Mentor Momentum

January is over and I am so happy to say that the first month down working toward my goals for 2013 is on to a successful start. I have been consistent with my training schedule. I completed my curriculum cycles, I have worked on new programs for my school, I have done my training notes, I have also been training with my master, and  I have kept up physically with my conditioning cycles and fitness workouts which has also lead me to lose 20 pounds. I have also gone back to college like I said, and have kept up with small habits that I want to do for myself such as my rosary in the morning, smelling my oils, and eating healthy.

But one of the things that has made me happiest that really kept me on my toes with my 4th Degree training this year, kept me motivated, and is really giving me momentum is that I have worked with all my mentors this past month.

I have six of the best mentors who is a master of their field, and truly the best of the best. As a master of martial arts, continuing with my training and contributing in my teaching and service is extremely important to me. I want to be a master of all these specialties and working with the mentors allows me to learn and continue to hone my skills to the best of my ability. If I am getting better, than my students will be getting better.

I hand chose each one of these mentors over the last few years. I remember how each has come into my life and they each contributed to the master I am today and continuing to become. I have mentors in traditional Taekwondo, Olympic sparring Taekwondo, self-defense combat arts, fitness and conditioning, psychology and spirituality, and Sangahm Taekwondo.

I love working with Master Balon. He is definitely a mentor I strive to be like. You can tell in just the way he speaks and teaches that he absolutely LOVES what he is doing, and that passion is contagious. We worked on my 4th Degree forms earlier in January and for the first time since I OLD master, I was taught a new form by someone else, other than myself. My third 4th Degree form is called Moon Moo and technically it was the first form I ever learned from Master Balon, and I ended up winning gold in forms at a tournament in NY with it. It helps to have a great instructor ;) .

Master DeJesus embodies exactly what it means to being a humble human being with a balance of being a fierce warrior. There are people who come from all around to learn self-defense from him. I know he has students who travel from Connecticut to see him for self-defense! I always visualized myself learning from him. There is soooooo much to self-defense and he truly has the eye and knowledge and mindset to teach these combat arts. My self-defense training was great however stagnant at one point, until I began training with him. And he always pushes the envelope, as a mentor should.

Masters Bardatsos and DeGeorge have produced some of the greatest Olympic sparring athletes in the country. Steven Lin has gotten gold at the Korean Open and gone through I think seven out of eight phases for the Olympic team, Alex Cinque won at the Collegiate tournament and gone to Korea for the Korean Open, many gold medals and state, regional, and national titles have been won by their athletes, so it is a great hope that maybe, JUST MAYBE, I can be able to compete and spar at the caliber of the champions they are producing. It is also an honor to train and spar with those champions, and very intimidating too.

A newly installed mentor for me is George Valentino, who recently received his 4th Dan Black Belt in the ATA which is the Sangahm Taekwondo style. We are actually mentoring each other with each other's styles. I am currently an "orange belt" in Sangahm Taekwondo and he is a "low yellow belt" in traditional Taekwondo. HAHAHA! But it is a delight to exchange styles, ideas, and drills on two totally different styles, yet finding similarities in the mechanics or ways to develop and improve, as well as taking insights to the philosophies of the styles. It helps that George is just as enthusiastic and motivated as I am, and we're both fast learners.

But I think one of the greatest joys I have is the ability to also have that sit down mentor time with Professor Lisa Sargese. To exercise the mind and spirit is just as invigorating and motivating and build up of momentum as when I am doing squats and kicks for sparring and forms. I remember when young Goku trained under Master Roshi and after all the physical training he would do early in the morning, Master Roshi sat his pupil down and did his afternoon training which was exercising the mind and educating Goku. The content I cover with Lisa educates and builds my mind greater than anything else I can imagine, and the skills the come with this kind of training are fantastic! Out of all the mentors, these lessons are truly applied everywhere in life, for life!

Charlene I can't always work with, but she has always been a guide and I always follow through with what she has me do. People who work with her ALWAYS get the results, especially when they are the ones who put the work in. She guided me always in how to challenge myself physically and a few years back helped me get those abs I never has before and lose 45 pounds when I was trying to lose weight. Working as hard as I did in January, I lost 20 pounds. She taught me how to eat right without starving myself, how consistency and changing workouts will help develop my body, and to be aware of my progress which has always been motivating. Charlene was always about taking care of the vehicle you use everyday!

So as phenomenal as my training schedule and routines and cyles are, the extra work with my mentors has been increasing my momentum! It has been motivating and inspiring! And it makes me a better master and a better person! I have some of the greatest mentors ever! Along with a fantastic master (see later blog post), I really feel I will make it to the level I want to be as a master of martial arts and as a human being!

Yours in service,
MASTER TRENTO