• Category Archives News & Events
  • Our condolences, September 2013

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    72-virgins

     

    Our condolences to the victims of the Kenya / Nairobi mall attack by Somalia’s al Shabaab.  At this time, at least 62 people have been killed there.

    In another incident this weekend, about 78 people were killed in a church bombing in Pakistan. Our condolences there also.

    </Begin Rant>

    The dangers of ‘Faith‘ have been underscored for centuries but now we have the technology to do damage on a massive scale.  The ability to kill dozens, hundreds or even thousands in an instant makes blind faith an even bigger threat these days.

    Do not depend on ‘faith’, but look for evidence & scientific facts instead.  Use logic, reason & science to form your world view.  You can read your ‘sacred books’ for historical perspective & literature but do not trust them as a source of ‘truth’ or ‘morality’ any more than you would a story about how Zeus and his siblings defeated Kronos.

    No one ‘god’ or religion is any more likely to be the the ‘real one’ than the next.  A book written and edited over about 2,000 years is not likely to be a good historical record or accurate representation of the Cosmos, or it’s origins.

    “Pi” is not 3.00, the world is far more than 10,000 years old {it is actually about 4.5 BILLION years old}, slavery is a bad thing, disease is not caused by demons or spirits, and stoning a woman for being sexually assaulted is not justice – but these are just some of the ‘morals’ and provably wrong ‘teachings’ found in most ‘holy books’.

    Science does not rely on ‘faith‘, it operates through testable and falsifiable evidence and experiments instead.  There is a big difference there.  Learn it and make sure you understand it.

    Help push humanity into the 21st Century so we can stop killing each other over

  • Greater St. Louis area Crime Alert

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    Greater St. Louis area Crime Alert

    St. Louis Scoop | 9/3/2013

     Cities in the Greater St. Louis area are receiving reports of thefts by persons entering unattended and unlocked vehicles at gas stations to steal items from the interior of the car. These thefts have been reported at gas stations {near each of our Monsanto campuses}.

    Criminals are also committing thefts from vehicles while the drivers are pumping gas. It takes less than 10 seconds for them to reach in your vehicle and steal your property while you stand six feet away.

    Please remember to keep all valuables out of sight and lock your car when you exit.


  • Starbucks Declares Guns Unwelcome, but Doesn’t Ban Them

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    Starbucks Declares Guns Unwelcome, but Doesn’t Ban Them [from WSJ]

    CEO Letter Thrusts Coffee Chain Deeper Into Debate Over Gun Owners’ Rights to Carry Firearms in Restaurants By JULIE JARGON
    Starbucks Corp. {SBUX +1.67%} on Wednesday asked gun owners to stop bringing their weapons into its cafés, thrusting the coffee giant deeper into a national debate over firearms that has proven vexing for retailers and other businesses.

    The request, made in an open letter from Chief Executive Howard Schultz, was a response to intensifying pressure on the company for allowing customers to openly carry weapons in states that permit it. Gun control advocates had criticized the company for its laissez-faire stance, while gun rights advocates had lauded its position.

    In his written appeal, posted Tuesday night on the Starbucks website, Mr. Schultz said the tussle, exploited by both sides of the gun issue, has “become increasingly uncivil and, in some cases, even threatening.”

    [entire article here]


  • Famed boxer Ken Norton, who defeated Muhammad Ali, dies at age 70

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    Famed boxer Ken Norton, who defeated Muhammad Ali, dies at age 70  [By Stan Wilson and Greg Botelho, CNN]
    updated 5:22 AM EDT, Thu September 19, 2013

     Forty years after rising to the top of the boxing world and outdueling Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, left, died at a Nevada medical facility after a stroke on Wednesday, September 18, a friend said.

    He was 70 years old when he died Wednesday at a Veterans Affairs’ medical facility in Henderson, Nevada, according to Gene Kilroy, who had managed Ali and more recently visited Norton as he recovered from a stroke.

    While some younger people may know him best as the father of former Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ken Norton Jr., the elder Norton was one of the most prominent figures in all of sports during the 1970s — in large part because of his consistently great bouts with Ali.

    [entire article here]


  • Rodrigo Gracie files restraining order

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    Brother Ron Jones sent this from [here].  Hopefully “TMZ” will soon put up a something about what “Jui Jitsu” is, or at least learn to spell.

    “Jui Jitsu master Rodrigo Gracie — a member of the legendary Gracie MMA fighting family — is begging the court for protection against an allegedly drunk and violent enemy … TMZ has learned.

    In one corner … 6’0″, 185-pound Gracie — a 5th degree black belt and 4-time Pride fighting winner.

    In the other corner … 5’3″, 135-pound woman named Tiffany — who lives in an apartment above Gracie’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu studio in Torrance, CA.

    Rodrigo filed a request for a restraining order against Tiffany last month, claiming she’s been terrorizing his training center:

    “[Tiffany has been] cursing, yelling, hitting my door, hitting the glass … knocked a hole in my door … comes drunk every time.”

    The judge sided with Rodrigo … at least for now … granting a temporary restraining order against Tiffany, requiring her to stop pestering Rodrigo and his studio.

    The case is due back in court later this month — when Rodrigo will likely ask the court for more permanent protection from his allegedly pain-in-the-ass neighbor.

    Attempts to reach Tiffany were unsuccessful.”


