Tag: Princeton Academy of Martial Arts

Honoring the Past and Embracing the Future

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Embracing Uncertainty

As I was about to pull out of 14 Farber Road to attend the first PAMA classes at the new location, I started to tear up.  Those tears were quickly replaced with a chuckle as our daughter, also a Beatles fan, began humming the oh so fitting tune… What goes on in your heart, what goes on in your mind.

The Green Room
The After

To provide some perspective, I left my parents house when I was 17, this week I departed 14 Farber Road for the last time just short of 16 of my adult years.  Comparable to when I moved out of my parents’ house I don’t have reservations that it was the proper decision but a piece of my heart, rightfully so, is subject to be tugged by those memories.

The Gold Room

Looking back, the events and emotions that took place within those walls will far greater exceed the physical necessity for the building but, after all, I literally grew up in that martial arts haven.  Like many who have joined Princeton Academy of Martial Arts (PAMA) over the years, I entered naïvely having never explored the deeper depths of my soul.  Martial Arts, if practiced in a mindful, spiritual practice will chew up your ego and spit you out.  That is why many people could not handle the intensity of Sifu Rick and the training.  I am a strong-willed person and back in the day he made me cry several times (not in public mind you).  Although I came back, many times I saw others leave and not return because the training can mirror back to you deep fears and shatter images one has and cannot bear to scrutinize.  But for me, after going through some personal life trials, it was time to be real with myself.

The Weight Room

The importance of Martial Arts, on the deeper level as it is trained at PAMA, is about truly examining and knowing yourself, not your enemies or perceived enemies.  Martial arts took on a significant role my life, being drawn closer to it while many internal transformations took place that prompted me to change my world.  PAMA was my sanctuary and many times I found refuge within those walls, especially when I felt that the outside world could not comprehend what revolutions were going on within.

The Art Gallery

Through the years, I have been blessed with many close friendships and lots of love from my fellow training partners, instructors, and my students.  Many memorable people, to many to mention, have stood with me as I experienced blood and sweat, broken bones and lifted spirits.  I thank each of them for their support, camaraderie, and laughs.  Of course fate and our love for Martial Arts brought Rick and I together many years ago and ironically, together made the choice to sell the business and take the next step of our journey elsewhere.

The Pro-Shop

If someone had asked me 16 years ago, where I thought martial arts could lead me I would have never been able to imagine my place in the world today as a Martial Artist and a Warrior.   I am enthralled that I found martial arts and ecstatic that I found myself.  As our new journey now truly begins, we welcome it with arms wide open and with the Warriors’ approach saying “YES!” to life and the path ahead.

STAY TUNED!

Love and Knife Disarms

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Martial Arts

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Current and past students came from far and wide to reunite and live the experience one last time as a master, Guro Rick taught his last seminar as owner of Princeton Academy of Martial Arts.  It was an excellent seminar, as all of us have become accustomed to as students of Rick.   Taking advantage of the unseasonably beautiful weather, the attendees worked through various knife work drills outside in the sunshine.  Later in the afternoon things progressed inside the Academy with knife disarms, tie-ups, and Rick guiding people to brainstorm their disarms issues, using it as learning experience for the students.  The last elements covered were Kali/Silat entries and takedowns.  There was much information shared but Rick’s intention, which he made clear, was to give the attendees something that they could take home, practice, and progress with.

The mood of the day was uplifting and high energy, one could feel the electricity about the room.  The mood was blithe with over 50 attendees, many of which could not help reminisce throughout the day.   And yes, at the closing there were some eyes welling.  As I perused the group, watched Rick teach during the seminar, and spoke at closing to the group, it was difficult not to get teary and get choked up.

I believe that many others feel just as I do.  It has been nothing more than magical.  For almost 27 years Rick has made PAMA a place of solitude.  Within a group one is truly alone with oneself while training.  Uniting the mind and body daily, because no one can help, as you are getting punched and kicked or the weapon being wielded towards you.  You must be in that moment with yourself, feeling the life surge through the physical body as your human instincts kick in.  Not that of maiming or harming another but, that of self-preservation and preservation of life.  More and more in this world there are very few places where we can truly feel, understand being alive and in control of that life right down to our core.  And sometime even shaking within that core from the sheer bliss, release, and relief.

Living and breathing the warrior’s path even till his departure; Guro Rick over the years has shared not just the physical parts of the arts but analyzing and discussing the details of the human psyche.   Altering students not just in the flesh, but also in the dark corners that most people do not want to explore.   No one is truly losing Rick as an instructor, every time people train they will be able to hear his voice and visualize the motions and hopefully, more importantly, live through his guidance as courageous warriors.

He is not leaving martial arts completely nor will he be leaving his students floundering.  They will be taken care of carefully by the new Sifu Mike Lee and Lao Si Mike Wolhfert and the rest of the assistant instructors.  This blog was created as a meeting point for us to all to remain together on this journey.  I imagine that Rick and I will continue to talk about Martial Arts daily as we do now and continue to train but, I do look forward to what genius may come out of this transformative process.