A Fish in a Bowl

I heard an analogy once about a fish on a bowl. Someone once read a fact in a book or in some article about fish. It is indeed a fact that if you put a fish in a bowl, it will only grow as big as the bowl will allow it to. Put the fish in a bigger bowl, then it will grow even bigger. Some fish will strive to swim and jump out of the bowl to finding new bigger and vast bodies of water. But it if they don't find that big body of water, they will suffocate and die, because they can only breathe under water.

The fish in a bowl analogy has a lot of lessons for us to think about. First off, sometimes we could be in an environment that stunts our growth. This could be in the work place, a school, or even in the very town you live in. There are people who want to strive for success in their work or business but just can't seem to bring it to new heights because where they are at is just too small for them, or the fish. When the environment is as small as a miniature bowl, that can be as suffocating for the fish as being outI of the water.

And what the fish won't realize is that they do not get the chance to grow either. Tey never grow to be the full sized fish that they could possibly be. There are people who want to excel in school, and they feel like there are limited opportunities to learning exactly what it is they need to learn or avenues of acquiring skill in order to move on in their ducation. But their school is such a small bowl and they don't grow.

There are so many people who want to go on and do great things. There people we always hear saying "I can't wait to leave this town!" and sometimes they do in order to make BIG things happen for themselves. Dolly Parton, as much as she loved and was proud to be a farmer's daughter, wanted so much to live her dreams and live her true fairy tale life and went out into the world to make herself a big star! Lucille Ball felt she had to leave her little home of Jamestown, NY so she can become a great actress one day. She would say she felt like she had so much to do and being in her small town was going to make her burst.

I have a good friend named Kristyn. We grew up in this small town called Saddle Brook in New Jersey. And it is a VERY small town. Kristyn is extremely talented on so many levels. When she went to college, she had no problem when it came time to leaving Saddle Brook and going to Boston for college and making a way for herself.

But sometimes even the most polished and crystal clear bowls just aren't big enough for the fish. Kristyn ended up getting a fantastic job in New York City for Sports Illustrated. But after quite some time, it was not making her happy. She wanted to leave and EVERYONE told her she would be crazy for leaving the job, it was secure with benefits and room for growth etc. But in the end it was not what she wanted. She ended up leaving her Sports Illustrated job and going back towards the Boston area doing what some may consider unconventional, but being successful and happy nonetheless, despite the odds.

Everyone knows how much I love Barbara Walters, the greatest journalist of our time, I don't care who you are, you cannot deny her style, work, accomplishments, and success. She was the first female co-anchor of a news program and highest paid with a salary of one million dollars a year! When asked about why she said "I want to say ABC gave me an offer I could not refuse, but it was also going to be historic for women, and that meant a great deal."

But she wasn't a big hit at first. Her male co-anchor did NOT want her there and made it clear on the air by his behavior toward her and the audience didn't either because of it. Barbara was a fish who jumped out of the water to finding a bigger bowl, but just couldn't find her way to that bowl. Barbara would say she felt like she was drowning with no life preserver. Well as a fish, she was suffocating and until someone through her a line to get into that bigger body of water. She took a risk, and she suffocated at first, but it lead to her ultimate success.

Of course not everyone takes on and offer to a big body of water like Barbara did. Carol Burnett, like my friend Kristyn, refused a big body of water to create her own. Lucille Ball, who was Carol's idol and mentor, offered her her very own television show through Desilu Studio, the empire Lucy was running. She was being offered a dream from her own personal idol! How could she refuse? But she did.Carol wanted to find her own opportunity and create something that wasn't done before, and her variety show to this day is one of the greatest and funniest contributions to television. In fact, the STV Special CBS offered her to do in order to prove herself worthy of a show, Carol Burnett called in her idol Lucy who was more than happy to help her protege make it to her own body of water.

So as you can see, making the difficult decision to finding new big bodies of water isn't always an easy one. Sometimes there are fantastic opportunities and you shouldn't be stupid enough to turn them down. You have to be smart and know when the bowl you're in is keeping you from growing like a fish in a small bowl. Sometimes great opportunities are presented and you let them go by, but if you do you have to be willing to making your path one that is well worth taking and making a greater body of water. The bottom line, you have to know when it is time to become a Big Fish and how to remain that way. (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

The Qigong Course

Last spring I did a ten week Special for Women's Self-Defense. For the summer, I began last week my next ten week Special on Qigong. I have written about Qigong before but it is a topic I will constantly be learning and teaching about. I was very excited about teaching this course, especially with so many people so interested in it. And many people wanted me in particular to teach it. I kept putting it off a year ago, saying I'd rather have my Qigong mentor or one of my more experienced Kung Fu brothers or sisters teach it. But my members at TMAFC wanted ME to do it.

