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theajjf · 1 year

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Kappo and Danzan Ryu Seifukujitsu: My Daughter’s Story by Sensei Robert Rainey

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Kappo and Danzan Ryu Seifukujitsu: My Daughter’s Story by Sensei Robert Rainey

“A medical marvel.”

“She is a miracle in progress.”

“I’m blown away Emily is where she is; it defies medical knowledge.”

These are some of the words attributed to my daughter, Emily, during her tumultuous road to an eventual recovery. She has overcome a rare, aggressive Stage 4 cancer, catastrophic heart failure and a massive stroke. These assaults to her body led to 27 days in a coma, 2 months intubated, 16 months ventilator dependent, 14 months with a tracheostomy, 20 months with a G-tube, and partial paralysis to her legs and left arm/hand for which she will soon enter inpatient rehab to gain as much recovery as possible.

The fateful day of August 8, 2021

Towards the end of her battle with cancer, our teenage daughter, Emily, encountered a series of infections that led to a sustained high heart rate and low blood pressure. Doctors ordered a very thorough echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), which showed her heart was dilated/stretched, with a decreased squeeze function. My wife, Michelle, informed me that Emily was being transferred to the ICU to better support her heart and lungs. Sensing a life-threatening situation, I raced to the hospital and arrived right before her transfer. Approximately an hour after she was admitted to the ICU, and while we were trying to help her breathe comfortably with a CPAP machine, Emily said “Mommy, I don’t feel so good” and suddenly fell back, eyes rolling to the back of her head as she lost consciousness.

To Michelle’s and my shock and confusion, Emily had gone into cardiac arrest. The room immediately filled with doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists performing CPR on her. After overcoming the initial trauma of seeing our child go pulseless, I watched medical personnel intubate her, perform chest compressions, administer the AED machine, and call out medications and time checks. They rotated in and out while maintaining Ma-ai (appropriate distance) and Ri-ai (appropriate timing). It was a beautiful, synchronized example of teamwork, but alas, it wasn’t enough. Emily was still pulseless.

After approximately 30 minutes of pulselessness, the attending doctor informed us that if it went on much longer, her chance of survival would be essentially nil. My wife asked if Emily could still have brain function after this much time and the doctor’s response showed doubt, but a possibility. Knowing a chance was worth fighting for, my wife found a place between the medical team to hold Emily’s hand and tell her to keep fighting, that we weren’t going to leave her side. At the end of the bed, I grabbed Emily’s left foot and applied a Kappo, firmly squeezing the base of her big toenail using my fingers. Within a couple minutes, Emily’s pulse returned. It was, however, short lived. CPR was resumed and I continued to apply the Kappo, pushing my silent Kiai into Emily and feeling confident that she would be revived again. This continued for another five minutes before Emily achieved a sustained return of spontaneous circulation–an astounding 45 minutes after going into cardiac arrest.

Emily’s heart wasn’t strong enough to beat on its own, so we were given the option of putting Emily on life support. We agreed and were whisked out of the room while a surgical team arrived and Emily was placed on a modified heart-lung bypass machine, called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), to remain alive. After she woke up from the procedure, we entered her room and an intubated Emily flashed us a weak smile, an amazing and beautiful sight to see after nearly losing our daughter to a lengthy 45-minute code.

The next morning as I looked down at Emily’s bruised toe, it suddenly hit me that I did a technique supposedly inferior to CPR in a life-and-death situation–something I never thought I would do on anyone, much less my own child. I had performed a Kappo technique described in Professor Ray Law’s notes (listed under Ashi Katsu) intended for restoration in extreme cases, when the other “stimulation” Kappo for re-starting the heart or restoring consciousness (Se Katsu, Ashi Katsu, Nuki Katsu) are not successful. This particular Kappo is also known as Tsume Katsu (nail resuscitation). I was taught that this technique has successfully been used to pull someone out of a coma.

The aftermath

Immediately after being placed on ECMO life support, Emily was quite lucid and able to answer questions by nodding her head or giving a thumbs up or down. She even inquired about her pet rats and joked with her sister, Hannah, despite being intubated. She was able to move all her limbs except for her left leg (the cannulation site of the ECMO). However, to our horror, after a couple days, Emily became quite delirious and slipped into a coma.

With this drastic change in neurological status, doctors ordered a head CT scan, which revealed multiple hemorrhages throughout her brain. Because of her delicate condition and the jumble of IV poles, ventilator tubing and washing-machine-sized ECMO equipment, they could not use an MRI nor transport her and were instead forced to use a portable CT machine that could not capture the true extent of her brain injury. Doctors suspected the mini strokes were caused by ECMO, although they could not conclusively rule out cardiac arrest as the culprit for scattered brain bleeds (CPR done perfectly provides only 30-40% of normal blood flow to the brain and even less to the heart). ECMO was a blessing in that it was keeping Emily alive, but also a curse as brain injury is a common side effect due to the use of blood thinners, clots forming in the plastic tubing and a number of other factors.

Knowing Emily’s life was still hanging in the balance, Michelle spent hours a day lying in bed next to our daughter, watching Emily’s favorite Netflix shows, playing her music and reading to her. Meanwhile, I started to give Emily long-life massages every single day that she was in the coma, working around the massive ECMO machine. As a biomedical scientist by training, I researched the acupressure points used in stroke recovery and was enlightened to find that some of the points are already long-life points found in Danzan Ryu Restorative Therapy (Stomach 36, Large Intestine 11, Large Intestine 4, Gall Bladder 20). I started to incorporate the other points to help with stroke recovery in my daily massages.

Nine days later and while Emily was still unresponsive, the team started to observe pulsatility from Emily’s heart on ECMO. A repeat echo showed that her aortic valve was starting to squeeze. They began the process of weaning Emily off of the sedatives that were giving her body a break to plan for a video electroencephalogram (EEG), a test that measures brain activity. Hopeful for a full recovery, I continued my daily massages, paying special attention to the acupressure points used in stroke rehabilitation.

