A Naga New Year: Looking to 2012!

Come celebrate 2012 with a truly Naga New Year! January 1st we will start off the New Year right with an all-school workout at 5:00 pm followed by a potluck and testing!  Please join us. This will also begin the tests for Bantoes Amber and Ethan as they go for their 4th degrees, and Mas James Wiley as he tests for black belt. There will be many opportunities to support the testers during their important journeys. Sign up to help with meditation and check in with your mentor if you want to help in other ways. Under black belt, please wear your white gis during testing – and kids (and newbies) are most welcome!

Re-New and Re-Boot! Continue our New Year’s weekend of renewal and training – join us January 2nd-4th for morning boot camps, fun morning workouts and extra evening classes. Check the back of the studio for the times of these “mini-camp” classes, which will be in addition to our regular schedule. Non-student and parents are welcome at these classes – so please join us. It’ll be a great way to commit to be fit in 2012!

Holiday Schedule:

December 26th & 28th:  5:00-6:30 pm, all ages, all ranks

December 27th: no class

December 24th and 31st:  Regular Saturday classes

January 1st:  5:00 pm, all-school workout

Auction Success!:  In addition to having a great time, with great food, great company, and super amounts of fun, we raised MORE money than we ever have for our scholarship coffers. Thanks to EVERYONE – and we really mean everyone – for making this the best year ever despite the challenging times. And remember, all the funds raised go directly to tuition for those who can’t afford to train, and to college awards for our outstanding teens. Thank you! And special thanks to Mas Laurel and Pendekkar Judy who did the long haul since March to make it happen.

Our great crew of bussers at the auction!

And on Gratitude in this new year…

I really am so grateful for all of you who walk the Tulen path with me, and for my teachers I am even more grateful. I spend a lot of time trying to understand what it means to be a martial artist in this modern world. You might think that after almost 30 years, I would know, but really, it’s a question that for me that is very alive. I mull it over constantly!

As much as martial arts seem to be about fighting – all those kicks and drills and parries and punches – I know that it is also not about fighting at all. We are artists. We are not simply boxers or fighters; we are artists.

And, in my opinion, the art we are learning is the art of living a deep, wonderful, meaningful life. I study martial arts to better understand myself, to fully experience what it means to be human, to push myself both physically and emotionally, and to learn better how to love and be loved. It puts me in a position to be part of something bigger than myself – which gets me out of my small, and often selfish, concerns.

I am so happy to be part of the growing community of people wanting to better themselves and the world. I am grateful to be part of this community of artists.

Xoxo

-Goeroe Louise

Current News from Studio Naga: A December to Remember!

Hi everyone!

If you’ve been around the Studio lately you have seen the excitement building – we are poised for a great night on December 4th for the Tulen Foundation 7th Annual Holiday Auction and Indonesian Dinner. Our goal is a 100% turnout of ALL Naga students – help us make it happen! Click here to view the invite and to RSVP!

Some of the great items we have up for auction this year are dinner for two at Chez Panisse, original Pixar “Cars 2″ artwork, a whale watching tour, symphony and theater tickets and much, much more!

The bid sheets have started to appear – and bidding HAS started – but in the flurry of activity we want to remind everyone why we have the auction. (Aside from having lots of fun, a tasty dinner, an awesome demo, and swell company!) ALL the funds raised go directly to those unable to afford tuition, in addition to stoking the coffers for our Tulen College Awards. Now in their second year, these college scholarships are a big part of our kid’s program – and here’s why:

Ten years ago while in grade school, Amber and Ethan began studying martial arts at Studio Naga. After several years they earned black belts in a 48-hour test, then trained and taught younger kids throughout high school. These two cool and confident teens committed to health, wellness, and the betterment of themselves and others. Both on and off the training floor, they became positive, influential role models – to kids and adults alike.

As they prepared for college, our community raised funds to show these extraordinary young people our admiration – and to inspire those coming up behind them to make similar community-minded, healthy life choices.

