The Acronym That Saved My Life

Frequently, I get asked about certifications, systems or methods. We made a decision a long time ago of purposely staying away from things like this.

Obviously, it's a no-brainer, money maker and it's not that I don't want to make money; but our purpose was to give you real training on the real stuff. Certifications and acronyms lead to a false sense of security and there's a fine line between sense of accomplishment and sense of security.

Personally, no matter how many black belts and "certifications" I have- I can always find people 10 feet outside my dojo who could care less. That and 5 bucks can get you a venti, no caff, half caff, caramel mochachinno deluxe, no whip of course.

I may be beating a dead horse?.. but its about the TRAINING. Training and practice is what counts. Now ITS NOT YOUR FAULT that you search for this stuff. You have been conditioned with certifications, acronyms black belt clubs and all that. The only thing that's good for is padding your resume. We "ain't" about that. If you want something to hang on your wall- buy a mirror and take a long hard look in it. If you like what you see and you are true to your training ? that's what matters.

We have been thinking of "naming" the system. Carl thought of this, I didn't. It's going to be called:

Fierce Unarmed Combat Karate Instinctive Training.

You figure it out.

Copyright 2003 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com ©

Damian Ross is the owner of Zenshin and instructor of Tekkenryu jujutsu and Kodokan Judo. He started competing in the combative sport of wrestling in 1975 at the age of 7 and began his study of Asian martial arts with Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16 in 1984. In 1989, Shinan Cestari gave a seminar at Sensei Ross's dojo. Sensei Ross has trained under Shinan Cestari's direction ever since. In addition to Tekkenryu Jujutsu, Judo and Tae Kwon Do, Sensei Ross has also studied Bando. Sensei Ross continues his study of Judo under the direction of 8th degree black belt Yoshisada Yonezuka and Tekkenryu Jujutsu under it's founder, Carl Cestari. Below are is a list of some of his title ranks Yodan (fourth degree black belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu under Carl Cestari Shodan (First degree black belt) Kodokan Judo under Yoshisada Yonezuka Varsity Wrestling Lehigh University under Thad Turner 2nd Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do


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