The dreaded family meeting

With the hope of Emily’s heart showing signs of recovery, Michelle and I were asked to attend a “Family Meeting” with the oncology, cardiology, neurology, and ICU teams to discuss next steps. Here, we would learn the results of the brain EEG, as well as the consensus opinion of the ICU team as to Emily’s status. The cardiologists, who had been educating us on various heart devices they expected Emily to transition to once off ECMO, were encouraged by Emily’s cardiac readings in the last 48 hours. They were seeing beginning signs of her heart squeezing on its own. The attending neurologist, however, had basically no hope for Emily, given the abnormal readings of the brain EEG, multiple strokes as revealed by the portable CT, and her neurological examinations while off sedatives.

The ICU team as a whole was deferring to the neurologist’s opinion, which drowned out the reassuring status of Emily’s heart and that her cancer was likely in remission. It seems that they had already formed a preconceived notion that her brain injury was unrecoverable, and subtly implied that we were headed down the path to “pulling the plug.” We were asked to meet with the palliative care team to discuss pain management and end of life processes. Emily’s sister, grandparents and aunts would be given a final opportunity to visit her.

The news hit us like a brick wall. I had already resolved myself in my goal of getting Emily to a full recovery using seifukujitsu. Michelle had sufficient exposure in her career as an educator to believe in the power of neuroplasticity and a growth mindset. We both knew enough to remain skeptical of the consensus opinion. The panel we sat before was the antithesis of the mindset I hold when immersing myself in seifukujitsu, the diametrically opposite of what I was trained to do in the dojo, which was to never say “cannot.” Despite their statement of limitations, I remained steadfast in my determination to bring Emily out of the coma and back on the path to recovery. Michelle still remembers the look in one doctor’s eyes when she said we expect a full recovery–a mixture of pity and sorrow.

Michelle and I pushed back on the ICU team and advocated for our daughter’s life. While I hid my true intention, which was to give Emily more time with seifukujitsu, for I knew they would just dismiss it, I countered with clinical data (published in a high impact medical journal) showing that brain EEG was not a reliable predictor of outcomes in comatose patients. I also argued that their opinion was too strongly influenced by confirmation bias in their own practices, particularly as the parents of the children they see may not necessarily possess my and Michelle's expertise in our respective fields.

Ultimately, a compromise was reached. The team would give Emily a few more days to respond, then they would start weaning ECMO flows and proceed with a “clamp out trial” to determine her readiness for discontinuing ECMO life support, but without the option of transitioning to a mechanical heart pump. With her neurological status in question, Emily would be on her own, unassisted other than being hooked up to the ventilator. If her heart could sustain her, we could wait and see if, when and in what condition she emerges from the coma.

Delving deeper in DZR-RT

I continued my daily massages on Emily. An ECMO technician approached me and remarked that the ECMO circuit flowed better while I was treating Emily. While I did not have the background to make sense of the various readings and parameters on the ECMO machine, which to my untrained eyes was as complex as the cockpit of a 747, I started to pay attention to it during my daily massages. I was able to observe in real time how the ECMO machine and the arterial (blood pressure) line reacted to the different points and techniques used in DZR-RT. I was reminded of a tidbit I learned in a massage class: that a doctor used a functional MRI (fMRI) to view the effects of acupuncture on the big toe to the optic nerve.

One interesting observation I had is Emily’s arterial blood pressure would rise consistently while I was doing Nishi (lifting and vibrating the leg). Like clockwork, it would rise faster or slower depending on how vigorous I was with Nishi, then drop back to baseline. There were times when the ECMO circuit was having trouble flowing because Emily was in distress, and I was able to remedy the situation using DZR-RT techniques.

One night, I woke to an army of nurses and doctors in what was a code blue situation because Emily had dangerously low blood pressure. The attending doctor informed me that they had given Emily two boluses of saline injection in an attempt to reverse her hypotension and she was still crashing. They were about to give Emily another bolus of saline when, half asleep, I proceeded to do Nishi on her leg. I was able to immediately raise her blood pressure and in fact, the attending doctor asked me to stop at one point because it was getting a bit too high. Emily’s blood pressure subsequently normalized to baseline level (and I went back to sleep).

Trials and tribulations after getting off ECMO

After 15 days on ECMO and having shown a significant recovery in cardiac functions, Emily was decannulated from the life support machine. Her cardiothoracic surgeon commented that Emily had received the Rolls-Royce treatment in medical care and recommended not resuscitating her should she code again. Our days ahead would prove challenging, as Emily was still comatose and experiencing neurostorming, with almost nightly runs of abnormal rapid heartbeats known as ventricular tachycardia (v-tach). The cardiology team met with us daily, adjusting her heart support medications to address each new symptom. Nevertheless, free of the constraints of the ECMO machine, I continued my daily massages on Emily, and Michelle cuddled, kissed, talked to and Netflixed with her.

Unfettered by the ECMO machine, doctors ordered an MRI of Emily’s brain. The results were stark, with sobering implications. In addition to providing a clearer picture of the multiple hemorrhages throughout the brain, it showed a rather devastating large stroke in the right middle cerebral artery, affecting the left side of the body, as well as microhemorrhages in the brainstem. This spelt a death knell for some of the doctors, leading the attending neurologist to conclude that she did not expect Emily to have a meaningful recovery.

When a doctor woke Michelle in the middle of the night to report the dismal news, the doctor had tears in her eyes and was genuinely sad to have to share such a devastating report. She was taken aback when we simply accepted the news, determined to proceed with supportive care. In reality, it did not matter. I had already resolved to bring Emily back with seifukujitsu regardless of the findings, and Michelle likewise was confident in the power of neuroplasticity, especially in a young patient, and our collective ability to emotionally support our daughter through a long recovery.

