SUCCESS AND ALL IT MEANS

Having had 4 years of constantly improving success one needs to reflect on what it means and indeed what it needs to keep it fresh and current in the minds of the members.
In the same way that often the true spirit of being part of a TEAM is often misunderstood and sometimes despised so too can be the achievements of Individuals and the Club.

When constant success seems to be the private domain of "a chosen few" it is easy to understand that under the surface resentment can manifest itself amongst those who feel left out . This feeling is all the more acute when witnessing the success of others one feels too much attention and importance is placed upon the achiever. Added to this can be the seeming arrogance and " Prima Dona " type behaviour of the successful party, be it real or imagined the insult to others can become significant.

Left unchecked and unanswered these feelings grow and become a devisive and negative influence on everyone, threatening to undermine the very fabric that holds all else together.

So what can be done ?

Firstly it must be understood that the success of an individual , team or club is not a slight on anyone or an underlining of anyone's lack of achievement. Far from it success is what we all strive to achieve be it in our day to day training or in our external endeavours on the Tournament circuits. It is the realisation of an Individuals dreams , hopes , aspirations it is the attainment of the goals we each set ourselves.

No matter how or where our successes come they should be celebrated and recognised for what they are for without them there is no growth , no furthering of skill or knowledge. Without success in its many forms we are doomed to stagnate and wither and ultimately cease our quest.

The success of those who go the extra mile brings so much more to our clubs than we realise and often take for granted or dismiss out of misguided rejection of that which has been achieved.
Success brings in new blood that stimulates growth in us all, and new challenges for us to rise to.
It brings new opportunities that might of otherwise never have existed that opens doors to all that might otherwise remain firmly shut.
Success brings the possibility of Sponsorship that benefits everyone not just the recipients as funds are freed up to improve facilities and offset costs that ensure prices stay at a level everyone can afford.
Success is the prize we ALL seek no matter what we say..so celebrate ALL the Success that comes and know that with each Success that comes it is a step closer to YOUR Success.

2010..NEW YEAR....NEW CHALLENGES

Firstly may i wish all my students present and past a very Happy New Year..to the VERY BRAVE or foolish 24 who braved the sub zero temperatures to welcome in the New Year at the clubs first lesson of 2010 i wish an Extra Special New Year and to the mums and dads who sat dithering through the 3 hours of mind numbing cold..you guys are totally insane..but HAPPY NEW YEAR...
Having spoken to a good many of you following the presentation night i have been really pleased with the comments and of the decisions you have made to make this year the year YOU rise to the top and make YOUR mark on the martial arts tournament circuits and in the History of Bushido.
This is a fresh start, a blank page for you to write your own story on, to create for yourself the year you deserve and have already promised you will have. Now that you have set upon your path do not let anything change your course, stay true to your goals and know that whatever you dream YOU can make it happen. The Senior Instructors are ready to guide each of you toward whatever you desire and to equip you with the skills you need. The challenges are there for you to meet and the Titles there for the taking. Make this year the year you rise above the norm..make this year the year the SHOGUNS team makes an indellible mark on the martial arts scene and meet the challenges head on.....remember to be the BEST you have to beat the BEST... take the chance and be the BEST that YOU can be.

TEAM....

TEAM... what it means

well here we are at the end of the first year of competition for the newly formed "SHOGUNS" team and what a year it has been. It has been a year of good fortune for some, and of mixed fortunes for others. But, i am certain it has been a year of hard work and of learning and of understanding the way a TEAM functions.
Many times i have watched how everyone acts or reacts to differing situations in various competitions only to ponder if we are truly a TEAM! Often i have listened to comments from members or parents and been astounded by the lack of understanding of the need for us to work and compete as a team.
It has been some 22 years since i was first tempted into the mealstrom of Freestyle competition by Shihan Roy Stanhope who then as now as head of U.K.A.S.K.O. suggested i take my very young and incredibly inexperienced students to the new F.S.K. circuit. In the rearly years we were seduced by the excitement and possibility of glimpsing the World Champions ,we were mesmerised by the skills and ability of so many amazing martial artists who seemed to be unbeatable and who had seeming armies of supporters. We were very inexperienced and it showed because it took many years until we produced our winners and heard the cries of support from our followers. Why?...because it took us THAT long to become a TEAM.
Long gone were the days students booed and shunned a fellow student who dared compete with another clubs TEAM and WIN, gone were the days we fought only as individuals thinking only of "self" instead of all of us. Now we stood shoulder to shoulder and worked with instead of against each other because now we WERE a Team.
Yet, here we are again, a new generation of students but the same narrowmindedness that holds us all back from all that awaits. Here we are once more ready to cast aside our team mates and think only of self,and why?..because we are not yet a Team.
Now in the weeks that lead upto the New Year and new competions we should look deeper at what it means to be part of a team, what it means to be part of something bigger than just the self.This is the time for all of us to sit down and think of how we can all succeed as a TEAM and not just how one of us can outdo our friends and win more than they.
As i write this blog i am reminded of the motto of my first club when i was a total beginner with Kirkby Jiu Jitsu Association. As many of you already know my dear friend Shihan Wayne Foulkes you will have heard him quote it a good few times..."In Skill Opposed..In Spirit United" this was the one thing that bound us all each to the other. This was the thing that made us a TEAM because we understood its meaning and significance.
Now WE should learn to understand it too and from that understanding begin afresh and with a bond that makes the " SHOGUNS" a force to be reckoned with in the years that follow. Each member of the team should decide that no longer is it merely about winning a trophy for themselves but about being the best Team member they can possibly be. That from now on they're mission is to become a part of something that is far bigger than just the 1 that now they understand that there is no " I" in TEAM and that as a team far greater success can be achieved than can ever be achieved by just 1. Each of you should be proud of each others achievements and supportive in each others defeats. You should look at how you can help your fellow TEAM members become better, because by doing that you ALL become better and that makes the whole TEAM better and stronger.