Can Martial Arts Really Bring Inner Peace?

WEBVTT

00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:01.504
Welcome to the Yoga Nation.

00:00:01.504 --> 00:00:04.211
The Spirit of Gratitude podcast on the One Integration platform.

00:00:04.211 --> 00:00:14.574
Hello friends, my name is Yogesh Patel and this podcast explores the themes of bullying, self-awareness and the power of our inner spirit, including the silent battles we all face.

00:00:14.574 --> 00:00:28.265
Join me every week as I invite high-profile guests, as we explore how adversity shapes us, how gratitude lifts us and how we can all uncover the inner strength that we all have within ourselves.

00:00:28.265 --> 00:00:30.129
Join the conversation.

00:00:30.129 --> 00:00:31.292
I appreciate you listening.

00:00:31.332 --> 00:00:45.529
In Question how does a martial artist go from the dojo to carving out a legacy that spans Hollywood, world stages and even Tony Robbins' journey?

00:00:45.529 --> 00:00:49.810
Great Grandmaster and Quanjinim Ernie Reyes Sr.

00:00:49.810 --> 00:00:54.265
Is that individual holding the rare distinction of a 10th degree black belt in Taekwondo?

00:00:54.265 --> 00:00:59.404
If there was a Mount Rushmore of martial art legends, master Reyes would be carved right into it.

00:00:59.404 --> 00:01:23.343
He co-founded with his late friend Quanjinim and Great Grandmaster Tony Thompson, whowanjanum and great grandmaster Tony Thompson, who is what is now known excuse me as West Coast World Martial Arts Association, and among the high-profile distinctions, his demo team went to be voted the number one martial artist demonstration team in the world by Europe's Budo International and praised by Bushido Magazine With gratitude.

00:01:23.343 --> 00:01:26.242
It is an honor to welcome you to Phoenix and Backlot Studios.

00:01:26.242 --> 00:01:29.250
Great Grandmaster Reyes.

00:01:29.831 --> 00:01:30.552
Thank you so much.

00:01:30.552 --> 00:01:43.049
It's really a historic moment for me, because not only do I spend a spiritual moment with you, is I get to see my instructor, grandmaster Dan Choi, who I haven't seen for 47 years.

00:01:43.049 --> 00:01:49.986
So this is a journey, it's a pilgrimage, and I'm just doing it for myself and great Master Consumptoni, so I'm happy to be here.

00:01:50.849 --> 00:01:51.111
Wow.

00:01:51.111 --> 00:01:57.483
Normally, as one martial artist to another, I didn't quite achieve my black belt, but I got to pluma too.

00:01:57.483 --> 00:02:01.347
Normally I would take a bow, but in this case I honor you.

00:02:01.347 --> 00:02:05.707
My consciousness is paying tribute to your consciousness with gratitude.

00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:07.183
Thank you.

00:02:08.224 --> 00:02:09.448
Well, I'm very curious to find out.

00:02:09.448 --> 00:02:12.281
Master Reyes, what was it like teaching Tony Robbins?

00:02:12.281 --> 00:02:13.966
Could you share a fun story about that?

00:02:14.026 --> 00:02:15.830
Well, what happened was we were in Maui.

00:02:15.830 --> 00:02:27.447
I was actually taking his mastery course, right Okay, and my great friend who's passed away is Grandmaster Jun Ri, so he's the one that actually taught him.

00:02:27.447 --> 00:02:30.061
But he knew I was going to end up being there and he goes.

00:02:30.061 --> 00:02:34.673
I want you to come up on stage and we're going to test Tony Robbins.

00:02:34.673 --> 00:02:43.368
So I helped do the testing for him, so I had an opportunity to do some of his certain techniques and I even held the boards for him right there.

00:02:43.368 --> 00:02:50.727
And you know how he has six, five, you know, 200 and something pounds and his power was amazing, amazing.

00:02:50.727 --> 00:02:59.667
But he missed it the first time, right Okay, and I said take a breath, focus in center yourself, do what you tell me to do, go for it.

00:02:59.667 --> 00:03:00.569
And then he broke it.

00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:08.171
So it was a great experience to be able to do that and I'm just happy that Grandmaster Junry just again manifested it wasn't planned.

00:03:08.171 --> 00:03:11.068
He just saw I was being there taking the course.

00:03:11.068 --> 00:03:18.209
But yeah, tony Robbins really impacted and empowered WCWM Association myself, ernie Jr and our entire association.

00:03:18.209 --> 00:03:20.385
Yeah, so we did all the firewalks and all that.

00:03:20.747 --> 00:03:21.389
That's amazing.

00:03:21.389 --> 00:03:24.991
What is it about martial arts, besides the punches and the kicks?

00:03:24.991 --> 00:03:29.033
That helps a person look for the answers within themselves.

00:03:29.694 --> 00:03:38.062
So I think it starts from the first day that somebody comes in as a white belt Whether you're a white belt or tends to be black belt we have a process right.

00:03:38.544 --> 00:03:49.180
They come in, they bow to the floor, then we take them in and bow again to the instructor, and so those little elements that brand new people don't even realize it's.

00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:56.730
They're on the journey of finding not just the exterior thing, which is all about punching and kicking, but again within themselves.

00:03:56.730 --> 00:03:58.346
So they're brand new at it.

00:03:58.346 --> 00:04:03.151
We have them sit down and they just have them sit on their knees.

00:04:03.151 --> 00:04:15.709
After they bow into the instructor, they sit on their knees, they close their eyes, then we teach them how to just breathe, just inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale and then hold for four.

00:04:15.709 --> 00:04:20.127
So it's basically the box breathing that a lot of people do these days, right.

00:04:20.127 --> 00:04:32.848
And then we have them just stay there and sit, sit still, and it doesn't matter whether you're four years old or 80 years old, like my sister who's 80 years old and she's going to be testing for her black belt.

00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:34.685
Everybody's got to sit still.

00:04:35.579 --> 00:04:42.911
And again, when you see these people, it's hard for people to sit still, especially during these times and days.

00:04:42.911 --> 00:04:46.841
Too much electronics, too much going on fast pace.

00:04:46.841 --> 00:04:47.764
You know what I'm saying.

00:04:47.764 --> 00:04:50.048
Lifestyle, but we calm them down.

00:04:50.831 --> 00:04:51.473
So we just had.

00:04:51.473 --> 00:04:53.807
Is it through the breathing or is it something else?

00:04:54.360 --> 00:04:56.267
I think the breathing is first and foremost.

00:04:56.267 --> 00:04:58.220
You got to control the breath right.

00:04:58.220 --> 00:05:00.769
The next is focus and concentrate.

00:05:00.769 --> 00:05:03.367
Concentrate on being in the present moment.

00:05:03.367 --> 00:05:10.831
Not think about and the instructor's walking through this process not thinking about what happened today, was it good or was it bad.

