A Garden of Trees

If it’s possible to be both a logger and a tree-hugger, I am a little of both. I look at trees and I see board feet, cordwood, and BTUs. I walk among them and feel peace, awe, and a sense of connection to the earth. I sit by my fireplace in the wintertime, and explain to my children that the trees have stored the sun’s energy, and when we burn them, we bring a little bit of last summer’s sunshine into an otherwise cold, dark house.

In truth, I’m a poor excuse for a logger, and nor do I actually hug the trees. But my small woodlot has a management plan that I need to adhere to, or face a higher property tax rate. I could pay a professional to do the work, but I’ve chosen to do it myself – with the help of a good friend who has done some logging. We spend long, cold hours doing hard, dangerous work, and we couldn’t enjoy it more.

Forestry is long-term gardening. We are currently harvesting a crop that took 50 + years to grow –planted long ago by another gardener. The firewood thinning that I do annually is called “crop-tree release”, and is in a sense, weeding. The short-term result is the firewood I burn, but the long-term results will be a healthier stand of Sugar Maple, Red Oak, and Yellow Birch. 

We’ve owned the property for 15 years, and I’m not sure when it occurred to me, but I will not live to harvest much of that crop. Nor will I likely walk among the mature stand of towering, majestic trees that I envision, and am working so hard to grow.

When I began teaching martial arts for a living, I often said that I was doing so to avoid having to get a “real job”. The typical martial arts student of that era was an 18 to 24-year-old male, and it was a tough, macho, ego-driven environment. If I could have looked ahead and seen myself today – surrounded by young children, telling stories, tying belts, running a business – I might have had second thoughts. It has turned into a very real job, but one that I will love to do, for as long as I can.

As teachers, we plant seeds and foster growth. Whether our growing season is an academic quarter or a number of years, we have a limited time to accomplish our goals, and help our students reach theirs. If we see it as merely a job, we miss the simple joys of gardening. When we remember that our influence may be life-long, we can overlook the temporary setbacks and struggles of our workday.

My wife and I are blessed with two children, ages 16 and 8 at the time of this writing. The final phrase of that sentence almost takes my breath away – it jolts me with a reminder of the fleeting and transitory nature of parenthood. They won’t be 16 and 8 for long. This gardening is long-term as well, but seems to speed past faster than a Vermont growing season. We do our best, make our mistakes, hold on to the moments, and plan for the future.

We do most of the things we do either for love or by necessity. When we are truly blessed, the two converge. Sometimes when we are doing our best work, we work with a vision of a future we may never see. But that vision gives us strength, perspective, and hope. Further, it helps us appreciate the sacred nature of the present, fleeting moment, as well as the towering majesty of human potential.

David Quinlan, Owner and Lead Instructor

Bushintai-Do Programs and Martial Way Self-Defense Center

Milton, Vermont

Bushintai-Do.com

MiltonMartialArtsVT.com

info@MartialWayVT.com

Gratitude, Hope and Giving Thanks

When my son, Liam, was 3, I noticed that he was relatively strong for his weight. He “played” on the Chuck Norris Total Gym, pulling his own weight at the maximum setting. As he got older, and wasn’t captivated by team sports (he didn’t like the aggression of soccer), we enrolled him in a gymnastics program. He enjoyed it and stuck with it for about seven years. I remember so many of his milestones –from the first time he did a successful cartwheel up to his first “giant” (big 360-degree spin around the high bar). He became a successful competitor and would have continued with gymnastics if he hadn’t started playing football (so much for disliking aggression).

In addition, Liam was, and is, an exceptional martial arts student. I was so happy to have him in my classes, that it never occurred to me to want him to be good at it – that was a bonus. He has also become a skilled teacher, and helps me run the summer camps, as well as running his own class at the town recreation department summer camp. He’s a sophomore in high school, and if I’m lucky, I’ll have his help for a few more summers.

As gratifying as it has been to have Liam a part of the dojo, there was something different about watching him at gymnastics. Instead of working, I could sit and watch, and learn a little bit about something new. I got to know some of the other students and their parents. We went to watch a collegiate championship meet. Gymnastics was, and always will be, a part of my son’s childhood and our memories of it. I am grateful for those memories.

My daughter, Evi, is 8, and has been involved with gymnastics, dance, skiing, baseball, skating, and martial arts. I relish the opportunities to watch her play, practice, and perform. As she gets older, she’ll have to make choices as well. I hope she will stay (voluntarily) involved with martial arts, as I know how beneficial it can be, and she is a joy to have in my classes. But as for the other activities, I don’t care which she chooses. Whatever it is, I will be there watching, cheering, and enjoying the moments, before they become just memories.