Coming out of the coma

Around the time of Emily’s 15 th birthday, nearing one month in a coma, she began to show signs of recovering to a minimally conscious state. This included making small facial movements during massages, squeezing a squishy ball on command, moving her thumb in response to questions, and showing signs of recognition when a group of nurses sang “Happy Birthday” to her. A neurologist informed us that she had a patient with a similar brain injury who, at eight months out, still could not do what Emily could do at the time. This gave us hope.

As Emily made progress, it became clear that she was mostly spared a common condition associated with right-side stroke, namely left neglect in which the stroke survivor refuses to acknowledge anything, including their own body, on the left side of their environment. Over the next month she recovered to a normal level of consciousness, even being able to move her left fingers. When the team of neurologists visited after a period of absence, they entered the room with a familiar skeptical demeanor, but it shifted quickly when they saw what Emily could do. Over time, our dread of their presence was replaced with an eagerness to show them Emily’s progress. We embraced the phrase “prove them wrong” and asked that conversations about stroke recovery timelines and predictions not take place at Emily’s bedside.

Over the same timeframe, Emily’s heart ejection fraction improved to a normal level on heart support medications, a striking change from the cardiologists’ initial prognosis in which they expected her to be supported by a mechanical heart pump. One of her cardiologists remarked that she has seen three medical miracles in her career and Emily is one of them. Emily astonished each doctor who met her, for she looked better in person than on paper.

On the road to a full recovery

In January of 2022, Emily came home fully dependent on a ventilator for breathing, and we started the process of slowly weaning her off it. She was still unable to sit up on her own, roll over in bed or eat solid food but from a cognitive standpoint, she resumed school remotely (starting with chemistry no less) and scored average for her grade level on a reading assessment test. Emily has emerged cognitively normal and is the same girl she has always been–kind, funny, loving, intelligent and a little bit sassy. Just the way we want her!

Fast forward to today, Emily is ventilator- and tracheostomy-free, her cancer is 20 months in remission, and she attends in-person school twice a week. She has begun to walk using a walker, is resuming jujitsu training, and enjoying life with her sister, 6 pet rats and 2 Alaskan Malamutes. She volunteers in a kindergarten class and recently went on two big looping roller coasters. Talk about voluntarily turning herself upside down after a harrowing two-year ordeal! Always maintaining a positive spirit, Emily remains the happiest person I have ever known.

I have much to be thankful for, including the dedicated efforts of Emily’s medical team as well as the Danzan Ryu training I received that came to the fore at exactly the correct time. I shudder to think how wildly different Emily’s outcomes would have been if it was not for the healing arts in our system.

A medical miracle… Or a recipient of the awesome healing power inherent in our Danzan Ryu system…

You be the judge.

Emily Rainey in Prof Randle’s yawara class at Convention 2023. She’s paired with her sister, Hannah, and Justin Kocher. (photo credit to Ed Shatzen)

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theajjf · 1 year

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Professor Nerissa Freeman on Danzan Ryu Origin Stories Podcast – by Professor Hillary Kaplowitz

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Professor Nerissa Freeman on Danzan Ryu Origin Stories Podcast – by Professor Hillary Kaplowitz

Welcome to Danzan Ryu Origin Stories. In movies, television, books, especially comic books, we often get to learn the character’s backstory to find out why they are the way they are – like how a superhero got their superpower. Knowing their “origin story” is important so we can understand their role in the story. Learning about how our DZR Sensei started training – their “origin stories” – helps us to document this part of our oral history and provides some insight and inspiration about training in the martial arts.”

Link: https://anchor.fm/dzr-stories

Instagram: @dzr_stories

Hosted by Professor Hillary Kaplowitz

Sensei of Pacific JuJitsu Kai

Web: pacificdojo.com

Instagram: pjk_ohana

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theajjf · 1 year

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Lessons from Losing - by Austin Stahl

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Lessons from Losing - by Austin Stahl

Lessons from Losing

Many of the martial artists I’ve met over the years have dabbled in various forms of competition, and a pattern has seemed to emerge after picking their brains. They start out gung-ho when they are young, eventually realizing the mileage it’s putting on their body and start winding down as they age. It’s a smart way to train and maintain. For better or worse, I’ve been doing things in the opposite order. I am what you could call a late bloomer…for as long as I can remember I’ve defaulted to sitting back, observing, and moving when the time feels right. It has usually served me well. As a younger martial artist I didn’t feel much competitive drive. I did the occasional Freestyle and Kata contest, sure. I even competed in Judo and Sport Jujitsu here and there. But these contests were few and far between, with mixed results and mixed dedication. For whatever reason, it wasn’t until about the age of 30 (12 years into my martial arts journey) that I finally felt the itch to compete…the itch to pour everything I have into preparation and really put myself on the line to see what I’m made of. There are different ways of testing yourself of course, but what I desired was confirmation of how well I could (or couldn’t) defend myself against a fully resisting opponent. I wanted to truly trust in my skills without doubt and as the Buddhists believe, one’s enemy can often be their best teacher.

In the year 2022, I had four opportunities to fight. Two of these in the format of Sport Jujitsu, one MMA fight, and one Muay Thai fight. Of the four, I came out with 2 wins and 2 losses. They say you learn more from your losses than your wins, which is true. You do however learn from your wins as well. What they don’t tell you is how difficult it can be to recognize and receive the correct messages from your losses, or how difficult it is to stomach the accompanying feelings that are part of the package. Please understand, I’m writing this largely for myself. It helps to have an emotional and mental outlet. I am, however, sharing this writing because I feel it’s my duty as a sensei of the Kodenkan system to transmit my knowledge and experience to help others. It’s what we do, and from what I’m told it’s an ancient tradition. If you plan to compete or fight in the future, or have students who wish to, I’ve no doubt that the technical aspects can be covered by the sensei-student relationship. What I wish to speak on are the things you may not have considered in order to avoid the seemingly unavoidable feelings of being blindsided by unforeseen circumstances.

