Bye Bye Rosie

We all will remember our first car. My first car was named Rosie. My Aunt Karen named her and the name became infamous for the seven years to follow. I bought Rosie in fantastic condition. But she had a lot of wear and tear over the years. And many people who have been around in my life all have a Rosie story I am sure.

Rosie used to bring me to school when I was a senior in high school. She got me to all my choir rehearsals, all my school events, all my martial arts classes, my competitions, my Black Belt tests, and even my high school graduation. She brought me to my yearly LBI trips, down the shore to my grandparents or Barnegate to old friends, was with me at my first apartment, and many important people have driven with me in this car.

I also definitely had my share of problems with her. In the last few years, I experienced a lot of bad CARma. The ones to experienced the bad times look back with rolled eyes and laughter. It was always an adventure with Rosie. In my senior year of high school I was taking college courses at Montclair State University and the first weekend of October I go to the Chowderfest in Long Beach Island. I woke up very early one day and drove all the way back north to take my class which was at 11:30am.

Well when class ended at 12:45 I was going to leave but as I drove out of the parking garage the battery died. All by myself at 17 years old, I had no battery charge in my flip phone cell, my mother was still in LBI, my father was in Atlanta, and I had no one else to call. So I called AAA, waited two hours for a tow truck to come, thought it was a gas issue, he left for 45 minutes and came back and Rosie still wouldn't work. So I she needed to be towed, so I had to call AAA AGAIN for an official tow truck, have her towed and waited three more hours before the two truck came, my grandfather picked me up at the mechanic, I ate a quick dinner within thirty minutes, only to borrow his car to go BACK to Montclair for a 7:30pm class that night. I will never forget that LOL.

One time I was bringing a group of friends to a competition in Rahway, NJ on an a major highway Rosie stalled and stopped working. I had a friend pick us up and we all crammed in his small car to the tournament. There were four of us crushed in the back and one laying across the four of us. It was hilarious, we were like a clown car smushed together. I used to drive Robert, Frankie, Andrew, and Jessie everywhere with Rosie. I drove my parents and brothers in Rosie, Kenny got to drive in Rosie, Andrew even used Rosie for his driving test when he turned 17.

I have also gone through a million flat tires with Rosie -__- . It was like a reoccurring theme. One time I was driving Erin home and I had Sadie in the car and I got a flat tire.We were halfway to her house before I called AAA, we had to call her parents because the tow truck wouldn't bring her home, I had to spiritually contact Frankie to bring me home, and they would NOT let me bring Sadie in the truck with us. I had to leave her in Rosie. I was devastated1 I thought Sadie would be sad and hate me for leaving her! When I turned around to see how Sadie was doing, there she was in the driver's seat, paws on the steering wheel, having a grand ol' time. She was having a blast thinking she was driving. Tippy!

At my old apartment, there was a huge snow storm and my Rosie got stuck in the snow. My Uncle Frank said to put Rosie in the driveway because more snow was coming and I had a bunch of friends over for my infamous Macaroni Sundays. It took eight of us pushing Rosie because she got stuck in the snow. We laughed at how many idiots it took to move her!

There are countless memories with Rosie. I am happy so many people have good memories with her also, and will treasure a Rosie story or two. However, Rosie is no more. As of last week, Rosie's time had ended. And now we enter a new era of Shiela! I went from silver to gold, and thanks to a great deal from my grandmother, and thanks to my grandfather for never letting her really drive (it has 34,000 miles) I have practically a brand new car. It is strange to have a car that stops when you brake, goes in the direction you want it when you turn the steering wheel, or has cold air come out of the air conditioner! (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER TRENTO

Bye Bye Barbara

 "Success can make you go one of two ways. It can make you a prima donna - or it can smooth the edges, take away the insecurities, let the nice things come out....And I really do believe that the most important thing is the way you live your life on earth."

-Barbara Walter

 "Don't confuse being stimulating with being blunt."

-Barbara Walters

I have an addiction to being attracted to the best of the best in anything. I have written countless blogs on the best comedienne and television actress Lucille Ball, I have written about the best British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, I listen to the best singers such as Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand, I love the best musician Michael Jackson, and even in my personal life, all my mentors are the best in their field, and my master is the best in the world.