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to share and support my children’s interests. I am also grateful for the opportunity to work with your children. As a martial arts instructor, I have an opportunity to connect with a student for his or her entire childhood, and possibly into adulthood as well. I teach ages five and up (I have black belt instructors who are braver than I am, who handle the three and four-year-olds). I enjoy everything about teaching at every level. I am privileged to have a have an opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of so many people. I am grateful for every student, in every class that I teach.

I get to spend every work day in an environment I love, with people of all ages who share a common passion for this activity. I don’t know how long I will be able to continue to train with my younger, stronger, more resilient students, but I am grateful for every success and every defeat, the exhilaration of feeling fit and capable, and the pain and frustration of injuries and failure. I am grateful for my critics and my supporters, and for the martial arts, and all of the triumphs and challenges they have provided me.

I am grateful for the instructors and staff who have not only learned my system of teaching, but have added their own individual improvements to the program. Together, we are constantly developing and improving our martial arts, and the ways we teach them.

I hope your experience with martial arts, as a parent, student, teacher, or all of the above, is rewarding and memorable. I hope parents find time to watch their children's classes. I hope the children will choose martial arts as their main focus as they get older. If they move on to other activities, I hope they will take the lessons learned at the "dojo" and apply them throughout their lives. I hope we all can have the vision and the presence to recognize that what we have here is temporary, and that it should be enjoyed to the fullest while it is here.

David Quinlan, Founder and Lead Instructor

Bushintai-Do Programs and Martial Way Self-Defense Center

Milton, Vermont

A Father's Day Message

Happy Father's Day

David Quinlan 

Starting when I was four years old, my brothers and I played baseball from the time the snow started to melt until it fell again. We played little league for six weeks each spring, but we also played whiffle ball, "backyard ball" (our own invention – a game in which the object was to hit three consecutive line drive outs), and hardball at the diamond we had set up in a hayfield. We strung chicken wire across some small saplings for a backstop, used seat cushions we found at the dump for bases, and eventually wore base-paths and an infield into the high grass, by the foot traffic of our endless games. The outfield remained in high grass, which slowed down some drives into the gap, but sometimes gave runners an extra base as outfielders dug for the ball.

My dad was our little league baseball coach for a few years. But long before that and long after those short summers, he supported my brothers' and my interest in the sport. He pitched to us, played catch with us, and never got mad about the windows we broke. We had a nine-panel window in our basement door, which happened to be dangerously close to home plate when we played in the backyard. I remember him calmly taking the door off the hinges and installing new panels, probably knowing they’d soon be knocked out by other foul tips, but he never complained.

As I watch my own son and daughter blazing like comets across the sky of my adult life, I marvel at their growth, I mourn the passing of their childhood, and I cling to its last moments. I watch in wonder as they become individuals – not just extensions of their mother and me – but unique individuals, on their way forward into their own separate lives. I celebrate their milestones – birthdays, accomplishments, personal bests- but I know that I could do without these moments. I'd be happy to stay where we are. I think I could stay calmly in the background, fixing the windows, for as long as they’d like to keep breaking them.

To my dad, and my children, Happy Fathers' Day!

David Quinlan, Founder and Lead Instructor

Bushintai-Do Programs

Milton, Vermont

Through the Eyes of Middle School Students - Part IV

Bushintai-Do, developed and taught by David Quinlan of Bushintai-Do Programs, is based on the principles of a traditional marital arts program, but contains no violent or dangerous techniques. Bushintai-Do is drawn from the physical, mental and philosophical components of various martial arts, such as Kempo Karate, Judo and Arnis.

As a classroom teacher, I witnessed how success at Bushintai-Do positively influenced student achievement at school.  Through the physical training in Bushintai-Do, a student learns that he or she can set a goal, work towards it in small, consistent steps and achieve success.  This leads to an increase in confidence and to the development of a work ethic that can be applied to both academic and personal goals. 

In addition to classroom-based lessons in Bushintai-Do, students wrote weekly journal entries and reflective essays about their experiences. Featured in this blog and in celebration of Middle Level Education Month, middle school students write about are the qualities of perseverance, respect and self-control they learned through their practice of Bushintia-Do for the Classroom.

Doing your Best Helps

from Jack

Front position is a show of respect.

Doing your best means doing all you can.  You can work harder and be more focused on what you are doing.  It can help you do better at work or do better at sports.  Not every person does their best because they don’t know what their best is.  I think that everyone should do their best because it might make it easier for a lot of people if they did. 

