Kempo Blog

Our Mission

Our Mission is to positively impact the world by inspiring excellence in the men, women, and children we serve — challenging them to become healthier, happier, and better through the practice of the Martial Arts.
Potomac Kempo Mission Statement

I believe firsthand in the power of these words. A mission statement is an organization’s effort to articulate its purpose to the world and, though our mission statement serves that purpose, it began simply as a personal quest.

Potomac Kempo - Our Mission — Visiting the Shaolin Temple, Henan, China in 2001

The word, “healthier,” hearkens back to my earliest days as a martial artist. Not long after first putting on my white belt, I began to experience the benefits that practicing martial arts has to offer. The conditioning I acquired through my training afforded me well-rounded physical well-being that elevated my abilities in many other activities. I could hike, bike, run, climb, and endure challenges with grace and aplomb while feeling vibrant and healthy.

Finding this mastery of my body led me to discover the possibility of possessing similar results with my mind. I could better stay on task, work toward long-term goals, and modulate my internal states. I became happier. I came to believe that anything was possible.

The concept of being “better” evolved more slowly, and couldn’t become clearly articulated until I laid down the Pillars of Kempo, much later in my career. I feel that the Learning, Integrity, and Service integral to the martial arts are the foundation for building a better life. In the absence of Learning, we are empty; we lack the substance from which to build a life. We must be open to that Learning, in the dojo and beyond. Building a solid life requires Integrity — being honest and fulfilling our obligations. And through Service, we give that life significance.

As I became an instructor, I was able to see my students experience these same benefits. Later, my wife, Holly, became a student and eventually our children, too, began their training. As I write this now, I can appreciate the benefit of martial arts training as a student, an instructor, a partner, and a parent. And I love it.

This life is a shared experience. We live alongside all the other people in our world, and we are continually impacting them — either for better or worse. By elevating ourselves through our martial arts training, we can, in a very real sense, make the world a better place. From one person to many, we change the world by sharing the lessons Kempo teaches us.

It is worth noting, though, that I can do none of this by myself; nor can Potomac Kempo. It is only through our students that we can change the world. To this end, we challenge our students to rise to the occasion, become the best version of themselves, and join with us in making the world a better place.

Reprising our Mission Statement feels particularly poignant as we celebrate the opening of our fifth school. With love and admiration, we congratulate Renshi Cassie and Mr. Cothran on the opening of our newest location: Potomac Kempo – National Landing.

Chris Santillo, Shihan
Founder, Head Instructor

Challenge, Mentorship, and Growth

It has been correctly said that real growth occurs outside of our comfort zone. We all have a squishy area that we enjoy — a soft sofa or a comfortable routine — that we fall back on when life presents us with challenges. However, sofas and routines don’t allow us to grow and become more than we used to be. Moreover, in the absence of that growth life becomes dull, colorless, and we never live the potential that we possess.

The question then is how best to leave our comfort zone. Sometimes we do this alone; we get up in the morning, get dressed, put on our shoes, I walk out into the world in a way that we haven’t before — and accomplish things that we haven’t previously achieved. Sometimes, however, the step is — or at least feels — too big. For whatever we reason are unable to take that step ourselves without support. In those moments what we need more than anything else is a mentor.

We don’t know what we can do until we try to do something we can’t do. But that’s an uncomfortable feeling and one that we instinctively avoid. It’s also something that a good mentor — a good instructor — can help us through.

The mentoring model is simple: a mentor is someone who has already done what you are attempting to do, someone who has traversed the path already. They then must know you and be familiar with your capabilities, and then after careful and deliberate consideration, they conclude that you can succeed. So they look you in the eye, and they say, “you can do this.” You believe them, and so you do.

I might be speaking in generalities, as I so often do. However, in this instance, I’m talking about my friend, and mentor Master Chip Townsend. Last year he told me that I could break a baseball bat, I believed him, and I did. This year he told me I could break two baseball bats, I believed him, and I did. I’m terrified of what he’ll tell me I can do next year 🙂

All my respect and gratitude,
Chris Santillo, Shihan

Potomac Kempo Baseball Bat Breaking Challenge Mentorship Growth

Competitions That Matter

Everyone knows when it is tournament time for our studios. The practice rings are set up in every studio, inviting everyone to be brave enough to step in the ring. Students start standing up in front of the class to demonstrate their skills while *gulp* everyone else is watching, waiting to applaud. A sense of team spirit surfaces as the demo team polishes its routine and each school rallies to be the one that brings home the tournament cup. A lot of preparation goes into this competition that, frankly, doesn’t matter.

It seems odd that while discussing a tournament that one might be inclined to indicate that competitions don’t matter — but hear us out!

Potomac Kempo Tournament Victory Medals Winning Smiles

Upon reflection, we must accept that the outcome of most of the competitions that we have entered into in our lives — be they 2nd-grade little league games, middle school science fairs, or high school track meets — has had no impact on our lives. How would your life be different if you had won/lost that little league game, science fair, or track meet? In all likelihood, it would not be any different at all.

We can hear some of you arguing already — “winning that game was a pivotal moment in my life,” or “my dream to work as an engineer started with that science fair….”

