The Spirit of Saddle Brook

This one hurt. This one hurts a lot. We come across people in life that are just aren't supposed to go. It's an impossible thought in our minds. We can't imagine the world without certain people. Jack Impomeni for the little town of Saddle Brook was one of those legends that we just thought would be around forever. Truth be told, he was taken from us way too soon.

Mr. Jack Impomeni went to Emerson High School and attended Jersey City College (today is Jersey City University), and is from a family full of teachers. He went to school to become a teacher himself and at the age of 23 became a Biology teacher at Saddle Brook High School. The high school, itself was barely ten years old at the time. But Mr. Impomeni was one of the pillars of which that school stands on today. He was an excellent teacher, and truly wanted to empower the students he taught. He connected with them, looked out for them, and inspired them. Saddle Brook High School was the only school he ever worked at.

During his years there, he met some phenomenal teachers who were like-minded in the sense of creating a school spirit for all its students that he always said contributed to influencing him as a teacher as well. They were also some of his closest friends. He said to me once that "they took a regular teacher and turned me (Jack) into a complete teacher." One being Mr. Gene Hannigan, an excellent teacher respected by many, influenced Mr. Impomeni to being an advocate for the students. There was also Mr. Salvatore Dinello, the band director, whom he had been very involved with the trips and concerts with and got Impomeni involved in the cultural aspects of the school. There was also Mr. Mario J Alia, whom the Saddle Brook gymnasium is named after, who inspired Mr. Impomeni to coach in the athletic department of the school. Mr. Impomeni coached Boys Basketball for 15 years, tennis for five years, head varsity softball coach for a year, and  Girls Basketball for ten years.

But one teacher who Mr. Impomeni particularly was the best of friends with was Mr. Chuck Broadhurst. The two names Impomeni and Broadhurst were synonymous with each other. For 40 years, there is not one person during those years who do not have an Impomeni-Broadhurst anecdote. Jack used to help Chuck with all the spring musicals that they put on; Even ten years after Chuck retired, Jack would run up and down the aisles having everyone stand for the Hallelujah Chorus; they were the epitome of what it meant to be best of friends. It's very hard not to think of one and not the other. The two of them together was like watching a vaudeville act. The ultimate dynamic duo. They truly loved each other very much; no truer best friends could there ever be.

Chuck Broadhurst and Jack Impomeni shooting off the cannon at the SBSH football games.

Jack Impomeni was truly a master educator. He taught biology for 30 years and began the physiology class that is still taught at the high school today. He always attributed his best of friends and mentors in getting him involved outside the classroom which he told me was the true success of being a teacher. He had said:

"The more you work with kids after school away from the classroom, the more successful you'll be inside the classroom."

-Jack Impomeni

He found coaching to be a truly rewarding experience, being with the students in a different light. For several years, coaches of Saddle Brook High School over the years continued to get together each year where they would do an annual trip and barbecues and dinners. My family attended that high school with all those teachers from 1974 to this present year in 2017. The teachers were more of a family than co-workers and that is something that truly made the school a success when it was at it's prime. It also inspired and encouraged many of us who became teachers as well. I am sure they will continue to get together, although a huge hole will be felt with Mr. Impomeni's absence. 

For the last ten years of his time at SBHS he became the Vice Principal. My grandfather was actually the one to tell him that he got the job! He took this leadership position to make a more profound impact for the future of the students, having a superb balance of advocating for the teachers but never forgetting the kids. I remember, if I ever had a problem, he was the one I could go to. I knew he was fair, and he also always made the right decisions that benefited all in the end. One year I actually dressed up as him for Halloween!

In 2006 he retired after 40 years at Saddle Brook High School. I had the good fortune to sing at his retirement dinner at Macaluso's, and I also did the interview with him before he retired. And I remember what he said:

"I'm retiring from the job, but I am not retiring from the life. I will always be a Falcon at heart."

-Jack Impomeni

And he was true to his word. He retired but if you went to a football game, or a choral concert, or a spring musical, or a track meet, or a dedication for the school, you were sure to have seen Jack Impomeni along with some of his great friends Gene Hannigan, Sal Dinello, Robert Kaplan, or Paul Bachman. I would go back to all these events myself and I always knew I would see him and would look for him. It was always so good to see him. He would always ask about my family, he asked about my business, he truly wanted to know if things were good in my life and if I was happy. Sometimes I would see him at an early mass in church (probably because they left early for a football game lol). 

All of our teachers from there were extraordinary. When I started my own school, I always knew I wanted my students to feel the same way these teachers made us feel. That they belonged to an establishment that truly cared for theri growth and personal development. They had instructors who were more like family than just teachers who worked together. I advocated for them in the most positive ways I could. I was involved in their lives outside the school like all my teachers were for me. My mother, my aunts and uncles, and I were truly blessed to have these wonderful people in our lives, as they truly were even years after we all left the school. 