00:05:10.831 --> 00:05:12.404
Be in the present moment.

00:05:12.404 --> 00:05:24.968
So when you're being in the present moment, you start to internalize of yourself and you, sitting there, you're going to find a lot of things that monkey mindset is going to be going off and you're going to be distracted in so many different ways.

00:05:25.401 --> 00:05:28.966
But as you practice more and more, it gets better, because we have black belt training.

00:05:28.966 --> 00:05:32.110
There's a 10-week cycle of black belts training that we get into.

00:05:32.110 --> 00:05:34.468
The first thing I do we're not punching and kicking.

00:05:34.468 --> 00:05:36.567
We're going to develop our mind and spirit first.

00:05:36.567 --> 00:05:42.026
So we're going to sit down, focus in, breathe and listen to my mastery notes.

00:05:42.026 --> 00:05:49.966
So my mastery notes are like life skill ideas and basically what's the primary goal besides kicking and punching.

00:05:49.966 --> 00:05:57.069
So I talk about life goals and things like that and then Now is that to rewire the brain and its chemistry?

00:05:57.240 --> 00:06:16.773
Well, it's both things right, because, again, you know, it's kind of like when you look at all this, it's kind of like it's happened a long time ago, ancient times, right now science gets into it yes then you get the neuroscience right then you get the research and they know that it's all part of the way of again reaching your highest self.

00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:19.528
but your highest self, like you said, you can't.

00:06:19.528 --> 00:06:22.420
You can't do, you could only do so much on the outside.

00:06:22.420 --> 00:06:43.345
But once you start getting internalized, it becomes a whole other thing Because, like I was going to say, we have black belt training, so everybody's trying to sit there and they're doing it, from young again to old, young teenagers to young adults, to senior citizens right Going for you know, again, the ability is going to be different, but the curriculum is exactly how it's supposed to be.

00:06:44.065 --> 00:06:59.625
So they've got to sit there, cross leg palms here, focus in breathing, and a lot of them have been labeled ADHD, hyper active, whatever, and I can guarantee after 10 weeks they're not moving.

00:06:59.625 --> 00:07:02.562
Nobody's moving, really Nobody's moving.

00:07:02.562 --> 00:07:05.386
They may be moving a little bit, but not moving that fast.

00:07:05.386 --> 00:07:10.300
So I have a friend, his name is master chun and he's the head of the buddhist temple in morgan hill.

00:07:10.300 --> 00:07:14.930
So your father's going somewhere in that area, right morgan hill or something.

00:07:14.951 --> 00:07:18.166
Yeah, that's where I grew up, so he became a good friend of mine and tony thompson's.

00:07:18.166 --> 00:07:21.442
So he was talking about life and death.

00:07:21.442 --> 00:07:33.928
Because I go to him every once in a while I'm a born Christian, right, and so besides that he's got so much valuable information so I kind of tap into his mindset.

00:07:33.928 --> 00:07:35.033
I said so, tell me a little bit about life and death.

00:07:35.033 --> 00:07:38.343
So he's talking about life and death and there's a fly going all over.

00:07:38.343 --> 00:07:39.925
My wife Marge was there watching what's happening.

00:07:39.925 --> 00:07:44.733
My wife Marge was there watching what's happening.

00:07:44.733 --> 00:07:47.850
He didn't flinch, he just stayed focused.

00:07:47.870 --> 00:07:48.495
Was that focused?

00:07:48.579 --> 00:07:52.732
And concentrated and calm and talked about life and death.

00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:56.860
So his perception of life and death was this he goes.

00:07:56.860 --> 00:08:02.273
When somebody passes away, what's on the tombstone RIP Rest in peace.

00:08:02.273 --> 00:08:03.843
So he goes.

00:08:03.843 --> 00:08:17.547
That person will never, whether it's your friend or your husband, your wife, your child, whoever, they're not going to rest in peace until you become peace within yourself, then they will be at peace.

00:08:17.547 --> 00:08:19.466
Otherwise it will never happen.

00:08:19.466 --> 00:08:22.028
So that's the first step that we try to do.

00:08:22.028 --> 00:08:23.706
Then we do affirmations right.

00:08:23.706 --> 00:08:30.872
And what is the purpose of West Coast martial arts Is to develop oneself physically, mentally, spiritually, with good character.

00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:33.307
So that's the beginning process.

00:08:33.307 --> 00:08:35.927
Well, that leads me to my next question.

00:08:35.927 --> 00:08:40.697
Your dojo is built on four words, sir Honor, loyalty, family and bravery.

00:08:40.697 --> 00:08:42.866
Right, how did these words come alive in the class?

00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:50.371
And how do they follow your students out the door and into everyday life?

00:08:50.371 --> 00:08:51.437
So we tell everybody what is honor.

00:08:51.437 --> 00:09:04.087
Honor is wear it like your armor, live with integrity, have respect and discipline, and respect for not only yourself, but respect for others.

00:09:04.087 --> 00:09:06.692
So what's the next one?

00:09:07.801 --> 00:09:09.927
No, it just got me reflecting about.

00:09:09.927 --> 00:09:14.527
You know, to the citizens of the Yoga Nation, I tend to be my own worst critic at times.

00:09:14.527 --> 00:09:19.631
So a lot of it is do I have the ability to self-respect myself?

00:09:19.631 --> 00:09:21.846
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

00:09:21.846 --> 00:09:32.292
And it needs to be completely the opposite of negating or eliminating the self-deprecating thoughts that I sometimes have.

00:09:32.292 --> 00:09:38.525
Now I've been through that martial arts journey, but that was 10 years ago.

00:09:38.525 --> 00:09:40.565
Maybe I need to reset.

00:09:41.629 --> 00:09:42.191
Little by little.

00:09:42.191 --> 00:09:45.804
It's never too late.

00:09:46.299 --> 00:09:48.006
No, it certainly isn't.

00:09:48.006 --> 00:09:54.388
And on the topic of martial arts, how does that empower someone to stand up to bullying?

00:09:55.941 --> 00:09:56.865
Stand up to bullying.

00:09:59.643 --> 00:10:03.451
I'll give you my thought, but I would love to hear from you first.

00:10:04.100 --> 00:10:07.057
So bullying is something I would love to hear from you first.

00:10:07.057 --> 00:10:09.110
So bullying is something I could relate to Okay.

00:10:09.110 --> 00:10:15.947
Because it happened to me when I was in grammar school.

00:10:15.947 --> 00:10:18.566
I couldn't read, couldn't write.

00:10:18.566 --> 00:10:20.321
Flunked first and second grade.

00:10:20.321 --> 00:10:23.043
I was the worst student Wait.

00:10:23.083 --> 00:10:23.424
Really.

00:10:23.927 --> 00:10:24.107
Yes.

00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:29.841
And I was intimidated, intimidated couldn't tell.

