ZenQuest is holding an Open House on Saturday, April 7th.  The event will kick off at  from 9:00 AM and feature tours, free trial classes, giveaways, children’s games and prizes, and even a magician on hand to amaze the kids.  Visitors will also have opportunities to speak with the “Team ZenQuest” fight team and watch them spar.  You can also pick up some goodies at a “Bake Sale” via the folks from the Bill Wright Scholarship Fund, and talk to them about possible tuition assistance. 
Two FREE Self-defense Clinics will also be offered later as part of the event.    First, a Children’s Clinic will be given from 2:00 to 3:00 PM.  This will include a brief discussion on self-defense and appropriate times for action, and strategies for defending or escaping common attacks and bullying.  We will also touch on school safety, an increasingly real concern for kids and parents. 
Right after the Children’s Clinic will be a Women’s Self-defense workshop from 3:00 to 4:30 PM.  This will also include a discussion on situational awareness and avoidance strategies.  Then the group will see defense and escapes for common attacks that women would likely face.  As with the Children’s Clinic, the best techniques from a variety of martial arts will be provided in a safe and effective environment.
So, join us for a fun day at ZenQuest!  For more information or to register for the FREE clinics, please call 413-637-0656 or email us at train@zenquestmac.com.  See you there.

Matt “Machine” Bienia is set to defend his “Reality Fighting” lightweight MMA title on May 4th.  The amateur champ will face Travis Simpson at 155 pounds on May 4th at the 10,000 seat capacity Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.  Some fans may remember Kaged Kombat champ Simpson, who defeated ZenQuest’s Neil Von Flatern in a controversial bout back in 2016.  Sparks will fly in this match as Bienia tries to avenge his team’s loss in a heated contest.
This bout will be part of the main card in Reality Fighting’s 101st event.  Doors open at 6:00 PM, Submission Grappling matches start at 7:00 PM, and MMA matches are scheduled to begin at 8:30 PM.  Tickets are available at ZenQuest and are $45, $60 and $80.  Matt “Machine” Bienia walkout shirts are available for pre-order, as are sponsorship opportunities.  Please contact us for more information, see you at the fights.

Based on a number of recent inquiries, we’ll be adding a second “Cranes” children’s Karate class on Mondays at 4:30 PM.  This class is for kids ages 3-1/2 to 5, and focuses on age appropriate drills, activities and games for that age group.  For years, ZenQuest has had an afternoon class on Tuesdays at 12:30 PM.  However, with parents’ busy schedules and more kids in daycare during that time, we think that the later class will work well for many families.
This class is scheduled to start on Monday, May 7th.  For more information, or to register for this class, please contact us at 413-637-0656, or via email at train@zenquestmac.com.

Seasoned students at ZenQuest were recently provided with opportunities to do some advanced training in our latest round of “Advanced Concepts” clinics.  Karate, Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai practitioners all upped their game a bit with some hands-on drills and discussion related to more complex principles in each respective art. 
On Saturday, March 10, Jiu-jitsu students ranked Blue Belt and above attended Advanced Concepts in Jiu-jitsu.  After touching on some leadership and teaching issues, the students were given different strategies for “Knee Bar” attacks and defense.  After some rolling (sparring), two students were promoted, including: Stephen Tagliari to Blue Belt, and Brennon Stockton to 1-Stripe Blue Belt.
Then, on Saturday, March 17 ZenQuest’s experienced Thai Boxing students attended Advanced Concepts in Muay Thai.  After some discussion on leadership and teaching issues with this group, the students practiced strategies for striking and throwing from the clinch.  After some sparring,  Karyn Bienia was promoted to Purple Prajiet (arm band.)
Lastly, our advanced Uechi-Ryu training took place on Saturday, March 24.  Students ranked Ikkyu (Black Stripe) and above discussed “Sempai” teaching and training issues before diving into the physical training.  The group went through advanced Kata while focusing on finer details and optimizing the rhythms and timing of the routines. The senior students also focused on advanced two-person drills, being mindful of balancing technical precision with realism.  Since advanced promotions in Karate happen biannually, promotions are not made at the Advanced Concepts clinics.
Thanks to everyone who attended and congratulations to those promoted.  Our next round of AC trainings are expected to take place in June.