Jack Impomeni, Chuck Broadhurst, Robert Kaplan, and Donna TenHoeve.

Jack Impomeni passed away last week. I'm not the only one to say he was taken from us too soon. He was a man of strong faith and I know that heaven has received a new angel who will be looking down on us for sure. Like so many, I will have some very fond memories of Jack Impomeni that are tattooed upon my heart. I will remember him walking Chuck into his surprise retirement choral reunion, I will remember his morning announcements on the loudspeaker, I will remember how eloquently he would speak to you, I will remember how proud he was when he spoke of his grandchildren, I will remember his dry sense of humor, I will remember his laugh when he saw me dressed up as him for Halloween, I will remember him swing dancing with Helen Hymanson or Dawn Schwartz, I will remember how he came to every function, I will remember singing at his retirement party, and I will remember his smile during our 2006 interview when he spoke of his fellow colleagues and friends in such a loving manner.

I believe in life, we get the privilege of walking this earth alongside some truly magnificent people who sometimes we have the honor of calling "friend". Jack Impomeni was truly one of those remarkable people whom it was the highest honor and greatest privilege we could have had walking on this earth. He made a difference in so many lives. He made our world a better place. On behalf of my family and friends, we send our condolences to the Impomeni family. We wish you a time of healing and send you prayers from all over during this most difficult time. As much as this hurts us all, the one comfort that I think we all have in any of this is that Jack Impomeni and Chuck Broadhurst are reunited once again. 

Chuck Broadhurst and Jack Impomeni, reunited once more!

Me and Jack two years ago.

R.I.P Jack Impomeni
1943-2017

A HUGE Breach in Tradition

SBHS Tradition of over 50 years

DISCLAIMER: This blog reflects the views of many alumni of Saddle Brook High School between the years of the 1960s up to current day students and does not reflect the education or ability of today's students in SBHS Choir, but the complaint of respecting tradition.

Note: all links are to other blog posts on related topic so you can follow the tradition. 

Mr. Charles Broadhurst,
SBHS Choral Director 1964-1994

Mrs. Cynthia Verost,
SBHS Choral Director 1994-ish- Dec 2015

I was always taught in martial arts to know when to value tradition, and to know when to innovate. You need to have a balance to knowing when it is important to evolve because those who see the future first evolve the most. At the same time it is a skill to preserve strong tradition because you preserve a way of life that brings value, and not detriment.

In 1964, a man named Chuck Broadhurst taught choral music with 8 or 9 members in the choir. Two years later in 1966 he had 80 or 90. He taught for 30 years, retiring in 1994. In those 30 years he had so many choir members (record being 250 members) he had split them into Boys' Glee Club, Girls' Glee Club, Concert Choir, and a select a cappella group called the Choraleers. He also began the high school Spring musicals that still go on today.

After his retirement an alumnus named Cynthia Verost (Class of '75) took the position of Choir Director. She at this time had about 15 years of her own teaching experience in one or two districts already. He came and brought in her own knowledge and choice songs, but still preserved many of the strong traditions the school had like the Choraleers and Spring Musicals.

If anyone can tell you that times have changed, it would be Cindy Verost. Things you deal with, with an administration and Board of Education, parents of the present day, people's attention spans and appreciation not what it used to be, but she dealt with the changes of the time and still did her own thing while preserving the strong traditions which were deeply rooted in the school.

Mr. Broadhurst teaching and singing with alumni

Mrs. Verost with 2005-2006 Choraleers

Something very deeply rooted to Saddle Brook High are the traditions shared by the alumni. That deep seated root continued over two decades after Mr. Broadhurst's retirement by Mrs. Verost. In 1978, spear headed by my mother, Karen Lazzaro-Trento (Class of '78), 14 years worth of alumni got together for a Choir reunion. Not everyone knew each other but their love for music had been passed down to all these "students" and they shared the same experiences of what it meant to them in the process of learning and performing. In 1990, another reunion of Choraleer alumni came together to sing like the old days and enjoy each other's company. And in 1994 at Chuck's retirement they all came together to celebrate the career of Mr. Broadhurst and sing as if not a day went by the last time they did (I have the video of it). And in 1999 and 2000, alumni got together to perform around the community almost 20-30 years later singing under Mr. Broadhurst again.