So it was no surprise that in my freshman year of high school, when I watched a Biography about Barbara Walters, she immediately became one of my superstar idols. What made her an idol for me? Her work ethic, her accomplishments, her pioneering, her blunt questioning, her style of execution, and her being the very best to this day, where no one can touch her, BEST in her line of work. Even at 83, almost 84, she is at the top of her game and never lost it.

Barbara Walters is the greatest journalist of all time. And she is, no surprise, a trailblazer for women in the field of journalism as well. She became the first woman co-host of the Today Show on NBC for fifteen years, and was the first million dollar salary woman anchor of an evening news program on ABC. She later became the co-host to the news magazine 20/20 for 25 years. Barbara has interviewed every president since Richard Nixon, every major infamous murder and crime news story, presidents and world leaders such as Saddam Hussein, the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Boris Yeltson, Vladimir Putin, Hugo Chavez, Muammar al-Gaddafi, and one of her best known interviews with Fidel Castro, being the first American to cross the bay of pigs with the dictator in the 1970s. She is also famous for her joint interview with two world leader rivals Anwar Al Sadat and Menechan Begin.

Barbara Walters interview with Fidel Castro in 1977 was equivalent to as if she interviewed Saddam Hussein during The Iraq War.

Barbara was known to get the interviews no one else could, the "scoops" and asking the questions no one else dared ask in the field. She was able to get the story no one else could and get people to tell things no one else would be able to find out. The first interview with Martha Stewart before her trial and only an hour after her sentencing, the first interview with Christopher Reeves after his accident, the first interview with Jason Williams after his murder trial, and the only interview during the Clinton scandal with Monika Lewinsky which is still the most watched interview on television to date. I remember watching it myself.

Barbara Walters was all about the questions, which is a big part of my martial arts teachings and the blunt questioning. "Are you mad, Mr. Gaddafi?" "Did you kill your wife?" "Why do people hate you, Martha?" "Are you sad you didn't burn the tapes, Mr. Nixon?" "What kind of a tree are you, Miss Hepburn?" And watching her interviews for over ten years myself now, it is like watching a fantastic actress on stage, her line of questioning as her voice gets softer and then the "gotcha" question and she got the story! And he is not intrusive or abusive like most journalists. She is respectable, and respected. 

The Barbara Walters Specials are the most famous and watched news specials on television. They were either huge interviews with the famous or infamous, political or Hollywood, her Oscar Special went on for 30 years before the Academy Awards aired, and every year she still does her 10 Most Fascinating People of the Year. And in 1997 she began the daytime show The View which she owns and executive producer. 

Barbara Walters founded the daytime television show The View in 1997 and has been going strong for 17 years!

Barbara Walters was a huge influence in my life. You can ask any of my long time friends from high school on. I identified with her work ethic and drive. She truly is a driving force and absolutely inexhaustible. I wanted to be just that. And I have been for many years. Nothing stopped her, there were no excuses, and she never seized to amaze her industry. She has made a name for herself and her industry and is absolutely singular. No one can do what she does. Some may have come close, like Dianne Sawyer or Katie Couric, but none of them could be where they are if it weren't for Barbara.

I think the most common story I hear about a television icon is the story that is told over and over again by both Barbara and her little protege, Oprah Winfrey. There would no be Oprah or any other woman on television at their caliber if it weren't for Barbara. When Oprah started out as a journalist, she used to pose like Barbara, talk like Barbara, sit like Barbara, and tried so hard to be like Barbara. Until finally one day, Oprah decided only Barbara can be like Barbara. However, Barbara takes full credit for Oprah's success lol.

Oprah Winfrey says "If there weren't a Barbara, there wouldn't have been a me."

Barbara Walters with another one of my idols, Lucille Ball and then husband Gary Morton.

To this day I work hard to mimic the work ethic and drive that this woman has in my own way in my own industry. In high school I was actually known as the Barbara Walters of the school, taking over the school newspaper and interviewing like it was the New York Times. I use those researching skills and interviewing skills to the "Walters caliber" in my martial arts training, to my business, my teaching, my working with people, my counseling, and this very blog! 

