Chris Santillo

My Extended Martial Arts Family

When you go on a Journey you’re only supposed to come home once, right?

But what if home is in many places?

You see, a couple of years ago I was invited by this strange woman to learn another Martial Art — American Kenpo Karate. It is very similar to — but slightly different — from my native Shaolin Kempo. I’m always looking to learn new things, so I agreed. Then, she suggested that we should prepare together and then travel to San Diego and test for our Black Belts together.

I’ve been through enough Black Belt Tests — both as participant and as officiant — to know how much fun Black Belt Tests are. So of course I said “Yes!”

What I didn’t realize was that when I got off the plane I would be back home with my family. Not my normal home with my normal family, but at my San Diego home with my larger family. I had never been there before but somehow walking into that dojo for the first time was a familiar experience. I don’t know if I have ever been made to feel so welcome anywhere. I’m positive I have never received more hugs than I did that weekend!

The test itself was just as much fun as I assumed it would be. It was over the course of two days. We started with a three mile run and ended with breaking concrete blocks — just like a typical party. My black eye is healed but I still have sore muscles 🙂

When it was all done I left that home, got on a plane, and came to this home again. And that was nice too.

Thank you to Master Barry Barker, your whole family, and everyone at Poway Kenpo Karate for knowledge, wisdom, and making me welcome in your family.

And thank you Jessica Davis for sticking with it start to finish. I am very proud of you!

With respect,
Chris Santillo

Humble in the Philippines

Someone once told me that to become great we must be “happy but not satisfied.”

Some people are very happy with their progress, so happy that they become satisfied with where they are. Which in a twisted way is good, because their satisfaction leads to stagnation — and they never improve again.

Other people are unsatisfied with their level of progress — they are still striving to reach some unattainable goal, but choosing to be miserable that they aren’t there yet. This continual disappointment leads to frustration with their training and, eventually, to the end of achieving.

Some are unhappy and satisfied; I just feel bad for them.

What we are shooting for is to be happy with where we are while continuing to strive and drive to get even further. I endeavor to live this philosophy every day in all aspects of life. There are, however, some special experiences that help keep us on track. . . .

Potomac Kempo Chris Santillo Kali Philippines

After almost 24 hours of traveling I arrived in the Philippines. It was approaching midnight, but I was sure it was time for lunch. . . . We spent the next couple of days exploring and training — and getting used to what timezone we were in. . . . then we got to the real reason for which we had traveled so many miles: the 7th Pekiti Tirsia Kali Global Convention with Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje.

Chris Santillo Potomac Kempo Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje Kali

We started with a banquet — of course — but early the next morning we started training hard. After about forty five minutes it felt as if my arms would fall off from sheer fatigue. They didn’t. Eventually the feeling of fatigue turned to numbness. That helped. . . . a little.

The day progressed while amazingly talented and knowledgable instructors continued to pour untold quantities of information into our heads. Eventually my brain started to hurt just like my arms. Eventually it, too, went numb.

Potomac Kempo Chris Santillo Apolo Ladra Pekiti Tirsia Kali

The next day was more of the same. First my arms went numb, then my brain. It was more information and knowledge than any human could possibly hope to assimilate in one sitting. For me it was easy to see how one could be extremely happy in such a situation. But, I concede, it is also possible to see how a person could feel overwhelmed and unsatisfied with their own level of progress when confronted with such a challenge.

As we said earlier, the goal is to find a way to be happy but not satisfied. The benefits of this state of mind are clear and plentiful. That said, we’re all human — some days more than others. Sometimes we have a nasty habit of forgetting positive mental states and instead following one of the other paths described above.

It is so vitally important to seek out events like this to challenge us. We must create days in which we can’t help but to smile while at the same time realizing how far we have yet to go. At an event like that convention, watching all of those amazing instructors, it is impossible to overlook the fact that the distance we have travelled is nothing compared to the distance left to go. This will be fine — as long as we smile and enjoy the process.