Lesson 1: Visualization Works

Before this year’s Ohana event, I decided Sport Jujitsu was a perfect format in which to start my competitive journey. The ruleset is awesome, allowing for the competitor to win in a variety of ways based on their personal strengths. If you’re a striker, grappler, or thrower your chances of victory are even. I prepared as well as I could; my nutrition was perfect, my cardio training was on point, I was adamant on my physical conditioning against damage. I intentionally worked on strength and flexibility every day. You name it, I did it. The only problem was that I was living in the middle of nowhere, with no gym or training partners within reach. How do you prepare for a fight without practice? I’m a big believer in the mind’s ability to influence physical outcome, so instead of drilling/sparring I trained internally by imagining the fight over and over and over. I did this several times a day, for several months. I didn’t know who my opponent would be, I didn’t know if they would be tall/short, southpaw or orthodox. I imagined every scenario I could as often as I could and felt every sensation along the way to imprint the feeling of success until the point where it was truly difficult to imagine myself losing. When the day finally arrived, I had two fights back to back with two previously unknown, but tough/skilled warriors. I performed well, composed, and won both matches. The interesting part though, is that the technical execution in both matches was nearly identical to the images I had continuously rehearsed in my head. I used the right techniques at the right times, defended the correct way and countered effortlessly just like I’d planned. It was an amazing experience, more like watching a movie play out than being in the fight myself. Visualization in place of physical practice had worked. The key to effective visualization in my mind is the realism of the images you rehearse, and more importantly the feelings you have when meditating on success. This may feel difficult initially, but like anything else gets easier with time and practice. The wonderful thing about visualization as opposed to physical training is that you can envision yourself having success 100% of the time. That continual mental success translates to confidence, and in the process makes your self-image (and capacity for success) grow. I believe Henry Ford said it best, “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”

Lesson 2: Confidence/Arrogance are Sometimes Indistinguishable

After Ohana’s Sport Jujitsu tournament I had a bit of time to reflect and heal (a broken big toe from a knee block would slow me down, but not stop me) and the itch to test myself was more present than ever. About a month later I received an opportunity to take part in an MMA event. This would be the real deal…full contact, no pads/headgear, with an opponent looking to hurt me. I have religiously trained Jujitsu, Judo, and Muay Thai while using Tai Chi to train my mind and heal my body for many years. The time felt right and I was eager to tackle this new challenge. I’m not a huge fan of MMA to be honest with you, because from what I’ve seen the UFC is more about trash talking for money than the warrior code we martial artists embrace. There are better organizations by the way, but that’s another topic…if interested check out ONE FC. I’ve also seen many UFC fights over the years and from what I’d seen it was mid-level Jujitsu with mid-level Boxing, mid-level kicks and so on…I was rarely impressed. I, on the other hand, had trained with phenomenal Jujitsuka for many years, as well as some of the best Muay Thai fighters in the world. I felt like I didn’t have anything to worry about in the striking department or the grappling department, and if overwhelmed by a specialist I could easily switch gears to take them to where I’m strong and they’re weak (Jujitsu strategy 101). This is where confidence quietly shifts into the realm of arrogance. I can’t stress this next statement enough – when you watch the way they move, and the techniques they use (in another sport), they are doing so for a reason. They are doing what they do because this is what works in their world. They’ve tested it. Thinking you can come in from an outside world with outside knowledge and overcome them at their own game is dangerous and foolish. For example, on kickboxing night I usually beat these MMA fighters cleanly. On grappling night it was often the same. But MMA grappling is not the same as grappling alone. MMA striking is not the same as striking alone. It is completely different, please trust me on this. I could tell you all the reasons why, but that’s a topic for another time.

With my confidence building in the gym through consistently good results against training partners in kickboxing and grappling, further compounded by the tried-and-true visualization drills, I felt unstoppable on fight night. I stepped into that cage as an MMA first timer, but a fairly seasoned Jujitsuka/Judoka/Nak Muay ready to put my skills to the test. Standing across from me was an opponent that was supposedly easy to beat despite a size advantage. Turns out he was seasoned too. While I excelled in a patchwork of different skill sets, he was seasoned in MMA purely. He had many fights (previously unknown to me) and used his experience to quickly turn me to stone with a head kick I didn’t ever see coming. He was confident, calm, kept his distance well to use his reach advantage, and threw my mind downward with distracting calf kicks before sending the kill shot upward. According to friends/training partners it appeared I was winning until that point, but to me that doesn’t matter. I approached the fight feeling like I could never be out-kicked by an MMA fighter (kicking is my specialty), but the reality was the veteran taught me about what it’s like to be in his home, the cage. Arrogance had been my downfall.

Lesson 3: A Failure Offers a Blueprint to Build Success

One of the only things more difficult in my experience than dealing with a hard hit to your personal belief system is when you receive a blindside hit to your belief system. They say it’s the hit you don’t see coming that takes you out…I can personally attest to the statement’s validity on both a physical and mental level. Picking up the pieces after something personally devastating is one of the hardest parts of human life. How you proceed after being knocked down is often one of the life instances that shapes you for the future. The ancient Stoics believed that perception was everything, and while I don’t personally think it’s everything it sure influences a lot. In order to avoid falling in a hole I can’t climb out of, I make it a personal habit to view every obstacle as opportunity, and every failure as feedback from the universe telling me what doesn’t work in order to avoid that trouble again down the road. But how, exactly, do you recognize the universal message behind a loss or failure if you don’t know how it happened? This is the trouble with being blindsided. Through personal reflection you can eventually find the answer, but after being blindsided the sulking period tends to be much longer (potentially permanent if you let it be) and the cuts to your heart much deeper.

