U.S.C.A. Award for Best Martial Arts School in Flagstaff
"Water Mountain... is a very supportive place to train. The instructors really understand how to work with you to achieve success, and to continually build upon and reinforce your successes. Everyone, students and instructors, work together to form an extremely positive environment. When I walked into the studio for the first time, I immediately felt at ease--sometimes I come in early just to relax in the calming environment. I feel sincerely respected by everyone I've met here. WMMS is like a supportive family, always encouraging me to new levels...."
--Alan Kaufmann, East Flag
"Water Mountain has improved my health so much-sometimes I can hardly believe it! When I first started coming here I was having so much pain, I was just about disabled. Now I'm energetic, feel younger, and I'm nearly pain free. Water Mountain has changed my life for the better....You can come here to handle stress, have a more balanced life and receive lots of positive support both from the staff and from all the friends you make here."
--Maureen White, West Flag
"Water Mountain Martial Arts has been a huge asset for my sons now ages 11 and 13. They not only benefit from the strength and skill building, but also are learning self-defense and discipline. They have learned that it takes a lot of hard work to accomplish some goals in life, but also that it is worth it all in the end."
--Judy Stratton, Upper Greenlaw
"Master Steenrod, I am writing you this letter to thank you and Water Mountain Martial Society for providing martial and lifestyle programs that have been part of my life for several years now. WMMS allowed me to achieve success, and continually build upon my successes, by reinforcing my positive frame of mind, and by cultivating the processes that move students toward imminent objectives using a clear agenda."
--Josh Edwards, East Flagstaff
"Water Mountain Martial Society is a great place to train. Besides the beautiful facility, every instructor is professional, respectful, easy to get along with, and concerned with your progress. The lessons are always very useful and practical, and techniques are demonstrated in a way that makes them quite easy to learn and do, often with surprising results.
A question I've often found myself asking after a class is: "Was I really just able to do that?".
Training at Water Mountain has also improved my health in a long-term and lasting way, both physically and mentally. After training there I find myself with much less stress, as well as an increased drive to do well in life, with the skills and confidence I need to do so.
I would encourage anyone interested in training to try it out. You won't be sorry!"
--James "Bolt Cutter" Patton, West Flagstaff
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Why I have Been
Accused of Training Jedi
Dea Friend,
“Isn’t this Jedi training?” I was asked this question last year by a very excited young male student while teaching a class on old style qi gong. “No,” I answered, “This is where the thought of Jedi training comes from.” You judge for yourself, but be patient, I’m going to get there in a roundabout way.
As a school owner, I have the advantage of seeing what the latest industry trends are and how the market is moving in martial arts. The latest greatest thing has been the push toward integrating “life skills” into martial arts training. When done honestly and correctly, it is a very valuable addition to modern American martial arts.
The successful, national schools in America have actually always had this training integrated into the curriculum. It is one of the many reasons that successful schools are successful. The industry thought is that if this training is reproduced then it will help less successful schools become more successful.
THE BIG Error with the New Fad
The problem with the thought is simple, “What qualifies some Joe martial arts instructor to be teaching squat about life?” I’m not saying that American instructors aren’t technically skilled. I’m not saying that they’re not good coaches. A good coach does know a lot about human behavior. But would you expect your basketball, soccer, or football coach to be the guru on life skills? No, you wouldn’t.
The truth is that most martial arts instructors in America usually do not have a college education. They have a very poor knowledge of history. They are not trained priests. They know very little about psychology or physiology. When life skills work, they would have no idea of why. When the training doesn’t work, they have no idea why.
The industry solution has been to market small kits on life skills. That’s like giving a man in a desert a teaspoonful of water.
It’s well intentioned, but it doesn’t change anything, and it’s kind of ridiculous. Now, let me tell you how it’s been done in the ancient world, and how it should be done.
The Right Way
For the last few months, I’ve been giving Master’s Club lectures on the Art of War, a Taoist treatise on strategy. In particular, I’ve been focusing on filling in some history details, and explaining things that everyone in ancient China would have known, and that would have been understood going into the text.
There is a common quote from the Art of War that is “To Win Without Fighting is Best.” The exact words vary by the translation. The translation is almost irrelevant, because the statement is so misunderstood, it could say, ”Poultry is the Ultimate Weapon.” You would get the same usefulness in your life.
“Win without Fighting” It’s a great thought, and it’s a catchy phrase, but how would you actually go about doing that? Keep in mind, this was not meant to be a mystery. It was not meant to have people sitting around pondering the solution. It was meant to be catchy, to be easily retrieved by memory (ancient text study involved memorizing the text), and immediately and directly useful.
Return of the Jedi
For thousands of years, China and most of Asia has been obsessed with the idea of what makes the ideal, best human, or what was called a “Complete Human.” “Without Fighting” comes from that idea. You see, an ideal human had three options for resolving problems:
1. War
2. Trade
3. Talking Arts (e.g. charismatic speech, deceptive speech, diplomacy, and spying).
“To Win Without Fighting” is to try to use either trade or talking arts first, and to come to understand what the limits of force are. By that I mean what can and can not be accomplished through the use of force.
Where else, in our modern culture, do we see this model of the ideal human reproduced?
The Jedi of Star Wars. They are masters of the war art, both in physical skills and strategy. They negotiate trade deals. They do talking missions. The tactics that they use also come step by step from the Art of War.
The Jedi is a fictional representation of ancient Asian ideal of the complete human.
Can a martial arts instructor get that from a skills pack he or she bought from a martial arts industry magazine? No, he or she can’t.
Water Mountain, however, is built for it. Weakness or strength. That is the choice made to be part of Water Mountain or not.
Warm Regards,
Master Mikel Steenrod |