00:10:29.861 --> 00:10:39.764
I was intimidated, right, and just had a lot of fear factor and whatever, and so it was a hard time for me just to relate what was happening.

00:10:39.764 --> 00:10:49.350
Yeah, then as I went school it was in eighth grade, so I went to Catholic school from grammar school all the way to junior high school.

00:10:49.350 --> 00:10:54.331
In ninth grade we were taught by Jesuit priests right.

00:10:55.220 --> 00:11:25.528
And so what ended up happening was there was a bully, and he would bully me and my friend every day, right, calling us names, every nasty name that you could think we were, that right yeah and so, and this was constant and we really never told anybody, so one day because just out of fear or whatever, you know not, and just being so young and not even knowing during these days that it was bullying.

00:11:26.029 --> 00:11:27.052
Got it Okay sure.

00:11:27.341 --> 00:11:30.009
Because it was just this bad guy giving us a hard time every single day.

00:11:30.068 --> 00:11:30.250
Yes.

00:11:30.400 --> 00:11:39.594
Now it's termed bullying, right, and there is a lot of bullying, because I never realized it, but we have black belt testing and there's testimonials.

00:11:39.594 --> 00:11:45.011
At the end A lot of kids come up and explain that they were bullied some kind of way.

00:11:45.011 --> 00:11:46.985
So I was going through that.

00:11:46.985 --> 00:12:02.899
Then one day he, in front of the class, when I was walking in and my friend behind him, he comes up to me, bumps my chest, pushes me like I want to fight, I don't know, and at that point I just lost it.

00:12:02.899 --> 00:12:07.918
Wow, so he was like 150 pounds.

00:12:07.918 --> 00:12:12.639
You know, as a high school person I was 115 pounds as a thing.

00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:14.777
He was like 5'8", I was 5'3".

00:12:14.777 --> 00:12:17.937
I grew a little bit more, but that's the challenge.

00:12:17.937 --> 00:12:26.851
And I hit him so fast and hard right in the stomach it just made him fold over and I didn't stop, I just kept on going.

00:12:27.212 --> 00:12:27.774
I just kept on.

00:12:27.774 --> 00:12:30.770
I didn't know what ground and pound was, but I was just ground and pounding him.

00:12:30.770 --> 00:12:36.282
Then the father walks in I mean the priest, the Jesuit brother, comes in.

00:12:36.282 --> 00:12:38.692
He sees me beating up this guy.

00:12:38.692 --> 00:12:40.254
So what happens?

00:12:40.254 --> 00:12:41.697
I'm the one that gets in trouble.

00:12:41.716 --> 00:12:42.437
Yeah, you get in trouble.

00:12:42.597 --> 00:12:52.999
So back in those old days, catholic school, they line you up, they have a board of directors right, and the board of directors is a board, a real board.

00:12:53.669 --> 00:12:54.653
Okay, okay.

00:12:55.235 --> 00:12:59.220
They line you up, they tell you to bend over and bam.

00:12:59.370 --> 00:13:01.292
I was hoping you wouldn't have that visual, but yeah, I get it.

00:13:01.292 --> 00:13:01.832
So it's me, I jump high.

00:13:01.832 --> 00:13:03.934
I was hoping you wouldn't have that visual, but yeah, I get it.

00:13:03.934 --> 00:13:04.155
So it's me.

00:13:04.176 --> 00:13:10.582
I jump high and the whole thing is I got the board of education that don't do stupid things like this.

00:13:11.464 --> 00:13:12.184
It wasn't stupid.

00:13:12.184 --> 00:13:13.525
You set up for yourself.

00:13:13.525 --> 00:13:14.611
It was courage.

00:13:14.631 --> 00:13:17.039
So I said no, but the process I think could have been better.

00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:18.214
So I told them.

00:13:18.214 --> 00:13:29.716
You know what I said to myself everybody who's watching, don't do that, because there's better ways to go about doing it, and in martial arts we don't take that way.

00:13:29.716 --> 00:13:31.856
We've got to talk somebody.

00:13:31.856 --> 00:13:42.003
First of all, we always create distance and we want to just make this and we're not here to be instigators of it.

00:13:42.323 --> 00:13:43.985
We're here to be protectors of it.

00:13:43.985 --> 00:13:49.508
So unless you have to right and there's a last resort, then you got to do what you got to do.

00:13:53.413 --> 00:13:55.320
But we're never here to harm anybody.

00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:55.802
Yes, that's amazing.

00:13:55.802 --> 00:14:04.514
That's great advice or wisdom, I should say not advice and your mom used to have a famous saying there's always a way Right.

00:14:04.514 --> 00:14:12.441
If you were sitting across from someone right now who's feeling stuck in anxiety or depression, how would you help them believe that that's true for them too?

00:14:13.621 --> 00:14:14.503
I would tell them that.

00:14:14.503 --> 00:14:18.306
First of all, I'd tell them the story about my mom right.

00:14:18.306 --> 00:14:20.467
Where did she come up with that motto or slogan?

00:14:20.970 --> 00:14:22.255
Exactly I want to know that myself.

00:14:24.690 --> 00:14:28.038
So she was one of the first Filipino immigrants to ever come to the united states in 1920.

00:14:28.038 --> 00:14:39.302
So she was just getting paid 16 hour, 16 cents an hour, so you had to have two or three and then she had 12 children right and women.

00:14:39.302 --> 00:14:42.714
During these, those that you think it's bad people complain these days.

00:14:42.714 --> 00:14:44.336
Think about how it was there.

00:14:44.336 --> 00:14:45.977
They were just.

00:14:45.977 --> 00:14:47.179
You know what I'm saying.

00:14:47.179 --> 00:14:51.245
They pretty much stand down and follow what I say and do.

00:14:51.245 --> 00:14:58.113
They don't get an opportunity to grow or become the best that they could possibly be.

00:14:58.133 --> 00:15:01.937
So she worked in the fields, so did California Working in the fields.

00:15:01.937 --> 00:15:04.981
So did my father, and they worked hard, right.

00:15:04.981 --> 00:15:06.725
They put me in the fields.

00:15:06.725 --> 00:15:13.792
So did my father, and they worked hard, right, they put me in those fields and then the whole thing was again.

00:15:13.792 --> 00:15:15.100
It was just like a matter of when I was young, I didn't just believe in our words.

00:15:15.100 --> 00:15:16.618
There's no way I don't want to end up doing that.

00:15:16.618 --> 00:15:31.285
But as I got older I was just thinking about, you know, no matter what I've gone through, because I've went through some hardships, both me and Tony, during college, as we were on food stamps, social welfare and all that Ernie Jr was on the way.

00:15:31.285 --> 00:15:37.480
It was really tough times, but I would always think to my mom that there is always a way.

00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:44.676
So no matter how difficult things are and I've been through some people just see the end results right, of course he did all this and all.