Thus began our Tulen Foundation College Awards: $500 grants awarded to black belt college-bound teens who demonstrate outstanding leadership and an ongoing connection to the Tulen community. Amber and Ethan will be home from their junior and sophomore years of college soon – and they’ll be testing for Pendekkar over the first three days of January. (Save the date!)

Kids today are challenged to avoid the pitfalls of drugs, alcohol, violence and gangs. Studio Naga has had remarkable success with guiding kids to make good choices: out of our first class in 2002, over half are still training. That’s ten years of commitment, growth and change! Like Amber and Ethan, these kids show that martial artists are determined, disciplined, confident, compassionate leaders.

4 out of 5 of these kids are still training!

Currently we have a new cohort of multicultural teens just stepping into roles as leaders and approaching college. Each time we support a young person to become the best they can be, the impact of that success ripples out to other teens, to families, and the world we share.

I hope you’ll be there on December 4th, or if you can’t, will consider making a tax-deductible donation to the fund.  And thank you! As we approach this season of sharing, we at the Studio are grateful for your support, for your help in building a better future.

"Goeroe Cid" and "Mas Louse at "Georoe-for-a-Day"!

Save the date:  The Pendekkar/black-belt test will be an all-school, completely open three days of training and renewal starting Sunday, January 1st. Watch for more on that soon!

And please watch the board for the (reduced) holiday schedule! The school will be closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s, but there will be classes on the Saturdays of Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

xoxo

-Goeroe Louise

Current News from Studio Naga: A Very Naga November!

Green and Growing: Congratulations to Mases Skylar, Leslie, Joseph and Jake on a great green sash test! It was a wonderfully inspiring night! Great fighting and beautiful kumbongs!

Happy and sweaty green sash testers!

Go PDXers! There’s a black belt test at our sister school in SW Portland THIS weekend – click here to see some great videos about their two testers getting ready to test. Good luck to all! Here is Mas Emily’s video:  http://youtu.be/PcH4NzDqHQ8, and Mas Alden’s video: http://youtu.be/QuB5HPwE_ps.

Golden Life Meditation Class: Bantoe Jeanessa starts this wonderful new class November 14th, from 8-8:30 pm on Monday nights. During this series of classes she will lead guided meditations, teach about how to use meditation, and talk about how Tulen principles apply to daily life. The class is open to all – non-students, visitors, or just the curious. (Sliding scale: $5-20.)

Indonesian Cooking Workshop – December 3rd: Learn how to cook Indonesian food so you can enjoy peanut sauce and coconut cupcakes all year round! Recipes and techniques for making a traditional Indonesian Rijstaffel will be shared. Friends and family are invited! The cooking lesson is FREE, but you will be asked to help prepare the food for the auction. If you are interested, please talk to Mas Brett.

 The 7th Annual Tulen Foundation Auction is coming up on December 4th! Ink the date into your calendars – we need your help and we need ALL supporters of Studio Naga to attend! This is our only fundraiser of the year, and we need to stock our coffers. Plus, it’s a wildly good time – fun, food, and great shopping and bargains. We have awesome donations once again – from a dinner for two (with wine!) at Chez Panisse to a week at Oakland’s Feather River Camp to every kind of service or wellness treatment you could desire. Please help out by obtaining donations and selling tickets to the dinner. Talk to Pendekkar Judy or any black belt to find out where you can help.

 Spooky Night out was a smash hit! Especially the workout in the dark with the glow bracelets – the kids looked awesome crawling and moving with the black belts, and the haunted house was especially spooky this year thanks to Pendekkar Judy’s fabulous creativity!

 Save the date – January 1st-3rd: Pendekkar test and Renewal/Rejuvenate Camp. Extra special classes and a great opportunity to support Bantoes Ethan and Amber as they go up for testing! (And hopefully Mas James Wiley as well!) The test will start at 5:00 pm on Sunday, January 1st.