Smile and enjoy; it is easy to be Happy but not Satisfied!

Kempo in Cuba

Finding a dojo in Cuba is harder than it probably should be.
Google Maps coverage is weak and Yelp is nonexistent.

Cellular internet does not exist in Cuba and you can’t get internet to your home or hotel either (at least not legally). Want to surf the interwebs? Head to any public park with a prepaid card. It’ll cost you about a buck per hour.

So as we explored this friendly and beautiful island, we searched for a dojo the old fashioned way — by asking complete strangers. Not surprisingly, this didn’t work very well. Many people knew of an acquaintance or distant relative who practiced martial arts, but they weren’t sure exactly where. Given the weak electronic communication network, we didn’t track too many down. We found one early on in Vinales but they were closed by the time we got there.

Vinales was stunningly beautiful. The dojo, when we found it, was a ten minute walk from endless fields and trails through mogotes — small hills with steep sides and covered in stunning tropical vegetation.

However, two minutes after arriving in Cienfuegos, our luck changed. We asked our host about a dojo and he said there was one only a couple of blocks away. He also offered to stop by in the morning to check their hours! The next day at noon we were chatting with the friendliest group of martial artists you could ever hope to meet.

The facility is run by the government — this is Cuba after all — and directed by Bernaldo Perez, a high ranking Shotokan instructor. It was an honor to chat with him and discuss our arts. My Spanish is pretty weak and even with my wife’s help we had some trouble communicating. Eventually we realized we both knew Japanese terminology and we did much better.

When we met he had a book, “Manos Vacías,” awaiting publication. It is now available, though not here in the States.

After sharing ideas for a while he invited our kids to take a class and for me to teach one. The kids had a wonderful time — language barrier notwithstanding. I also had a wonderful time teaching, again — language barrier notwithstanding. At their request I taught half Kali and half Kempo. The Pekiti Tirsia Kali that I taught differed slightly from the style of Filipino Martial Arts that they practice. The Kempo was a vast departure from the Shotokan to which they are dedicated, but I think they forgive me for that.

It was an honor and a privilege to meet such kind and talented people. It is always inspiring to see that the Martial Arts can bring people together regardless of country, culture, or language.

Kempo Essay: Marta

Journey from white coat to white belt

Academia is forgiving – most of the time. . . Frequent relocations are an unspoken part of the biological sciences. Not this time though. . . After over 11 years in the research laboratory, uncounted hours behind the bench and the recent relocation I ended up on “the bench” – at home. It was fun at first but soon I realized that I needed a goal, something to stride towards – a project that could result in something great. No, this time it would not be another scientific article. . . so what else could it be? Science was almost everything that I knew in my adult life.

Deep down I knew that with the New Year’s arrival it was time for action! I couldn’t spend my life in D.C. just “running” a house. I needed a challenge, something outside of my comfort zone, to challenge my mind and body, something that I would never try while working in the lab. One evening, my husband casually said “join a gym, sign up for a class”. . . Easy to say but for me an hour at the gym was a worst punishment. Yoga, zumba, pillates – not on the top of my list either. It had to be something else out there that fit my personality. Browsing for some classes near where I live I came upon a martial arts class. Something clicked; I remember seeing signs for a karate place. And there it was – Potomac Kempo. I knew that my fitness level was close to none, I could barely do a push-up. I never tried martial arts before but reading some of the inspirational stories on the website I decided to try. I attended my first solo class and it was like a love from the first sight. That same week I went to a group class and there was no doubt in my mind that THIS was IT – my challenge. I knew this will not be an easy road – I didn’t want “easy” anyway. I knew I need to work hard, push my body to the limits and discover muscles I didn’t know I had. I needed to challenge my mind. The night after group class I went to bed smiling to myself – something that didn’t happen for a long while. I was going to every class from that point on and I wanted to
learn more, master each Kempo, each Kata. I was/still am almost angry with myself that I cannot be flawless in what I learn, cannot remember all tips and tricks from every class. My short term goal was to find something to fill the void of research. Joining Potomac Kempo changed it completely. Now I can do more than one push-up and run few miles without running out of breath. Although my ultimate goal is to be as good in each Kempo as good I was in the bio lab with my experiments.

