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My Students

This version was saved 16 years, 11 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by PBworks
on April 7, 2007 at 3:57:59 pm
 

LETTERS & THOUGHTS

 

KYLE LINTON, 3rd dan/Sensei. A little about myself. Born Sept. 18, 1964 in Attleboro, Mass. My father was a high-school chemistry, physics and history teacher from Canada and my mother a homemaker and secretary from Wyoming. As I grew up we lived in a few places such as Canada, Rhode Island and Colorado but I spent my junior and senior high school days in Cheyenne. I loved sports and my favorite was football - that was going to be my sport. However, I never could get over the feeling that no matter how well I played the outcome was never based solely on my performance. So during the summer of my junior year in high school, I took up golf (more so to waste time before baseball games).

 

I attended the University of Wyoming on a golf scholarship and graduated in 1988 with a degree in nutrition and exercise physiology. I would highly recommend it as a way to go to college.

 

After school I spent 3 years as a golf pro in Florida and 6 years as a college golf coach at UW. The past 10 years have been great as I have been running my own business as a financial advisor working with individuals and businesses.

 

I am married to a wonderful woman, Marcia. We have been together since we were juniors in high school, yes, that’s 25 years! We love spending time together and traveling. We have been fortunate enough over the last few years to travel to South America, France, Cayman Islands, England, Wales, and Ireland. We are also looking forward to a trip to Italy in the fall.

 

My first introduction to martial arts came in college when I enrolled in a semester karate class taught by a local instructor. I enjoyed it but it was not yet my time, however, it did plant the seed. During my golf career in Florida I joined a tae kwon do club mainly to enhance, (ok, acquire) some flexibility. My master in Florida had recently moved from Korea and was a great influence on my development as a martial artist. The physical aspect of martial arts has always been enjoyable for me, however, he was very traditional and sparked my interest in martial arts philosophy.

 

We returned to Laramie and I tried to continue my TKD training and did for a couple of years, however, I missed the traditions I had grown to respect. A couple of years later and still missing something in my life, Marcia and I ran across a course called History in the Martial Arts taught by Soke Dan Hausel. I loved the class and after it was over Soke asked if I had any interest in training and invited me to a class. I have been with the club for approximately 7 years, and have enjoyed my time with the club and look forward to continuing to learn and train. I am grateful for all the wonderful people who choose to associate and share this wonderful experience.

 

LENNY MARTIN, Nikyu. I am a Laramie native, born but not raised here. This is my home and after 20+ years its likely I'll always have ties to the community. My interests are one of the main reasons I've stayed around for so long. I have horses and love to take them to the mountains and ride for a few days without crossing a fence, camping along the way. I'm an avid fisherman and hunter but have come to love stalking my quarry much more than bagging it. I'll tell ya it gets pretty darn exciting to be within a dozen yards of a Bull Elk in rutt with just a sharp stick and a bow in hand. One of my goals is to hunt Alaskan Brown Bears with my bow...I may not even have to go that far away since I hear they plan to delist the Wyoming Grizz...not that would be a hunt!!! I love to fly airplanes and jump out of them if there is someone who can land it safely after I jump. I snow ski and in part that is one reason I decided it was time to get involved in karate.

 

When I first came to the Dojo I had been seeking an opportunity to make Karate an integral part of my physical fitness. I've seen all the hyped up DVD kick box your way to a sexy body stuff, and none of that works for me. Many other Dojo's litter their windows and shelves with trophies proclaiming superior performance in this competition or that tournament. To me Karate isn't about dominating an opponent, it’s all about mastery of self. Karate is to be used only when all else has failed to avoid a conflict. I view martial arts from a religious prospective. It involves the integration of mind, body and spirit into a flow of energy that can be called upon at any time for outer strength from within. The source of inner strength is infinite, it is the same source of strength or power that gives life to everything on the earth and my Ki is a river that flows from that source. I also use daily meditation, visualizing those things that cannot be seen. I know I am making progress in my pursuit of self mastery when after a good workout, I feel the flow of chi deep within, coursing through every part of my body. Often this feeling lasts for many hours.

 

I have been involved with the University of Wyoming Dojo for a little over two years now and have enjoyed the fellowship with many people from many countries who find themselves in Laramie and share my love for and interests in martial arts. I'm anxious to get out and visit other Dojo's as I travel to other states & countries. One of my goals is to train for a month or so in Okinawa or Japan and learn a few other styles while I'm at it.

 

...I think I mentioned once that when I started down this path of martial arts it wasn't to "be a black belt." I started down this path to make martial arts an major part of my life and "health." I look at my progress toward the black belt as being similar to climbing a mountain, if there were no other plateaus to reach, my progress would be over. Honestly I have no idea what is involved in reaching the peak of my mountain but I am here to do just that and running a Dojo would be an honor. I could not have been more fortunate than to have found a home in your DoJo and I am very grateful for your guidance, instruction and this opportunity to fulfill one of the things I have wanted to do since I was old enough to knock over a vase on my moms end table. ....we really miss your style of teaching which I would like to model my teaching style after. Tell Sharon hello for me too and give her my congratulations as well, she is an awesome gal.

 

Brett Philbrick, Shodan. I have been interested in martial arts since I was a very little kid watching martial arts movies. When I was in third grade my parents enrolled my in a Taekwondo class. I stayed with Taekwondo for a few years until another martial art caught my eye. I saw some Steven Seagal movies where he was throwing his opponents around with ease. That made me decide to take Aikido. I enjoyed the art of Aikido very much, and I was very disappointed when my instructor ended up moving. After that I took a break from martial arts training for quite a while. I moved to Fort Collins after I graduated high school and while I was there, I took a mixed martial art class that focused mainly on Combat Hapkido. After two years I decided to move to Laramie (where school was much cheaper!), and I started to look for a martial arts school to join. This is when I found the Seiyo No Shorin Ryu Karate Club. I was amazed at the power and focus that Soke Hausel showed the students in his techniques. This power and focus is what drew me into the club. The club has provided me with so much over the years. I have learned great self defense techniques, discipline, self-control, and respect for all things. I also made some wonderful friendships in the club....