Then in 2014, Mrs. Verost had done a 50th Anniversary Concert  to celebrate the program's existence in the school for 50 years. The program was a selection of popular and favorites songs from the SBHS archives, a mix of Chuck and Cindy's repetoire. Local alumni gathered together for maybe 3 rehearsals which were a small portion of people. Then the day of we spend morning to night rehearsing with about 80-90 alumni. That evening we performed our concert, and it was a beautiful reunion. Mrs. Verost did a fantastic job as always, she showed great appreciation to the ones who showed up, and I think she was surprised by how many alumni actually showed up to participate. Her only mistake was only doing ONE of the alumni songs instead of all three, since it was an ALUMNI tradition. I was the only one vocal about it, although most felt the same way. But hey, it's only one concert. Not like the tradition will die or anything......

Mr. Broadhurst conducting the alumni choir in 1999.

Mrs. Verost rehearsing choir for concert in 2006

The Alumni before 50th Anniversary Concert

Well I was wrong. The Alumni Sing is a 51 year tradition. Every Holiday concert ended with Carol of the Bells, Do You Hear What I Hear?, and The Hallelujah Chorus. It began with Chuck, continued with Cindy. Did it have some hiccups over the years? Sure. Maybe Cindy did Carol of the Bells for the processional instead. Maybe she put Have Yourself A Merry Little Christimas in the alumni sing instead. But the tradition for the most part has always been standing of the three songs. It is something that is supported heavily to by the community, it's alumni, staff and faculty, and families of several generations.

After 22 years, last December Mrs. Verost retired. A new director has taken over. I hear he's good. The kids sound great. This year's holiday concert was December 15th. We find out the day of that ONLY the Hallelujah Chorus will be sung for the alumni. Students in the choir currently were unhappy about it (I've spoken to many of them as several are students of mine), alumni from a range of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, and 10s are upset about it, faculty current and former are disheartened, and families who have come to see the new generation of students and remember the old were disheartened.

When I inquired and asked people in the establishment, the answers given to me were it took "too much time and prep" and it was "too alumni oriented" and the alumni have to ":get over it." OKAY.. Let's address the first part. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors know all three pieces as their predecessor taught it to them and it wasn't like beating a dead horse to learn. TWO: The alumni was the last three pieces. The entire rest of the concert is the students? Every performance, including entire spring concert is student oriented. DO a hundred songs in the concert with the students, don't touch the last three! And ALUMNI are the ones who support the program, and HAVE for many years, and when budget cuts come in, the arts are attacked first, and when that happens, they come to the alumni! Not a good move. And as far as "get over it"? That's a sad way to look and respect tradition. I was also told not to make "a fuss" about it....o_O ME?! LOL!

Eleven songs were sung for the Choir NOT including Hallelujah. What's two more? That MAJORITY of choir knows. I believe only 7 alumni came. For me, it was the first one I've missed in I think 14 years. Christmas began for many of us at that concert. For us who knew Chuck, we felt most connected to him in those few moments singing those songs. And the CURRENT students looked forward to participating in that tradition. Some things are meant NOT to be touched. If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

 This SBHS Alumni is a Community. The sentiments shared about this tradition, or in this case lack of, is shared by such a span of people from even huge generational differences. Many of them still continue to keep music in their lives! Some became music teachers like Barbara Avento Weiner, Austum D'Esposito, Catherine Blankenhorn Boyes, Eric Zadoroznyj, and Anthony Ligouri. Some still sing in groups and Choirs like Lisa Lazzaro Graf, Arianna Pomo, Lynn Van Wyk Wojcik and her late husband Joe Wojcik, Annie Conway O'Shaunessey, and Barbara Pastuch Pernetti. These names are all from different generations of Saddle Brook music program.

Standing 50 year traditions should be preserved regardless who is in charge. It is an insult to Chuck's memory and Cindy's legacy, in my opinion. It's also a slap in the face to the alumni who have supported this program for many many years. I hope the new director reconsiders his future choice of this tradition. If not, then a tradition is dead......unless I can help it. Mrs. Verost said to me "Get your own choir!" Hmmm.....that's the best idea I've heard all day..... (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

Losing My Hobbit Hole

Early in the process of the water coming down and the before ceiling began to cave in. 

Twenty minutes later this entire couch was filled with water. 

I stopped taking pictures once the ceiling began falling in in bigger chunks, and I was soaked from head to toe.

I had just come back home from Atlanta, Georgia on Monday Nov. 28. I worked all day Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday night while watching the Dolly Parton movie on NBC, I received two boxes of pictures I ordered to be printed and began to organize them to put into photo albums (I'm probably the only person in the world who still prints pictures). I was even taking pictures of the pictures and sending them to people, all excited for my photo project Mega Omega I embarked myself on! I just printed pictures and put them in these new picture frames too and replaced them all on my walls. So I decided the next day, Thursday I would sleep in a little and work on my picture project.

Thursday December 1 as I'm working on the pictures, I hear this rapid "TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP", and I wonder "What the hell is that?" I get up from my couch and walk over to the opposite side wall where I have my shelves and Christmas tree. I see water running down the walls and dropping on my pictures! I pimmediately begin to take the pictures off the shelf, then I see there is water in the middle of the ceiling coming through straight down on the Chritsmas tree! THEN two seconds later one of the ceiling tiles falls in with a loud SPLASH of water!