 And we look forward to having Pendekkars Sam and Michelle and Baby Max in the East Bay… soon?! Welcome to the neighborhood that we call “Tulen Flats”!

Stay in the loop: Friend Studio Naga on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/StudioNaga .. and give us a YELP, http://www.yelp.com/biz/studio-naga-emeryville!

As we head into the “season” let’s commit together to wellness, health and sanity…! I will if you will!

 -Xo Goeroe Louise

Current News from Studio Naga: It’s October – Time for Spooks and Spirit!

It’s that time again… Spooky Night Out! Friday, October 28th, 6:30-10 pm. There will be Halloween games and a great workout…maybe all in the dark? Yes, with special Halloween glow lights! Take a trip through our spooky-ish haunted house! Eat some ghoulish snacks! Open to kids of all ages, those in our programs, and also their friends. But a spot needs to be reserved – call the studio or sign-up online here:  http://www.studionaga.com/store.php.  $25 per child.

Tulen Foundation Annual Auction: December 4th! Our annual fundraiser is coming up – and we need your help! Every year we throw a big party, dinner, and auction where we raise all our scholarship funds – our training awards, as well as our college leadership grants. Please plan on attending, and helping to make this the best auction yet! Can you help by making calls, soliciting donations, or making pick-ups? And remember, the person who sells the most dinner tickets wins $100 in auction bucks! Tickets will be coming in and available to sell this week.

September had our best demos yet! Yay to Mas Nick for leading the charge and for his great narration and guidance. And hooray to all who participated. The Solano Stroll was excellent, and our block party demo rocked!

Mas James and Mas Even fly through the air at the Stroll!

January Pendekkar Testing and Renewal Camp: January 1st – 3rd. Bantoes Ethan and Amber are testing for Pendekkar! Throughout the three days we’ll have many classes and opportunities for renewal, reinvigorating, and recommitting to our training and living our best lives. It’s exciting for us to have our first advanced testing here in Oakland at Studio Naga! Plus we’ll have a challenging beach workout. Portlanders – come join us! All are welcome!

Upcoming Golden Weekend October 21st -23rd – It’s the last Golden of the year with Pendekkars Sam and Michelle (and baby Max!?). See you there!

Green Sash Testing: 6pm, October 26th! If you are planning to test, talk to your mentor ASAP! Each tester will have a service job to perform for the school -adults and kids as well.

And a little deep reading: This article from the New York Times Magazine echoes a philosophy we share here at Studio Naga: What if the Secret to Success is Failure? The Character Test, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure.html.

It’s about how one school is getting kids to develop “zest, grit, self-control, social intelligence, gratitude, optimism and curiosity.” Read it and let’s discuss!

Goeroe Louise’s thoughts for October on a “training paradox”: “Your feelings are as important as they are misleading.”

 And this from Bantoe Alicia on testing:  

 Upcoming testing has me thinking on what it means to test for a new sash. I’ve been told that the color sashes were not traditional in Poekoelan – in Indonesia it was white, or black. Mas Goeroe Agoeng put sashes into his art to give students a sense of accomplishment and help us reflect on how far we’ve come and where we’re going. (And I also like to think because the colors look cool!)

I think how proud I was every time I earned a new color, and how hard each test was. Every test was preparation for the next and as it turned out, preparation for my life. The challenges that come up for me in testing always seem to reflect what I am struggling with in my life outside the Studio. And, after breaking through and earning that sash, belt or stripe, I find I have new tools to use in my regular life. Even though testing is hard, I always get what I need. That is very special, and I am grateful.

It’s really special to train together, support each other, and come through the ranks with your teammates, sometimes earning your colors together and sometimes not. It’s very powerful having just enough competition to motivate each other, but letting love override ego if your colors don’t change at the same time. My teammates are like my family.

Rank is not about what you get, it’s about what you’ve done and where you are going. Your sash shows both the work and heart you’ve put in your training and reminds you of the goals you hold….and, by the way, it really does look pretty cool.

