learning

Kempo Essay: Emily

I have two wonderful daughters and a wonderful husband. I have full time job that is challenging and, I believe, meaningful. As a mother, wife, and leader I have a lot of responsibilities and keep very busy. I needed a little time and an opportunity to focus on being a better me – to take care of myself so that I can be there for my family, those I lead, and those I serve. I studied martial arts when I was younger and really enjoyed it. I joined Potomac Kempo because I hoped that I would find the opportunity I needed – to improve my fitness, to challenge myself mentally and physically, and to have fun.

My first goal was to make Potomac Kempo part of my routine. With the support of my family, I have been able to be at the dojo three, and even sometimes four, times a week. Doing so while still being there for my family, those I lead, and those I serve has been a major achievement. A second goal was to improve my fitness. Over the last year, I have worked to incorporate fitness into my routine, finding opportunities to run, ride, or swim a couple of times a week. Since joining Potomac Kempo, I have been more active. I have blocked, punched, kicked, and had a lot of fun. A third goal was just that – to have fun, to find an activity I enjoyed that would benefit me not only mentally and physically but also emotionally. I look forward to going to the dojo, and I return to my daughters, my husband, and my job a little bit tired, a little bit fitter, and a little bit happier.

My ultimate goal is to be the best me I can be – to be the best mother, wife, and leader that I can. I believe that Potomac Kempo can help me achieve that goal. I hope to continue to make Potomac Kempo a part of my routine. At times doing so will be a challenge, particularly as my family’s needs change and the demands of my job grow, but I know that I need to take care of myself so that I can be there for my family, those I lead, and those I serve. I hope to continue to improve my fitness – to increase my endurance, strength, and agility. I hope to improve those techniques that I have learned, to learn new techniques, and to gain confidence in my ability. I am eager to learn Kata 1, Kempo 3, and much more. Finally, I hope to keep having fun because as long as I am having fun I will come back to the dojo and because having fun is an important part of being the best me that I can be.

Martial Arts are for Real People

I was extremely fortunate, oh, those many years ago, when I wandered into a martial arts studio for the first time. Fortunate that I found Kempo but more so because I found Sensei Alen—now Master Alen Babayan. Sensei Alen ran a fantastic studio full of interesting people who were inspired and inspiring. What struck me most about the people in Sensei Alen’s studio was that they were real people. They weren’t tough guys or meatheads; no one was training for a full-contact fight in Thailand, and no one had ‘Kempo’ tattooed on his head. They were just ordinary people who had discovered that Kempo was a great way to become healthier, happier, and more well-rounded.

To be honest, I wasn’t yet a real person myself—just a teenager excited about the world he had walked into. I often trained with a lawyer who had kids my age and drove a high-end sports car. One woman, whose son was taller than me, was a Ph.D. and did research that totally went over my head. Another gentleman I worked out with ran a huge electronics distributor. They were all real people. They had jobs and lives, and families and priorities. The only thing we had in common was that Kempo was one of our priorities.

At the time, I didn’t appreciate what I had found. Years later, as I began to teach, meet other instructors, and visit other studios, I realized how rare Sensei Alen’s haven of ‘real’ really was.

That was long ago and thousands of miles away. Now I’m a real person too, with a wife and children and my own competing priorities. But Kempo is still one of those priorities—to train, teach, and share what I started learning from Sensei Alen a quarter century ago. The vision I still hold of that haven for real people continues to be our inspiration and motivates us to create that same sort of space where real people can gather to learn and grow.

I am so grateful to Sensei Alen for being who he is and for creating that space for so many of us to learn and grow. And I’m grateful to all of the real people who choose to train with us now. I’m grateful that amidst their jobs, lives, and families, they choose to be part of our haven of real people.

With gratitude
Chris Santillo, Shihan

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Testimonials

My psyche benefits by the principals of martial arts, many of which align with other codes of conduct. From the simple lesson of the right fist of power covered by the left hand to signify restraint or peace to the discipline of the Dojo; these attributes lead to a better person. The attributes of courage, integrity, humility and respect that are promoted in the Dojo also improve the whole of the person.

— Adult Purple Belt