When I started doing wrestling, I did not always do my best because I was winning so much, and I did not have time to really do my best because I was done the match so quickly.  Now I am not winning as much, but I still do my best to win. When I lose a match, my dad always tell me it doesn’t matter.  If I lose, all he says is that I did my best, so now I always focus on doing my best and it helps me win. 

I have learned that if you always do your best, it will make things a little bit easier than what people think.  People don’t know what doing their best means.  I will always do my best so that I get better.  Bushintai-Do helps me because it shows me what doing my best really is.

What Respect Can Accomplish

from Zoe

Without respect, the world would be chaos.  Respect includes listening, being aware and caring for other people.  Respect is related to Bushintai-Do because you have to show respect by bowing to Sensei, and you should always listen to what he says.  You should not talk over Sensei because that is a sign of disrespect.  You show respect by not being rude and not saying what’s on your mind.  Showing respect is important because without it, everyone would be rude.  Respect keeps us from living in a rude disrespectful world. 

Just a couple weeks ago, I was very disrespectful, but I learned how not to be.  It was one of those weeks where I was just in a terrible mood and I hated everybody, but when I was disrespectful, I started to develop an attitude and I became really rude.  I talked back, I ignored my teachers and I wasn’t nice to anyone at all.  I was very disrespectful. Eventually it went away.  I decided to not be rude and to not have an attitude towards adults.  If I wasn't respectful, then I would’ve had a call home because I was really rude to everybody.  It is important to be respectful because it keeps everyone form being rude. Being respectful is important. 

I have learned that showing respect is a rule that everyone should follow.  It helps to keep the atmosphere peaceful.  If you’re respectful to other people, then you’ll get a positive reaction back. “The Way of the Warrior” includes being respectful in all situations.

The Way of Self-Control

from Mary

Self-control requires practice.  To gain self-control, you must be able to sense yourself, and know your limits. Inner strength is the key.  I had to control myself when we first began Bushintai-Do, for I, personally was extremely excited to start.  I also had to prevent myself from jumping all over the place when I could do the White Belt Form.  Self-control happens all the time.  As I become more agitated or irritated, I must practice self-control to prevent myself from acting irrationally.  Sometimes when others bother me, I must use self-control to stop myself from snapping at them to be quiet.  The importance of self-control is that it must be used by many people, and with self-control, life seems to become easier to tolerate. 

One time at school, I wasn’t in a good mood and I had to restrain myself from snapping at everyone around me.  It was a bad day for me, and I just wasn’t feeling good.  Everyone seemed more annoying at that time than usual….Was I going to yell at them and cause a chain reaction, leaving them to hate me, or was I going to stay calm and explain to them that I simply wasn’t feeling good?  I chose the positive thought, and avoided unnecessary conflicts…The practice of self-control that time came in handy; I know how strong I was to not give into the evil thoughts surrounding my mind. 

To follow the way of the warrior, you must practice self-control.  Life becomes simpler when you do not act irrationally.  Bushintai-Do helped me realize that earlier than most people, who may learn it the hard way.  Like Bushintai-Do, you must practice self-control before it is possible to master it.

Nancy Keller, Education Coordinator

Bushintai-Do Programs

Milton, Vermont

Teacher

Winooski Middle and High School

Winooski, Vermont

Through the Eyes of Middle School Students - Part III

Resilience, self-control, leadership, open mind, courage, knowledge, determination, mental strength, respect and heart. According to my middle school students, these are the qualities of a Bushintai-Do martial artist. These also became the titles of the chapters for our unpublished book, The Way of the Teenage Warrior. For an entire school year, my students read essays from current and former middle school students, students who, like themselves, had studied and written about Bushintai-Do. What follows is a sample of the essays or excerpt of essays my students thought represented the warrior quality of heart.

Chapter 10

Heart

I am a hard worker. Being a hard worker comes from my parents getting divorced and then living in a crappy trailer with hardly any money and clothes. I also didn’t have a very good school to attend. When I was little, I tried hard in school, but wasn’t learning anything. My mom finally decided to move to Vermont to be with family. Then we started doing well because my mom was able to get a good job, rent a house, and I started to learn at school. 

At the age of seven, I had to go out and chop wood for our fireplace, take out the trash, tend to the compost, shovel my long driveway, and mow the lawn. As I got older, I had to do more. However, I didn’t stop and complain because I had to do more. I just did my best. 