I don't know if it is because I felt I wasn't as experienced as the ones I have worked with before, or it was just too new for me, or because I was just too clouded with things in my life that I felt I couldn't do it. But this past year I have incorprated it a little bit with a few of my students and the interest build up quick. So I decided to finally do it.

Qigong has been around for over 6,000 years or so, give or take a few hundred years. There are countless of different forms and sets. A scientist will tell you everything is energy. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, can go in and out of form, always have been and always will be. In Chinese, we call that little ol' thing energy QI (sounds like CHEE). Qi, which is also known as universal life force, can be manipulated, manifested, cultivated, and moved. Anyone can learn to do this, using our mind and bodies as a vehicle to utilizing it. "Gong" in Chinese means work. So here you have your basic energy work.

Everything is energy. Everything is Qi. Thoughts, emotions, chemicals, toxins, etc. You can release negative Qi and chemicals and toxins that stay in your body whether it be in illness, stress, or in your organs. Through postures, movements, and breathing exercises, you can use Qigong to build your vitality and health.

Under Sifu, I became a Certified Qigong Therapist, where I use therapeutic practices to helping people with ailments that can medically help people. A couple years ago I met my Qigong mentor at another mentor's school where I experienced Qigong exercise practices for the first time. Using guided imagery of the mind, correct posture and movement, as well as correct flow of breathing, you can learn to move the Qi within your body along the twelve meridians of the body. You can strengthen your body, gain mental clarity, spiritual enlightenment, and energetically clean yourself up.

I have about 16 or more people taking this ten week Qigong class, and the energy is absolutely amazing in the room. I am also excited to share with people this experience and hear of the great benefits they all are receiving and sharing. With so many people sharing and validating their experiences, the energy and positivity in the room is magnified, which makes the course even more exciting and fun. I am using techniques and sets taught to me by my Qigong mentor, some from my own master (Sifu) and some I have found that are very popular to do within the Qigong scope.

I am already seeing the people in the course benefiting from it already and tonight is the second class. I hope by also teaching it, it gives me a chance to get some practice in so I, too, can energetically manifest all the Qi I need to create what I need to create in my life.

If you are interested in learning more about Qigong, or even already enrolled in this current Qigong course and want to continue it, let me know my calling me at 201-203-0773, or emailing me at tmafcinfo@gmail.com. Who knows, if there's enough interest, maybe I'll do it again at the end of this Special.  (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO 

Learn About Depression

Like almost everyone else in the world, I was shocked to hear about the death of Robin Williams. It is said to be a suicide. This saddens me so much. It's horrible to think how such a master of his trade, who's art was bringing laughter to so many people in the world could be suffering so much to take his own life. But that's what depression does. And I get angry when people use that word so loosely, because the truth is, unless you have truly experienced depression, you cannot understand it. 

I've written about it so many times. Depression is not just sadness and grief. It is the absence of any emotion, to the point where you feel you will never be happy again and cannot begin to function. It's not just slipping into poor me mode or dramatizing bad situations in your life, even if that's how the outsiders view it. It is an illness, like the mumps, chicken pox, strep throat; and like any illness, if not treated properly you can die from it. 

Robin Williams did not kill himself. The illness did. Depression is an illness that is so overcoming on such a level, it changes you entirely psychologically and chemically. I've suffered depression quite a few times in my life. The same depression as Robin Williams. I had a nervous breakdown at the age of 16 turning 17. I was out of training, couldn't do full days of school, my grades suffered, and my closest friends and my family didn't know what to do to help me. It happened again at 21 turning 22 when major changes happened in my life, where I knew things were just never going to be the same in my life. And one year ago to the day, must have been the absolute worst time of my life.

I get angry with people who greet others with depression in anger or annoyance. Those who call depressives drama queens or say "just get over it" or "slap out of it". Shame on those people. That is the ultimate ignorance. Maybe it's because I've suffered three times from true depression. I get angry when people use the word lightly. "Oh, I'm so depressed there's not ice cream left." Or "Oh I'm so depressed she left me for another guy." Or "Oh I'm so depressed, he'll never love me."

When you're in true depression, you cannot bring yourself to be happy, you don't find the bright side of things, it truly does not exist, and yes you want life to just end. You want it to end so badly that you may even pray for it. "Please God, take me now, I'll be happier with you." You sit behind the wheel and contemplate "Just step on the peddle, the wall is right there." Maybe stand on top of a multi-tiered parking lot standing on the edge, contemplating, it's just one jump.

Bystanders need to be educated. Bystanders need to understand. Unfortunately, like denial, unless you've experienced it, you can't understand it. But like I've said in the past, questions don't ask, ignorance does. Healing comes in many forms, and it's never a straight line. There are a million zig zags that can lead to the same place.