When she published her autobiography Audition, I heard she was going to the community college where I lived. I of course dragged one of my friends with me and went to the college to see her speak and watched her get interviewed by the college president. Then I ran to the very front of the line to get her to sign my copy of her book. I was three feet away from one of my idols. I was so happy! I remembered people saying to her "I want to be like you" etc etc, and her answer was "Then you have to have the entire package." Little did she know, I already had the whole package with my own story.

You can only imagine my disappointment when this past week, Barbara Walters announced her retirement in one year from now. I really followed her and looked up to this icon. So now I write here my next goal for within the year. Because I am one who loves to make big goals and make them come true. I was three feet away from Barbara when she signed my copy of her autobiography. Now this time, sometime within the year, I am going to have a sit down meet, perhaps lunch, with the journalism legend! She's not gone yet! I have one year to make this happen! You heard it here first.

I am so grateful for icons such as Barbara Walters who has influenced me to this very day. I admire her work, and I admire her story. May she always remain the very BEST and as I have for over ten years, continue to watch her work during her last year before she retires in May 2014. Who knows! Maybe she'll interview me! HAHA! (BOWS)

Yours in service,

MASTER TRENTO

Trento's Angels

I am just so proud. Last week was an extremely emotional week, but I held it together pretty well. I have three girls named Bethany, Taylor, and Mia who have been students of mine for a very very long time. They were with me when I apprenticed under my old master, they were with me when I opened my school, they were with me at my first competition as a school, they were part of my first belt test at the school, they were part of all my firsts at TMAFC.

Last week the the long awaited adult Black Belt test for these three girls. Each one compliments each other in different ways, a triangular force of energy that is so natural and pure. Bethany has a brilliant mind and a controlled attitude that allows her to accomplish anything she wants. It doesn't matter how many times or how hard the struggle is. Her perseverance is unparalleled that I can think of no other 14 year old girl her age could compare to. Her twin sister Taylor has come so far from where she began in her training. Her enthusiasm and spirit has carried her through with her focus. She enjoys the inner struggle of worry and doubt as a ploy with her own self to prep her to handling her tasks with ease and comfort when it really meant the most. Nothing phased her. In the case of Mia, Black Belt tests were made for her. Her intensity and attitude was the flame that kept the trio motivated and inspired which kept the trio spiritually connected in the strongest bond that lead them to the very end.

I have done many Black Belt tests now in the career of TMAFC and the tests themselves, as well as the quality of the students have come so far since that very first one from November 2009. I myself have been apart of 40 Black Belt tests over my career, and have tested in about eight of them. But this test was different. I finally had "Trento minded" students testing for Black Belt. They didn't have the distrust and anxiety that came from the hazing-type Black Belt tests my other students have seen and experienced, they had the attitude and foresight as I had on my own test back a year ago that helped them tremendously and made the experience ten times more enjoyable and special.

Trento's Angels holding hands at end of second day.

Bethany Disanno

Taylor Disanno

  

Mia Giordano

The written test took them six hours to finish! It has NEVER taken that long before. But these girls put their hearts and souls into their writing, because it meant something to them. They took the writing just as serious as the practical. That alone I appreciated from them so much. And their answers and insights for 14 year old girls was exquisite! Bethany Disanno was also the first EVER I gave full marks for a written test.

Day 2 was Conditioning day and following their 1,000 jumping jacks was the mighty lesson of focusing on what you want vs what you don't want and having the ability to be determined enough with mind and body, despite all odds to accomplish 600 jump ropes with only 3 misses. If you messed up a fourth time, they started over. It took a long time until they heeded my advice and focused on 600 jump ropes and not the 3 mistakes. Mia was first to accomplish her task, then Taylor. Bethany struggled, but her determination was flawless. She could have went all night if she had to. She never even thought of giving up. Most grown adults would have. There wasn't a dry eye when she finally accomplished her task.

Bethany amazed after her 600 jump ropes!