Happy Testing!

Bantoe Alicia

Bantoe Alicia teaches some cool moves at the Solano Stroll!

News from the Naga Community: It’s September – The Month for Strolling and Schooling!

Georoe Louise sharing the love with Bantoes Amber and Ethan!

Welcome to our new and returning Fall after-school students! Joaquin Miller, Chabot, Hillcrest, Thornhill, JCC, Crocker Highlands, and Beach kids are starting this month – please come for a free class at the Studio anytime, we’d love to meet you and your families.

Solano Stroll Sunday September 11th: Please join us for our annual fun day in the sun on Solano Avenue. We are doing several “shows” – at 1 p.m. and at 3 p.m. Participate in the demo, or help out with teaching people from the audience and ‘working the crowd’ selling raffle ticket and talking up the studio! We’ll be at the intersection of Key Route and Solano from 11 a.m. onwards. The next practice for the event is Saturday, September 10th- Jungle Gymers welcome!

Tulen Foundation Auction: Our fabulous annual auction is on the horizon! We’re going to need everyone’s help to chase up donations, so please talk to Mas Laurel, Pendekkar or Goeroe to offer help. ALL money raised at the auction goes directly to scholarships: we’ve raised and awarded over 25K in the last 6 years! We need everyone’s participation to keep making this event a success- really! It’s part of what makes us a great and growing community.

Congrads to Mas Julia on her second degree black belt! The training in the park in her honor was so beautiful. Thank you, Mas J (Is the J for joy?) for being such an inspiration to so many of us! The candlelit “circle of admiration” and (yummy and successful!) potluck at Goeroe’s was a great end of summer get together. And Mas Julia was certainly shining brightly.

We sweep through our lunkas during our awesome park workout!

College Continuation Awards: We are fortunate to have enough in our scholarship coffers to once again grant Bantoe Amber and Bantoe Ethan College Continuation Awards through the Tulen Foundation. These awards are given to deserving black belts who stay connected to training and Studio Naga while attending college. Both Bantoes ran Camp Courage this year and are an ongoing inspiration for all of us. Continued success to both of you – when you’re not here, we miss you, but we’re always loving you!

Training with the Gang and Mas Goeroe Agoeng Barbara: We’re off to Portland for Poekoelan camp this weekend. Happy Labor Day! The studio will still be open Saturday (but not Monday). And speaking of our wider Tulen Family…Goeroe’s Weekend 2012 is coming up mid-March, you can sign up today to get a discounted camp rate of $300. Training with Mas Goeroe Agoeng Barbara is amazing – and you get to train with and meet teammates from around the world! After Sept. 5th, the cost goes up to $350. Mas Kate can help you sign up: k3lloyd@gmail.com.

The fabulous picture trading cards are IN!!! Swap away! Collect them all!

And here’s a great quote from a fellow Oaklander, passed on from Pendekkar Judy:

“A teacher is never a giver of truth – he is a guide, a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself.”

-Bruce Lee

News from the Naga Community: August – Summertime Joy!

We celebrate the end of the second-degree test with joy!

Double-doubles! Our new second-degree black belts are shining brightly – Mas Evan, Mas Cid, Mas Abby and Mas Spyke! The black belts were told that they actually passed their test on Friday night and were given the option whether or not to continue with “testing”.  They chose to do the 48 hours, and were amazing!

Summer Day Camp with Gatong Rajong from Pendekkar Judy:

A big shout out to all our Summer Day Campers in the winter of 2011! (Brrrrr!) Despite the chilly temperatures, we had an inspiring camp filled with lots of hard work, learning and fun! Along with our usual morning workouts, we had workshops in drumming, staff/fan, creative writing and water balloon parries in the park. We also experienced the beginning and ending of a courageous brown sash test – congrats to Mases Emilia and Liam! We finished off the week in the spirit of gatong rajong; teammates helping each other to achieve new ranks. I’m so proud of the way students stepped up to support each other! Many new stripes were earned as well as a brand new white sash, congrats Mas Sarah! Many thanks to all of our incredible teachers – Teen Counselors Mases Lindsay, James, Spencer, Julia, Naomi, Bantoe Amber and Mases Abby, Evan, Cathie and as always, our Goeroe Louise.