00:15:44.716 --> 00:15:51.429
of course they don't see the darkness there's dark times and things that you're confused thinking about.

00:15:51.429 --> 00:15:56.013
I'm quitting college and everything because I got to provide for my son.

00:15:56.013 --> 00:15:56.634
That's coming.

00:15:56.634 --> 00:15:57.217
What do I do?

00:15:57.217 --> 00:16:00.895
And I just try to always remember there's always a way.

00:16:00.895 --> 00:16:03.553
And so when I think about that, there's always a way.

00:16:03.553 --> 00:16:05.880
And so when I think about that, there's always a way.

00:16:05.880 --> 00:16:08.206
It brings me power.

00:16:08.206 --> 00:16:13.301
And I graduated when I was about I was a senior at san jose state university.

00:16:13.301 --> 00:16:14.812
Okay, I was ready to drop out.

00:16:14.812 --> 00:16:16.899
Really, it was that close to make it happen.

00:16:16.899 --> 00:16:19.668
I said, nah, I gotta do it for my mom.

00:16:19.668 --> 00:16:22.212
She did the best that she can provide for all of us.

00:16:22.212 --> 00:16:24.375
I've got to do that for her.

00:16:24.375 --> 00:16:27.980
So, knowing that and where we come from, everybody goes through.

00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:29.322
That's where the honor comes in as well.

00:16:29.461 --> 00:16:32.004
Yeah, a lot of people go through a lot of hardships.

00:16:32.024 --> 00:16:32.245
Yeah.

00:16:35.950 --> 00:16:52.364
But I think when you have people that love you and could care for you, you know what I'm saying and, like I just told you, my story right is I couldn't read or write and I just kept on going and going because I was really the dumb jock until 11th grade, right.

00:16:52.364 --> 00:17:00.674
And 11th grade, something happened to me that just said I'm tired of being the dumb jock and I'm going to change.

00:17:01.297 --> 00:17:01.999
I came from within.

00:17:02.581 --> 00:17:04.452
Yeah, so it's all that.

00:17:04.452 --> 00:17:06.619
You know hardships that.

00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:20.115
I saw the hardships of me going and working on those fields, bent over like it was 12 or 15 hours a day, with Mexican braceros and Filipino people agriculture, cutting the lettuce and strawberries, and all of that.

00:17:20.115 --> 00:17:24.214
And being in that, I just said you know what I could be better at this?

00:17:24.214 --> 00:17:26.795
People would call me dumb and ching-chong and all of that.

00:17:26.795 --> 00:17:28.358
And being in that, I just said you know what I could be better at this?

00:17:28.358 --> 00:17:30.404
People would call me dumb and ching-chong and all of that.

00:17:30.404 --> 00:17:31.426
And just I said I'm changing that.

00:17:31.426 --> 00:17:33.276
So I was a great athlete.

00:17:33.276 --> 00:17:35.529
So I said I'm going to go model.

00:17:35.529 --> 00:17:43.840
I didn't know about modeling and mirroring people, which Anthony Robbins teaches, and so I said I'm going to follow my friends.

00:17:43.840 --> 00:17:53.817
They're honor students, so I watched them, watched their habits of how they trained and real, meticulously did what they did.

00:17:53.817 --> 00:17:56.196
You know highlighters back in the day, right?

00:17:56.411 --> 00:18:02.820
Just highlighting everything right, Just taking notes, you know, and we had to write everything.

00:18:03.029 --> 00:18:09.037
There's no all this right yeah, it was, everything was written you go to library, you have to go research everything.

00:18:09.096 --> 00:18:10.320
It's like google.

00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:11.290
What is this and this?

00:18:11.632 --> 00:18:16.261
yeah, that's where it comes out, yeah you know it's a whole nother world, right?

00:18:16.261 --> 00:18:21.201
So it was all those kind of trials and tribulations.

00:18:21.201 --> 00:18:28.321
When you go through it and you hear those words, it starts to resonate you and slowly it starts to get into you, right?

00:18:28.321 --> 00:18:34.700
So I started to become, you know, like anybody had to study something, probably you, real fast.

00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:40.277
I had to do it three or five times to even comprehend what I'm trying to do, not getting it whatever.

00:18:40.277 --> 00:18:43.912
So I had to do catch up my base, the base of the foundation.

00:18:43.912 --> 00:18:49.657
It's like martial arts if, if you don't have a base of foundation, don't try to go up and try to get the higher-end techniques.

00:18:50.574 --> 00:18:52.112
So I was behind, so I had to catch-up.

00:18:52.112 --> 00:18:53.699
I had to catch-up on everything.

00:18:53.699 --> 00:18:54.281
You know what I'm saying.

00:18:54.281 --> 00:18:57.920
It even took me longer to graduate from college anyway.

00:19:00.410 --> 00:19:01.635
Everyone's on their own journey.

00:19:06.109 --> 00:19:08.018
I made it, and so I became honors in high school, became honors in college.

00:19:08.038 --> 00:19:10.267
You know, I'm saying but I think that's a greater lesson.

00:19:10.267 --> 00:19:16.026
Uh, master reyes, and with those that are perhaps struggling with depression or anxiety.

00:19:16.026 --> 00:19:17.911
The answers are within themselves.

00:19:17.911 --> 00:19:24.960
They just have to be open, accepting to it, as opposed to the world telling them you can't do this, don't do that.

00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:30.317
I mean that messaging could come from your family, it come from a friend, I guess.

00:19:30.317 --> 00:19:35.785
For me it's eliminating that noise and that's, yes to me, what the martial arts journey taught me when it comes.

00:19:35.785 --> 00:19:38.992
But you know, I didn't answer that question about the bullying.

00:19:38.992 --> 00:19:43.999
So for me, when I was a student, it was having that antenna of.

00:19:43.999 --> 00:19:49.205
From a bullying standpoint, am I in an uncomfortable situation?

00:19:49.205 --> 00:19:56.059
That, to me, is what martial arts had taught me over the four and a half years that I spent in my dojo.

00:19:56.059 --> 00:19:57.303
That's awesome, yeah.

00:19:58.090 --> 00:20:00.720
So I think, it builds that self-awareness.

00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.417
Your antenna to see am I in harm's way?

00:20:03.538 --> 00:20:04.762
Yeah, yeah, exactly.

00:20:04.762 --> 00:20:14.377
And so with all of that, I say if I could do it, we could help you do it.

00:20:14.377 --> 00:20:17.638
It's just a matter of finding the right people.

00:20:17.638 --> 00:20:19.476
Surround yourself with good people.

00:20:19.476 --> 00:20:21.935
You know what I'm saying, just like what we're doing here.

00:20:21.935 --> 00:20:27.820
This is a great program you know what I'm saying to bring awareness to people, understanding what we're all doing.

00:20:27.820 --> 00:20:29.394
But we can't do it alone.