Day 3 began with facing their fears. Taylor who spoke in front of an entire group of people transformed before our very eyes as her tense, tearful body became one of ease and relaxation, full of confidence. Mia every day was bringing a dressed up toy spider to change her relationship with her phobia of spiders. A crumb sized spider she would jolt like an Olympic runner with a piercing scream whether it was real or not, was then hugging a gigantic, hairy toy spider and did a form with it, as if she loved spiders. And Bethany, afraid of falling stood on a chair and fell backwards first shot and fell into the arms of her team. I have seen grown men burst into tears over this fear and NOT do it. You saw the comfort and relaxation in them as they did their forms following the conquering fears, and again challenged their focus by doing all their forms in different directions. Bethany is the first person in 10 years NOT to make one single mistake on a Black Belt test doing that drill (the last person was me).

Bethany faces her fear of falling by doing the trust fall from RYLA.

Taylor confronts her fear of speaking publicly, speaking to a group of strangers.

This is Claude....yeah....

Mia makes fear her friend using NLP techniques with spiders.

Day 4 was a more stern day and physically demanding day while demonstrating physical endurance with self-defense. Doing their low level self-defenses several times with different attackers alternating with hopping on one leg for 5 minutes and if one person dropped it they ALL started over testing patience, support, and trust, back to rapid fire low level escape attacking, to push ups and sit ups, to higher level self-defenses, to rapid fire self-defenses, to squat thrusts, to free style attacking with four attackers at once. I would feel sorry for the attacker who goes for one of these 14 year old girls.

Day 5 was Basics Day, not only did they have to show and demonstrate clean, proper blocks and kicks and combination with kicks, but know the details through questioning of the curriculum, and understanding of the technical functions of their Taekwondo. This understanding enhances their performance of their techniques. Get a question wrong, push ups.  And then having the ability to be one legged as balance and control while trust and leg strength is tested by kicking a piece of paper 50 times from your partner's mouth while sitting in horse stance.

Trento's Angels prepping for push ups

Bethany against five attackers.

Miss Frey gets a close call from Mia's knife hand strike!

Taylor defending herself against multiple attackers,

The final day is always the most surprising and unexpected day. First time in a couple of years TMAFC has had multiple people in a test. The panel was superb, including guests such as two of my mentors, Mr. George Valentino and Master Samuel DeJesus, along with a return fro Sensei Cara Parmigiani, and first time Nicolette D'Ambra and Megan Jorge from ATA Springfield.

There is always appropriate nervousness at all the tests as the girls went through their forms at the beginning. They knew their general knowledge and got through any judges choice the panel threw at them. Of course Frankie Peracchio uses his Qigong meditation technique to relax the mind and syncronize the energy, and of course they saw MY element of water, which is what I was thinking about. (Mind like moon, mind like water-- lesson from MY Black Belt test ten years ago). Andrew Kranich used an evasion drill that was more and excuse to make the girls do push ups which was lengthy. Samantha Volk questioned them on our AAU Taekwondo rules from the official handbook, Erin McKenna chose our longest kicking combinations and wanted face level kicks, Robert Lisciandrello drew from a deck of cards and tallied up the number which equaled the amount of squat thrusts they had to accomplish, Sensei Cara wanted see see their best take downs and throws for sel-defense purposes, Mr. Valentino tested their suicide drills and beating their personal best, Miss Jorge wanted quality knuckle push ups (VERY hard), Miss D'Ambra did a criss cross speed drill that required strategy and conditioning, and Master DeJesus passed down a 10 minute conditioning drill he did on HIS Black Belt test that tested stamina and drive.

Rapid fire sparring can become very emotional. What may look like a beating to the audience is a display of drive and want from the judges. For seven minutes straight, every 15 seconds a new person sparring, the girls had to demonstrate technique, footwork, rules, and the virtues of determination, indomitable spirit, and perseverance. It's tough to watch, but all three of the girls never thought of stopping and quitting. Some grown adults cannot do what these girls did.