Then we moved, again, and I had to go to a new school. With the new school, I tried hard to fit in and it worked, but I didn’t like it. I’ve tried really hard to get good grades, but sixth and seventh grade were difficult because of my grades and the other students. However, I didn’t let it get in my way. I am doing my best for eighth grade year, and it seems to be working.

Doing my best at home will help my family when they come home from a long day of work. Doing my best at school will help me, too, because when I have a family, I don’t want them to have the same life I’ve had. Bushintai-Do has helped me with getting good grades, and trying to be more respectful to other people. Because have discussions about what it means to do your best, I remember to do my best in everything I do, even when I don’t want to. I have had to do my best throughout my life and Bushintai-Do has reinforced the purpose of doing my best. Doing my best is basically just being me. And being me will help me through life. 

John, age 14 

I wanted to be a great martial artist like Bruce Lee. He always had a wise thing to say. He once said, “To spend time is to pass it in a specific manner, but once passed, it is gone forever.” What Bruce Lee was saying was that if you don’t spend your time wisely enough, your life will waste away.

I have thought about this quote, and I figured it would be a great saying to live by. To waste your time is like wasting your existence. A wise person would see this, and not hesitate to do something to stop their life from being ruined. Perfect practice, a healthy diet, and time with friends are all people need to keep themselves happy. Perfect practice can be for anything, from exercise to studying. These are the things that Bruce Lee probably did. If he could do it, then anyone can do it.  

Will, age 13

One hot afternoon, my friend, Karen, and I were hanging out at my house. We felt like we were hungry, so we decided to make some toast with peanut butter and jelly. I thought it would be a better idea if she used one piece of bread and fold it over. She said, “No, I want to use one piece for peanut butter and one for jelly.” I laughed, and thought it would be funny to pick up her toast and throw it on the ground so that she couldn’t have any. 

Karen didn’t take it that way. 

We ended up fighting. We get mad over little things sometimes. Then she said something that I really didn’t like, and I told her to get out of my house, and she left. 

During the next few days that we weren’t talking, I felt lonely. I was bored and I was stuck in the TV. Three days later, she came over to my house and we talked it out. We talked about how we get in fights over some things that are so little and how we just need to get over them. 

I would say that our friendship is the warrior qualities of heart and resilience. Because we are dedicated to our friendship and we care about each other, our friendship symbolizes heart. Also, every time we have a fight, we have to overcome the problem and when we do, our friendship is smarter and stronger because of it. This is resilience.  

Desiree, age 13

Nancy Keller, Education Coordinator

Bushintai-Do Programs

Milton, Vermont

Teacher at Winooski Middle and High School

Winooski, Vermont 

Through the Eyes of Middle School Students - Part II

Life involves conflict, often with others, but primarily with the self. Avoiding conflict with others is usually the best option. The perseverance, respect, and self-control that are practiced in Bushintai-Do help students work through conflicts in a positive way. If the conflict is in the form of a physical attack, the self-defense training helps students deal with this successfully. If the conflict is with the self, it often comes down to decision-making. The warrior qualities of do your best, show respect and practice self-control described in the lessons of Bushintai-Do for the Classroom give students a framework for positive and healthy decision-making.

In recognition of Middle Level Education month, read the wisdom found in the words of young adolescents as they use their experience with Bushintai-Do to reflect upon their personal growth and well-being.

Doing is Succeeding 

by Mariah 

Students prepare to do their best.

Doing your best means that no matter how boring or hard a task is, you still give it your all. For me, doing my best is something I always strive for. People do their best in Bushintai-Do by listening to the instructor and trying to do the moves as best as they can. It's important to do your best in Bushintai-Do so you will be able to expand your abilities both physically and mentally. But, it's also important to do your best in your everyday life, like when you are in school. If you want to be successful in the future, you need to work as hard as you can. At one point in your life, you are going to be faced with a situation that is too challenging for you. All you can do is try as hard as you can. You can never fail, as long as you are giving it your all. Doing your best is vital for your success.

Last year I had a very strict language arts teacher, but she was just trying to prepare us for high school. That meant that she would push us a little above our intellectual level. One day we had to write a paper about our role model. I chose my mom because she works very hard and does so much for me. But there was one problem; I didn't know what to say about her. There were so many good things I could say, but I didn't know how to word it. I talked to my LA teacher about it. All she told me was to do my best. And that's exactly what I did. I spent about two hours rewriting everything, and eventually I finished. The next day I received my grade--A+. All I had to do was work hard and do my best. You can succeed in anything, as long as you believe in yourself and do your best.