00:20:29.394 --> 00:20:31.539
You know saying yes, you're sharing my story.

00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:37.280
I can't tell the story to all you folks out there if it wasn't for you, so it's a powerful thing, you know.

00:20:37.280 --> 00:20:39.953
Saying it's just that I know I've been through some hardships.

00:20:39.953 --> 00:20:44.142
If you just put your mind to it, there is always a way if the will is there.

00:20:47.051 --> 00:20:50.637
Yes, and it's providing that circle that gives you that encouragement.

00:20:50.758 --> 00:20:50.958
Yes.

00:20:51.259 --> 00:21:00.258
Whether that comes on a baseball field in martial arts, pursuing your passions right, and that, over time, leads to developing your talents.

00:21:00.258 --> 00:21:03.474
That's what I think, because I mean everyone has a gift.

00:21:03.474 --> 00:21:06.895
Yes, some are better at cooking, not me.

00:21:08.421 --> 00:21:09.082
And we can relate.

00:21:11.051 --> 00:21:14.473
But again, we just have to explore those passions and not have the negativity.

00:21:14.473 --> 00:21:17.102
Not explore that within yourself.

00:21:17.102 --> 00:21:20.799
So that's how I feel.

00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:24.996
A couple of fun questions I'd like to ask.

00:21:24.996 --> 00:21:34.176
Sure, so if your life was a martial arts movie, what would the title be and who's playing you in the film?

00:21:36.051 --> 00:21:39.498
I think the title would be Impossible.

00:21:39.498 --> 00:21:42.275
No, I take that back.

00:21:42.275 --> 00:21:48.490
I think it would be Pursuit of Mastery impossible to possible.

00:21:48.490 --> 00:21:51.138
And you asked me who would be starring it.

00:21:51.138 --> 00:22:06.733
I think I think I would want a Ninja Turtle to star in it and I think it would be Donatello, and I think that Donatello was and I think that Donatello was Bernie Reyes.

00:22:06.773 --> 00:22:07.355
Jr.

00:22:07.355 --> 00:22:16.700
And the reason why I would choose him is because he wouldn't have to do any character research.

00:22:16.700 --> 00:22:22.517
He would know the character because he lived with the character.

00:22:22.517 --> 00:22:28.057
And not only that, in his own way he's carrying that character in himself.

00:22:28.057 --> 00:22:32.996
He became to become a superstar, that's the legacy that's passed on.

00:22:34.631 --> 00:22:39.757
And so, and on top of that, his martial arts skills are world class.

00:22:39.757 --> 00:22:43.498
Right, I'm saying yes, he's the only one that beat up so far.

00:22:43.498 --> 00:22:47.451
The Rock Dwayane johnson is that right in the rundown.

00:22:47.451 --> 00:22:58.674
Watch the movie the rundown, right, and you had to learn portuguese too on top of that, and it's pretty awesome, man I've got some portuguese friends pretty good, yeah.

00:22:58.736 --> 00:23:05.824
so, uh, yeah, I'm lucky, you know saying, to be able to have that and basically really all my show in our black belts, right, I'm fortunate to be able to have that and basically really all my children are black belts Right.

00:23:05.824 --> 00:23:07.977
I'm fortunate to be able to do that Don't mess with them.

00:23:07.977 --> 00:23:10.713
Yeah, I have five children.

00:23:11.477 --> 00:23:11.617
Yes.

00:23:11.750 --> 00:23:13.376
Plus my lovely wife Gwenda Marge.

00:23:13.376 --> 00:23:17.700
She's a black belt too, so you have a black belt.

00:23:17.859 --> 00:23:19.530
Good genes, yeah, good genes.

00:23:19.791 --> 00:23:28.678
So you know one thing is they're all really respectful to me at the martial arts school, but when they get home it's kind of like hello, where'd the respect go?

00:23:28.678 --> 00:23:30.320
Everybody?

00:23:30.942 --> 00:23:31.503
But it's cool.

00:23:31.503 --> 00:23:34.315
Just like any other American family, I get to be a father yeah.

00:23:34.315 --> 00:23:34.636
You know what?

00:23:34.656 --> 00:23:47.161
I'm saying, and hopefully soon to be another grandfather, because my daughter, destiny Reyes, just got married and my wife Marge we kept and we just talked about last night we tried to make a deal with her.

00:23:47.161 --> 00:23:47.603
Scott Coker was there.

00:23:47.603 --> 00:23:52.880
He was one of my first black belts, right, he's a Bellator, became a Bellator president, really well known.

00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:54.865
He was there negotiating for me.

00:23:54.865 --> 00:23:56.894
I said here's my agent man, go ahead.

00:23:56.894 --> 00:24:01.304
So hopefully in the future it's awesome.

00:24:01.304 --> 00:24:02.086
You know what I'm saying.

00:24:02.086 --> 00:24:03.153
Yeah, because you know what I'm saying.

00:24:03.153 --> 00:24:06.000
It's all about legacy and succession.

00:24:06.260 --> 00:24:06.741
And family.

00:24:07.029 --> 00:24:07.874
Who are you going to?

00:24:07.894 --> 00:24:08.375
leave it to.

00:24:08.395 --> 00:24:10.915
Yeah, yeah, I think we have a valuable gift.

00:24:10.915 --> 00:24:11.657
Yeah, thank you.

00:24:11.719 --> 00:24:14.176
Absolutely Well, and pursuit of mastery.

00:24:14.176 --> 00:24:36.760
I tend to think and when I was going through my martial arts journey and I really didn't think of myself in this manner but that it's being selfish To have pursuit of mastery, you need to be so focused that you have to remove any of I'm not going to say the noise, but things that prevent you from being your best.

00:24:36.760 --> 00:24:38.310
I mean for me.

00:24:38.310 --> 00:24:53.419
I thought that for a long time I was unselfish, until I joined martial arts Right and in the sense that my ingo starter has Tourette's but all the times that she would have to snap her neck back or flail her arms and she was really hurting.

00:24:53.439 --> 00:25:02.951
Right I had to send this was during the six month countdown wow prior to being a black belt, which I couldn't overcome, that but nonetheless it taught me something.

00:25:02.951 --> 00:25:12.790
Where it's like I'm sorry, riani, I mean I gotta go to the studio or else after four strikes, then you the six months yeah, yeah comes up again.

00:25:12.810 --> 00:25:14.193
So the pursuit of mastery.

00:25:14.193 --> 00:25:21.880
I'd like to double click on that and really focus on is it selfishness in a bad way or selfishness in a good way?

00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:22.842
And this happens to everyone.

00:25:22.842 --> 00:25:24.777
I mean, look at all the superstar athletes.

00:25:24.777 --> 00:25:32.719
They're singularly driven there was selfishness and the sacrifice from their team, whether that's their family or their agents or someone else.