Studying a martial art presents several different challenges.  There are learning technical strategies, coordinating our bodies to perform the movements, keeping up with the cardio-vascular requirements, and developing strength to make things work.  But beyond the more obvious, there are also some mental and even emotional challenges to overcome.  Some of the non-physical pitfalls that we need to be aware of include:
 
·   The feeling of not making progress or stagnation
·   A lack of patience or frustration with promotions
·   Arriving at a place of “knowing everything” with no need to learn more
·   Failure to maintain a training schedule
·   Failure to plan financially for training
·   Allowing relationships with training partners or instructors to fall apart
 
Most of these problems can be avoided by following the principle of ‘Kaizen.’  Kaizen is a word that comes from Japanese culture meaning “constant improvement.”  Essentially, it means that every time we enter the dojo or gym, we should do our best to be better than the last time we were there.  This is no easy task, because it means improving on each aspect of training including the technical aspects of our art, our focus and concentration, our strength and conditioning, and even our energy and enthusiasm! 
Just doing these things well all at the same time can require some effort.  Improving on them in a constant and gradual way can present quite a challenge.  To do this we need to immerse ourselves into our training.  We need to try to focus mentally, minimize distractions, and make improvements happen. 
It’s normal to have ups and downs from day to day, or week to week, but over time this approach will lead to improvement and progress.  Sometimes we will feel like we’re making huge improvements, sometimes smaller ones...and sometimes we’ll feel like we’re actually going backwards.  But, over time, we WILL make progress.  In reality, we are always improving, even when we think we’re not.  “Baby steps”  forward should be the goal.  Minimizing distractions and focusing on training will keep us in a healthy place.  We need to make training and improving a priority.
The most import aspect of the Kaizen approach is that it will help us stay positive about our training.  Probably the most common path to failure in the martial arts (or possibly any activity) is mental frustration and negativity.  If we feel like we’re not progressing at all, we will likely get discouraged and give up.  Instead, we need to stay positive, and work towards constant and gradual improvement.

The Bill Wright Scholarship Fund is holding a fundraiser through Green Top Fundraising.  The BWSF helps underprivileged kids learn important life skills through the martial arts that lead to a long, fulfilling, and successful life!
There are many different treats and candies to choose from, as well as spring flowers for planting.  Check out the many selections in the order brochures that are available at ZenQuest.  Online orders are also available for out-of-town friends and family.  
All orders are due by Wednesday, February 21st for delivery mid-March.  Please help us raise money for this worthy cause. Your support is greatly appreciated! 

​Brazilian Jiu-jitsu icon Demian Maia and one of his top instructors, Silvio Moraes, dropped into ZenQuest recently for another incredible seminar.  Maia did not disappoint the nearly 50 in attendance from across Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island...and as far away as Texas.  Demian shared some of the strategies he’s developed during a lifetime on the cutting-edge of the art.  Strategies that have helped him to dominate in some of the most difficult challenges in the world over the last 20+ years. 
In a reverse of the usual pattern, this clinic focused on “No-Gi” material for the first 90 minutes, then switched to “Gi” for the second.  Demian shared a variety of techniques including reliable take-downs, positional strategies, and submissions.  Among the most impressive moves he showed were some of the most fundamental submissions from one of the most common dominant positions.  But, each of the arm-bars from side-control he showed incorporated huge improvements to the “old-school” versions.  In effect, the “new-school” versions are more effective, and very difficult to stop on the receiving end.  The seminar ended with Demian and Silvio giving the students an opportunity to “roll” or spar with them one on one. 
At the conclusion of the seminar, hosts Connie and Mark announced that student Matt Bienia was being promoted to Purple Belt.  Matt trains extremely hard on a regular basis, and has made great progress in his Jiu-jitsu over the last five years.
After leaving ZenQuest, Professor (instructor in Portuguese) Demian went on to finish a series of seminars in the U.S. and then on to others in Europe.  Big thanks to everyone who attended this, and a very special thanks to Demian and Silvio for providing an amazing opportunity to learn.