After my MMA debut loss, and after licking my wounds for what felt like an eternity (in reality only a few long weeks), my sadness/frustration left me chomping at the bit to get another chance to prove myself to myself. So I took the earliest fight available. This opportunity presented itself in the form of a Muay Thai fight, with headgear and shinpads, which seemed perfect to me considering I want to hang on to as many brain cells as possible. After a talk with my MMA striking coach we decided that pure boxing linear footwork/angles would be the missing link in my style, so we immediately began drilling this basic skill like it was my first day in the gym. I got a whopping 1.5 weeks of practice in before taking this fight, not much. Knowing how much of a blow the previous loss was to my ego (yeah I’ve got one despite my best efforts, willing to bet we all do to an extent) I was worried about that feeling recurring. At the same time, I was aware that to dwell on the thought of losing would be equivalent to shooting my potential success in the foot. Fight day came and went, and I chose to approach this first Muay Thai fight as an “experiment.” My goals included: putting the footwork drills to use in combat, maintaining defensive soundness at all times without my mind slacking (Zanshin) and actually listening for my coach’s advice during the midst of the chaos. Easier said than done for newbies considering adrenaline closes off your hearing to outside distractions. In all three of these regards I was successful. According to the judges these successes weren’t enough to win the fight, but upon video review/talk with spectators it seems clear I’d done enough to win. Who cares about that though, that’s beside the point and judges are human like the rest of us. I think the way I approached the Muay Thai fight as an experiment was the right way to go, because I learned a bit about what works. Taking/reviewing video footage was helpful as well, because I figured out what I did that was successful as well as what I did that was unsuccessful; both immensely helpful in developing my personal style moving forward in competing as well as coaching others. This long-winded description isn’t yet touching on the most important part of the experience however: the use of a “pre-mortem” mental exercise prior to the fight and its effect on my mindset afterward.

You see, I wanted more than anything to avoid that devastating feeling that struck me and stuck with me from the MMA loss. In order to do this, I attempted to balance out the confidence-building aspects of visualization with the sad reality that things don’t always go the way you wish. With this in mind I performed a “pre-mortem” exercise (often employed by business managers) to imagine ahead of time that you or your project has failed, and figure out why as if looking through the lens of hindsight. How could I possibly lose? I went through each and every way. I also decided how I would best prevent this from happening. I even decided how I would proceed moving forward with my training/life even if the failure occurred despite my best efforts. I believe it was due to this activity that I am writing this one day after my loss as opposed to the weeks it would have taken had I been blindsided once again.

The combination of goal-setting, visualization of success (not just in terms of results, but also success reaching my smaller goals), and the use of foresight to handle potential setbacks has allowed me to know exactly what I need to do moving forward in order to grow. I can only speak for myself, but I’m willing to bet that if you love and train DZR the way I do that personal growth is key to your quality of life and needs to be prioritized and optimized. On this note, I hope you or your students get something from my experiences. In Kokua, I feel it’s my duty to help our Ohana in any way I can.

On that note, in a logical sense I don’t find it wise to risk head injuries in violent competitions (much less the hard/dangerous training leading up to these fights) but I also understand that risks are occasionally necessary to find parts of yourself that can’t otherwise be acquired. If you or any students have the desire to compete in combat sports, or anything at all, please know I’m openly available to help in any way possible. I don’t begin to claim I know everything, in fact the more I learn the less I know for certain. A sensei, however, isn’t perfect. They’re simply one further down the path. In that spirit, I’d be happy to offer any of my knowledge/experience openly to any willing to seek it out. Jujitsu knowledge is readily available in the family we’ve placed ourselves in. But MMA, Judo, Tai Chi, Muay Thai, boxing, kickboxing, aerobic/anaerobic conditioning, body conditioning, nutrition, pre-fight weight gain/loss, mental preparation and so on are all paths I’ve devoted myself to so please reach out if you ever think I can be of help.

In humility,

Austin Stahl

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theajjf · 1 year

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Memories of Professor Carr - by Jeff Hansen

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Memories of Professor Carr - by Jeff Hansen

I met Professor Jane Carr in 1997.

I was allowed to train with her by my sensei. He told me to call her and ask for permission to come to class as I was a new green belt. I was traveling to Redding as a salesperson for fire protection materials and wanted somewhere to train. I arrived late afternoon and called the RJA and left a message as class was later that evening. Prof. retuned my call and said I was more than welcome to come and join in.

When I came through the door the first thing I noticed was how big the mat was. There was enough room to roll and fall anywhere you wanted. Over the course of the years of my travels there I did. I met her students. Black belts Scott and Peter, and also Randy and Phil. Professor Scott Redden is only 1 of 2 DZR people I have met on jobsites doing their job while I did mine. I also met Professor Fuchs and Professor Merrill through her and my visits to RJA. Cool right?

When Prof. stepped on the mat her presence was profound indeed. We did Yawara and Nage that first night. After class we talked about my sensei and myself. She always made me feel at home there after that class. This was the start of my longtime correspondences with her. We talked about massage and I went to her and her daughter for that. She had me over to her house one day and she worked on me. That really made my sensei jealous as he had never been there. I liked that.

I continued going to Redding once a month off and on for as many years as I could while my job sent me that way. I even did a freestyle tournament in 1999 and finished 3 rd place. I was not able to receive trophies as my sensei did not allow us to. She had snow globes made and told me it would be fine if I received that. She also told me if my sensei had a problem with that to call her. He never did.