The most emotional part that happens is our self-defense portion. Exactly what I endured ten years ago, wet tarp, loud music, shock of water splashed on you, blind folded, and being attacked to the ground. For three young ladies, they did all they had to do to "survive". Unless you have done it yourself, you cannot fully understand the emotion and adrenaline that occurs in that moment. You forget it is not real, you have everything working against you, your body has been spent after six days of being put through every challenge you can think of, and now you have to defend yourself against all odds. You can't see, hear, or move, people screaming at you for support, and the level of intensity goes through the roof. It is so important for young females to go through a process like this. Women are perceived as weak and easy targets for attackers and abuser out in the world. These 14 year olds represented young women everywhere so well. If there is one thing their parents can count on, they will never have to worry about them.

Then the very last thing, when their bodies are completely spent, they have to do ALL of their breaking techniques which totals to 25 boards each. When the body kept telling them no, their minds had to take over to make their bodies say YES. The cheers were louder than ever, and the emotion that filled the room was overwhelming. There was such wonderful energy in the room and not a dry eye as the three girls received their Adult Black Belts.

I am so proud of these girls. So proud. Just so proud. What they demonstrated that entire week is an inspiration to all young women. They truly represent the Trento teaching in every aspect of their martial arts and in their lives, and that is a greater gift to me than how they do a roundhouse kick or a ridge hand strike. The way they focus, their constant and never ending improvement, their determination and drive, the way they treat other people, they way they fight for the weak and support what is good, these are the true aspects of a Black Belt. Not just their physical capabilities. It is a comfort to know these young ladies will hold true to the tenets of Taekwondo and the virtues of the martial arts for their entire lives. And I KNOW that for these three young women, the journey is only beginning. There is so much we will see from them in our future.

I am so proud that they tested exactly how I wanted them to, in the sense that their perspective was light hearted yet intense. They were relaxed, yet focused. They looked forward to the test instead of dreading it, and that is key. And, not to say it didn't mean anything to my past Black Belts who tested, but I believe that the level of importance this Black Belt test meant to these girls does not compare to anyone else. From the written test to the final test, their Black Belt test meant so much to them and you saw it in every word they spoke, every choice they made, and every action they took. I truly felt they broke the chain of what past Black Belt test energy that lingered from my old school and my old master. That alone in itself is a major accomplishment, and that belongs to them. So proud...

Thank you to the parents: Mary, Joe, Elizabeth, and Scott, for entrusting me with your girls, and for trusting me in preparing these girls for this test, and allowing me to have a hand in these life lessons they will hold in their lives. Thank you for your belief in ME and the unwavering faith and unmeasurable love and support for TMAFC and myself, and the rest of the Black Belt family.

Each test the candidates read out the TMAFC Black Belt oath and sign as their parents stand behind them for the belt ceremony.

Thank you to all the judges: Mr. Frankie Peracchio, Mr. Andrew Kranich, Miss Samantha Volk, Miss Erin McKenna, Mr. Robert Lisciandrello, Master Sam DeJesus, Sensei Cara Parmigiani, Mr. George Valentino, Miss Nicolette D'Ambra, and Miss Megan Jorge. Thank you for contributing your energy and experience to these girls and making their test a memorable one and giving them the quality Black Belt test they deserve and worked for! I hold you all so close and dear to my hearts.

The test panel

Thank you to all the TMAFC family for coming and supporting the test and the angels, especially Professor Lisa Sargese and for her wonderful photography, Miss Kristin Barrett, Mr. Owen Hagmaier, and the TMAFC Leadership Team.

Bethany, Taylor, and Mia: I am so proud of you girls. I don't think words can describe how proud I am of you girls. And I know it is only the beginning for you girls. I know you're never gonna give up and will always find a way to continue your training and bring it into your lives in everything you do. Hold true to yourself always, and share with others the experiences you have learned that make you wiser and more mature than most people your age. Be humble in all you do, yet intense in the things you know are important. You have proven to be true candles in this life of yours that will light the way for others, and I am so proud of you for that. I love you girls from the bottom of my heart. My love to the "Trento's Angels". (BOWS)

Baby Mia

Babies Bethany and Taylor

The grown Trento's Angels

Yours in service,
MASTER TRENTO

Po Eun

PO-EUN is the pseudonym of a loyal subject Chong Mong-Chu
(1400) who was a famous poet and whose poem "I would not serve
a second master though I might be crucified a hundred times" is
known to every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of
physics. The diagram represents his unerring loyalty to the king
and country towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty.