​We hope that everyone has enjoyed a holiday season filled with happiness and great times!  As the dust settles on the commotion and we begin a new year, it’s a great time to recommit to our goals and make plans to breath new energy into our lives.  We’re going to start the year right with some nice additions to our schedule that we know you’ll like.
Beginning this month, for the first time ever, we'll be introducing daytime Thai Kickboxing classes.  These will be on Wednesdays and Fridays from 12:00 to 1:00 PM and will be perfect for folks who's schedules prevent them from attending evening classes, or just as an alternative time to attend.  Thai Boxing, or Muay Thai, is known as “the art of eight limbs” as it employs the hands, feet, elbows and knees.  Training in Muay Thai is incredible for overall fitness, strength and conditioning, cardio-vascular health, self-defense, and STRESS REDUCTION!  Getting started in this amazing art requires no prior experience or training, but only the desire to learn and work!
We'll be also be adding a Martial Arts Strength class on Monday evenings at 7:30 PM. This class will focus on developing functional strength using free-weights, kettle-bells, medicine balls, and body-weight exercises.  This class will be an amazing compliment to Martial Arts training, but also great for today’s busy lifestyles.  This class also requires no prior experience to get started.
The last addition to our 2018 schedule will be a class called "Haito" on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM. This will cover a wide variety of material including essential striking drills, escape techniques, important ground-fighting strategies, stretching/yoga, meditation, and more!  This is intended to compliment any of the training at ZenQuest, and requires no prior training to attend.  
We hope you’ll give these new classes a try, and enjoy them thoroughly.  So, make your New Years resolutions happen at ZenQuest, and we'll see you in class.  Happy New Year!
 

      Matt ‘Machine’ Bienia made a splash at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, January 6th.  Matt fought Nathan Ghareeb of Manley Jiu-jitsu for the ‘Reality Fighting’ Lightweight Amateur Title.  The bout was a back-and-forth battle that went to 2 minutes and 11 seconds of round three, where Matt finished Nate with a slick arm-bar.  This was deemed as the "Fight of the Night" in the 100th event for one of New England’s biggest MMA promotions, and the crowd love every minute of it! 
     Rounds one and two are best described as a slug-fest, with Matt pushing the pace and aggressively moving forward.  This made it difficult for Nate to get settled and work his Muay Thai game, probably his biggest strength.  At times, Matt would put Nate on the cage and attempt takedowns.  Nate’s cage defense was solid though, and this would result in a stalemate, forcing the action back into the striking game.  Bienia slipped a few times during the fight (partly due to a new cage canvas), which probably didn’t help his cause with the judges.  At 44 seconds of the third round, Matt connected with an overhand right and Nate fell backwards to the mat.  Matt immediately took top position and began to work his jiu-jitsu game.  After looking for a choke from the front for a bit, Matt spun to Nate’s back.  Ghareeb was defending well, but Matt slid over his back to set up the “face-down” arm-bar.  Matt, intelligently turned Nate face up, but Nate continued to defend.  After some smart technical adjustments, Matt was able to get the tap and secure the win.  Nate and his team showed a lot of class afterwards with great sportsmanship, which can be rare sometimes in this sport.
      Matt worked especially hard during his fight camp,  which went through the holiday season.  Huge credit also goes to the fight team, who also showed up for training every week, including: Neil Von Flatern, Chris Brouse, Chris Bradley, Tilo Jackson, Chris Kupernik, Trace Kimple and Keith Sansoucy.  Also key to Matt’s success is his awesome wife and training partner Karyn, who helped Matt with everything from diet and nutrition to cornering the fight.  
      Congratulations to Matt and Team ZenQuest for this incredible performance!  Special thanks to the team sponsors for their support.  Keep an eye out for more amazing stuff from team ZenQuest in the new year.