I learned that you can't be great at everything. There are going to be some things in your life that you just aren't good at. The only thing you can do is work as hard as you can and do your best. As long as you are doing your best, you are succeeding. Bushintai-Do has helped me realize this. When we first started learning the yellow belt form, I was really confused. My teacher told me to just do my best. After a couple days of my hardest, I started to understand it more. Bushintai-Do teaches you to always do your best and to never give up, no matter how hard things get.

Showing Respect in Different Countries

by Nishan 

Students practice a self-defense technique.

I am writing an essay for my purple belt in Bushintai-Do. Bushintai-Do is martial art that means the way of warrior in mind and body. For this essay I am writing about one of our rules which is show respect. Respect is very important for me. I want to be respected for who I am. In Bushintai-Do, respect is very important; respect is shown when you practice self-defense moves. You have to show respect when you're practicing self-defense techniques, because you must have a bond between the person you’re working with. To be able to get that bond, you must respect other people and get trust from them. 

In different countries, there are different ways to show respect. For example, in Japan people don't look in the eyes when they're talking to someone older than them. If a younger person makes eye contact with another person that means the other person is being disrespectful. Here in America people have to have eye contact with another person they're talking to. This is a show respect in America. 

Respect is crucial in Nepal, my native country. We couldn't speak back to our elders. In school in Nepal if we were late or did not do some of the homework, they use to hit us with sticks or a small pipe. I did all I could to not to talk back to the teachers. I tried to do my best to show respect to teachers and my friends. One time I showed up late to school--about one minute late. I was tired of showing respect to my teachers because they didn’t show respect to their students. But now when I think back, I was just acting without thinking. We came to America when I was in fifth grade. I didn't talk back to the teachers here as well because that was the way I was taught . After a while, I learned that talking back is not always disrespectful. Sometimes you're just asking questions and trying to learn, so you have to talk to the teachers. 

I show respect so I can be a respectful person. I show respect because that's the right thing to do. If I meet an unknown person and that person greets me, I greet him back because that's the right thing to do. If I meet this person again, I will be more respectful and have more time to know him.

Practice Self-Control

by Damon

Practicing self-control is harnessing unwanted anger. Unwanted anger is not easy to control most of the time. When you let loose on unsuspecting people, the aggression can be passed down to others. This makes a chain reaction of anger and lack of self-discipline. Bushintai-Do requires self-discipline. That is why it is so important to control your temper. 

There was more than one time when I had to practice self-control. One time, however, especially sticks in my memory. When I was ten years old, there was a kids who was bullying me by calling me names and pushing me around. I told him to back off or I’d tell the teacher on him. Instead of escalating the problem any further, I just walked away. After I walked away, he never bothered me again. In this situation, by using self-control, I avoided having a fight and further injuries. 

So far in my life, I’ve learned that using self-control has not only helped my life, but also improved my attitude. I will also use this learning in Bushintai-Do. Self-control is the way of the warrior.

Nancy Keller, Education Coordinator

Bushintai-Do Programs

Milton, Vermont

Teacher at Winooski Middle and High School

Winooski, Vermont 

Through the Eyes of Middle School Students - Part I

The martial art of Bushintai-Do, created for use in schools as a structured recess, a series of brainbreaks or energizers, an after school program, or as a Middle Level Teacher Advisory activity, has three standards for success: Do your best. Show respect. Practice self-control. 

These rules-to-live-by are woven into the movement activities and lessons of Bushintai-Do for the Classroom. In this way, students make both a physical and mental connection to their meanings.  In some classrooms, students write weekly journal entries or reflective essays about their experiences with learning this martial art and these writings are one of the requirements for a belt promotion. By writing, students think more deeply about the philosophical components of their training and how these relate to their lives outside of the classroom "dojo." 

In honor of Middle Level Education month, celebrated this March, Bushintai-Programs will publish weekly words of wisdom from middle schoolers who practice Bushintai-Do, the "way of the warrior in mind and body." As mentioned in a previous blog post, Bill Ayers reminds us that “teachers must understand that even as they teach, they will also be taught.  Even as they help others develop, they will, themselves, change and grow.” In this spirit, let us learn from our middle schoolers:

Do Your Best

from Sujit

Two of the authors pose for a photo.

Doing your best is the one of the rules in Bushintai-Do. When you do your best you will accomplish a lot in life. We have to focus on the forms and on what Sensei teaches us. If you keep doing your best, you will you understand different kinds of belt forms, like yellow, orange, and purple, and self-defense techniques. Doing your best will play an important role in your future and in your life... 