When my brother Thomas called me to tell me about Robin Williams died, I was shocked. I've only been that shocked two other times with Steve Irwin and Michael Jackson. My brother knew how much I loved Robin Williams. Some of his movies were my all time favorites and I use lessons from them all such as in Dead Poet's Society, Patch Adams, Bicentennial Man, Hook, Jack, and Good Will Hunting. But He also made me laugh so much whether it be in his movies like Jumangi, Flubber, and The Birdcage or in his stand-up. 

One of my favorite moments with him was actually not a stand-up, show, or even a movie. On Good Morning America Williams was scheduled to make an appearance plugging some movie or whatever. Beforehand, without him knowing, they were going to donate to a special charity (Williams was known to do great charity work) depending on things he was known to doing in interviews. $20 for every time he jumped out of the chair. $50 every time he screamed. $75 every time he did a foreign accent. $100 for every time he impersonated someone. Robin Williams did not disappoint and raised a few thousand dollars and what was even funnier was that he did it UNKNOWINGLY! How wonderful!

The above quote is a brilliant one, but what we have to remember is sometimes, people don't MEAN to make us feel alone. We do it to ourselves and what those people are doing is not wrong. I used to host these magnificent Macaroni Sundays. When I was in my state of depression, at my own event in my own home, with some of my closest companions, I would sometimes feel so alone. They were talking about something I wasn't knowledgeable on, or if I was used as the butt of a joke in good jest, if someone was showed something on a phone and I wasn't offered to see, I created this story in my head that I was made to be felt alone even when surrounded by people I loved, and I knew they loved me too. But the depression made you feel otherwise. The more awareness we can build for ourselves and for our loved ones the better. 

I always said, I never had to or wanted something to happen to me first before caring about something. I didn't have to have someone I know die of breast cancer or testicular cancer before I began supporting breast and testicular cancer. I didn't have to know someone or myself have ALS or AIDS or Austism before being involved in projects for research and awareness for these things.If you haven't experienced true depression or don't know someone who has true depression, don't wait until you do to care or to educate yourself. 

 This above quote from a Robin Williams movie reminds me of something Sifu once told me. Great things come out of chaos, never out of bliss. That a peacock that eats the poisons in the world that make the beautiful colors of its feathers, we must take the chaos and make beauty. Remind all people. And people suffering from depression may be able to hang on. 

We have to support each other in everything. It is another reason to just be KIND. When perpetrators say "Well I didn't know such and such had this and that" or whatever, the problem is you didn't HAVE to know, there isn't any reason you HAD to know, just be KIND in the first place. Kindness can save a person. To believe that there is no other option in the world than to kill yourself is so sad. And I remember the feeling. You feel like you're drowning with no life preserver. Please ask for help.

There was another Robin Williams picture with a quote telling a story to the affect that a depressed person went to a doctor and the doctor told the patient to go see the town clown and he will be cured of all depression. Then the patient cried harder, revealing that he was the town clown! When the clown takes care of everyone, who takes care of the clown? When the leader takes care of everyone, who takes care of the leader? When the master is taking care of everyone, who takes care of the master? When the counselor is taking care of everyone, who is taking care of the counselor? When the caretaker is taking care of everyone, who is taking care of the caretaker? These are the things that are taken for granted.

As hard as it may seem that a person who brought so much joy and laughter and a master in his trade could be so depressed and ill, the truth is he was. And he's gone now. It's almost unbelievable and hard to imagine. In a way, the world became less funny. But may we all be aware and help each other in our campaign for kindness and take mental illness more serious. Rest in Peace Robin Williams. You will be missed. (BOWS)

Yours in service,

MASTER A TRENTO

The Gift of Kindness

"To me, the word kind or kindness are the two most important words in our dictionary that shows an awareness of what the other person needs. And that, to me, is really what's most important."

-My dear cousin Olegna, age 80

Last month at my Trento Family Reunion, my cousin Olegna and I had a small conversation as we were walking over to join the rest of the Trento's. She said that when someone is kind to someone else, that is the greatest gift someone can give. She said that to her, the most important word in the English language would be the word kindness. Or even kind. She told me how when people are kind, that there is this awareness that we have to figure out another person's needs. To Olegna, this is the most important thing in the world.

This conversation lasted all of 30 seconds when we were at the reunion. But I thought about it for a long time. And her words lay dormant as if waiting for something to hit me like a gong. That moment happened just yesterday. We went into the city to celebrate my mother's birthday. We had a beautiful day of events, one of those events being seeing Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway. When I was a kid I have seen a PBS video of it, and remember enjoying it, but it has been YEARS since I've seen it.