I run upstairs to find my landlady yelling in Italian with her aide and there is an inch of water in her entire kitchen! I yelled in Italian "What happened!?" She couldn't remember how to turn the water off and no one called anyone! I immediately called her son and daughter in law and his place of business to send someone over! In seven minutes a man came and it took him 8 more minutes to find the main water brake. During that time I was a shrill version of the Rain Man going "Okay! Alright! Oh NO! Okay! As I kept moving objects into the dining room or to other sides of the room, then RE-moving them because water was spreading that way. I was drenched in water, which smelled horribly, and ceiling was caving in on all different spots.

I stopped taking pictures once larger pieces were falling. It was sporadic too. 

The lights filled up with water which had me worried about fires starting too. 

It was only my main living room floor at first but then it expanded into the bedroom and closets. Both my couches now drenched. 

I didn't know what to do! I messaged Master Kathy to which I received a phone call immediately. I knew she dealt with water before when she lost her house in 2010. Immediately she gave me direction, as I had none. I didn't know what to do, I was a bit stunned, and just getting more upset and I watched the water come down even more! It started off as just drops from all over, then fast dripping, then at one point it looked like it was actually raining inside the apartment.

I sent a mass text to people who may have been around. One of my students came to help. We saved the books, the electronics, a few DVDs and I put a bunch of clothes I saw and grabbed in a backpack. By then both couches, my clothes, pictures including all the new ones that were organized on the floor (easily replaceable), my bed, my cabinets, were all water and destroyed. It was almost and hour and a half when the water finally stopped coming in and by this time, 3/4 of the ceiling caved in, adding a lot of dirt on top of the wet. 

We took out the two couches, taking the doors off the hinges and leading them up the stairs. One opened into a bed for guests, and one had a full mattress in it for guests as well. We bagged a lot of garbage, tried to clean clothes across the street which some were salvageable, most not. We also saved as many of my Christmas ornaments that we could, some ruined, some fell and broke, but the tree itself that I keep up all year round had to go as it was a pre lit tree. 

By this time you can see the fast dribbles before it turned into what reminded me of a fire sprinkler. 

All I kept thinking was "My home..."

My pre-lit Christmas tree I would keep up all year long, gone. 

My two couches and the rug ripped up. 

I was so lost. I started one thing and would walk over and do something else then bounce to another part of the apartment. All I kept thinking in my head was "My home..." When I noticed the tears in my eyes I shook my head and told myself to snap out of it, and then attempted to shift my focus into the "It could be worse" mindset, see if I can see some silver lining. Well, I DID want to downsize and purge a bit, but this is ridiculous! I tried to make little jokes with my students there and with the landlord's workers.

We ripped up all the rugs and rolled them up, exposing this VERY old and retro looking floor. The workers had taken down the rest of the 1/3 ceiling that didn't collapse. I was just dumbfounded. Of course immediately people were offering me a place to stay and I always have my parents and Aunt Karen in Saddle Brook, my grandparents back in Saddle Brook now too, and Jessie, and Charlene, and Ara and Juneta across the street, and I thank them all who've been helping.

It's over a week now and I do miss my own bed. I've had stressful days of being on the phone all day with insurance companies, making lists, looking for things, continuously finding things that have been ruined, clothes we didn't catch still soaked, papers and documents gone. And of course the looking at options and credit checks and on and on and on. Did I mention it's the holidays?

Rugs ripped up and taken out.

Most of the ceiling caved in and was wet and old. 

How in the world my Hogwarts tapestry on the wall survived I'll never know!

First batch of trash.

So I went through the grieving stages quick. That Thursday I was so focused on what I had to do. Friday after I was shell shocked. Then Saturday I just sat in my parents living room all day after teaching and was just so incredibly sad. By Sunday I was with Aunt Karen and already accepted that it happened and move on! This past week of stress has had me emotionally eating everything in sight, not sleeping well, I even had a few dreams of water going down the walls, I see it in the corner of my eyes sometimes, and I have a twitch under my left eye LOL. 

But one of the things that this did do for me was not to realize I lost just about everything, but to realize I have EVERYTHING. Everything that really counts. What makes life is not our things, but the life we live and the people we get to share it with. I have been counting my blessings but even more than that to see how incredibly blessed I am. I have had such tremendous good wishes and calls and support from my family here in New Jersey, as well as my martial arts family now only here at home but all across the country. My fitness ladies at the gym have brought great support to me as well, and a blessed person bought me brand new clothes last Tuesday. 