When you do Bushintai-Do, your body gets active and healthy. To make your body healthy, you have to do the exercises like you mean it. In Bushintai-Do, you have to control yourself to focus on the work. Doing your best does not just mean to do what you can, you have to make it better every time. Doing your best is very important in Bushintai-Do.

Show Respect

from Najla

Showing respect is about being kind and calm, focused and open-minded. Most of the time I show respect to myself and others. I show respect by listening and paying attention and not interrupting. I also show respect by participating and not complaining. 

When I practice Bushintai-Do, I always participate and listen and I never make fun of anyone trying to learn something new. I understand that it is important to be safe. I am always trying, but I’m not too hard on myself. Sometimes I complain about doing it which doesn't help or isn't positive. 

I understand that showing respect is important. Respect is important so you don’t get in trouble and you must show respect to get respect. Respecting myself helps me understand everything and everyone.

Practice Self-Control in Mind and Body

from Xavier

Self-control is the main key of Bushintai-Do. Self-control means relaxation, along with focus and slow breathing. In Bushintai-Do, self-control leads to being healthy and persistent. In other areas of life, self-control leads to success. 

I remember when I wasn't focused and I didn't get a Bushintai-Do class credit. I was upset, but when I focused, I got the credit. Bushintai-Do gives me a chance to calm down and focus on what is important: School and concentration. I have lowered my energy and Bushintai-Do forms and techniques have helped. I believe Bushintai-Do will help me in the long run. In other words, it will help me mellow out and bring success in fulfilling my dreams. 

I realized that when you use self-control, you get more things completed, especially when you pay attention in class. It adds to the success. I learned how important self-control is in reality. Without self-control, we wouldn't understand anything and we wouldn't know how to learn. We wouldn't care because we couldn't control our bodies. Self-control is the "way of the warrior in mind and body." 

Nancy Keller, Education Coordinator

Bushintai-Do Programs, Inc.

Milton, Vermont  

Teacher at Winooski Middle/High School 

Winooski, Vermont

Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in the Classroom, Part III

The Case for Martial Arts

The Institute of Medicine recently made recommendations for “strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment." The recommendations were based on the fact that the physical, emotional and cognitive benefits of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are well-documented, and that schools provide an opportunity to help children in these areas.

The evidence is overwhelming and the opportunity is at hand. As our schools once took the lead in providing vaccinations for children, they are now becoming more involved in promoting overall wellness. Nutrition, mental health, and social development are being addressed not only in addition to academic success, but in their powerful connection to it. The classroom, as a place of learning, should address all of these concerns. The need for MVPA is one that can be addressed, and therefore, it should be.

Practicing forms develops attentional skills.

Martial Arts, according to John Ratey, MD, in his book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, involves the type of coordinated movements that cause more connections to grow between neurons. In addition, the aerobic exercise of the martial arts elevates neurotransmitters, creates new blood vessels that aid in brain development, assists in development of new nerve cells, and encourages brain cells to log new information.

Martial Arts teachers have long been aware of the benefits their young students get from their training. Parents often report that their children get better grades, have increased self-esteem, display more respectful behavior, and acquire more self-control as a result of their martial arts classes. Martial arts not only has numerous benefits beyond the typical MVPA, it is an activity well-suited to the classroom in that it has a tradition of learning, requires little or no equipment, and contains a powerful system of short and long-term goals, in the belt-ranking system.

Most martial arts programs teach a progression of movement sequences known as katas, or forms. Learning the forms helps students develop sequencing and attentional skills, important cognitive tools. The forms start with simpler movements at the beginner level, and progress to more complex movements at the higher level. The more advanced student not only possesses superior physical skills, but also greater knowledge of forms than the beginner. This emphasis on knowledge and learning lends itself well to the classroom environment.

The martial arts dojo, or training hall, can be anything from the ornate to the minimalistic, but usually require little equipment beyond the floor space. Successful dojos can be run in vacant lots, church basements, backyards or garages, and, certainly, classrooms. One literal translation of dojo is, “a place of the way”. It is a place of learning the way of a particular discipline. In this sense, a classroom is already a dojo.

Bushintai-Do belts hang in a classroom "dojo."

Grades, the external measurement of academic success, are one indicator of proficiency. They provide a clear and powerful goal for many students. The same can be said of the belt-ranking system of the traditional martial arts. While they are proficiency-based, they reflect a variety of attributes beyond natural ability. Determination, patience, and resiliency are all the keys to achieving rank, and natural ability does not provide a shortcut to success. All students, regardless of physical or cognitive gifts, progress at the same rate. This encourages a disciplined, process-based approach to learning, which more resembles an academic pursuit than an athletic one.