The play wasn't exactly as I remembered it, but this time round it was ten times better because of what I was experiencing.  This entire play was about KINDNESS. And We saw it through a perspective of it being a great power beyond measure. At the very beginning, the prince's right hand man was a cruel and judgmental person, labeling people as raggamuffin and poor, spitting out insults and ridicule, based on the rags they wore, etc. Cinderella and the crazy old woman named Marie in particular. But Cinderella offered the prince water from a cup and the prince said "Thank you for your beautiful kindness" and also acknowledged what a true friend she was sticking up for her crazy old lady friend, Marie.

Later in the play, that crazy old lady friend Marie revealed herself to be the beautiful fairy godmother. Cinderella couldn't believe her eyes and questioned how she could have a fairy godmother?! But the Godmother Marie said "Actually, I am everyone's fairy godmother. But I only show myself to YOU, m'dear, for you and you alone have shown me nothing but your gift of kindness." Because Cinderella showed great kindest to the fairy godmother, did she appear at all and give her the opportunity to live up to making her dreams come true.

Another moment of seeing the theme of kindness in the play was when Cinderella was at the ball. The guests have been rounded up to play a game called "Ridicule" where two people would be matched up and have to jab insults at one another. Coincidentally, this is exactly how the kingdom was run and people were taught to behave toward one another. When Cinderella was up, she happened to be matched with her horrible step-mother. Her step mother said "Age before beauty....go ahead!" And Cinderella thought for a moment and gave a compliment about her voice and a compliment about her clothing.

All the guests were so confused to what Cinderella was doing. And Cinderella actually began to instruct the guests how to be KIND and share that kindess to everyone. Before you knew it everyone at the ball was giving compliments and being kind and it changed the entire scene of the ball, and it opened the prince's eyes to how he wanted his kingdom to be run. I thought ti was such a clever and uncanny way to tie in this concept into the classic fairy tale.

I think the most prominent point of the play to show the ultimate kindness was once the glass slipper was placed on Cinderella's foot and she was exposed as the one who the prince was in love with all this time. The horrible step-mother said that after all the horrible insults and behavior and all the wrongs she had done to Cinderella, seeing how her entire plan and life was turned upside down in that very moment, she couldn't imagine what Cinderella had in store for her.

Cinderella looked at her mean step-mother, the one who said she only married her father for money, that she's only been a nuisance since her father died, tore the ball invitations up so she couldn't go, ripped her dress before going to the ball, ripped up the only jacket of her father's left for rags, and working her beyond her limits; she looked at this woman with fierce eyes and said "Madame, I only have the three most powerful words of kindness for you: I FORGIVE YOU."

Well the tears began to well up right there and then. That was it. The ultimate level of kindness that Olegna was talking about. To have that ultimate awareness of what a person needs. And so many have preached how you forgive others for yourself and all that, but as Cinderella taught, kindness can make you believe you can fight for your dreams, kindness opens opportunities to making you believe in yourself, kindness can be as contagious to a ballroom of guests, kindness can allow people to speak positively with their voice, kindness can lead to forgiveness, for as I learned in the past those who live with no forgiveness live in a worse punishment.

This above quote is a strong one. I know in my past there are people who have intentionally gone out of their way to hurt me, some still do. I know there are people who I have only perceptually thought they were tying to hurt me because of a story I made up in my head. I know there are people who believe I purposely gone out of my way to hurt them when I haven't. The common ground is it all created pain for people. Whether it be ourselves or other people. Forgiveness is not forgetting, it is truly remembering but with no pain at all. Does that mean you cut them off at the helm? Not all the time. Sometimes for a time it is appropriate but nothing lasts forever.

And if you see people you feel have caused you great pain or you see people who perceive you as perpetrators of pain in your life, just be kind. I don't say "kill them with kindness" because that's the wrong intent. I don't want to hold my grudges anymore, whatever they are. I don't want to have pain anymore. I'm not going to need years of figuring things out and working hard, I am going to JUST BE because I choose to be. So I say to you. Join me in my campaign for kindness.

To all the people who have intentionally hurt me and for the ones who I believed to have hurt me, I forgive you. To all the people who believed I hurt them, I am truly sorry and hope you can forgive me. And above all I do forgive myself, no more beating myself up and regrets. It is a time to spread kindness, with no strings attached, but pure servant leadership (future blog).

Kindness leads to respect. I teach respect. I do assemblies on respect. Respect is treating other people they way you want to be treated OR BETTER, and the servant leader will do this expecting NOTHING in return. Just give kindness to better your life and our world. Respect also comes in the form of accepting people for who they are whether it be difference in opinion, likes and dislikes, sexuality, race, or religious beliefs. People are ALLOWED to like things different from you. People are ALLOWED to look different than you. People are ALLOWED to behave differently from you. People are ALLOWED to believe in things different than you. It doesn't matter if they're strangers, family members, or your closest friends. You respect and accept at all costs, and be KIND.