I received my 1st Degree Black Belt April 11, 2003 under my old master. The form I learned was called Po Eun. It is the second of the first set of Black Belt forms taught in traditional Taekwondo (ITF style). I always loved forms and loved all the work and details that were required for forms training. But when I first learned Po Eun, I remember what a new perspective I gained for my training that changed my view of forms and ability to do forms training forever.

I bet my old master can even remember the class where he was teaching me this form in great detail to clean up the techniques. The techniques in this form are very detailed, indeed. How far a punch should go, where a side kick was being executed, how to keep the feet in alignment, keeping exactly 180 line, how to generate power with the elbow being bend, etc etc etc.

A quarter of an inch was a HUGE deal in this form. And after doing so much work and seeing how much detail was required in this form, I went back to all my other forms and put a lot of work and effort into refining the details in THOSE forms as well. After all, if I wanted to be a master one day, I better hold my standards high and meet those expectations and put the work into achieving them!

Po Eun was also the very first form I got a gold medal in for forms. All those details I worked at paid off. My first gold in forms at the 2004 US Grand Prix Winter nationals in Jersey City directed by Mark "the Shark" Williams. All the forms after that I worked great detail and my forms were transformed. Many people loved my forms.

Then I met Master Balon. O.M.G. When you think you couldn't work any more detail than you have, someone opens an entire world for you. That is what Master Balon had done for me. I am so grateful because it excites me to bringing myself to an entirely new level of detailed forms training and understanding in my Taekwondo forms that I could never imagined! And it will only make my own students even greater. My current advance belts are in a better place than I was when I was their rank.

In my last lesson with Master Balon, we went over the 1st Degree forms for traditional Taekwondo, and the forms that needed the most improvements and that I seemed to be the least confident was with Po Eun, of all forms! It is not because I don't practice it, don't get me wrong. But I have been doing this form for ten years and have been doing it for so long that reconditioning my habits and body to making these improvements has been a challenge. My body and mind are at battle instead of harmony. What an exciting challenge!

Being a master does not mean you know everything and that you can't improve. I tell my students even as a 4th Degree Black Belt I can make my low blocks better. I have no problem making mistakes in front of my students or saying I do not know something. But I always show them I can find the answers and can learn from my mistakes. Sometimes, in the most appropriate times, I guess, I do not deny my humanity. Nor would I want anyone to do so.

Po Eun has yet again come into my life as a way to excite me on something I love to do with forms, and to reaching new heights as a martial artist. Some people may say "It's only a form!" But what this form represented for me ten years ago and what it is representing to me today is a blessing for a young master like me. I am very excited, and my new Black Belts can be prepared to learning Po Eun to the best it can be. Let the details begin! (BOWS)

Yours in service,

MASTER TRENTO

In Vs Into

Five years ago, I was in Professor Lisa Sargese's class at Montclair State University, I also met one of her friends and former students Darren Ventre. He would do occasional talks in her class that were very motivational and very enthusiastic. He and Lisa were learning to be motivational speakers at the time, and I was still apprenticing under my old master, doing motivational talks in my own martial arts classes at the time.

It was that same time I was taking my martial arts training to an entirely new level and was doing a lot of research, studying, and application in my training to psychology of self-image, self-esteem psychology, orginzational psychology, the law of attratation, building motivation, and developing habits etc.

So when Darren came into Lisa's class, I really enjoyed his insights and his creativity, because I was probably one of the few people in the class who really appreciated what he was doing and why, understanding his concepts, and totally relating to the material he was presenting. I don't think he really knew what it was that I did at the time, neither did Lisa come to think of it. But there were quite a few things that stuck to me.

One of those lessons was the concept of being "in" something vs being "into" something. They are two very different things. For example. I can be in school. But that doesn't mean I am INTO school. I can be in baseball. But that is different from being INTO baseball. I can be in martial arts. Or I can be INTO martial arts.

The concept of being INTO something is that you have enthusiasm and effort connected with your role or participation of whatever you belong to which maximizes your results and experience. Very similar to my last blog post of input equals output. What you put into your experience you're going to get out of it.