00:25:32.819 --> 00:25:36.214
Yeah, definitely To really achieve mastery.

00:25:36.214 --> 00:25:59.280
It's like there's going to be elements during times that you have to devote it If you really want to master something right it's going to be, certain things are going to be distracting to you, certain things are going to throw you off the path and you have to stay on there regardless If you want to master whatever craft you're, you know your pursuit of, you know focus and concentration in life right.

00:25:59.300 --> 00:25:59.521
Sure.

00:26:00.190 --> 00:26:04.941
But I think after a certain point you start wanting to give back.

00:26:04.941 --> 00:26:11.419
You know what I'm saying, Because you know everything that all those other people had to sacrifice to get you where you were.

00:26:11.419 --> 00:26:19.199
Now it gives you an opportunity to do things and provide for them with things that they would never have had the opportunity to do.

00:26:19.199 --> 00:26:20.996
But I'm just telling you the beginning.

00:26:21.390 --> 00:26:23.637
So that's the second side of the coin Very interesting.

00:26:23.637 --> 00:26:24.019
I didn't.

00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:26.067
The second side of the coin Very interesting.

00:26:26.067 --> 00:26:28.217
I didn't think of it in that regards.

00:26:28.217 --> 00:26:38.939
Wow, that's an epiphany for me, something I will learn to internalize when.

00:26:38.959 --> 00:26:39.420
I go home.

00:26:40.525 --> 00:26:41.288
Thank you for sharing that.

00:26:41.288 --> 00:26:42.031
Oh, you're welcome.

00:26:42.031 --> 00:26:59.614
Yes, and wrapping up here, when you think about your good friend and spiritual brother, great Grand Master Tony Thompson, what's one story or lesson from him that's so deep in your heart, sir, that it still shapes how you live and teach today?

00:27:00.445 --> 00:27:03.836
We just had his celebration of life Saturday.

00:27:03.836 --> 00:27:07.335
That's why it's still kind of it was awesome really.

00:27:07.335 --> 00:27:08.525
To be honest with you, you know what I'm saying.

00:27:08.525 --> 00:27:24.977
But again, there's certain times when it just really affects you Because again you know, grandmaster Tony Thompson's passed away, so he's been again my soul brother and founder of our association.

00:27:25.017 --> 00:27:41.809
you know what I'm saying Yep, our association has been in existence for 50 years but our relationship has been 57 years, 57 years right relationship has been 57 years, 57 years right.

00:27:41.809 --> 00:27:44.497
And so during that 57 years he was really the backbone of our organization.

00:27:44.497 --> 00:27:49.930
I was the crazy creator and he was the protector and the lion king of our association.

00:27:49.930 --> 00:27:55.219
He made sure that he protected and he followed pretty much what I wanted him to do.

00:27:55.219 --> 00:28:00.977
So I miss him so much, but his spirit is right here right now.

00:28:01.096 --> 00:28:06.234
Yes, and we honor our great Grand Master right here.

00:28:06.515 --> 00:28:07.176
Yes, yes.

00:28:07.176 --> 00:28:11.836
And so we first met at Grand Master Dan Choi's.

00:28:11.836 --> 00:28:22.538
Like I said, I'm going to get the opportunity to meet him today after 47 years, and so we met him at San Jose State University the first time.

00:28:22.538 --> 00:28:40.892
He came in with his full-on Afro back in the day with a lot of energy and how I come in more with kind of like the Carlos Santana look right and we just bonded it was like two siamese siamese twins coming for whatever reason.

00:28:40.951 --> 00:28:44.385
was it fate, was the synchronicity or whatever it just happened?

00:28:44.385 --> 00:28:54.597
You know, I'm saying and the bottom line is it was just meant to be, he was the Yang to my Yang there you go, and it's just.

00:28:54.597 --> 00:28:57.520
We created a vision into victory.

00:28:58.646 --> 00:28:59.349
I'm sorry, one more time.

00:28:59.865 --> 00:29:01.892
We created a vision into victory.

00:29:01.892 --> 00:29:06.413
Okay, you know what I'm saying Because the battles in between right.

00:29:06.413 --> 00:29:12.654
To get there, and so it was awesome because we'd train.

00:29:12.654 --> 00:29:15.669
You know again, master Che would wake us up.

00:29:15.669 --> 00:29:16.490
You know what?

00:29:16.490 --> 00:29:19.829
Wake us up at 5.30 in the morning San Jose State track.

00:29:19.829 --> 00:29:30.597
That's where all those it was called I forgot what it was called, but they had the best, the fastest track guys during that day.

00:29:30.698 --> 00:29:30.919
Okay.

00:29:31.964 --> 00:29:42.255
So, and they were running out there too, so he'd make us do all these kind of techniques combination kicks, jump kicks, kicking trees, right.

00:29:42.255 --> 00:29:43.877
Then we have to do leapfrog.

00:29:43.877 --> 00:29:46.809
He was a big guy, he was like 6'2 and about 220.

00:29:46.809 --> 00:29:48.074
And here I am.

00:29:48.074 --> 00:29:53.588
I was about 5, I was about 5'9, right at that time, 150.

00:29:53.588 --> 00:29:58.333
So we have to jump over each other and he would just hop over.

00:29:58.333 --> 00:30:07.501
For me it was like jumping over Mount Fuji, right, I could barely get over, and so we'd do all that, and then we'd have to spar with each other.

00:30:09.085 --> 00:30:09.605
And he's a big guy right.

00:30:10.306 --> 00:30:16.590
So he brought out the best in me because I mean he was fast and he was quick and he could jump too.

00:30:16.590 --> 00:30:20.153
So he brought out the best in me because I mean he was fast and he was quick and he could jump too, so he was a super athlete too, on top of it right.

00:30:20.153 --> 00:30:29.519
And so he brought out the best in me, and you know, that's why I could, you know, say I could move fast and I could just move, like you know, muhammad Ali.

00:30:29.539 --> 00:30:30.961
Right, what is it?

00:30:30.961 --> 00:30:35.375
Float like a butterfly sting like a bee Manny Pacquiao right Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

00:30:35.394 --> 00:30:36.744
Manny Pacquiao right Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

00:30:36.744 --> 00:30:38.330
So he brought out the best in me.

00:30:38.330 --> 00:30:40.692
But then Master Che said you know what?

00:30:40.692 --> 00:30:45.957
I want you to be the big brother to Tony because I was older.

00:30:45.957 --> 00:30:47.630
Anyway, I'm older than him.

00:30:47.630 --> 00:30:50.271
He was going to be 75 in September.

00:30:50.773 --> 00:30:51.055
I see.

00:30:51.125 --> 00:30:53.750
September 27th, right, he would have been 75.

00:30:53.750 --> 00:30:58.205
So I'm now 78 and a half, Don't look it.

00:30:58.205 --> 00:31:07.259
And so he said you take care of Tony and you push him, and you push him, and I did, I pushed him Right.