Olegna also said to me: "With all thy wisdom, have understanding. And of course kindness travels as a companion to understanding." And as the great Dumbledore said "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery." How true both statements are. The gift of kindness was reminded to me on a great level. And I share this with anyone who reads and hope you share it as well. I hope it helps us all remember to bring more kindness into our lives and world. For truly there is never a reason not to be KIND. A power against all measure against the "opponent". (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

Why She's The Best

Barbara Walters Exclusive Interview on 20/20 six weeks after retirement. 

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love a handful of high profiled pioneers from our culture and studied them tremendously and followed their work because I identified and aspired to have the same qualities of their work ethic, accomplishments, and success. Everyone knows how much I have always regarded highly Barbara Walters. After fifty years, the 84 year old Barbara Walters retired from working on television at all. On her last day on The View she DID say "But who knows what the future may bring!"

Well sure enough, she's at it again, not even six weeks after she retired she ALREADY had an exclusive interview. Walters was most famous for obtaining the big "gets" of news makers. She would get the majority of the FIRST interviews, sometimes the ONLY interviews, that no other journalist could get, but also was known for asking the questions no one else ever had the courage to ask. She got the first and only interview with the leaders of Egypt and Israel together, first interview with Christopher Reeve after his accident, first interview with newly elected presidents since Richard Nixon, first interview with Martha Stewart and first and only interview with her TWO HOURS after sentencing, first interview with Michael J. Fox after learning of his Parkinson's disease, first and only interview with Mark David Chapman who killed John Lennon, first interviews with murders like Robert Blake, Menendez Brothers, and Jason Grant, and the first and ONLY interview with Monica Lewsinky during the Clinton scandal which is to this day the most watched news interview in history.

So it is no surprise she is the best at what she does, that after a while people will go to HER to do the interviews. So finally she retires and is on vacation and gets a phone call from the President of ABC News saying that he thought ABC got an interview all the networks were after, the father of the shooter from the Santa Barbara rampage. However, the father had said he would ONLY do the interview with Barbara Walters. This has happened many times in her career, but even after retiring, she is still on top of her game.

Besides being on top of her game, the interview was not only about news, but the father wanted to really talk to the audience to help people understand mental illness. He did not know his son was mentally ill, he did not see signs and states there were not any obvious signs to take note of. He empathized with other parents who have children with these mental illnesses and with the parents of the murdered victims. This interview is in fact the FIRST interview ever of the PARENT of a perpetrator of a major shooting. Walters, still making history.

Besides her most recent exclusive interview, I got to read all the way through he memoir Audition. I thought it was a fantastic read, and I actually heard her voice as I read it, as if she were reading it to me. I always loved watching and reading biographies about people, especially the high profiled masters of our culture. Barbara Walters is no different. However, as I read her book, I really enjoyed some of the things she did and went through in her personal life, as well as professional life.

Besides her recounting her experiences, she was also giving advice in her book, which I thought was a great style. I don't know if she meant to do that. I know I do it in my book I'm writing too and I certainly didn't mean to. I noticed as I re-read passages. One of those things she recounted was her long time friendship to American attorney during the McCarthy era of the United States, Roy Cohn.

Roy Cohn was known to be obnoxious, not well liked, sharp tongued, yelled and screamed at subordinates, and very arrogant. Barbara, herself, would say how she really disliked him and couldn't stand him. But most people questioned, then why for so many years did you have this friendship? I think she mentioned in her book how Dan Rather once asked her "How could you be friends with him!?" She only told her answer in her book to everyone when she published it.

Although Roy Cohn had some horrible qualities in his personality, she accepted all of them and didn't mind many debates and arguments because at the end of the day he was really a harmless human being with many flaws and could do no harm. He was a good person by nature and had good intentions, although his exterior was "an acquired taste". But no action of fault could ever take away from her loyalty to him due to the great amount of help he had given to her with her father in a very troubled time. His action and concern, with the full intent of just helping because he cared and wanted to do the right thing with no expectations in return, saved her father from a horrible situation. She was forever in his debt, but only in her mind. Cohn never wanted anything in return for his action or ever held it over her head.