I was in college. But my level of enthusiasm and effort was very minimal. Was I wasn't INTO college. I once was in baseball. But I didn't care much for it, not paid attention enough to get any better because it was not imprtant enough to me. So I wasn't INTO it at all. My martial arts, however, everything I did was beyond the expectations required, I held high standards, I put extra time into it, making my schedule work catered to martial arts training, I was definitely INTO martial arts.

In high school I was a student journalism. I wasn't just in journalism class. I was INTO the journalism class. I was so serious with the research and publication, and layout of the paper, and my interviewing, I was known as the Barbara Walters of Saddle Brook High! I was INTO it.Not just in it.

So obviously you are in this life of yours. But are you INTO life?

This was a concept that really stuck with my over the last five years and I continued to teach to all of my students. Darren and Lisa will be doing a conjoined motivational talk at my center on Friday May 17 at 8:40pm! Part of the $10 series! Come and see these two in action and in person to be motivated like never before! Here are the details:


"The Life You're Not Living:
How to Create an Inspired Life Instead of Just Wishing for One"

We'll teach you how to be motivated, how to defeat negative thinking,
and how to do your best when it means the most!
with Prof Lisa Sargese and Coach Darren Ventre of 'All Out Athletes'

8:40pm
Friday May 17th
Trento's Martial Arts and Fitness
322 Rochelle Ave
Rochelle Park, NJ
(201) 203-0773

Yours in service,
MASTER TRENTO

Input = Output

I have been teaching fitness almost as long as I have been doing martial arts. I have had some excellent training under me in understanding things most people do not know when it comes to fitness and nutrition, and even things that is not published and taught out in the world that in beneficial to people's health. It is very important to me that I teach people how to be the healthiest they can be. But sometimes it can be a challenge.

Over the years, I have always had the challenge of being "the young guy" and working with many people older than me. Especially women. I've worked with more women in fitness and nutrition than men that I can actually say confidentially I may understand a woman's body better than a man's. But I also get great results with women clients, at least the ones who listen to me.

Two of my mentors have said the same thing: Success is not a straight path, it is a clump of zig zags that lead to the same outcome. However, everyone takes a different path of that zig zag to get there. As long as they continue on the path and not stop moving. But my old master used to say something to me that had many layers to it, but was so significant to the philosophy of success: Input equals output.

What you put into your goals, your work, your actions, the amount of effort you give out will contribute to the level of success one will have. EFFORT is one of the three things in "EAR" that we control. Over the years I would have people exercise in my fitness classes, whether it be at TMAFC today, when I worked at the gym, or at my old martial arts school. There would be ladies going through the motions or not giving it their all. I even had one lady who refused to sweat o__O.

We all like to complain. Some of us are addicted. And we all do it! I am guilty of this too! But before we go to our complaining, we need to really look at our behaviors and habits to see if we can really justify ourselves. Are we CONSISTENTLY giving our all into what we are doing? I am not just talking about working out. But it's a good example. Projects we set for ourselves. Goals we make. Actions we want to choose or habits we want to acquire. What prevents us from achieving all these results?

Not doing our best at all times. Are we allowed to have bad days? Hell yeah! But if you are not consistently pushing yourself to do the very best and give your all, the output is gonna match the level of input you gave. What you put into your workouts, what you put into your goals, what you put into your convictions, is what you're going to get out of them all.

So for everyone who wants to be fit, put your best into your workout. Yeah moving is good. But if you're not really doing the best of your ability, do you think you're still going to receive the same results? DISCLAIMER: This is not pointed out to anyone I currently know in my classes, this has been said to be by several people I have worked with over the course of nine years or so: BUT I would have people working out just doing a motion with no enthusiasm or in a lazy fashion, or perhaps talking. And I would bust their chops in a jokingly way to get them moving stronger and faster and more INTO their workout. And the response I would get is "Well I'm still moving, aren't I?!" And that's why people do not see results.

