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Two prime ministers are sitting in a room discussing affairs of state. Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk. The resident prime minister admonishes him: “Peter,” he says, “kindly remember Rule Number 6,” whereupon Peter is instantly restored to complete calm, apologizes, and withdraws. The politicians return to their conversation, only to be interrupted yet again twenty minutes later by an hysterical woman gesticulating wildly, her hair flying. Again the intruder is greeted with the words: “Marie, please remember Rule Number 6.” Complete calm descends once more, and she too withdraws with a bow and an apology. When the scene is repeated for a third time, the visiting prime minister addresses his colleague: “My dear friend, I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this. Would you be willing to share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?” “Very simple,” replies the resident prime minister. “Rule Number 6 is ‘Don’t take yourself so damn seriously.’” “Ah,” says his visitor, “that is a fine rule.” After a moment of pondering, he inquires, “And what, may I ask, are the other rules?”

“There aren’t any.”
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I first heard this from Wayne Dyer but I believe he snatched it from “The Art of Possibility” by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander. I haven’t read this so have no idea what other gems it may contain.

SKH Festival 2009

Fall Festival 2009 is almost here!  Festival is the big event of the year for To-Shin Do and Quest Center practitioners. It’s a whole weekend (2 days – Saturday and Sunday) of training. There are group training sessions with Mr. Hayes and Mrs. Hayes. Then, there are break out sessions with various instructors from all over.  A group meditation lead by Mr. Hayes, demos and promotions, plus a Fire Ceremony held outside in the back, and a Karaoke party. That was just Saturday!  Sunday there is more training and break out sessions with different instructors. Lunch is provided for both days, breakfast and dinner is your responsibility.  Festival is something that needs to be experienced! The energy level of the place is so high up you can feel it as you walk into the doors of the hotel lobby.  The experiences you gain from attending Festival are a huge adrenal shot to your training and can not be duplicated anywhere else. If this did not convince you just read what people who have gone to Festival had to say:

“Going to festival is an amazing experience, not only do you get to lean directly from the An-Shus’ but you get to do so in the company of several hundred To-Shin Do practitioners from around the world. I can’t recall when I last met such an open and friendly group. The energy of several hundred To-Shin Do practitioners has to be felt in order to appreciate it! The Fire Ceremony where everyone sets an intention for the year is a must to experience! All in all, it is a truly remarkable training experience.”

Dean Farrington, Ni-Dan.

“Out of all of the times I’ve been to Festival, I think the first time will be my most memorable. There’s something awe inspiring about seeing a few hundred people working on the same passion as yourself.  I had a lot of fun seeing all of the distinctly different and yet eerily similar styles of To-Shin Do coming from each individual school and its students. On top of that, all of the instructors were willing to share any of their knowledge and experiences.  It’s hard to find a more honest and open senior leadership in an organization; anywhere.  All in all, it was a helmet wearing special time…literally, we were wearing helmets.”

Thad Stanfill, Shodan Instructor.

“SKH Festival 2008, “Ninja Timeless Treasures,” delivered just what the name promised. This was the second Festival I have had the pleasure to attend. Festival 2007 went by in a flash of advanced ninja moves, 3rd and 6th degree black belt techniques, and too many tiny bruises to count (Ninjuries). I just counted the days until I could do it all over again in 2008. When hundreds of ninjutsu students from all over the planet gather together in one place, the training opportunity is priceless. The energy is incredible and the potential for new understanding is lurking behind every wristlock and escape.”

Leonard Rickmers, Blue Belt

“Being able to train with instructors, who are not only higher rank than instructors at my home school but who have different perspectives than I was normal exposed to, was a very cool experience.  The ways in which each student moves with each of the techniques showed me that this art is truly personal to the particular student who is training. I learned a lot from this experience.  Festival is a fun and exciting experience that I would highly recommend to all students of To-Shin Do.”

Cynthia Sherwood, Red Belt

I used to train in the Bujinkan during the latter years of the ’90s.  The school I attended in Maryland was outstanding.  There was a solid curriculum and an instructing staff that not only knew what they were doing, but were patient enough to explain the technique/principle/concept until it was understood.  Due to an injury, it was almost ten years before I considered training again.  Spoiled by my last experience, I wanted a martial arts school that provided the same things my previous school provided me.  Equally important was my desire to continue Taijutsu training.  On a whim, I was looking through the yellow pages when I saw that there was a Quest Center in town.  Those of us who have trained in any kind of Taijutsu know that this is Stephen K. Hayes’ system of teaching this wonderful art.  I immediately decided to come in and try the school out.  I knew the first day that I had found what I was looking for.  The curriculum flows well, and the instructors are every bit as patient (if not more) as my first instructors.  There is also the Life Skills element to the training that has helped me to focus on the things that were already important to me and has helped me cleave a path to securing them.  Everyone at the dojo is unpretentious and we all share a desire to cultivate a climate of learning, personal growth, and comradery.  The friendships I have gained are profound and lifelong.  My confidence in being able to protect myself and others has increased exponentially and more importantly, I have more confidence in my ability to de-escalate a situation before it comes to using the skills I am being taught.  This to me is the most important lesson learned – the easiest punch to block is the one that isn’t thrown.