She explained how you have to really open your eyes and heart and see what is really important in people. Did she fight with Cohn? Yes. Were there times she thought he was arrogant? Yes. Were there times she debated on issues? Yes. regardless of ALL those flaws, none of them were great enough to break her loyalty to him because the greatest common ground was that he was a good person with good intentions. She didn't label him or read in between the lines wrongfully. She accepted all his flaws and put her loyalty before anything else, not her own needs, not her career, not her wants. That's why she's the best. Because that compassion you also see in her interview style, she practices in her life and shares that with the world. You go Barbara Walters! (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

The Return of Mike Lee

Me and Haganah founder Mike Lee Kanarek

Has it been a whole year already since I first met the founder of the Haganah system, Mike Lee Kanarek? It is not everyday you get to work with the founder of a martial art. Imagine working with Bruce Lee who founded Jeet Kune Do? Imagine training under General Choi after he published the Taekwondo encyclopedia? Imagine working with the Gracie brothers who founded Gracie Brazilian Jui-Jitsu? So when an opportunity such as this comes up, you're sure as hell going to know I'm going to be there!

I first witnessed Haganah from my mentor Master Samuel DeJesus in 2009. I began learning it from him under his mentorship in 2012 training for my master test. It was that same year I witnessed a couple of Haganah tests and in 2013 got to see Ed Mastov of Rockaway Fight Center receive his Black Belt in Hanagah. A year ago I was privileged to go to Master DeJesus's school for an advanced tactical knife seminar to work with the founder himself, Mike Lee.

He is known to be rough around the edges with not much of a censorship. If I were to ask why he would probably answer "Because I don't give a f*ck." LOL! I love how direct he is, he's very real to who he is, he is fair, he is loud, and he is brilliant. The tactics and philosophy that you can read in between the lines of his system are so advanced and so well rounded, I can't begin to tell you. I really didn't know what he was going to go over in this seminar, I just knew he'd be in town and I was there!

For the first time ever, I experienced Muy Thai. It was never something I wanted to do or learn, nor did it intrigue me, but my interest was definitely sparked after this seminar! I loved the mix and drills of upper body strikes and lower leg kicks. I loved the progression of the drills, the adding on, building upon the principles, the use of repetition in different ways that made time go so fast, and the correct use of stress to help condition the muscle memory. In other words: it is always a pleasure to see a master at work, let alone a master educator do his work.

I was also happy that this year I was not alone! My student and friend, Thomas Cubby, who only began his martial art training with me this year, always jumps on the opportunity of great value when it presents itself. He is highly enthusiastic and eager to learn. As a teacher, it is also thrilling to have a student who works as hard as he. It was great to share this experience with him. Mike Lee of course busted our chops throughout the seminar, but we could take it.

Last year he called me "Trenton! The intellectual." It was more like "Trenton the intell-E-ctual!" This year my nickname was "pretty boy"! LOL! And Thomas, who did a Spartan race this year was wearing the shirt from the race. He was the "Spartan without a spear". Thomas, if Mike Lee is insulting you, your're in good standing! LOL!

We then did advance knife scenarios which was a lot of fun, and very intriguing to learn. The entire seminar was five hour long. We had a fantastic time and also learned so much. Thanks to my mentor Master DeJesus for having all of us at his school, and to Thomas Cubby for experiencing this with me!

If you want to experience Mike Lee, he is having another seminar in Hackettstown, NJ on Sept 14 on Muy Thai. If you're interested you can call Evolutionary Martial Arts at 908-850-6009. (BOWS)

My mentor Master DeJesus and I at the end of the Mike Lee seminar. 

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

My Haganah Test

Two years ago, my mentor Master DeJesus invited me to his school to see my first Haganah belt test. Haganah is an Israeli militant martial art, founded by Mike Lee Kanarek. It really is high level self-defense training, to keep it simple. But the system is absolutely brilliant with the combatives, principles, and philosophy behind the training. Mike Lee is very brilliant with a plethora of experience that he brings into his system.

I'll never forget watching that first Haganah test. Master DeJesus was helping me prepare for my 4th Degree test and I was learning Haganah for the first time. I remember thinking "Holy sh*t." LOL! Now I have been through some very crazy Black Belt tests in my time. I'm also told that my own tests are very extensive and intense. But when I saw this Haganah test, it really left an impression on me.

The candidates, Jim and Viv, did an amazing job. They really were put through the ringer. I was a spectator for the test but the entire time the adrenaline was high! But I also had two others thoughts: I really want to do this-- was my first thought. The second thought was-- I wonder if I can do this. People who knew me were saying "Ah you'd do great!" As always, we have that inner doubtful voice that says "Think again buddy." I know I can take a beating and I will push myself beyond my physical limits, as all my Black Belt tests have done in the past, but this kind of test was really something like I've never seen before.

I tested for 4th Dan that year and it's a couple years later. I continued to train with Master DeJesus each month, as I do with most of my other mentors, and I continued to practice, train, and study Haganah. Last fall Master DeJesus looked at me and said "Ready for your first Haganah test, sir!?" I started at him. "Um...what...?" "YEAH! You're testing next month! Be ready!"