The night of the apartment flooding out, I went to dinner when all was said and done across the street, where I showered and cleaned up the debris all over me, and then my student Robert and his girlfriend came by and asked me to go across the street. I told them there's nothing to see but they persisted so I went over where they met me in front of the house. I walked them to my entrance and I'm talking and then I stop dead and gasped. They had a three foot Christmas tree set up and decorated in front of my door to the apartment. I couldn't contain myself, my heart turned to mush. 

 I later saw that his girlfriend Amanda started this online GoFundMe account, someone showed me the link. When someone gave me the link to see this, this is where I finally caved in. I cried like a little baby. I couldn't believe so many people came together to do something like this for me. She even called it Trento's Hobbit Hole Help (everyone knows I call my apartment the Hobbit Hole). People from my family, students and families from my school, friends of mine from town and grade school, extended family from Georgia, Tennessee, Nevada, Maryland, I think even Misouri! I was and am so deeply touched and in awe. It would be impossible to thank all these people one by one so here I am to say to all those people: THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.

Even though I am still incredibly sad, I am incredibly aware that I am incredibly blessed to have so many people who care about me in this way. Jimmy Stewart said in the movie It's a Wonderful Life, "No man is a failure who has friends." And I have always said, I am doubly-blessed to call them all my family! (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

The Year of 5th Dans!

                           

THIS was the year of 5th Dans! Eleven, count it, ELEVEN, people tested for their 5th Degree Black Belt this year. I did my best to support as many of them as I could this year. This many people testing for such a high rank is virtually unheard of, and what makes it even better is THIS: all these people are PHENOMENAL martial artists! And that makes it even better!

First up, both testing on the same day of May 28, 2016 was Master Glenn Ames in Maryland, and down in Dacula, Georgia was Sahbumnim Kelley Hardy. Master Ames testing in Maryland. I met Master Ames in the AAU Taekwondo. My earliest memory of Master Ames was us studying together for our officiating upgrade in the summer of 2015. Master Ames is a very good official and great martial artist. He is very precise which we are both very similar on in our training styles. He's excellent at mentoring, a supportive team captain, and has one of the best senses of humor I know of! He always keeps up laughing and smiling! I called him the morning of his testing, and the night of to wish him luck and hear about the testing! Needless to say, a great martial artist like Master Ames needs no luck!


Down in Georgia, where I was, Miss Kelley Hardy was testing. She had a phenomenal attitude from beginning of the testing right to the very end. She remained positive, excited, and strong. Her focus was sharp, and I was so happy to be there for her. Kelley and I first met officiating in my first nationals. We hit it off right from the beginning. But also testing alongside her for 5th Dan was her very own daughter Victoria Hardy and another woman warrior, Master Cathy Brown, a school owner in Georgia who had claimed Master Stone as her instructor. Victoria serves in the military for our country which is the greatest sense of servant leadership I can think of. Master Brown was wonderful to watch test and be acclimated into this family, with support and enthusiasm, and great to see her transformation during the testing.

Miss Kelley Hardy (GA) and Master Glenn Ames (MD) received their 5th Dans May 28, 2016 

Master Ames breaking on his 5th Dan test.

Victoria Hardy tested with her mom in Georgia, both 5th Dans!

Cathy Brown (center) tested for 5th Dan unde rher instructor Master Bobby Stone in Georgia.

In the ATA, I have a friend named Victoria Valentino. Victoria is a PHENOMAL martial artist. She is physically very talented, mentally strong, and also has a strong spirit. While attending school, getting a thousand degrees, still teaching and training, pushing herself all the time, Victoria tested for her 5th Dan with the ATA during their World tournament at the beginning of July, during 4th of July weekend, down in Arkansas. I was at AAU nationals in Florida, but was corresponding with her the entire time and texting with my own mentor, Ms Gedman to see how things were going. She found out weeks later that she indeed passed her test, and no wonder!

Next up on July 16th was my very own 5th Dan Testing at my school in front of my students under my mentor Master Kevin Balon, with my testing board being mentor Master Samuel DeJesus, my brother Master Bobby Stone from Georgia, and surprise guest Master Kathy Wieczerza of Tennessee. You can read that blog here. A week later at Fastkix Taekwondo, Master Balon's student Nick Carbley tested for 5th Dan. I met Nick when we tested for 3rd Dan together, it was the first time I ever tested outside my organization/school. Nick and I also tested together for 4th Dan, and that test I will treasure sharing with him. He once again tested and did an amazing job after a very difficult year personally, I was so proud of him to persevere and join the 5th Dan Club!

Victoria Valentino tested for 5th Dna in Arkansas at the ATA World Championships.

My 5th Dan testing under Master Kevin Balon in Saddle Brook, NJ.

Nick Carbley tested for 5th Dan July 23, 2016 at Fastkix Taekwondo in Spotswood, NJ. 