The thing I will always hold dear to my heart is the love she shared with all her students and even some for her non students. She was the essence of Aloha…it was all around her and her students. I was having trouble getting past my green belt rank. I told her how hard my sensei was on me and how frustrated I was. She looked me in the eye and said, “Jeff if you can stick it out and endure his teaching style then you will surely learn some magic along the way.” From the time I met her she regarded me as a friend and someone she wanted to check in with and find out if everything was okay. She guided me at times I needed guiding. Always with a kind and understanding heart. I am glad I listened.

One night at class she told a story about Professor Estes and carrying a mat to the gym as they waited. How he was whistling and carrying the mat as the doors seem to open on their own without him touching them. All the fond memories of hot summer nights listening to Hootie and Blues Travelers going down 5 or 99 on the way home. She came to our school with Professor Hager one time for AJJF black belt exams. She was herself gracious, kind and strong. She was always available by email or phone.

I went to Redding in July 2021 to visit, we talked on the new mat (she was so proud of it) and I met Mister her companion. I last touched her on the mat doing Kappo and had conversations with her at the 2021 Brown Belt camp in Chico. I am glad I made an effort to go and see her then. I will not forget that day. She will be missed but never forgotten by those of us whom she touched in many ways. Let us all keep her spirit alive by sharing stories and her name. I loved her as a person and a teacher. She will always be with me in my heart and mind.

Aloha Prof. we will see you again someday. Jeff Hansen

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theajjf · 2 years

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Memories of Professor Jane Carr from an Interview with Professor Don Cross

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Memories of Professor Jane Carr from an Interview with Professor Don Cross

This remembrance was drawn from an interview with Professor Don Cross by Katie Murphy Stevens in October 2022.

My earliest recollection of Jane Carr was working out with her at black belt classes in Chico, California. This would have been about 1972. Professors Bud Estes, Tom Ball and Lamar Fisher taught the classes together. That was the mecca for black belt training at the time. We made the journey about once a month. Jane was my favorite uke. I liked her. She really spoke her mind when we were working out, “Don’t treat me like a woman! Treat me like a black belt!”. She was tough and would stand up for what she believed in. She was genuine and authentic with me.

I remember doing one of the sword techniques in black belt class, Suso Harai from the Daito No Maki list. Professor Ball explained how to perform the technique properly: don’t jump up, bring your feet up, stay at the same height even though your feet are off the mat, keep your toes pointed. Jane drew her sword, raised it up over her head, I moved properly as she brought the sword down. She went down to her knee, turning the sword. Then – as technique goes – she moved the sword fast and hard directly toward my knees. But I did everything wrong. I didn’t bring my feet high enough, I had my toes down. She whacked my shins so hard. I screamed, “Yow!”. She said, “I told you I’d be coming”. As a result, I learned to do that technique much better. I had to! She toughened me up quite a lot.

Jane and I worked often together. When we arrived at black belt class, I remember that we would rush toward each other to hug in greeting. It was fun to work with her. I was the right size for her because I was 6 feet 2 1/2 inches tall and she was about 5 foot 6 inches. She was a great uke. She knew how to add just enough resistance to allow you to work at the technique and do it right. With Jane, I learned how to be the ultimate uke and go with the flow without purposeless resistance.

Jane was very precise on how to do the techniques. She would apply the techniques close to full force. Which made it sometimes kind of scary to work with her. We trained one another powerfully that way. We learned to bring the techniques to the point of pain but not injury. But it was a risky way to train and we probably both injured each other from time to time.

In 1980, Bob Hudson and I hatched the idea that the AJJF really needed a massage training program. We ran it by Professor Bud Estes, who thought it was a terrific idea. The Board of Professor endorsed the idea. Jane and Professor Tom Ball joined the committee to create the first training program. We were hungry to create an intensive program that would teach Danzan Ryu massage and also fulfill the state licensing requirements. We four black belts had an idea, planned the program and got approval from the Board of Professors.

The first program was held at my dojo in Sacramento around 1983. We wanted about 40 students in the class and that is exactly what we got. Jane came down from Redding to teach in that program. Later, she held the program at her dojo in Redding. I went up to Redding to teach. It came to feel like home. Sometimes she would give me a massage and it was the best massage ever. She really knew how to project her ki, her life force

Jane and I were of the same mind that a kata contest is an opportunity to face your fears, to get up and perform despite the fears. The inner work preparing ahead of time is so very important. In the process of perfecting 8 techniques and a combative sequence you are also perfecting other similar techniques. Competing in a kata tournament helps build confidence based on determination and harvesting your will. You do the best you possibly can to make your sensei proud and to do your dojo mates proud. It is a powerful tool of transformation to face your own fears, be aware of them, but perform anyway.

I remember the relationship she had with her daughter, Sheryl, and Kay Haddox. Sheryl and Kay were the best in all kata contests. I knew Jane had taught them well. They always did great and almost always won their division. I remember that Jane would mentor them with piercing eyes and great intention. Jane made it clear that the techniques were meant to be done in a particular way.

I watched Jane’s relationship with Sheryl over the years. No favoritism, just a mother’s love to teach her daughter to be the best she can be. Sheryl was promoted to hachidan this year, and well earned. She is a shining example of what her sensei – her mother – taught in the dojo.

Jane had a great influence on the course and history of the AJJF. When she would speak, everyone would listen intently because she made such great sense. Always coming from the heart. Jane had a way of putting her mind to something and making it happen. She was a very creative person and a great leader. To her, it was key to be the best you can be. She was a great example and now there are many women leaders in the organization. It balances out the male energy that would be dominant. Balancing the yang with the yin is very important.

If Jane was here before me right now, this is what I would say to her. Thank you, Jane, for making me who I am today. You are a great example for me in your life. I hope I can emulate your fine example of character, love and compassion. You are a great giver and a big hearted person. Very loving, very approachable. Thank you, Jane.