Well, if the mentor says I'm testing, I'm testing. Better yet, if the mentor believes I am ready, I am ready. I have seen a few more since then, but I never participated myself. I was both excited and nervous. I knew the material, I have practiced it quite a bit, and I was intrigued at pushing myself. It was also a cool experience to test in a completely different art as I have been tested in Taekwondo under two different masters, I also tested in Kung Fu, so now this was a test in itself that was in a world of its own.

I tested with two excellent students named Christine and Vladimir. Vladimir was actually not supposed to test, he was choosing to take a little extra time. But he came to support us and participated and before he knew it, he was also testing with us! And Christine can pack a wallop of a punch! I'd feel sorry for anyone to cross her way! We did a tremendous amount of conditioning. The Haganah test is set up very much like a boot camp. The instructors were yelling at us, pushing us, hitting us, maybe throwing s few insults at us. They tried to break us, as they would do in the military.

Spectators looking in on this may think, holy crap, why the hell would they be so brutal? Why would you take such abuse? Well first things first: when you're out on the street and you're being attacked, there is no mercy from your attacker. This is militant, and high level, so when you are training and you develop a strong body, and strong and SMART mind, and you defend yourself under the most stressful circumstances, you are truly preparing yourself for what's out in the real world. There is still the aspect of building confidence in yourself, pushing your limits, and learning to defend yourself as martial arts do provide. But in any great self-defense system, you need to be training under stress because in any confrontation, you WILL be under stress. Your motor skills and thinking completely changes under those conditions. Properly training to such extremes better prepares you, and develops a level of skill that a trained warrior should have.
                                     
We did push ups constantly, burpees, squats, sit ups, planks, more push ups, at least an hour and a half of heavy conditioning. The three of us supported each other, worked together, and counted together (thats super important). We did combatives and showed strikes and blocks. We did engagement drills showing our strikes and holds, knee strikes, and take downs. The instructors would hit us while doing the drills and we had to stay super focused. One point Master DeJesus punched me so hard in the gut I fell to the ground. All you are told is "Get up or quit."

I don't remember the last time I was hit like that. It was great. Yes, you heard me right. Great. Besides it was a fantastic shot, I'd rather have a high level warrior punch me like that whom I can call friend still at the end of the day than some stranger on the street crossing the line. But you remember a strike like that and remember you don't ever want to experience that again, so you train harder and stronger. But you also know your body is only your body. There are more in your arsenal to keep going and defend yourself.

We then ran through the open hand, gun, and knife material. I've had several years of great self-defense training, so my technical conditioning was not only helpful, but because of much practice with the Haganah material, I felt this was my strongest point. The last thing we did was Haganah sparring. I've never done Haganah sparring, nor ever done boxing in any way, shape, or form. I was completely out of my element. But the objective is always the same, and your tools can always adjust. I used a lot of my Taekwondo footwork and kicks while also showing upper body strikes and tactics. I sparred both my fellow candidates. My last fight was with Master DeJesus himself.

We have sparred each other in Taekwondo of course, but I've never boxed with him in Haganah. I decided with him, I wouldn't kick at all. We've been there, done that. I was going to challenge myself and go out of my comfort zone and focus on the hands to block, evade, and strike. But I also watched him move too. He is absolutely fantastic and has phenomenal speed. I knew what I would be working to aspire to.

So many years later when I told him he would be teaching me this "Haganah stuff" to actually testing in his own school, I was very happy, and honored he felt I could do it. I was thankful for my friends John, Ann Marie, and Sensei Cara to be there to support me. I was just as proud of Christine and Vladimir, being able to watch them and work with them over the short time I worked at the school with them, they were amazing and give them all the credit in the world. I was and am thankful to the instructors at Rockaway Fight who also not only helped me and worked with me. I am also grateful to Ed Mastov for his support. And always, to a phenomenal mentor and to someone who is more than a friend but is my family, Master Samuel DeJesus, for believing I can. My first Haganah test was awesome, and I do hope to test again in the future! (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

The Trento Reunion 11th Iteration

For eleven years, the Trento family from all over gather to be together. I never met some of these Trento cousins until the first gathering we had at Lake George in 2004. That first reunion had my Uncle Johnny Trento and my Aunt Theresa (Tee) Trento, my New Hampshire cousins, my Rome NY cousins, Connecticut Trentos, and all us Jersey Trentos. We went to Lake George for six years at a few different places. Then three years in Rhode Island, and last year for year ten we were in Connecticut.

Eleven years later, Uncle Johnny and Aunt Tee have passed. We have had nine new baby Trento's. We've had new significant others join the reunion. And Grandma Cyn and I are still room mates and have a blast together. But one thing that remains the same: the unconditional love. We truly look forward to seeing each other each year and some we get to see on a few special occasions during the year now.