  • GM Jason Groff: Ohio 2013

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    groff-2013

    9 Traditions Martial Arts

    107 S Broadway St Blanchester, OH 45107

    Saturday October 12th & Sunday October 13th, 2013

    I recommend attending if you can, if only to meet Jason, Lee & other Kajukenbo people.

    We usually carpool to Ohio on Friday night (about a 6 – 7 hour drive) and split the cost of a few hotel rooms.  We usually drive back to Saint Louis on Sunday, after lunch.

    I would like to have us all go to Las Vegas or something next year but I do not know how we would raise enough money to take everyone.

    I will post more information here as it becomes available.


  • Thurs 2013-Sep-5 class at CODA

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    We will meet at CODA (where the test was) for class tomorrow night.

    The plan is to pay our respects to the people there for letting us use their time & space on August 10th.

    We are encouraged to work out with them also.  Maybe we will trade some techniques.

    Their class starts at 18:00 / 6pm.

    As is the rule, when we are doing a demo, visiting other classes, going to seminars or being formal, wear your uniform


  • No class on Labor Day

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    As is our custom for most holidays that coincide with class days, there will be no class on Labor Day [Monday September 2nd, 2013]

    Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September, that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers. It was first nationally recognized in 1894 to placate unionists following the Pullman Strike. With the decline in union membership, the holiday is generally viewed as a time for barbeques and the end of summer vacations.[1]” — Wikipedia


  • New “official” Kajukenbo Family Tree

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    Update 2013-Aug-27: The Tree is here!

    Protection & Framing ideas include:

    [1] OfficeMax in Crestwood, MO 

    9901 Watson Rd #111 St Louis, MO 63126
    (314) 821-8332   Cost: $31.50 + tax

    This location has a 40″ laminate machine.  Lamination is not an exact science and there is a possibility of creases, etc. but this is the cheapest choice.  Lamination from OfficeMax in Crestwood, MO may take up to 24 hours and costs about $2.25 per square foot.  It is a ‘glossy’ laminate and no ‘frame’ is included.

    [2] Bella Framing of Chesterfield, MO

    130 Chesterfield Valley Dr, Chesterfield, MO 63005
    (636) 733-2352  Cost: $200

    Ask for Tammy & the special matte, textured laminate with the UV filter.  Mention my name.  I had a Tree framed for GM Alan Carter in this manner (which someone else took credit for) and I was surprised with how professional it looked.  Not using glass or Plexiglas makes it much lighter as well.  This includes an actual frame and looks very nice but obviously the price is much higher.  The same possibility that something could go wrong (resulting in a crease) applies.   Tammy asks for about 10 days for laminating & framing.

    [3] Hobby Lobby in Kirkwood, MO

    1215 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122
    314-821-1899    Cost: $179.50

    A Plexiglass cover, backing board & a simple 1″ frame.  Takes about 2 weeks.

    ———————————————————————————-

    Thurs 2013 -Aug-22:  The official Kajukenbo Family Tree, maintained by Kajukenbo GM Philip Gelinas of GAMMA [Gelinas Academy of Mixed Martial Arts] should be shipping today.

    The new Tree already has Tim Dunn, Steve Todd & John Glendening listed.

    The poster itself is now 36″ x 56″ and costs $65 plus $15 shipping [from Montreal, Canada] for a total of $80.

    If you are interested in ordering one, contact Philip.

    Donna already bought one for the gym so it should be here next week.   Thanks Donna!


  • Is a particular Kajukenbo instructor legitimate?

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    ‘Every once in a while we get questions about whether a Kajukenbo instructor is legitimate.

    Even though Kajukenbo is practiced worldwide, it is still small enough that most instructors are known to someone here at the Cafe.
    And the majority of black belts in the system are listed on one main Kajukenbo Family Tree kept by Grandmaster Philip Gelinas, a member of the Cafe‘s staff.

    All the Kajukenbo schools listed here at the Cafe have been verified to be operated by a legitimate Kajukenbo black belt.  If the school is not operated by a black belt, it is listed here as a “training group”, and the group & group leader is under the direct supervision of a legitimate Kajukenbo black belt.
    If you have questions about the legitimacy of a Kajukenbo instructor, the easiest way to get answers is to ask them.  Most instructors will be glad to tell you who they trained under, and produce black belt certificates.  They should also be able to tell you their lineage all the way up to Sijo Emperado.  That information can usually be verified thru our family tree.
    If the instructor your looking at is evasive or will not tell you about his/her background, then feel free to make inquiries in this section.
    Hopefully this section will help prospective students avoid investing their time, efforts, and hard earned money in someone who’s just a conman out for himself.

    Some may ask what defines a legitimate school?
    A legitimate school would be one run by a Kajukenbo black belt, who’s lineage is traceable back to Sijo Emperado or another Kajukenbo founder.  Some branch schools may be run by a color belt, who is directly supervised by his/her black belt instructor.

    Who is NOT a legitimate Kajukenbo black belt?
    Someone who has promoted themselves to black belt.  Someone who was promoted by his/her students.  Or, someone who has been promoted to black belt by a organization that has no ranking Kajukenbo black belts on the promotional board.
    Sijo Emperado always made it very clear that a individual Kajukenbo black belt can only promote someone up to 1 rank below their own.

    Although many in Kajukenbo do not support the practice of cross ranking martial artists from other systems into Kajukenbo, it is still the Kajukenbo instructor’s right to promote who he/she chooses.
    You may not respect these promotions, but they are legitimate, and the persons giving and receiving them will have to accept the consequences of their actions.’   — Professor John Bishop on the Kajukenbo Cafe