Professor Jane Carr and Yodan Don Cross circa 1982, Camp Kodenkan North

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theajjf · 2 years

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AJJF Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Summary August 28, 2022 - by Prof. Hager AJJF Secretary

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AJJF Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Summary August 28, 2022 - by Prof. Hager AJJF Secretary

View BOD Summary Notes here

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theajjf · 2 years

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Professor Hillary Kaplowitz on Danzan Ryu Origin Stories Podcast – by Professor Hillary Kaplowitz

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Professor Hillary Kaplowitz on Danzan Ryu Origin Stories Podcast – by Professor Hillary Kaplowitz

Link: https://anchor.fm/dzr-stories

Instagram: @dzr_stories

Hosted by Professor Hillary Kaplowitz

Sensei of Pacific JuJitsu Kai

Web: pacificdojo.com

Instagram: pjk_ohana

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theajjf · 2 years

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AJJF Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Summary June 5, 2022 - by Prof. Hager AJJF Secretary

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AJJF Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Summary June 5, 2022 - by Prof. Hager AJJF Secretary

AJJF Board of Directors Meeting Summary

June 5th 2022. Respectfully submitted by, Sheryl Hager Prof. AJJF secretary

BOD Member Attendance: President Prof. Lane Treasurer: Prof. Congistre Secretary: Prof. Hager Member at Large: Prof. Colton Operations Committee Chair:Sensei Davis Finance Committee Chair: Sensei Roberts Council ofSenior Instructors Chair: Sensei Chapple DZRSI Chair: Sensei Freugh Guests Profs. Hudson, Wehseler, Merrill, Cross, Kaplowitz, Hodgkin, Guest Sensei: Stevens Chair: Prof. Ryan Scribe: Sensei Carlson

Minutes from previous meeting: Approved

Votes since last meeting: Harry Burleson has been elected as the National Manager of Regions. Tom Meade was elected as the Convention Chair. Robbie Rainey was elected as the Insurance Chair Austin Stahl was appointed as Kiai Echo Chair. Nathalie Chapple was elected as CSI Chair. Welcome all!

Quarterly Reports

Financial: Appreciation was given to Mark Roberts for his extensive work on Taxes. DZRSI: Dan Linder has been appointed as Scribe. CSI: The CSI committee has a renewed focus on how to communicate and reach Sensei. This committee has some new members with renewed energy. Post Covid , there are more schools that are becoming more active and renewing their memberships with the AJJF. Convention feedback: Most were glad to have a convention even though it was virtual. looking forward to in person convention and events. There needs to be some improvement on how to teach via zoom. Some suggestions were given on how to improve in this area.

Quarterly operations committee: Austin Stahl is doing a great job with the Kiai Echo since his appointment. The committee membership on the website has been updated.

Action Items: 1)The membership committee chair to develop a plan for looking at membership levels and requirements for each membership class. Including delinquent background checks. This is in process. 2) Develop the Allied/International Program. This in process 3) Work with the National Manager of Regions, Webmaster & National Manager of Communication for distribution of information monthly to school heads. CSI will connect with the new Kiai Echo Chair soon. 4) Covid update: In process. 5) A new committee to be formed to develop a Convention Comp Plan, and what the goals of this plan are to be determined. A request to put this on the BOP agenda. 6) Prof Hager is to send an edited BOD Meeting Summary to the Kiai Echo chair for distribution. Ongoing 7) A proposal will be drafted on requirement guidelines, funding and process of a Juniors scholarship fund. 8) Create a proposal for the use of regional funds. In process.

Old Business: Convention cancellation update: There is nothing new from the Charlotte Hotel.

New Business: To Clarify how the BOD/BOP work together. It needs to updated on the website which is the governing body and to clarify the roles that of BOD and BOP. Mileage reimbursement: Due to the increase in expenses mileage reimbursement will increase to 50 cents per mile as opposed to 40 cents per mile. There will be an updated automated form available to reflect the reimbursement . This increase will now be more in line with the IRS rate Convention Compensation plan: his document was previously sent out. Action here currently borderlines on EC and BOP responsibility, but the BOD can work on what is their level of responsibility. Convention 2023 hotel contract: The contract agreement that was presented by Prof. Hudson for the 2023 convention was accepted and approved.

Next Meetings: August 28th 2022, December 4th 2022

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theajjf · 2 years

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Feelings for the ATJA Nationals - by Lydia Claire Cheek

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Feelings for the ATJA Nationals - by Lydia Claire Cheek

Dedication: This is to Aubrey Fitzloff, one of my sensei at my dojo.

Yes, as you saw from the title, this is an article about how I felt at the ATJA Nationals. I won a silver and gold medal, and my brother, Noah, won a bronze medal for competing. But one of the most important things that I recall Professor Tom Ryan saying to us is it’s not about the medals. The second important thing that he told my brother and I was “if you go up against an opponent and then fight them again, you know their strengths and weaknesses.”

Now we’ve come to the part in this article where I talk about how I felt at the nationals. As soon as all the schools were done getting in their groups, I had the very first match in the whole tournament. Just as I was before, I was nervous. I sat in one of the chairs, waiting for my opponent. Then came Sensei Aubrey Fitzloff, who was coaching my brother and I for the tournament. She said something about how when I get on the mat, everything will come back to me. And she wasn’t wrong. It felt mildly like sparring back in the dojo.

To conclude this article, Prof. Tom asked me and my brother to share a writing piece. I am happy that I got to share what happened at the ATJA nationals!

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theajjf · 2 years

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The ATJA National Judo Tournament of 8/6/22 - by Noah Cheek

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The ATJA National Judo Tournament of 8/6/22 - by Noah Cheek

On August 6, 2022, my sister, Lydia Claire, and I went to Atlanta for the National Judo Tournament. I was feeling nervous that I was going against some of the best contenders in the country. There were national champions and an Olympic winner competing. I was worried, too, mostly because I thought I was going to hurt myself. A rational part of me said that if I did my falls right and did my best, I’d be fine. The rational part of me is often wrong.