Within this first month since I’ve joined dojo, my life has change for better. I rediscovered “me” again, the happy, confident, ready to conquer the world me. Funny how little and how much at the same time one place can be for a person. Kempo opened new chapter in my life – and I wouldn’t change it for any research lab.

Now I can only hope that my stay in D.C. is long enough so I can stride to be a better person, better mom, better wife and better member of Potomac Kempo.

Kempo Essay: Jordan

Potomac Kempo - Kempo Essay - Jordan

My Black Belt Essay

by Jordan, age 8

Over the years, karate has taught me many things. It has taught me not just to defend myself and others but taught me to be loyal, helpful, kind and honest. Being a karate student means that you help people in every way possible. I know that karate will help me in the future. For example, it will help me to be healthy by exercising. It helped me to be respectful and have confidence. Being at karate has been fun and I hope that it will last for a long time. As a higher goal, I want to pass down the fun experience of karate as a teacher. I hope that our tradition stays until the end. It also taught me to listen by watching your teacher and focusing. If you have a goal that you want to reach, you don’t stop when you mess up. Believe in yourself and keep trying. Show respect to your parents and teachers by being nice and using manners. I will be able to use karate in the future if someone attacks me or a friend. Karate to me is the most important thing to me besides my family. It’s not just helpful but karate is very fun. I’m proud to be a karate student. Thank you all teachers. I appreciate all the help you gave me to get to this point.

A special thanks to you Sensei Cassie and Sensei Gary.

I love doing karate!

Kempo Essay: Ally

Kempo Quest

Well, it’s been quite a year! I really did not think I would stick with Kempo when I started a year ago, it seemed like such a whim and not something at which I would enjoy or could sustain, but here we are, Sensei Cassie, Sempei Erica, and I celebrating a year together this past Saturday. I could barely get through an entire class a year ago, and today, not only can I survive class, I feel decent about most of them.

The first hurdle(s) was attending class. The next hurdle was the first test for yellow. Not knowing what to expect, I was extremely nervous. I was more concerned with making it through the entire test versus actually obtaining the belt. The belt was nice, but physically having the stamina to make it through the test was of upmost concern. I passed. I cried. I was relieved, happy, proud, and super excited. My ballet teacher would have been horrified, but I did it. And then I passed the test for orange a few months later.

And now purple. Again, I am worried about my stamina. It’s a longer, harder test. I hope I make it through, but Kempo has prepared me for this. While I have not lost the weight I hoped to, I am more fit, I am stronger, I have (some) muscles, and I can do this if I can put my mind over my body mattering. I have learned to fight through some pain, test my physical and mental limits, and try harder, even when I don’t feel like it. I can do it. It may not be pretty and it may not be the best moves the dojo has ever seen, but I can do it. This is the most important lesson I have learned over the past year. I can try something new, work at it, power through and do it.

. . . but Kempo has prepared me for this

This very important lesson has also helped me with life in general – to power through. It has helped become a better parent – I can survive a five-year old’s tantrums because I can, I have to, and I have learned to be more patient. I can survive the morning commute. I can survive the work day and people’s frustrations with my decisions. And I can make it through a Kempo class.

The mental benefits have been enhanced the most. Class relieves stress from life and work. I can get out some aggression in an appropriate environment. I must remember kempos, katas, etc. and concentrate, think and focus, which science tells me will stave off Alzheimer’s and memory loss.

. . . which science tells me will stave off Alzheimer’s and memory loss

While still holding on to more weight than I would like, I am not in bad shape, considering factors such as age, previous injuries, and my sedentary day at work. I hope to learn more discipline so that I can conquer my food cravings and emotional eating. I hope to continue to progress, grow, and one day, even enjoy sparring.

– Ally Anderson