                                                                                   
August 2016 was Grand Master Kathy's last bi-annual testings. She will be going a different direction with the bi-annual gatherings. But at this testing for 5th Dan was Miss Taylor Wauford. Taylor, who was prepping for a wedding at the same time, was also training for 5th Dan Black Belt. I was in Chicago with MLK. All day I was getting updates through text of on Facebook of how she was doing. Everyone said her forms were impeccable and testing was impressive! I may have been on the phone with her literally an hour, maybe less, after her testing was done, waiting for my bus in Chicago getting ready to go back to New Jersey.

Then, third weekend of September I found myself in Nashville, Tennessee at Family First Martial Arts. I attended their first Black Belt testing the year before and totally invited myself to return the following year. Weeks before this testing Miss Dani Carroll-Kooyman, wife to Master Larry Kooyman gave birth to their beautiful daughter. Reading her essay, training and preparing for 5th Dan Black Belt testing was a real challenge for her, and rightfully so. There's not many people who would push themselves, or know to what extent to train for a 5th Dan Black Belt test, and while pregnant?! That in itself was amazing and her indomitable spirit got her through rigorous training that she appropriately allowed herself, the mental and emotional challenges, and then of course giving birth, made her 5th Dan a treasured event.

Taylor Wauford (now Hooper) testing for 5th Dan in Tennessee under Master Katherine Wieczerza.

Dani Carroll-Kooyman received her 5th Dan at Family First Martial Arts Center in Tennessee, only a couple weeks after giving birth to her beautiful daughter!

This past weekend was the 20th Anniversary of the D.C Turnbull Taekwondo Black Belt Camp! 44 Black Belts tested, two of which were testing for 5th Dan were fiances's Jessica Wauford and Joey Curtis. The camp in itself is a phenomenal experience, but the testing process these guys went and had the opportunity to share with their fiance I know is something that will go deeper for them. I was privileged to be present for them. I felt Joey broke through a lot of barriers during his testing, and physically showed it when he did a four slab concrete break (one of my favorites during the test) and Jessica pushed through and allowed herself to JUST BE and LET IT BE which allowed so much to flow. And yes, Jessica, it is OKAY to express that happiness, as you earned it and deserve it. I was happy to be there for my family.

Fiances Joey Curtis and Jessica Wauford were the last two to receive their 5th Dans this year in Orlando, FL!

         
Even though this blog is about the eleven 5th Degrees of the year, there were some VERY high ranks that were tested this year I think I should make mention. I never witnessed a 6th Dan testing before and it was my privilege to see Sahbumnim Matt Bucci and Master Peter Vargas test for 6th Dan last week at the Black Belt Camp in Orlando, Florida. Also June 4, 2016 in Reno, Nevada was the test for Master Kathy Weiczerza for 8th Dan Black Belt. You can read about it here or in her words here. And Febraury 2016, my very own Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee achieving his 9th Dan in Hung Ga Kung Fu before being appointed World President for Yee's Hung Ga Kung Fu Association on June 13, 2016. I bleieve he is the only 9th Dan in the system in the world, and his Sifu, my Sigung, voted in to 10th Dan.

In this industry, people in mass martial arts get Black Belts too easily, and many people the standards and quality  falls and distills the arts. I can vouch that these martial artists mentioned in this blog are top quality martial artists that keep the standards, values, and the deep meaning, worth, and tradition of the martial arts strong and alive. It is a great comfort that these individuals represent what the martial arts is all about. I am honored and privileged to know them all and extend my most sincerest gratitude to knowing you all and congratulating you all on your achievements and accomplishments.

This Blog is dedicated to my fellow 5th Dans of 2016!: Glenn Ames, Kelley Hardy, Victoria Hardy, Cathy Brown, Victoria Valentino, Nick Carbley, Taylor Wauford, Dani Carroll-Kooyman, Jessica Wauford, and Joey Curtis.

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

Trento's Travels

I haven't blogged much. But I have kept VERY busy! I have been training hard, working hard, getting things done, accomplishing projects, competing in-completions, making time for important things to me and people who are important to me, and a lot of it required TRAVELING.

My mother is a travel agent and I practically grew up on an airplane. I am very grateful for all the opportunities I got to travel, but at one point in my life it was just too much for me. It actually became a problem for me at one point, so I took a looooong break from traveling. However, in the last year or two, I made up for all the years I ever traveled. Actually, I don't think I EVER traveled as much as I did growing up as I have in these last two years alone!

And guess what? I'm LOVING it! However, one of my major goals for the next five years requires A LOT of traveling. But I've been a part of some majorly awesome things since the end of August. Many of them will be blogs in themselves, but this is just to capture a small glimpse of my traveling adventures, which has been every week or weekend since the end of August.