My instructor, Aubrey Fitzloff, was there when we arrived to the tournament. My parents came to watch me and my sister. A word about my sister; she is two years younger than I am and better at Judo than I am. She was nervous, too. Sensei Aubrey talked to us for a little bit before the tournament began. Some of the people at the tournament were going to do demonstrations before it began, and it was interesting to watch. Then the first two matches started.

The tournament was arranged and organized by age and weight class. My dad put me in two divisions so I would be able to do at least four matches. I was put with people taller, heavier, older, and generally more experienced than I was. After the weigh-ins, we had some time before the tournament, so I read until the tournament started. My sister had the first match in the girl’s division. She did great! She won three matches and lost two. I, on the other hand, lost all four of my matches. To be fair, I was up against 13 and 14 year-olds, and I’m only 11. I still lost.

The tournament was still really fun. I got a bronze medal in the boys 13-14 under 56 kilograms. Lydia Claire won first and second in her two divisions. I was disappointed that I didn’t win one match, but I was still happy that I got third. My dad, my sister and I went and grabbed lunch before the medal ceremonies, but they started just as we got the food. We lead-footed it back, and missed Lydia Claire’s medal ceremony. We still got the medals, though.

All in all, the National Tournament of 2022 was really fun. I got to go to a city that I love and I got to participate in a tournament and test my skills against people from around the country. I think that I will participate in the next tournament, if given the chance.

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theajjf · 2 years

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AJJF Newsletter August 2022 - Kiai Echo

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AJJF Newsletter August 2022 - Kiai Echo

The AJJF Kiai Echo Newsletter will be an ongoing publication to keep you all up to date on the latest news, events, etc. Click the link below to view the latest publication.

-Austin

AJJF-Kiai-Echo-Newsletter-Aug-2022.pdf

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theajjf · 2 years

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New Dojo Welcome! KazeNamiKan of Oxnard CA

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New Dojo Welcome! KazeNamiKan of Oxnard CA

The AJJF has a new dojo, recently opened by Professor Geoff Lane. If you find yourself in the Oxnard CA area stop in for some wonderful instruction!

School Name: KazeNamiKan School Head: Professor Geoff Lane

School Location and Mailing Address:

1466 Estuary Way Oxnard, CA. 93035

(530) 624-8175

[email protected]

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theajjf · 2 years

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Jujitsu at the Beach - by Sensei Austin Stahl

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Jujitsu at the Beach - by Sensei Austin Stahl

It was a lively Saturday in Oxnard with music blasting, grills blazing, and bodies flying through the air with smiles seen in every direction. “Jujitsu at the Beach,” hosted by Professor Geoff Lane, took place for the 6th time and is likely to continue for many successful years to come. More than just a good workout, the event was a refreshing reminder of just how exciting it can be to get together in person and share knowledge, stories and the occasional laugh. The feeling of Ohana, a core binding principle of our system, was felt throughout.

The only flaw with the event was the inability to participate in every class simultaneously. With an impressive lineup of instructors, naturally an equally impressive list of choices presented itself. With a professor on every mat (Professors Congistre, Cross, Lane, Colton, Kaplowitz, Merrill were attending along with many senior instructors) we were guaranteed some good insight. I began with a class taught by Professor Colton and Sifu Graciela Casillas on knife disarms and knife-on-knife fighting. The Kata techniques were shown with some interesting and fun variations, followed by a set of Filipino-based flow drills that were challenging and awesome. It was refreshing to get out of my comfort zone and practice something new and difficult. By the end of the class it was apparent just how difficult it can be to oppose a knife-wielding opponent, which was quite a humbling experience.

Next was a class on “Connection Games and Drills” headed by newly crowned Professor Merrill. I love these sorts of classes, because the focus and sensitivity developed transfers so well into everything else you do. Not to mention it’s just a great time. Learning from Professor Merrill also gave me some good ideas on how to structure my own classes down the road.

Lunch was provided between classes 2 and 3, serving the ever-loved plate of tacos. I can’t think of a better representation of California than the combination of great weather, beaches, and tacos.

After a nice refueling and rest, I proceeded to tackle class three which consisted of Oku techniques taught by Professor Lane and Sensei Sean Hummer. I’ve been learning from both for over a decade, but the fluidity and sharpness of their technique is something I could never get tired of. This class was my favorite for an unexpected reason, and that was the opportunity I had to train with a new Sankyu doing Oku for the first time. There is something special that comes along with throwing a log onto the passionate fire of an up-and-comer.

After Oku, it came time to take a step back to the basics with a Yawara class. I always try to take at least one Yawara course when attending an event, because the little nuggets of wisdom obtained from familiar techniques taught by unfamiliar Sensei always pay dividends down the road. You can never be too good at Yawara, confirmed by Professor Lane who modestly claimed “he’s still learning it.”

By the time class five rolled around, an unfortunate truth had presented itself…I probably should have worn sunscreen. This period of time consisted of me and others (same problem) avoiding the sun at all costs while stories were shared and massages were traded. All in all, a great day.

One of the great things about these types of events is the bonding before and after the time on the mat. Meals were shared, stories were told, and some of us even got the pleasure of picking the brains of the various visiting professors. Time with the “Wise Ones” as I like to call them is valuable and something to always take advantage of. For myself and others, it was an extra special opportunity in that we were able to listen to stories of Professor Law through Professor Congistre, which were both entertaining and enlightening. At “JAB” I got to see some old faces, meet some new people, and celebrate the unity of our system and organization. I plan to attend again in the future, as do many others I’d spoken with. Thanks to Professor Lane for making it happen! Another special thanks to his lovely wife Monica for being such a crucial piece of the whole process. I couldn’t imagine a better host.

-Austin

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