Let’s get down to the brass tacks. The life-directing experiences that come about from competitions lie not in the moment of victory or defeat, but in how you handled the months of preparation that led to that moment. Without those training grounds, we would be less than we are. You are stronger, faster, more able to take on life’s challenges by preparing to enter into the ring, not by winning or losing the game that happens there. The punchline is that the competitions themselves don’t matter.

Did you train with consistency? Did you reflect on how to improve your approach? Did you build strength and adaptability? Did you recover from your failures? Did you follow through until the key moment?

You see, it is through the process of preparing for competitions that don’t matter that we become ready to face the challenges that do matter. When Renshi Holly was in high school, she was on the swim team. Her record — whether it was good or bad — is lost in the mists of antiquity. However, a few years ago, before all of our sons knew how to swim, one of them fell in the deep end of the pool. With footwork born of countless sparring matches and a dive trained on that long forgotten swim team, she raced to save his life. That was a competion that mattered.

This character-building is why we gather twice a year to participate in a tournament and why you should start training now for the next one. The tournament won’t matter, but how you prepare for it will.

With respect,
Shihan Santillo

Sticks and Stones

So the question is: “What should you do if someone punches you?”

Almost reflexively many people will answer, “Hit them back.”

It seems so reasonable and it certainly happens often enough. But to really answer the question you have to know what your goal is. “What are you trying to accomplish?” In the context of civilian self defense I believe the answer is as simple as — or should be as simple as — “get away safely.”

In that context is “hitting them back” really the best answer? Or at the very least should it be our first response? Please don’t misunderstand me, there are definitely situations where hitting them back is the appropriate response but I am loathe to put it forth as the primary or only response to a single punch.

When I posed this question to my class my favorite answer — though certainly not the first — was to ask the person why they had hit you. It may or may not be a safe response in a specific situation but it certainly is compelling — and it would definitely get someone off guard. Perhaps combined with one of the other responses — to back away cautiously — it might make a reasonable plan in some situations.

At any rate, the reason I bring up the question at all it to get to a less violent and more common situation — “What should you do if someone insults you?” Should you insult them back? It certainly happens often enough. But has it ever helped? My favorite response when I posed this to my class was to offer them a hug. I’m not sure that is a safe response, but the person would probably benefit from it.

Again, to formulate a response to an insult we have to ask, “What is our goal?” And again, I would suggest it is to get away ‘safely’. ‘Safely’ might mean something different in this context. I was raised back when sticks and stones could break your bones but words could never hurt you. And I believe that there is still wisdom in that. So upon receiving an insult I encourage you to consider some of the following responses: smile, say the nicest true thing that you can about them, ask them why they insulted you, or just begin to dance.

I can’t guarantee that any of these responses will make the situation better, but it’s better than responding with an insult. And it will certainly be more entertaining.

Chris Santillo, Sensei

Three Truths

Here are three simple ideas that, when taken together, can change your life. They are so deceptively simple that I almost feel silly writing them down. But every day I encounter people who aren’t applying them to their lives — and almost as often I realize that I seem to have forgotten them myself.

Truth One
The most important thing is how we feel.
Again, this is simple stuff, but it seems that as we go through our day we get distracted by complicated stuff and miss the simple stuff.
Think about it like this. Many people want a nicer car or house. But if you dig just a tiny bit deeper you realize they want a nicer car or house because of how it will make them feel. Most people would like a promotion, raise, or better career. But it is really how that will make them feel that they covet. Pretty much everyone wants better relationships with their friends and family. Again, if you look deeper it is the feeling that they are really looking for.
On a good day — one where you feel really good — everything is good. On a day like that food tastes better, our car drives better, our job is more pleasant, etc. The opposite is also true. On a day where we feel bad, everything is bad.
So, at the risk of being crazy redundant and obvious — the most important thing is how we feel.

Truth Two
How you feel is strongly affected by what you are thinking about.
When we think about things that make us happy we are happier; when we think about things that make us sad we are sadder. If you take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a great day in your life — maybe a vacation, or a wedding, the birth of a child — and really think about it for a while. You will feel better. I guarantee it. Likewise if you take a moment to think about something that makes you sad, you will be sadder.
What this means, of course, is that if you want to change how you feel you just have to change what you are a thinking about. Crazy obvious, isn’t it? But I bet the last time you were in a bad mood you just stayed in that bad mood until the outside world changed for you. Now, read Truth Three and realize that you are in control.

Truth Three
We can direct our thoughts but seldom do.
When you are driving down the road you see a yellow house; that makes you think about your friend when you were a kid who had a yellow house. You remember he was going to study agriculture in college. Agriculture is about farming. Cows live on farms. Cows give milk. You think you might be out of milk, you should get some from the store.
You are now headed to a grocery store because you saw a yellow house. It’s insane! It’s also how our brains work most of the time. We very seldom consciously choose how to direct our mind. However, we can if we choose to.
Think about a purple elephant on a tightrope. See, you just directed your mind to think about something consciously. Something silly, I admit. But it proves the point. You can direct your thoughts when you choose to.

So, the goal is to feel good.
Your thoughts affect how you feel.
You can choose what you think about.

Stew it a while. It can change your life.
You can start right now.

Chris Santillo
Potomac Kempo

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.