I began with me going to Chicago, Illinois for the Tactical Offensive Warfare (T.O.W) Blade Warrior Certification with Mike Lee Kanarek. It was a fantastic experience! I even ran into my buddy Tyler Mineo from Georgia there! It was my first time in Chicago and I really enjoyed it. But what I enjoyed even more was the fabulous training that I always get a thrill from with Mike Lee.

The following weekend I went to one of my most favorite places ever, Georgia! For my best friend Stacey Stone's 40th birthday! She doesn't look a day over 28! She doesn't act a day over 28 either! She won't agree with that first statement. She WILL agree with that second statement! LOL! She and Bobby are family to me and I wouldn't have missed the occasion for the world.

The following week, I went to Ft. Lauderdale with Master Balon for the AAU Taekwondo Team Trials. This is one of the biggest events the AAU Taekwondo runs. All the gold medalist Black Belts from Junior and Cadet age divisions competing and fighting for the spot on the national team for elite training and competition experience on the international level. The greatest coaches, athletes, and referees. I was happy to have the experience with my mentor, Master Balon, to spend time with my AAU TKD family, and for the experience of refereeing at that level.

The next weekend I was in Pennsylvania for the HaganaH Ground Survival Certification. It was one of the last certifications I was going for in the system. The following weekend, I went to Nashville, Tennessee for the Family First Martial Arts Black Belt testing. I spent my time with the great Master Kathy and the wonderful Jo Wright. I also got to spend time with their son Grisha and had a great time. But I also loved my time with Masters Larry Kooyman, Richard Winston, Master Andy Tourin from Nevada, and Soke David McNeil, who I also had the opportunity to interview.

Then I went to LBI for my traditional trip for the Chowderfest for a little getaway after my school's belt testings, and the following week TMAFC had it's own Black Belt testing. Then the next weekend was a doozy. I drove an hour down in New Jersey for part 1 of my best friend, Nina Harkhani's, wedding. I got home 1:30am. Woke up 6:30am, to leave at 7:30am to be in Pennsylvania 8:30am for the Mike Lee Kanarek seminar, left early at 1pm, drove four hours down to Baltimore, Maryland for part 2 of the wedding where Nina and her new husband live, left at 12:30am, drove three hours home with Robert on the phone and arrived 3:15am, woke up 6:30am, left 7:30am to be back in Pennsylvania 8:30am  for training all day with Mike Lee Kanarek and the Striking Militia where we sparred and did sparring drills all day.

The following weekend I had the honor and privilege of going to Nashville, Tennessee again to be a groomsman for Taylor Wauford and Jacob Hooper's wedding. It was an absolutely beautiful wedding. Spending beautiful time with family and dear friends. The next weekend (this past weekend) I was in Orlando, Florida with MORE Taekwondo family for DC Turnbull Taekwondo's 20th Black Belt Camp Anniversary, to participate and support and experience this camp I've heard so much about! (later blog).

Next week I'll be in back in Atlanta, Georgia for Thanksgiving week, and I'll have a little breather until February. Then February to June, just about every week I have adventures all over the country. I am NOT complaining by any means. I am so grateful and blessed to have these opportunities to be doing such great things, being with beautiful people, and having the time of my life right now. Times are good. Tears of gratitude come when I think of the wonderful things I am privileged to experience. And I feel good, for the most part. Movement is life. And you can never hit a moving target. And God knows, I am one!

The comical parts of my travels? Oh every trip had one. A plane having horrible turbulence, flying through lightning clouds, delays because parts broke on the plane, fire alarms going off at airport, security line delayed because of faulty technology, all those things still happen. But they just make for funny haha stories for later! (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO

Macaroni Sunday

Do you know how many types of the picture above I have? Growing up I had Italian style dinner every Sunday whether it be at my mother's house of grandmother's house, pasta for dinner. Salad, meat, pasta, dessert, coffee, every Sunday. To this day if I don't have pasta on Sunday I feel like something is just not right. 

By the time I was 13 years old, I began competing in Taekwondo. I was always a Black Belt competing. I competed with one of my closest friends and Friars, Kenny Perez. His mother, one of my best friends, would have us come over wherever they were living at the time, and we would "carb up" the night before a competition. So we would have Macaroni Sunday on Saturday night before competing. 

In 2008 I moved into my first apartment and for two years, just about EVERY single Sunday, I would host my famous Macaroni Sundays. Looking back, I don't know how the hell I did it for almost every Sunday for two years. It was a LOT of work, LOT of time, and LOT of money to do. But they also remain to be some of the greatest and most treasured memories I have in my life. It was the same 7 people, including Jessie, and some cameo appearances and guests by people along the way. I would change the pasta and sauce every week, and I had my Mickey Mouse plates, Iced Tea pitchers, table all set, and a speech and grace said at the beginning of dinner. We watched movies, swam, played games, and had an Italian style dessert as well. 