Martial arts is an excellent way to address the physical, behavioral, and cognitive needs of the student. The only thing the average classroom lacks, in regards to teaching martial arts, is the martial arts teacher. Bushintai-Do for the Classroom was developed specifically for this purpose.

David Quinlan, Founder and Lead Instructor

Bushintai-Do Programs

Milton, Vermont

Why Bushintai-Do for my Middle School Students: Physical Activity, Academic Achievement and Personal Development

Over ten years ago, our middle school’s drug and alcohol counselor, Cheryl, handed me a small rectangular scrap of white paper with a phone number and a name written on it:

893-8893

David Quinlan

“Call him,” she said.  “My son takes karate classes from him.  I think he could help you.”

We had just walked out of a meeting in our principal’s office, and were wondering what to do next.  Beth, my teaching colleague, and I were asked to create a general education alternative program for our students, and we had discussed some possibilities. That’s when Cheryl gave me Dave’s phone number.

“We need a less traditional classroom,” my principal, Mary, had stated at the meeting.  She was the newly hired principal for our middle school and was in the midst of restructuring our teaching teams and programs.  “We need to offer a different classroom setting, a different approach and give our students options.”

We listened closely.  Fresh from a conference on alternative education programs, Beth and I shared some of our ideas with Mary, including a description of the martial arts classes that were part of neighboring school’s alternative program, Team Thrive.  Neither of us had any martial arts experience or any experience with alternative education, but from our conversations with Phil, the lead teacher of Team Thrive, and his students, it seemed like martial arts could be a good fit.  Maybe we could do the same for our middle school students.  Bill Ayers, in To Teach, writes that “the range of opportunities for students to experience success must be wide and not narrow.”  Martial arts would certainly broaden that range.

“Go ahead. Sounds like a good idea,” Mary responded, when we raised the possibility of including martial arts in our middle school’s new alternative program.

A few days later, I held the small piece of white paper in my hand while I dialed the phone number, and left a voice message.  “Would it be possible for my middle school students to take martial arts classes with you?”  I asked, and then left my contact information.

What I didn’t know was that Dave, after years of working with adolescents, saw a need to create a martial art that was purely focused on self-defense.  Students could experience the mental and physical benefits of martial arts without learning offensive or dangerous techniques.  Drawing from his years of training in karate, judo, and Arnis, Bushintai-Do, the way of the warrior in mind and body, was developed and my middle school students were to become its first practitioners.

That was May of 2002.

Sometimes I am amazed that a brief conversation or a simple decision becomes, when reflected upon years later, a significant event.  This is true when I remember the scrap of paper Cheryl gave me with Dave’s phone number, and the intuitive decision Beth and I made to include martial arts as part of our alternative program.  That decision and Cheryl’s recommendation was the beginning of a martial arts tradition for our alternative classroom, called Team Velocity, and the beginning of a powerful learning experience for many of our students, past and present.

Over the years, I have witnessed how Bushintai-Do has helped our students grow in ways I never expected.  While students learn and practice the physical skills of self-defense, they also make academic and social/emotional gains, even though these two activities, martial arts and school performance, seem unrelated. However, as I investigated and read more about this connection, I found that current and emerging research confirms this link:  The mind moves the body and the body moves the mind.

Practicing the coordinated movements of Bushintai-Do.

John Ratey, MD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, states that when we move our bodies in coordinated and complicated ways, such as during our martial art forms and techniques, and when we build our aerobic and anaerobic capacities, such as when we exercise or practice a martial art, we also spark biological changes in our brain cells that make us more ready, willing, and able to learn (Spark, the Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain). Dr. Ratey also claims that public schools could better serve their students by building upon this connection, and he gives the example of the public schools in Naperville, Illinois.  Students in this school district begin their day with aerobic exercise and movement activities, such as yoga, dance or martial arts, and Naperville students boast the highest achievement scores for eighth graders on the international tests of math and science than any other school district in the United States.  These students rank sixth in the world for mathematics and first for science.