Once upon a time there were four Trento brothers: Frank, Fred, Johnny, and Rudy. My grandfather who I never met passed in 1982, and his closest brother Frank died not too long after from a broken heart, literally. The family did not see Uncle Johnny much over the years, so it was a blessing to have him come our first year, and Uncle Rudy was the grandfather to us all to the Jersey Trentos.

My Uncle Frank always wanted a girl, to the point he wanted to adopt a girl! He had three wonderful boys who he was so proud of. If he were alive today he would have seen over a dozen granddaughters and great-granddaughters. The Jersey Trento's covered the boys. My cousin Matthew and I in particular do really look forward to our trip to seeing the Trento's and just spending time with everyone.

Grandma Cyn and I have been room mates at our reunion for several years and each year we have something new to talk and laugh about. I am very close with my grandmother and we talk about a lot together, and share much, and always have good laughs. Rooming with Grandma will be a treasure I will always be grateful for.

This year we went to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. It was beautiful and different, and we enjoyed each other's company all the same. I think our favorite moment was all together in my parent's room eating Aunt Karen's home baked desserts after our family dinner, and we danced, sang, drank, and played games. We were together as FAMILY.

But one of the funniest and most memorable things for THIS past reunion was the very first day. Before we went to the ferry, our very first event as a family for this reunion was this: FOOD SHOPPING. Food always brings family together, but this was different in it's entirety! You have to understand how funny it was for about 15 of us barging into a foreign food store, not knowing where anything was, all food shopping at the same time to bring with us to our destination. It was memorable, and a good haha!

Family is a beautiful thing. Be sure to always hug and make time for your family. Support them, enjoy them, but always laugh and communicate with family. These are the key elements that must be passed down to your family, but always pass down the love and tradition of family. We have many Trento's in heaven now, but we gather each year to remind ourselves that we are the legacy of the love that those four Trento's from once upon a time taught us in our origins. (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Remember this book? Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I must have been in second or third grade when my teacher read it to us. It was a book I never gave a second thought. But I had a very trying week. I guess I could look up and turn it into gratitude while praying "Thank you God, for believing I needed these challenges this week!" Well I had a very trying week and I guess I could laugh at how much I REALLY am like Lucy!

Yesterday I had a VERY late start but believed I planned my day accordingly to still get all I needed to get done, done. I went to my car to leave at an appropriate time to get to work, which I normally would have been at by this time, and the car wasn't working. Something was wrong and wasn't starting. I had 40 minutes to get to work! I tried not to panic and texted and called everyone I knew who was local and possibly available. Problem was NO ONE was available.

I called about nine people before I got in touch with my dear friend Maria. She told me she was doing errands (which is code word for SHOPPING-- I know her too well!) and said she'd have no problem picking me up! Success! Or so I thought.

Here in New Jersey, just about every surrounding town had some construction going on and all major roads were blocked off and detours up the wazoo! Maria had actually passed my school not once but TWICE in trying to follow the detours to getting to my school. And people were already showing up! A master's nightmare! She finally got to my house, we went over to the school, and at the red light, we heard this ringing : ding ding ding ding ding! Are you KIDDING me?! A train!!!

We looked at each other and began to laugh our butts off. ONLY US! It was the most comical moment. And truth be told, Maria was chosen by the celestial powers that be to be there with me because anyone else would have sighed in annoyance or burst out in anger or cursed at the train. Nope. Not with Maria. We laughed and compared it to a Lucy and Ethel moment. We were in a similar situation when we saw The Lion King on Broadway and couldn't find our bus home. It was one of the best times being lost I ever had.

I made it to classes! The next day I thought will be better. Negative. I got the car working, got to work, my computer monitor wasn't working. I had a lot of computer work, printing, and emails to make. This was not good. Someone brought over an extra monitor and we found out it was not the monitor or chords. So another computer saavy friend who has a technology business came to look at it, and turns out the computer is SHOT. Damn! NOT good!

He was able to save the hard drive and will fix up a new computer. Then I checked emails on my phone and got an upsetting email. It was just one thing after another after another. I thought of Alexander from the book. So the NEXT day I traveled around with my hard drive doing stuff until right before my classes I realized I lost it! Not only was my work on it but also my book! I panicked but ended up finding it in the street. Although it was run over (what seemed like three times) it was salvaged and backed up immediately. This was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad WEEK!

But you know what? I remembered to laugh! I wanted to cry a lot, but I didn't, instead I laughed in each moment. And you know what? That means I am alive! What a gift to be alive! We all have crazy times and crazy moments, we all make mistakes, and sometimes when it rains it pours. But remember, even the water at the end of the waterfall returns to calm streams. Never lose sight of that! I almost did! And sometimes we need to remind ourselves and each other! (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO