Your instructor is the key to this training process. He or she will provide you with the inspiration,  education, training, coaching, and support you’ll need. They have worked hard to get where they are and represent the highest values of martial arts training. They will show you how to succeed. The  lessons you learn will stay with you your whole life. Your instructor is committed to training you and  in return you must commit yourself to practicing what you learn. Your relationship with him or her is  important, so pay attention to what they tell you. Always address your instructor as ‘Sensei.’ This  term is one of respect. The literal meaning of sensei is “one who has gone before,” implying that  your teacher has already succeeded at what you are about to attempt and can show you the proper  way to do it. This prevents you from repeating the mistakes others have made in the past. Mistakes  are an important part of learning and you’ll make plenty of your own, but learning from the mistakes  of others is very important. Say hello and goodbye to your instructor, both when you come to class  and when you leave. This shows respect and teaches you to communicate with people who hold  positions above you in life.

Junior Instructor: A Junior Instructor is a youth under the age of 16 holding a minimum rank of 1st Degree Black Belt and is qualified to teach all levels. He/she reports to the Head Instructor, wears  the Instructor Patch on their left shoulder and a Junior Instructor patch under the school patch.

Instructor: An Instructor is an adult over the age of 16 holding a minimum rank of 1st Degree Black  Belt and is qualified to teach all levels. He/she reports to the Head Instructor wears the Instructor  Patch on their left shoulder and an Instructor patch under the school patch on their left breast.

Senior Instructor: A Senior Instructor is an adult holding a minimum rank of 2nd Degree Black Belt  and is qualified to teach all levels. He/she reports to the Head Instructor wears the Instructor Patch  on their left shoulder and a Senior Instructor patch under the school patch on their left breast. There  many be several Senior Instructors.

Junior Instructors, Instructors and Senior Instructors are members of the School Board of Review  and the Instructional Board. They line up slightly back and to the right of the Chief or Head  Instructor. All instructors wear 2 red chevrons on their left shoulder under their instructor patch.

Head Instructor: The Head Instructor is an adult holding a minimum rank of 2nd Degree Black Belt  and is qualified to oversee all Instructors. The Head Instructor reports to the Chief Instructor.

The Head Instructor is a member of the School Board of Review, the Instructional Board, the Board  of Examiners, and is an Adviser to the Student Leadership Council. When lining up, the Head Instructor stand slightly back and to the right of the Chief Instructor. He or she wears a Head  Instructor bar above the School Patch on the left breast and 2 red chevrons on their left shoulder  under their instructor patch. There is only one Head Instructor.

Chief Instructor: The Chief Instructor is qualified to oversee the instructional program. This position  is for an adult who holds a minimum rank of 3rd Degree Black Belt and reports to the School Director.  There is only one Chief Instructor.

The Chief Instructor’s role is to chair the School Board of Review, the Instructional Board and the  Board of Examiners. He or she lines up front and center on the training floor and wears the Chief  Instructor bar below the school patch on the left breast and 2 red chevrons on their left shoulder  under their instructor patch.

A summary of the bestselling book by Stephen R. Covey.

From The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Published by Simon & Schuster.

INTRODUCTION  

Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. Because they are  consistent, often unconscious patterns, habits constantly express our  character and produce our effectiveness – or our in effectiveness. In the  words of Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not  an act, but a habit.”

I identify here seven habits shared by all truly effective people. Fortunately,  for those of us not born effective (no one is), these habits can be learned.  Furthermore, the collective experience of the ages shows us that acquiring  them will give you the character to succeed.

Some years ago, I decided to read all the success literature published in  the United States since its beginning in 1776 – hundreds of books, articles,  and essays on self-improvement and popular psychology.

I noticed a startling thing: Almost all the writings that helped build our  country in its first 150 years or so identified character as the foundation of  success. The literature of what we might call “The Character Ethic” helped  Americans cultivate integrity, humility, fidelity, temperance, courage,  justice, patience, industry, and the Golden Rule. Benjamin Franklin’s  autobiography is a prime example.

Compared with the early success literature, the writings of the last 50 years  seem superficial to me – filled with social image consciousness, techniques,  and quick fixes. There, the solutions derive not from the Character Ethic,  but the Personality Ethic:

Success is a function of public image, of attitudes and behaviors, of skills  that lubricate the process of human interaction. I don’t say these skills are  unimportant. But they are secondary.  

If there isn’t deep integrity and fundamental goodness behind what you do,  the challenges of life will cause true motives to surface, and human  relationship failure will replace short-term success. As Emerson once put it,  “What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say.”

Changing our habits to improve what we are can be a painful process. It  must be motivated by a higher purpose, and by the willingness to  subordinate what you think you want now for what you know you want later.

As you open the gates of change to give yourself new habits, be patient  with yourself This is not a quick fix. But I assure you that you will see  immediate benefits. And if you see the whole picture clearly, you’ll have the  perseverance to see the process to its conclusion. Have faith – it’s worth  the effort. Remember what Thomas Paine said: “What we obtain too cheap,  we esteem too lightly; ‘tis dearness only which gives everything its value.  Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods.”

Acquiring the seven habits of effectiveness takes us through the stages of  character development. Habits 1 through 3 make up the “private victory” – where we go from dependence to independence by taking responsibility for  our own lives. Acquiring habits 4 through 6 is our “public victory”: Once  independent, we learn to be interdependent, to succeed with other people.  The seventh habit makes all the others possible – periodically renewing  ourselves in mind body, and spirit.

The mindset that will set up free

 Marty Callahan

8th Degree Black Belt

“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything  as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.” -Carlos Castaneda

Niju Kun #9

This is the nineth of 20 precepts of Master Gichin Funakoshi, the Father of Modern-Day Karate.  Master Funakoshi is known by millions of people all around the world and is considered to be  one of the three most important martial art masters of the 20th century.

A lesson learned today is forgotten tomorrow, unless it is relearned tomorrow. It is human nature  to forget. If you attend a lecture, you will remember only about 10% of what you hear. You have  to experience things many times before you reach the point where you won’t forget them, where

they become automatic. For lessons to be truly understood they must be grasped by every cell  in your body.

The potential lessons you can learn from karate are infinite. You could practice every day for the  rest of your life and still not learn everything there is to learn. So, practice until every cell in your  body absorbs the lesson you are working on, even if you feel like you’ve done it the best you  could already. There is always, always, always… room for improvement.

We frequently say to do it 10,000 times. Do whatever you are attempting to learn 10,000 times.  After this there will be no questions, you will have a complete understanding.

This is the concept of infinite. That you will go to infinite and beyond to learn what you need to  learn and improve yourself as a result.

The person who will go to this extent is impossible to beat. His or her enemies might damage  them in some way but can never stop them – even in death.

We just celebrated the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. I would say that he lived this way. Even in  death he lives on. What he believed and what he stood for is still alive today.

This is how we must live. This mindset will set you free.

Shotokan Karate Leadership School® 3082 Marlow Road B1, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 707-575-1681

The Art of War 

By Sun Tsu 

  

  

You can be sure of

succeeding your attacks

 if you only attack the

 places that are  

undefended. 

Shotokan Karate Leadership School®

Dear Sensei Callahan,

 

Wishing you all the joys of the Season!  My Guru calls this time of year, Happy Light in Everybody.  The is honoring the Light in one another.  Honoring the Light in you!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your incredible school of warriors that is such a Bright Beacon of Light on this planet.  I have and continue to benefit greatly from!

Thank you for teaching and showing me that I can indeed be strong, and strong in all the ways, mind, body, and spirit.

Thank you for believing in me even when I fail to believe in myself.

Thank you for lifting me back when I fall down.

Thank you for much needed to hear lectures such as the “Drag yourself to class no matter what” lecture!  That I always need greatly to hear.

Thank you for being good to us women.

Thank you the sweet twinkle in you eyes as you engage with the lovely karate children.

 

Thank you for the Blessing of you.

 

Most Sincerely and in Gratitude,

Caroline Chase

Kindness Pays Off

I could live off compliments like this

Marty Callahan 

8th Degree Black Belt 

“Warriors are not what you think of as warriors. The warrior is not someone who fights, for no one has  the right to take another life. The warrior, for us, is the one who sacrifices himself for the good of others.  His task is to take care of the elderly, the defenseless, those who cannot provide for themselves, and  above all, the children, the future of humanity.” 

-Sitting Bull, Hunkpapa Lakota Indian Chief 

I help people all the time in many different ways. I’ve done this my whole life. It’s who I am. I used to get  bullied because of it. The bullies I had to deal with thought helping people was a sign of weakness. I  suppose they thought that a leader had other people doing their beck and call. I didn’t believe this. I  believed that a good leader served others and that this was their true strength.  

This is part of what attracted me to karate in the first place. It empowered me. It gave me the power I  needed to put bullies aside, so I could go on being who I was. This is often the case with bullies, they  want to punish you for helping others, for doing the right thing, for picking other people up when they are  down.  

So, last summer I helped a grand-aunt find her grand-nephew. The child had trained with us and his mom pulled him out of our school, and surreptitiously took him and his brother to Arizona. She was  hiding the children from the grand-aunt and uncle who had raised the boys for a while after their father,  her husband, had died. It was a classic child custody battle. When I help people, I expect nothing in  return. If I get a thank you or a compliment it feels all the better and I want nothing more than to do it  again. I encourage everyone to do the same – help others and give sincere compliments like this. It will  make the world a better place in some small way.  

Hi Carol, 

When you mentioned last evening that Connie’s husband is Marty and he’s a Shotokan Sensei, I  wondered if his studio is on Marlow Rd? If so, I met him this past summer and found him to be one of  the kindest people. He restored my faith in humanity by helping me to find my grand-nephews after  their mother moved away with them without telling anyone in our family where she (or the children)  were. My 8-year-old grand-nephew was in Marty’s Karate classes prior to being taken (as we found  out) to Arizona by their mother. If this is the same Marty, please let him know he made a huge  difference! Now that we have found the children, we have hired a lawyer and are pursuing our legal  rights for Grandparent / Grand-Aunt visitation. They are the children of my deceased nephew, who  lived with us after his divorce from their mother, and we miss them tremendously. 

Thank you. Deborah WB  

Hi Deborah, 

Yes, that’s the right Marty, and he is, indeed, the kindest of men. I’ll forward this onto him with your  permission. ~ C

Shoka News 

Shotokan Karate Leadership School® Newsletter

February 1, 2023 

A BIG Welcome to our newest students!  

❖ Addie Santiago, Julian Santa Maria, Lily Digardi, Joshua Reeves, Samsaara Santiago,  Skylar Morales, Khyle Phy-Birdsong

Upcoming Events and Activities  

•  Tournament Qualification Week, January 30th to February 4th 
•  Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, February 14th Celebrate. Give someone a valentine.
•  Closed President’s Day, Monday, February 20th 
•  Exams Tuesday and Wednesday February 21st and 22nd  

The Next Santa Rosa Invitational Karate Tournament – Saturday, April 1, 2023 Qualification Week: January 30 to February 4. Students must qualify to participate in the  tournament. If you wish to participate you must let us know this week and demonstrate your  commitment to train for the tournament and show up to compete.

Japan Trip – April 10 to 17, 2023  

I will be joining some of our friends from Shotokan International Alliance and traveling to  Japan to do some sightseeing and karate training. If you’re interested in going, let me know and  we’ll see if we can make it work for you.

The Return of 7th Degree Black Belt Sensei Kevin Warner – April 28-29… more later.  

Spring 2023 Award Ceremony and Potluck Dinner – Saturday, May 6th – Mark your  calendars 

Shoka Magazine (Formerly the Family Education Packet) 

We hope you’re getting it. It’s being sent in the mail to your house. We may have your address  wrong. If so, let us know and we’ll make sure you get on our mailing list.

Scams  

Ms. Caroline Chase has alerted us to the existence of a scam that she nearly fell for. Be careful.

Mystery Crusher: Who Done It? – Detective Wanted 

We have noticed, over the last few weeks that someone with small hands has been crushing the  paper drinking cups we have on the table in the bathroom. So far, we have lost about 23 paper  cups to the Mystery Crusher. Solving this is going to require some keen detective work. If you  would like to take on this challenge, please let us know, we could use your help!

Our Covid Policy  

Please wear a mask if you are unvaccinated. If you are vaccinated, it’s your choice. We will  never ask you to do anything that will put you or your family at risk. You always have the  opportunity to opt-out of any activity or event that you deem is unsafe.

February 1, 2023 

Marty Callahan

8th Degree Black Belt

“Let every nation know, whether is wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any  hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and success of liberty.”  – John F. Kennedy 35th President of the United States

Parents, families, students and friends,

In our constant search for excellence, we have renamed this educational material the Shoka Magazine.  Here’s what’s in it this month:

• Shoka News (our newsletter)
• Kindness Pays Off
• A letter from one of the kindest students in our school – Ms. Caroline Chase
• Another quote from the Art of War by Sun Tzu
• Niju Kun #9
• Introduction to Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• Your SKLS Instructors
• Quote from Jordan Peterson, Canadian psychologist, author, media commentator
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Core Assumptions (Part 3 of 4)
• Banking Scam designed to take ALL your MONEY

Why we produce this magazine  

Most people don’t have the faintest idea as to what we do. They think that karate is either fighting, an activity for  kids, or a sport. It is all of this but what they don’t know about is the most important part. We are a personal  development program, a character and leadership development program where we use the platform of Shotokan  Karate to develop our students into the best person they can be. This has a lifetime effect on the person who takes  it seriously and gives it their all. This magazine is just one of the many ways we use to help you understand what  this means and why it is so important to your child, yourself and your family. Please take advantage and read,  watch and listen to the many other ways we provide through our website, Facebook page, Youtube channel, author  site (Marty-Callahan.com), Kicksite, Tiger’s Great Journey, Shoka Leader Handbook as well as a library of articles  we have available in the school.

Our family and your family 

As of this writing we managed to survive the rains and floods but other members of our school did not fair as well.  Our power was out for 5 days and when it came back on the surge blew out our home printer. A very minor  inconvenience compared to what others experienced. Sensei Logan Flaherty knew the family of the toddler who  was killed by a tree that fell on their house up on Joy Road in Occidental. He has been helping them throughout this  tragedy. If there is anything we can do for you please let us know.

Yours truly,

Marty Callahan, 8th Degree Black Belt,

Founder, Chief Instructor, Author

Shotokan Karate Leadership School® 3082 Marlow Road B1, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 707-575-1681