Plan to Participate: the Solano Stroll is coming up September 11^th. It will be an exciting day – we always put on a great demo. All ranks and ages are welcome. Mas Nick is coordinating and promises another great day of fun demonstrating our beautiful art.

Our Indonesian Sponsored Children: Since 2004, Studio Naga has been sending money through PlanUSA to three children in rural Java. Goeroe Louise visited these kids in 2006. Over the years we’ve received many letters from them, following their families and changes in their villages. Now, the last of the three has ‘graduated’ from the Plan program, meaning their economical outlook is better and they no longer need our aid. It’s an ending to our pen-pal relationship, but a good thing for these families! Thanks to everyone who has helped raise money over the years – we have sent literally thousands of dollars. Dini, Watino and Hari will always have a special place in our hearts!

New Postcards: We have printed up 2,000 new studio postcards and they are ready to go out into the world – can you help by canvassing neighborhoods? Or take them to your favorite cafes, schools, or other places? Please talk to Goeroe Louise about how to spread the word about Studio Naga. Our ten year anniversary in this space is coming up and we’d love to have more teammates to celebrate with!

And this from Mas Abby:

Lessons Revisited: Looking Back at Ten Years of Training

Ten years ago I attended my first class in Seattle, having no idea Poekoelan would become such a huge part of my life. I was skeptical of martial arts and wary of aspects I perceived to be different from my way of thinking; the hierarchy and the bowing to authority made my feminist self a bit nervous.

Yet, something kept me going week after week. I loved the physical rigor, the mechanics of the holds and the adrenaline-inducing kicking and punching. But I also loved the way my instructors and the other third phase students sincerely rooted for us beginners. I was taught by gold sashes and black belts and loved the way the community all sought the best in each student. There was never a feeling of competition on the training floor. Each student was truly seen for the individuals we were.

I continued to train, feeling stronger and more comfortable in my body. I walked taller, stood up straighter, and looked people directly in the eye. I could feel muscles where I hadn’t before. More importantly, I felt that strength in my life off the training floor, in my social life or facing my first middle school class of students.

I moved to Oakland and continued training at Studio Naga. At this point I was hooked. Nowhere else had I found a community quite like this one. I found a group of people committed to helping each other grow and change, even if that growth looked different from one person to the next. I also saw people willing to “show up,” to deal with their challenges with honesty and courage. This is especially true at our tests.

As I think back, I’m struck with the way each test has challenged me in exactly the way I needed it then. At gold sash, I was so tired and thirsty, I thought I might have to call off the test. There I stood off to the side, sweating with anxiety as I watched my teammates run their kumbongs, shocked that the test was not over, after THREE HOURS! I exhausted myself with anxiety – Was I good enough? What happens if I forget my forms? What if I hurt myself…or someone else? Despite these incessant questions, I survived having learned an incredible lesson…fear will exhaust you!

Now, ten years later, I just completed my 2nd degree test and I see that the lessons have not changed so much. I still struggle with anxiety and fears, but I have new tools to deal with them. With each test, I’ve learned more to release my fears and to stay present in each moment. There really is no magic to it and I certainly haven’t attained a pinnacle of enlightenment. But at this last test, I felt a new confidence and calm, one that comes from knowing that if I just continue training and “emptying my cup,” there is no saying how far I (and all of us) can go.

- Mas Abby Skrivan

News from the Naga Community: The ‘Zette in Pictures

We’ve had some awesome times lately at Studio Naga! Here are some pictures of all our recent  excitement, fun, learning and growing.