Be determined despite the odds! Be motivated no matter what! Do the best you can and be happy you do your best and make your best BETTER! Raise your peak! Allow your motivation to give you drive to the point of inspiration, so it can carry you! (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER TRENTO

You've Got Nina!

A couple of Friars on a beautiful day!

There are some people you have in life and whether you see them every day or every year, when you're with them, you do nothing but smile and laugh! The Friars of Old are probably the most important people in my life, whether they know it or not. And we all use that term (except for Kristin Barrett) to describe our long term crew. We all started martial arts together and have shared very real life experiences, and many real life lessons.

One of those individuals is Nina. I met Nina at my old master's school when I was a low red belt. I was only training two years when she came onto the scene. We trained together, taught together, performed together, and competed together. Within the Friars, the best way to describe how Nina and I were I guess can be described as Phoebe and Joey from Friends. We were clueless about a lot of well known things, naive in a few senses, but were goofy and laughing all the time! We had such fun!

Nina is brilliant, and would always look to the future. She holds very high expectations for herself (I guess martial arts had something to do with that) and she is very ambitious. She went to the Bergen Academies for high school, scored like 4893748937498 on her SATs, attended George Washington University in Washington D.C, and is now at UMDNJ medical school (are those the right letters?!). I am so proud of Nina and she works really hard and getting all the experience and opportunities that she has been working for a long time.

We used to see each other every day at our martial arts school and totally involved in each others lives. Then as we got older and graduated from high school, off to college, we went on separate paths but as I did with all the Friars, I always kept in touch, to the point where we knew EXACTLY everything going on in each others lives as if we were there for it all. Every week Nina and I would send emails to each other. I used to say we had the "You've Got Mail" relationship (referring to the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan Move/ NO not Sleepless in Seattle!). Well I had the "You've Got Nina" treat in my life.

Nina and I at a Broadway play in 2009

I visited her in her apartment after much time of promising to visit and I FINALLY had a chance to go one morning. Between my hectic and crazy life, and her insane med school regimen, it was a miracle we found this time together! I went and sat in her living room and I couldn't help but reminisce. Wow. So much the two of us have gone through in our lives and we really were there for every part of it. I remember the phone calls from the old bedroom to her when I lived with my parents catching up on training and high school, or the night calls from my home office from my old apartment living on my own and attempting to open my own school, or the phone calls from TMAFC as I paced back and forth on the mats, to the late phone calls today when I am home alone in bed.

And I remember all the phases she's been through from applications to colleges, off to D.C and different jobs and huge exams she had to take, to med school interviews and plans for her future, to the different rotations and surgeries she experienced, to different doctors she has been exposed to, to her sister getting married and moving to Germany, her parents redoing her old childhood home, I remember it all as if I were actually there.

Reflecting on all the time we have had our friendship and worked so hard to be involved in all the awesome things we were doing in our lives, and how proud we are for our accomplishments for each other, that in itself shows how important our friendship means to us. But one thing always remained the same from every time ever in all the phases I went through either in my old bedroom, or my apartment office, my car, or dojang, is that when I would hang up, I would always cry and tear up. Not always because I was sad to hang up, but because of how much I miss seeing her and knowing the mutual friendship we have is so important. What a great feeling.

During our visit, catching up on the wonderful things going on in our lives today, I was talking about all the new martial arts training I am doing, Sifu, Qi work, business projects, etc, and she gave me a simple, yet so important compliment to me. "Andrew (she's one of the few who call me by first name), we all did martial arts, but you are truly a martial artist." I don't know why, but that meant a lot to me. A special kind of validation or endorsement. But martial arts not only gave me the skills I possess, or the lessons I hold dear to my heart, but lifelong friends like Nina, and I am so grateful.

Nina, I love you and am so proud of you. I can see us 5, 10, 15, 30 years from now, continuing to do what we have always done and be so happy and excited for each other to see what our next move is in our exciting journeys. Thank you for the many years of wonderful friendship, and support in all I do, knowing the Friars are just as important to you as to me. It's always a treat and delight when I open my email and my computer saying to me "You've Got Nina!" And guess what, you always got me too ;) . (BOWS)

Nina and I in 2007 celebrating my high school graduation

Yours in service,
MASTER TRENTO