00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:07.880
Yeah.

00:31:08.164 --> 00:31:10.952
And so when it came to sparring, it was like payback time.

00:31:11.654 --> 00:31:12.096
Okay.

00:31:12.204 --> 00:31:20.849
But then he would always listen to me so I would do some crazy things and sometimes what was so great about him?

00:31:20.849 --> 00:31:29.553
He had this big, beautiful smile that everybody, even at the ceremonies he had, they had him up on a monitor.

00:31:29.553 --> 00:31:36.455
He was in his uniform, the fighting stance, but smiling right all the time, and he just brought so much joy.

00:31:36.455 --> 00:31:43.392
He was the light of not just people in the organization, he was the light of people in the community.

00:31:43.392 --> 00:31:48.215
Community service was a big thing for him and you know he got all kinds of Black Belt.

00:31:48.236 --> 00:31:49.002
Hall of Fames To give back.

00:31:49.022 --> 00:32:03.667
Yeah, he got all kinds of Black Belt Hall of Fames and all that, and we both came from big families.

00:32:03.667 --> 00:32:06.917
Right, he came from a family of 10 and my family was 12, you know, yeah, so I'm saying so team and family unity was almost ingrained in us.

00:32:06.917 --> 00:32:07.298
That's one thing.

00:32:07.298 --> 00:32:09.125
Team and family, for sure, was just how we were brought up.

00:32:09.125 --> 00:32:13.032
That's why we made so many creations of decades of people.

00:32:13.032 --> 00:32:14.556
They were all about team.

00:32:14.876 --> 00:32:22.532
Team is one thing but if you could change that team into a family and they're great, that's the greatest and ultimate reward that you could possibly get.

00:32:22.532 --> 00:32:23.316
You know what I'm saying.

00:32:23.316 --> 00:32:29.472
So I had him do some crazy stuff and so we would do fire walks right.

00:32:29.472 --> 00:32:31.330
No, no, he would first look at me.

00:32:31.330 --> 00:32:36.069
He goes what is this crazy MF going to want me to do now?

00:32:36.069 --> 00:32:42.980
And MF, I mean not what you're thinking or anybody else is thinking here but, MF is maniac fanatic.

00:32:43.405 --> 00:32:43.665
What is?

00:32:43.665 --> 00:32:51.413
This maniac fanatic going to want me to do now and he goes okay, how about fireball?

00:32:51.974 --> 00:32:54.579
Nah, I go, yeah, and he'd end up doing it anyway.

00:32:54.579 --> 00:32:55.239
Okay, what about a walk?

00:32:55.239 --> 00:32:55.730
Nah, I go, yeah, and he'd end up doing it anyway.

00:32:55.730 --> 00:32:58.313
Okay, what about a punji jump?

00:32:58.313 --> 00:33:00.932
Okay, nah, yeah.

00:33:00.932 --> 00:33:05.790
So we did that skydiving right, punji jumping off the bridge.

00:33:05.790 --> 00:33:08.674
We did even a sweat lodge, right.

00:33:09.967 --> 00:33:11.291
What does that tell you about fear?

00:33:11.291 --> 00:33:12.690
You were fear.

00:33:13.616 --> 00:33:14.503
I'm sure yeah.

00:33:14.585 --> 00:33:15.891
But how did you overcome that?

00:33:16.644 --> 00:33:23.615
Because in martial arts that's one of the most important things Fear is going to be existing, but it's how you respond to it.

00:33:23.615 --> 00:33:31.576
You're only going to respond to it if you're trained right Physically, mentally, spiritually and have good character.

00:33:31.576 --> 00:33:35.695
And those are the cores of what we said as a white belt.

00:33:35.695 --> 00:33:40.955
What is the purpose of West Coast Martial Arts Is to develop yourself physically, mentally, spiritually and have good character Right.

00:33:40.955 --> 00:33:46.117
So those are all again fear factors, situations to overcome.

00:33:46.117 --> 00:33:49.354
Part of your thing is overcoming right.

00:33:49.374 --> 00:33:49.515
Yes.

00:33:50.487 --> 00:33:56.184
One of your focus points of talking about you know what I'm saying is like how do you overcome?

00:33:56.184 --> 00:33:58.134
Well, you, I gotta overcome.

00:33:58.134 --> 00:34:00.768
You're not gonna overcome anything and something's really challenging.

00:34:00.768 --> 00:34:04.021
You don't really want to do it but, you end up doing it anyway.

00:34:04.041 --> 00:34:07.250
You know I'm saying so we're going back to that sweat lodge.

00:34:07.250 --> 00:34:10.016
Is sweat lodge is native american style, right?

00:34:10.016 --> 00:34:13.172
It's a spiritual, really spiritual.

00:34:13.172 --> 00:34:15.376
They're chanting in there and everything else.

00:34:15.376 --> 00:34:17.670
They got big stones in there.

00:34:17.670 --> 00:34:21.432
It's like a tent, okay, and it's normally about 12 people.

00:34:21.432 --> 00:34:25.181
We had 30 people in there, jam-packed side by side.

00:34:25.181 --> 00:34:25.744
You know what I'm saying.

00:34:25.744 --> 00:34:32.893
And you're sweating profusely because they put the heat up and they get water and they basically it's like a steam Sure.

00:34:33.565 --> 00:34:39.038
They throw it on there everybody and there's, there's no where anybody can go and you can't breathe.

00:34:39.038 --> 00:34:49.668
People are like in there, you're doing that for an hour and a half right, and it's kind of like intense, I mean the heat and everything, and we've been training.

00:34:49.668 --> 00:34:56.364
I'm saying and so the bo itself in there, everybody will knock you out sure so that's another thing.

00:34:56.425 --> 00:34:59.592
you just got to hang in there and just endure, right?

00:34:59.592 --> 00:35:02.177
But again, what's going through your mind?

00:35:02.177 --> 00:35:04.391
Are you mindful and aware?

00:35:04.391 --> 00:35:08.644
Are you going to be going through frustration and anxiety and everything?

00:35:08.644 --> 00:35:13.817
Are you just going to be calm and breathe and take yourself somewhere else?

00:35:14.438 --> 00:35:19.512
And that's where it starts the breathing you know right From all from the beginning.

00:35:19.965 --> 00:35:24.893
Okay, now let me see you practice this, because your main thing is not just on the mat.

00:35:24.893 --> 00:35:26.992
How do you take it to the outside?

00:35:26.992 --> 00:35:29.231
How do you take it to everyday living?

00:35:29.231 --> 00:35:30.414
You know what I'm saying.

00:35:30.414 --> 00:35:33.009
You know what I'm saying Respect, discipline.

00:35:33.009 --> 00:35:34.373
Yeah, they're reciting this.

00:35:34.373 --> 00:35:39.175
You know it's like every day, but are you really doing that in everyday life?