Our Annual International Kids’ Camp was a huge success! We had 32 campers, with a great crew from Portland, including many black belt kids and teens. Our campsite in Tilden this year was absolutely beautiful and amazing!

Everyone looking sharp at International Kids' Camp

We had some great workouts, camped out under the stars, learned many new things, and even had some great golden promotions!

After the gold sash test with the new golds!

Small and tall: Mases Jordan, Naomi and Jackson

We all made new friends and reconnected with friends we hadn’t seen in a while. And we all learned some great new campfire songs that are still stuck in our heads!

Biodiesel bus tour!

We even got to have an awesome tour of San Francisco on a biodiesel bus! We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, saw the sights and got to go to the beach.

Up Next at Studio Naga:

Kids’ Day Camp is coming up July 11th -15th. It’s going to be a great camp. There will be testing during camp on Wednesday the 13th. Kids’ camp testing will run from 9:00 am through the night. All are welcome to come and participate during the 6:30 pm portion of the test. Wear your whites!

The next Golden Animal Seminar is coming up July 15th -17th. Pendekkar Sam will be teaching an awesome blekok seminar starting Friday night. If you didn’t sign up for all four seminars you can still join in for this one. See Mas Kate if you’re interested.

Black Belt Testing is also coming up the weekend of July 15th -17th. Mases Abby, Evan, Cid and Spyke are testing for their second degree black belts. Again, all are welcome to participate and be a part of this amazing test. We need everyone’s help with many parts of the test including meditation, so please sign up. Talk to your mentor and find out how you can make this test a true community experience.
And other BIG NEWS from the upcoming black belt testers:

Mases Cid, Evan and Abby would like to invite you to a most exciting opportunity…we’re calling it THE TEN YEAR STUDIO MAKEOVER DAY!!!
Yup, you’ve guessed it. We are gearing up to celebrate TEN years of Studio Naga! Wow, 10 years of training, sweating, laughing and growing.

SO, in honor of that fabulous event, we’re hosting a MAKEOVER DAY to refresh, renew and beautify our beloved studio.

WHO? Why all of us, of course!
WHAT? We’ll clean, organize, and refresh the studio.
WHEN? Sat July 9th, NOON-5pm
WHY? To give back to our studio, to honor selfless service and to eat plenty of PIZZA provided by the upcoming testers, Mases Abby, Evan and Cid
HOW? Relentlessly and with Joy!

And in anticipation, a million thanks. Love, Mases Abby, Cid, and Evan.

-Guest edited this month by Mas Laurel

Studio Naga News: June is Chock Full of Fun!

Sending our hearfelt love to Mas Georoe Agoeng Barbara!

Free Kids’ and Teens’ Self-defense classes:   July 9th from 12:30-1:30 pm is the free Teen Self-defense class!  Spread the word! Classes are free, but space is limited so reserve a place by phone or email.

Tulen Foundation News:  Through the funds earned at our yearly auction, we have awarded a total of $25,000 in Naga scholarships! Mas Nick and Bantoe Alicia are heading the TF team and we’re already soliciting donations for our December auction. Have time to help? Talk to Pendekkar Judy or Goeroe.

Kids’ Camp June 20-24th:  Over 30 kids and teens will be camping at Tilden’s Gillespie Youth Camp, and we need your help. Cooks? Tent putter uppers? Come join us! Talk to Goeroe or Pendekkar about where you might pitch in and help.

All School Outdoor Workout at Tilden Park:  June 23rd Wednesday night’s 3rd phase is open to all, kids and adults. We’ll train at 6:30 pm and you have the option to join us for dinner after.  Sign-up for dinner on the back counter and please come.  It’s a beautiful place with gorgeous trees, and hopefully, some great camp songs around the fire.  Anyone play the ukulele? Families and all guests are welcome.  Gillespie Youth Camp is awesome! (And has great bathrooms, too!)

