your 5 week warning - Do what you need to do to get to this class!

VIOLENCE DYNAMICS
Training seminars on the less-discussed aspects of violence prevention, conflict communication, and use of force.

Train hard, train smart, be safe.

A life well lived

Earlier this year I committed to getting a blog out every week.  In order to do that not every blog can be planned out over several weeks.  Some blogs will have to be about what is going on inside my head right now.  About life events, what I've learned from them, and how those lessons can be made useful for anyone who reads the blog.

This is one of those blogs. 

Grandma Great (my wife's Grandmother) passed away this week.

That is her behind my giant head, this last  Christmas on our way from Mesa to visit Auntie Dawn in Phoenix.

I loved Grandma Great, but I have not shed a tear at her passing.  It is an absence that will be felt.  A hole that will hurt.  But it is not sad.

Beverly Hibbard is an example of a life well lived.

A few posts back The shield gets heavy I wrote about how my daughters came to realize that I could die doing my job, and that if Dad could die anyone could die.

I ended that post with this poem:

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. 

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

~ Chief Tecumseh

Bev was not a "warrior", but she did live her life by the warrior tenants the poem espouses.

A life well lived.

I'd like to honor her by giving examples of how she lived by those tenants and sharing some of my favorite memories of her

Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. 

Most of my memories of Bev revolve around weekends at the lake cabin.  My in-laws had recently been further exploring their faith.  As such my brother-in-law had been leading us in grace at every meal.  Bev knew that I had been raised Catholic so latter in the weekend, at dinner she turned to me and said - Kasey why don't you lead us in one of your family's  prayers.  I responded - I don't know Grandma, I'm not sure we pray to the same Gods anymore.  She insisted that I go ahead, so I started.

Great and powerful Odin we prepare this blood sacrifice in your honor, please chose which of these children... She interrupted in her tone that she used when she was clearly sick of some one's nonsense - Oh Ryan you just do it.  Then my brother-in -law said a very lovely grace, and my religious beliefs we no longer discussed.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.

In a time when most women did not work out side the home, Bev had a long and rewarding career as a teacher.  After which she enjoyed her retirement, traveling the world and going on adventures with her Husband Ron.

Bev loved arts and crafts.  I am sure anyone reading this because they knew Bev (as opposed to the regular readers of the Budo Blog) has in their home, or has seen some of the beautiful things she made and shared.  

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.

Bev spent her career teaching home economics.  Besides her children, grand children, and great grand children she taught 100's if not 1000's  of people not only how to cook, but she shared her love of cooking.  Bev enjoyed making others happy and cooking for them is one way in which she expressed her love.

Here is Grandma Great making one of those meals with Syd and Gi

Grandma Great sent me the news paper clipping from the Battle Lake paper looking for a Police Officer.  She helped me get my start in Law Enforcement, and gave me a place to stay as I started my career.

I remember it was August of 1999.  I was living at the Cabin with her and Ron.  I had a rare weekend off, and I talked them into letting me buy Summer Slam on pay per view.

They decided to watch it with me.

I don't remember the exact details of the show, but there was some sort of pie fight.

The Rock comes out and works the mic the way only the Rock can.

He says something along the lines of [if you can you should read this in the Rock's voice]

"The Rock loves apple pie, and The Rock love pumpkin pie, but do you know The Rock's favorite?  The ROCK!...can't get enough of that Poontang pie.   If ya smellllllllllllalalalalalalalalallalaaaa!, what the ROCK!, is cookin'"

So Grandma who as I mentioned spent her life cooking, and teaching others to cook turns to me and says...
 - I've never heard of poontang pie, what is that?

Grandpa Ron who was a war vet and had seen the world looks at me with an expression that I read as  - how are you going to explain this wise ass.

Gulp, well Grandma that is something I am not really comfortable talking to you about.

She did not smell what the Rock was cookin'

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

When it was her time to go, Bev was at peace.  She had lived a full and good life.  Bev went on to her next adventure.  What ever your beliefs on the after life are, Bev lives on in her Great Grandchildren, and in our memories

Bev was not a "warrior" but to many she was a hero.  This week we sent a hero home.

She will be remembered.

Ok, I lied I cried a little when I wrote this, so what, you want to fight about it?  It only counts as crying if you let other people see it.  I can't help that it is so dusty in my office.  It is not my fault some of that dust got in my eye.

Some blogs will have to be about what is going on inside my head right now.  About life events, what I've learned from them, and how those lessons can be made useful for anyone who reads the blog.

I have written plenty about living your life as Bev did, as Chief Tecumseh's poem espouses.

This post I'd like to share ways to remember / pay homage to those that have passed.

My brother Kent sent his condolences to my wife via text.

It read something along the lines of  - I liked your Grandma, and I liked her famous beans.  You need to continue making those beans.

Kent's wife Barb passed away over a decade now, but to this day we still have Barb nachos.  My daughters never met Barb so when we eat Barb nachos (a treat she would make for everybody, especially when we all got together for the holidays) I try to always remind them why they are called Barb nachos and tell them a story about Barb.

So you can keep memories alive by sharing meals and stories

Not too long ago my good friend Maija Soderholm's instructor Maestro Sonny Umpad passed away.

Here is some video of them training together.

Maija told me that many cultures believe that the spirits of the deceased can feel and smell vapors. You can examples of this in lighting candles, burning sage, or burning incense. 

It is believed that because smoke is ethereal, that burning these things brings our loved ones peace.  

"Basically the point is that smoke has no 'body' so can reach the spirit world easier. It's a way of communicating between the material and the spirit worlds"

-Maija Soderholm

Maija also told me that Sonny loved to smoke and he called cigarettes "my oxygen".  So every year on his birthday, Maija enjoys a smoke and shares some with Sonny.

I liked that idea a lot.  So much so, in fact I adopted the habit of sharing the first puff of a cigar with all the instructors that have helped me along the way, but are no longer with us.  Although I never met or trained with him I share some with Sonny too, because I do get to train with Maija and if someone like her held Sonny in such high regard he must have been something special.

This is a picture of the back yard of the cabin near the fire pit.  That is Bev and Lu playing bean bags.

I have smoked plenty of cigars in that back yard.

I'll save the last puff for Bev.  Which is kind of funny because she used to bust my chops about "wasting money on those dumb things".

She would ask how much does one of those dumb things cost.  I would reply not nearly as much as a box of wine (of which Bev would enjoy from time to time)

Bev would come back with something like, well Ronalda brought that up for me.

To which I would counter, well someday my kids will indulge my vices, but until then I'll get by. Then I'd give her a wink.

We would smile, she would drink her wine,  I would smoke my cigar and we would watch the fire for awhile.

You can share a meal that reminds you of them

You can share stories

You can burn smoke for them

If those don't work for you, develop you own method of remembering.  

Whatever method you chose to remember them by,  they will live on in your memories.

Hold the memories dear but find a way to let them go.  It can be hard, especially if you had unfinished business / unresolved issues.  Do what you need to do to be be good with your loved ones while they are alive.  Find time to spend with them because tomorrow is promised to no one.

When they are gone let them go.

You owe it to them to find peace and remember them fondly.  

Your peace will help them find their peace.

Train hard, train smart, be safe

Cherish the time you have with those in your life.