Team Velocity students followed a similar trend. While pursuing an advanced degree in mathematics

Lessons begin and end with seated mindfulness practice.

education, I investigated the relationship between physical activity (aerobic exercise and Bushintai-Do) and academic performance. In a year-long study focused on my students, I was able to show a statistically significant increase in physical fitness, as well as an increase in mathematics achievement. In addition to this quantitative data, Dave and I and other teachers have collected over ten years of reflective writing that speak to this body/mind connection.   Many students often comment about their improved ability to defend themselves or mention that they are physically stronger as a result of their martial arts training, but all students eventually reveal their personal insights and growth as a result of their participation in this martial art.  Interestingly, when we ask students to describe the qualities of a Bushintai-Do warrior, students always think beyond the physical traits and mention the qualities of determination, respect, courage, resilience, strength, open-mindedness, self-control, leadership, knowledge, and heart.  

In over 25 years of teaching and learning with students, I know of very few “teaching methods” that encourage this type of introspection and personal well-being and growth. Because of integrating Bushintai-Do into my classroom, I have learned from my students what it means to be a warrior in both mind and body and believe this type of learning has made a lasting difference not only for my students, but for me as well. As Bill Ayers concludes in his book To Teach, “Teachers must understand that even as they teach, they will also be taught.  Even as they help others develop, they will, themselves, change and grow.”

Nancy Keller, Education Coordinator

Bushintai-Do Programs, Inc.

Milton, Vermont

Teacher at Winooski Middle/High School

Winooski, Vermont

Sparring with the Self

Martial arts training provides many opportunities for learning. Students can not only learn to strike, block, throw, and pin an opponent, but they can also learn ways to deal with problems in everyday life. Many of these lessons can be frustrating, and even painful, but if the student persists, he or she will gain life skills as well as martial arts skills.

Sometimes during sparring training, students are asked to practice defending against an attacker's strikes, without hitting back. The attacker moves in with a constant barrage of punches, kicks, and fakes. The student is asked to maintain a good stance, focus on the attacker, and avoid being hit.  He or she can use footwork, blocking, ducking and slipping, but no striking. This is a difficult drill, but one that is important for developing a student's skill and confidence. It also teaches a skill that is useful in everyday life.

Bushintai-Do students practice self-defense techniques.

Eventually, all martial artists learn to handle this drill with ease. The goal is to relax as much as possible, and react only as often and as much as is necessary. The student must use evasive footwork, but also rely on blocking. If a strike gets through, the student must learn from the mistake, but not dwell on the failure. In the beginning, many students find this difficult. Their reactions are as different as the individual students, but tend to fall in to one or more of the following categories:

Category One - The Runner: This student does not trust his blocking skills enough to rely on them, so he runs. He is achieving the object of the drill, not getting hit, but does it by avoiding the striker as much as possible. While this can be a good strategy at times, the Runner needs to learn to stand his ground sometimes, and practice his blocking. Sooner or later, an attacker will catch up with him. In standing and blocking, he takes a chance on getting hit, but will learn so much more about self-defense than he would by just running.

Running from problems in real life does not solve them. It is good to be able to avoid problems, but there often comes a time when it is best to stand and face the problem head-on. The more often a person does this, the easier it gets, just like in sparring.

Category Two - The Jammer: This student reacts to every strike and fake with such force and intensity that she over-commits and creates openings in her defense. She must learn to relax, wait, and only react to the strikes that would really hit her. When she does react, she needs to learn to keep her blocks short and controlled. She must learn to only use as much force in her blocks as is necessary to stop the strike.

Many people react to real-life situations in the same way. Any kind of minor insult or criticism is met with anger and over-reaction. Just like in sparring, this strategy can cause more problems than it solves. The Jammer needs to learn which threats need to be dealt with and which can be ignored. And when dealing with a threat, the Jammer needs to learn to not over-react.

Category Three - The Doubter: Some students defeat themselves before they even get started, by thinking that they will probably fail. This kind of attitude usually causes the student to perform at a much lower level than he is capable of.  In sparring, the student has to learn to trust his reflexes and his training. Instead of thinking negative thoughts about failure, he needs to concentrate on the details of the task at hand. He will sometimes fail to block a strike, this is part of sparring. When he does fail, he has to forget about that one and concentrate being more prepared for the next one.

The doubter defeats himself in life as well as in sparring. Self-doubt causes him to achieve much less than he is capable of. He has to learn to have confidence in himself. When faced with a difficult task, he needs to concentrate on completing the task, not on what will happen if he fails. He will sometimes make mistakes, that is part of life. When he does fail, he must learn from the mistake and then move beyond it.

Conflict and challenge are unavoidable parts of life. By learning to handle the conflicts and meet the challenges in martial arts, we all can learn to handle them better in everyday life.

David Quinlan, Founder

Bushintai-Do Programs

Milton, Vermont