Day-Camp:  There is still space available July 11-15th. Come on and join in. Adults are welcome as instructors, talk to Pendekkar Judy! And we’re having a wonderful brown sash test that Wednesday for Mas Amelia from Portland, Ore.  Please join us the night of the 13th (Yay, lucky 13!) and be part of the test during 3rd phase class and meditation that night.

Save the date … July 15-17th:  Bingatang Animal Seminar and second degree black belt testing – be there! It will be a great weekend for Naga’s growth! Mas Spyke is testing for second degree… come join us all weekend in the animal seminar with Pendekkar’s Michelle and Sam, and of course, please be a part of the long weekend of testing!

Big spring energy to all! And extra special love to Mas Goeroe Agoeng Barbara on her birthday.  She has given US such a gift!

Xo Goeroe Louise

May Days News from the Naga Community!

Welcome home Goeroe Louise!

 Goeroe returns from her annual walkabout: a bike ride through the West Bank of Palestine. We’ve been sending her lots of love and emails and can’t wait to welcome her home at Saturday class on April 30th!

Special Guest Seminar

The studio will be hosting a Judo workshop with Israeli Yudit Sidikman who arranged the class for Goeroe Louise in Jerusalem. Join her and celebrate Goeroe’s return on Sunday, May 1st at 10:30 am for a special seminar! All welcome!

Camp Courage 2011: Equipment Donations and/or Loaners Needed!

We have received many generous equipment donations and loaner equipment from the Studio Naga community for our June Camp Courage 2011 overnight camp. Thank you so much! We still need more, our Camp Courage camp out is going to be even bigger this year! Please check the sign-up list in the middle room at Studio Naga to see if you have any of the items needed for camp!  Please see Mas Spyke for more information: email,  lawlord64@yahoo.com or call 415-265-3021.

Camp Courage overnight camp is June 20^th -24^th and day camp is July 11^th-15^th.  We are very excited to have lots of great kids coming from Oakland, Portland and the East Coast!

There is still a little room for both day and overnight camp – get signed up now!

Animal Golden Seminars

Pendekkars Michelle and Sam taught an awesome matjanan seminar in April, bringing joy and love to the ferocious movements of the tiger. We worked several new matjanan joeroes and practiced staying low to the ground as we moved over, under, around and through… The weekend finished off with lots of matjanan healing and intention setting. Thanks Pendekkars! The next Animal Golden Seminar in Oakland is the weekend of July 15th, mark your calendars now!

Mentors/Mentees

If you don’t have one, get one! All students at Studio Naga get a black belt mentor to help them keep track of testing requirements and their goals for training. If you don’ t have a mentor yet, pick a black belt, any black belt, and ask them to be your mentor! Mentors, check in with your mentees this month! What are their training goals for this summer? How can they get there?

-Guest Editors Bantoe Alicia and Mas Laurel

Amazin’ April News from the Naga Community: The Bullet-Point Nagazette!

• We have two new Bantoes! Bantoe Alicia and Bantoe Jeanessa are now third degree white dragons! They tested in a wonderful test on Cape Cod during Goeroe’s Weekend.

• Two new second degrees! Mas Nick and Mas Brett completed their second degree black belt tests!  It was a weekend of community and beauty!

• And a whole SLEW of bright gold, blue, green sashes, and a brown sash – it was one of the most amazing sash tests ever!

• The studio hosted the fabulous Bizarre Bazaar:  Brownies, books,  jam, and even ‘on-demand’ poems were for sale, purchased and enjoyed! Delicious burgers were a generous donation from the Delores Park Cafe. It was an amazing lesson in making something out of nothing… and a great time was had by all!

• A snappy smart Kick-A-Thon with 10 kids kicking their way towards Camp Courage (at least one who raised ALL her camp funds)! 1000 kicks in less than an hour! (Now – gather your pledges, marvelous kickers.)

• Goeroe Louise participated in an inspiring anti-bullying seminar for Albany parents!

• We have a growing program at Growing Light Montessori!

• We had a crazy fun Goeroe’s Weekend on the Cape! (Including dips in the ice-y ocean!)