 

Ben Froidevaux, Godan. I was born in Neuchatel, Switzerland on April 22nd, 1963 and have both Swiss and US citizenships and speak English, French, German, Italian, Indonesian and Mandarin. I currently live in Laramie Wyoming, but have lived in Switzerland, Indonesia and Singapore. I received a BA degree in Film/TV Production from the University of Kansas, and now work as Assistant Producer/Director of the University of Wyoming Television (UWTV), and currently serve as the Sensei of the Campus Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate Club, the Coach for the All Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate Team, and Assistant Coach for the University of Wyoming Fencing Club. I have trained in Japanese/Okinawan Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo, Shito-Ryu Karate, Yoseikan Budo, Judo, Kendo, Korean Tae Kwon Do (ITF & ATA), Chinese Chang-Chuan (Long Fist), Zui-Chuan (Drunken Fist) and Yung-Chuan (Wing Chun)Gung Fu as well as Olympic-style Fencing (Foil, Epee & Sabre). In addition to a 5th dan rank in Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo, I have a 1st dan in Tae Kwon Do ATA, 1st kyu in Judo and USFA Ratings of D06 Foil, D05 Epee, E06 Sabre.

 

I have won many titles including: Vice-Champion (Silver medal)--Men's Open Forms Division--1997 Swiss National Wushu Kung-Fu Championships; 1st place (Gold medal)--Men's Kata (3rd-4th degree Blackbelt Division)--2005 State Games of America National Championships; 1st place (Gold medal)--2005 Wyoming State Games champion in Foil, Epee --1st place (Gold medal)--2006 Wyoming State Games champion in Epee, Sabre --1st place (Gold medal)--2005, 2006 Wyoming State Divisional champion in Foil. I train in Martial arts, Gymnastics, Yoga, Basketball, Table tennis, Snowboarding, and Mountain & Rock-climbing. His hobbies include International culture (language, travel, cuisine), cinema, photography and magic.

 

My Goals include lifelong study, practice and competition in martial arts, and I look to eventually open the first European branch of Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo in Switzerland and travel to and visit renowned international martial arts schools and fencing salles throughout Europe and Asia. I believe that "The purpose of practicing martial arts is to mold the mind and body, to cultivate a vigorous spirit, and through correct and rigid training, to strive for improvement in the martial arts, to hold in esteem human courtesy and honor, to associate with others with sincerity, and to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself, and thus make one be able to love his/her country and society, to contribute to the development of culture and to promote peace, prosperity and tolerance among all people”. “One can always share whatever little he/she has."

 

JUSTIN ROADIFER, 4th Kyu. I live in Evanston WY with my wife of nearly five years, Karla. We have a son named Jaden who is 18 months old and are expecting our second child, a daughter, in late April. I really value being a good husband and a good father so I make sure I give lots of time to my family.

 

I earned a BA in psychology from Chadron State College and a MS in Counselor Education from the University of Wyoming, which is where I met Kevin Vance in some classes, who is an awesome karate-ka! Right now, I am lucky enough to get paid being the 9th grade counselor at Evanston High School. It is a really fun job working with the 9th grade students as they get used to high school life and learn about becoming an adult. But it does have its challenging moments of students choosing poor behaviors and not really wanting to change their behaviors, plus the tasks that prevent me working with students.

 

I enjoy video games, trying to watch a movie or having a conversation uninterrupted with my wife (parents will understand this undertaking), weight lifting, watching quality shows or movies that have martial arts in it, spending time with my friends at work and learning more about different topics that interest me.

 

I would have to say my martial arts training began with junior high wrestling. I wrestled for two years in junior high and four years in high school. I really enjoyed all the different techniques that could be used to take an attacker to the ground and subdue them with minimal effort. Near the end of my senior year, I tried Tae Kwon Do. I enjoyed practicing the variety of kicks and learning kata was very fulfilling but I really did not like the free sparring because all I did was kick at my uke and vice versa.

 

In college, I did some “sword fighting” with a group of friends who were in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). In short, some members of the SCA like to re-create medieval sword combat. I loved the combat and enjoyed improving myself against my friends who had been fighting for 4+ years. Before I left for Laramie to earn my Masters, one of my SCA friends urged me to find some formalized martial art to learn because he thought I could really do well in it. After being in Laramie for four months, I felt lonely and wanted to do something other than school work. I remembered what my friend said and that’s when I found a flyer for the Shorin-Ryu karate club and decided to attend. After the first practice, I was hooked. I was really impressed with the great technique and incredible focus of Dan. I thought to myself that this was different than anything else I had seen. The skill of Dan and the black belts were head and shoulders above other black belts I had seen do demos. Plus the environment was friendly and welcoming. People were there to learn and help each other become better karate-ka.

 

As for what karate has given me, it would be many things. The first thing would be a great sense of accomplishment and a strong goal to earn my black belt and then sharing this art with other people. I also really like activities that I can work to improve upon and karate fits this quite naturally for me. Karate also gives me a great feeling of power and confidence, especially after I finish a practice! I practice alone every day, except when I work on bunkai with my friend, Bret. Right now, I have a particular affinity for the dojo kun Doryoku no seishin o yashinau koto: Cultivate a spirit of effort and perseverance. Plus, it is great exercise and something that I am passionate about in my life.

 

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