Two years. Two years of that. I bet you any of those people from those days, if you ask them today what some of their best memories in life are, they'll say Macaroni Sunday. I moved back to Saddle Brook and I did one or two. I moved back to Garfield later and did a few here and there, but not like I used to. I've been in my current apartment almost three years now and I did one holiday dinner once, but nothing since. It's been years since I've done an official Macaroni Sunday. 

I am blessed to have such wonderful people around me today. They've heard about Macaroni Sundays and have said to me "You need to do them again!" I heyed and hawed, etc. Well recently we celebrated Thomas Cubby's birthday (29th birthday with 24 years of experience). I've been to his apartment but the girls, Nicole and Heather, have not. Thomas has lived in his apartment for almost two years and just NEVER settled in. Things weren't in place, he never decorated, things were in boxes still etc. He never had people over and really wanted to be able to entertain in his home. 

After we went for his birthday me and the girls went over. They have never been there before and right away they were giving ideas and tips and offering him help to settle in his apartment. So of course, I found an opportunity to challenge him. I said to Thomas that to hold him accountable to support his cause, at a random any given moment, I would tell him I am going to host one of my traditional Macaroni Sundays AT HIS HOUSE and he'd need to be ready for it. 

So days later Thomas sent a picture of his floor and the girls teased him saying "Oh my gosh! You have a rug!" to which I followed up "Dinner is at 4:30 on Sunday, be ready." The challenge was on! So that Sunday Thomas picked me up and I brought my two original Mac Sunday pots, my original Mickey Mouse plates, my original Mickey Mouse head coaster for the pot, and when Thomas moved in I gave him one of my old dining room tables which I used to have macaroni Sunday on as well. 

I got to his house, had my glass of wine poured, and I began to cook the sauce and the meatballs, with ABBA music played in the background, dancing in the kitchen, just as I used to years ago. The house smelled of my sauce, and Thomas's apartment was so clean and spacious and tidy, it looked like an entirely new apartment! I made my meatballs, traditional tomato sauce that takes a few hours to cook, and Thomas chose angel hair spaghetti. 

Nicole arrived first, then Guillermo. Heather and her boyfriend Justen arrived, followed by Ann Marie. Jessie was so upset she couldn't make it, but next time she will be there! The table was all set. We sat around the table and I made a small speech of the history of Macaroni Sunday and how this one came about. Then I offered our meal's blessings by saying grace, just as I used to.

It was a beautiful evening. We ate and talked around the table, drank wine, laughed, shared stories, it was beautiful. We cleared the table, and usually I clean dishes but Justen jumped in and helped cleaned dishes, God Bless him! Then we sat in the dining room, and we played random songs on the radio through Youtube and we DANCED! WE DANCED, DANCED, DANCED, we were sweating we danced so much! We danced to Van Halen, Queen, Lady Gaga, Aaron Carter, Spice Girls, the most random selection of songs! And we had a blast! To think seven of us dancing in the living room, and only a week before one person could barely walk through it!

Then we gathered around the table for delicious desserts made by Heather and continued our laughs and conversation. It was at this time I do what I sometimes do and I kinda sat back and sat "outside" of myself for a second, taking in the moment. I was incredibly happy to be doing this again. It was so nice to do and I was so grateful for the company I was in. I have a lot of wonderful people surrounding me. I really would like to do these dinners again more often. It really has been so long. 

On a spontaneous note, we walked over to our favorite place Oak'N Ale and we had participated in Karaoke Night! This was something else I loved about this crew. Always up for an adventure, no one cares about being embarrassed or whether they're good or not, just want to share an experience, enjoy life, go on an adventure, and JUST BE! Nicole and I sang A Whole New World in opposite parts, Thomas sang Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong, Justen sang Walking in Memphis, Nicole and I sang 98 degrees, I also sang Piano Man with Thomas. But my favorite part was the group singing together Let it Be. That of course was very special to me. 

My favorite quote from the movie It's a Wonderful Life is "No man is a failure who has friends" and I truly believe that. We walk this earth with sometimes the most incredible people. Never take for granted those people. Sometimes you go through hard knocks to finding those good people. These guys are the most loyal and devoted students of mine, so we share that strong bond, but they are also fierce friends and tremendous support. I have always said it, but no man is a failure who has friends, but I am doubly blessed to call them my family.

Macaroni Sunday was a success, we were sorry Jessie couldn't be there, but maybe we'll help clean her apartment and have one over there next! Maybe it is time to revive the Macaroni Sundays again. They are the greatest gifts I can share, and my treasure are not tangible items but experiences. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed reminiscing in the love of doing it. 

Yours in service,

MASTER A TRENTO