• And Bantoe Ethan and Bantoe Amber were put up for Pendekkar testing!

Ok, so we’re a little tired (whew)… but we’re still looking ahead:

• There have been record breaking sign-ups for our upcoming summer camps – Overnight camp is almost full! Reserve now.

• Animal Golden Seminar weekend is fast approaching: join us for a training weekend – Friday, April 15^th through Sunday 17^th.

• Goeroe Louise is getting ready for her annual walkabout: She’s off to tour Israel/Palestine this month.  Send her love (and email!)

• The studio will be hosting a Judo workshop with Israeli Yudit Sidikman who runs the school where Goeroe Louise will be teaching in Jerusalem.  Join her and celebrate Goeroe’s return on Sunday, May 1^st at 10:30 am for a special seminar!  Please come!

• Is it time to check in with your mentor? Yes!

-Goeroe Louise xox

And this from Mas Laurel Kapros, after her Brown Sash Test:

There is the test you think you’ll have, the test you want to have, and the test you actually get.  Realizing this was the hardest part of my brown sash test.

I was excited, proud, and also a little bit scared to be testing.  I worried about all the forms, the fighting, and the 5-mile run, about my body betraying me in the middle of a set, or running laps at the Marina.  As a Type 1 diabetic, I am both intimately attuned and sometimes at war with my body and the ebb and flow of my blood sugar.  Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 25 years old after I’d been very sick, I suspected diabetes for a while before a doctor confirmed my fears. I was devestated.  The scariest thing was feeling that I was somehow broken, that part of me just didn’t work right.

Since then I’ve learned about the many shots of insulin, the rise and fall of my blood sugar, and it can be a wild ride, but my training at Studio Naga makes my life better every day.   It took me a while to get healthy and it’s still a daily battle to find balance, but my martial arts training is a huge part of that equilibrium.  The physical training makes my insulin work better, helps me stay in shape, and keeps my body strong.  But exercise has a price too; sometimes my blood sugar drops, and I feel weak, shaky or disoriented.  It can be a pretty scary, but Poekoelan helps me have control over what happens to my own body.  I can be a blood sugar ninja, fighting back the highs and recognizing when I need to stop before the lows.

It’s a complicated dance, being so in control and constantly aware – and it’s not easy for me to ask for help. That proved to be hardest part of my test and also the biggest lesson.  As part of my test I did a mailing for the school auction.  I thought the project would be easy; it’s something I do at work all the time.  Because I thought I could handle it myself, it was probably one of my biggest challenges.  The mailing didn’t go as planned, I struggled to see the bigger picture, and didn’t reach out for support.  It got done eventually, but only because my fellow students and teachers gave me a hand.  Sitting by the fire afterwards, I felt like I let my teachers down, like I let myself down, because I wasn’t having the test that I wanted.

My teachers then gave me a special gift; they asked me to build a mental bridge to the next part of my training, the next phase of my life.  And I asked for support to get across that bridge.  In meditation, I reached out my hand and someone took it and walked with me.  It wasn’t easy realizing I couldn’t do it by myself, that I didn’t have to have a perfect test to have the test that was meant for me.  It wasn’t what I had imagined or wanted, but it was what I needed and took.  I thought back to the people who were with me throughout the twenty-four hours.  My team of buddies who kept making sure I was okay and asking if needed a snack or juice.  My fellow students who ran alongside me, who made me think, even as my legs cramped up, “This is a beautiful night, I’m surrounded by people who love me and who I love a whole lot.”

My diabetes is always going to be challenging, I’m never going to be able to forget that part of me doesn’t work the way that I’d planned.  I accept that my body isn’t the body I hoped for or wanted.  But it is me, beautiful in its imperfection. And I know that I don’t have to take it all on alone.  That was the test that I had.

And during meditation, I twice saw E.T. – the Extraterrestrial – in the fire.  I’m still trying to figure out what that all means.

- Mas Laurel