00:35:39.757 --> 00:35:40.018
Right.

00:35:40.018 --> 00:35:44.891
This is amazing, citizens, I just can't.

00:35:44.891 --> 00:35:47.833
I mean, I'm speechless.

00:35:47.833 --> 00:35:58.217
It just brings back the memories of when I was in training Right, and all of the wisdom and perspective shared with other martial artists.

00:35:58.217 --> 00:36:00.411
I mean, I'm bowing to a white belt.

00:36:00.713 --> 00:36:00.914
Yes.

00:36:01.204 --> 00:36:05.434
Because you know we empty the cup For sure.

00:36:05.434 --> 00:36:06.458
That's right.

00:36:06.458 --> 00:36:09.992
We all respect one another, regardless of where our belts are.

00:36:09.992 --> 00:36:12.878
There's that that's within me.

00:36:13.945 --> 00:36:22.574
So you know, when you bow the bow, bow the bow is I'm a high ranking, 10th degree, which is the highest, you know, belt that you could achieve in our system.

00:36:22.574 --> 00:36:31.586
Well, basically a lot of systems, it's pretty much ninth or tenth yeah but when you bow, the bow is I'm here with an open heart and open mind.

00:36:31.706 --> 00:36:38.809
Teach me, but it's a two-way street okay I'm just telling you, you learn so much from teaching little kids.

00:36:38.809 --> 00:36:46.170
You know, I'm saying and they're, they become grown up and they become doctors, lawyers.

00:36:46.170 --> 00:36:55.358
You know, I'm saying went to mit and all of that right you've seen that journey and they say thank you so much when you don't think they were paying attention.

00:36:57.010 --> 00:36:58.114
They become congressmen.

00:36:58.114 --> 00:37:05.534
They become you know what I'm saying people that are great friends right in the community and helping out some kind of way.

00:37:05.534 --> 00:37:13.373
So Tony got again, like I said, the Martin Luther King Award from Harvard School of Business.

00:37:13.373 --> 00:37:20.902
That's amazing, and so that was one of his greatest rewards that he got, yeah.

00:37:22.065 --> 00:37:24.471
That's quite an honor.

00:37:24.471 --> 00:37:36.012
Well, great Grand Master Kwanzaa Ernie Reyes Sr, thank you so much for joining the Yog Nation Spirit of Gratitude podcast for the citizens listening out there.

00:37:37.065 --> 00:37:40.876
I thought you had one more question about what celebrity?

00:37:41.144 --> 00:37:42.251
Yeah, we can do that.

00:37:42.635 --> 00:37:43.137
Yeah, go ahead.

00:37:43.137 --> 00:37:44.184
All right, Ask me the question.

00:37:44.605 --> 00:37:47.153
Fun one to finally conclude, yeah that's cool.

00:37:47.153 --> 00:37:53.971
If you could have a friendly sparring match with any celebrity, past or present, just for laughs, who would it be?

00:37:54.505 --> 00:38:11.932
Okay, I think this person would come from a unique nation and I heard that he had some kind of warrior spirit and I heard that he did awesome at this Bollywood gala.

00:38:12.324 --> 00:38:12.686
Uh-oh.

00:38:13.510 --> 00:38:18.315
So I think his name would be Yos Patel, so it would be you.

00:38:18.315 --> 00:38:21.429
So I heard you rocked it, man.

00:38:21.690 --> 00:38:22.070
I did.

00:38:22.070 --> 00:38:22.713
You know what I'm saying.

00:38:22.733 --> 00:38:28.472
You rocked it, man, yeah yeah, you were the star on top of the world doing your thing up there right, Thank you.

00:38:28.472 --> 00:38:31.793
So now we're going to have a little challenge here.

00:38:31.793 --> 00:38:34.822
Ooh we're going to have a little challenge here.

00:38:34.822 --> 00:38:36.597
So you're going to show me a little Bollywood moves and let me just see if I could copy you.

00:38:36.597 --> 00:38:41.655
So just sitting right here, just give me some hand movements, All right.

00:38:41.717 --> 00:38:52.186
so if we transfer the energy from the right to the left, kind of Sure.

00:38:52.186 --> 00:38:53.913
This needs to be a little more even.

00:38:55.588 --> 00:38:56.190
Just do your thing.

00:38:56.190 --> 00:39:00.110
Let me see, Do a couple moves Right here sitting down.

00:39:02.429 --> 00:39:03.994
Oh gosh, Put me on the spot.

00:39:03.994 --> 00:39:05.579
That's fine.

00:39:05.579 --> 00:39:14.045
This, this one, two, Four count.

00:39:14.326 --> 00:39:14.706
You know what?

00:39:14.706 --> 00:39:16.634
That's why you're the coolest cat man.

00:39:16.634 --> 00:39:18.150
You're the coolest cat in the nation.00:39:18.150 --> 00:39:18.532


Watch me.00:39:21.706 --> 00:39:23.472


Well, I think your katas would have more style.00:39:23.945 --> 00:39:28.552


So let me just do a little kata sitting here just for you, because again we're talking about you.00:39:28.552 --> 00:39:34.936


Know, people just think martial arts is all about fighting, but really the true fight is to conquer yourself.00:39:34.936 --> 00:39:38.568


Yes, you know what I'm saying.00:39:38.568 --> 00:39:40.317


So I large is all about fighting, but really the true fight is to conquer yourself.00:39:40.317 --> 00:39:56.677


Yes, so I'm gonna move this back a little bit just to just sitting here, right, yes, did I conquer myself?00:39:56.677 --> 00:39:57.898


Yes, you did.00:39:57.898 --> 00:39:59.500


Thank you Conquered mountains.00:40:00.360 --> 00:40:00.740


Thank you.00:40:01.141 --> 00:40:11.454


You're awesome, because the most important thing that me and Kwanjum, tony, master Thompson, even those here is three things that we try to teach Develop a master's mindset to do the extraordinary.00:40:11.454 --> 00:40:15.952


Number two, develop that warrior spirit to never quit or give up.00:40:15.952 --> 00:40:25.655


And the third thing that you teach really is to give and have the power of love to give unconditionally to people in time of dire need.00:40:25.655 --> 00:40:48.295


And our most important thing that we love is during after every black belt test that we see and we look out in the crowds that every race, color and creeds are coming together in peace and harmony because of our WCWA martial arts mastery and success systems, which this world I believe in 2025, needs a lot of it.00:40:48.295 --> 00:40:50.269


So, thank you so much, sir.00:40:50.269 --> 00:40:51.213


Thank you.00:40:51.465 --> 00:40:55.034


It was a pleasure for me to be here and, like I told you, it was a historic moment.00:40:55.724 --> 00:40:57.226


And I'll teach you some volleywood moves.00:40:58.927 --> 00:41:01.509


Thank you, thank you, thank you.