In the age of the internet there is almost limitless information available to anyone who has a home computer or cell phone. For martial artists this can be helpful for learning and understanding their chosen art. We can bring up videos of almost any technique, strategy, and insight into our chosen art.
Prior to the mid-2000s, when the internet kind of ’blew up’, martial arts students were limited in what reference materials were available. Instructional DVDs were the cutting edge for that. Before that, we had videotapes which came on the scene in the early 80s. Prior to that...books and magazines and, even farther back the only source of learning was in person with a qualified instructor.
Whatever reference material you may find, it’s important to remember that they should be viewed with a ‘grain of salt.’ We need to be careful to remember that some of this information may not be consistent with what your instructors or parent group teach. Worse yet, some of it may be completely off base and could corrupt your training in different ways. Most likely, the most reliable sources of material online to help you learn are directly from your instructors and parent organizations.
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Let’s first explore some of the advantages of watching online videos to aid in your martial arts journey:
Convenience  One of the biggest benefits of online videos is convenience. You can watch and practice anytime and anywhere. Whether you are at home, on vacation, or just too busy to attend a regular class, online videos allow you to learn at your own pace. This flexibility makes it easier to fit martial arts training into a busy schedule.
A Variety of Strategies  Online platforms offer access to a wide range of martial arts techniques and styles from around the world. You can explore and learn from different instructors, each with their unique techniques and philosophies. Although this can provide insight into different strategies that suit your abilities, it can also lead to confusion and inconsistency with your own dojo.
Rewatchable Lessons  Online videos are almost always available for replay and reference. If you miss something or need to practice a particular technique, you can rewind the video and watch it again until you ‘get it’.

Now, let’s take a look at the disadvantages of relying on online videos in learning a martial art:
Lack of Personal Guidance  One of the biggest drawbacks of learning martial arts through videos is the lack of personalized instruction. Martial arts techniques often require specific movements, positioning, angles, and force which are difficult to perfect without an instructor’s feedback. If you practice incorrectly, you could develop bad habits that are hard to fix later or even injure yourself.
Limited Interaction  In a dojo, students can ask their instructor questions, receive corrections, and train with partners. Online learning lacks this interactive aspect. Without a partner to practice with, it’s hard to apply certain techniques that involve another person, like blocks, throws or locks. The social and community aspect of martial arts training is usually completely lost when learning alone. Lastly, working with other people over time lessons the tendency to be stressed or intimidated in potential confrontations.
Difficulty With Complex Techniques  Some martial arts moves can be difficult to grasp just by watching a video. Techniques that involve precise body mechanics, timing, and distancing may not translate well with an online format. Instructors in live classes can adjust your body position, demonstrate multiple times, and explain movements in detail—something videos can’t replicate fully. Also, many people don’t have the discipline to develop muscle memory from the repetition that they will experience in in-person classes.
Risk of Injury  Without proper guidance, there's a higher risk of injury when learning martial arts moves on your own. Techniques such as footwork, strikes, blocks, falls, or escapes done incorrectly can lead to sprains, strains, or more serious injuries. In a class, an experienced instructor will ensure you are performing these moves safely and minimize your risks.

At ZenQuest we pride ourselves on providing the best instruction possible based on decades of experience. We follow proven standards and practices established by our parent groups: the Okinawa Karate Association, the Demian Maia Jiu-jitsu Association, and Sityodtong Muay Thai. So, be careful about outside influences and remember, if it looks like it wouldn’t work or is a waste of time---it probably is.

One of the most important benefits that a student can gain from the martial arts is mindfulness. Learning to be mindful and aware of what we’re doing in our daily lives is invaluable and can last throughout our lives. An important area that this can apply to is scheduling and timeliness or ‘time-management’.
Learning timeliness in a martial art begins with knowing the dojo schedule and being on time for classes. Students at ZenQuest should arrive at least 5 to 10 minutes before their class begins. This allows them to change into their training clothing, place their other gear where it needs to go, and begin to prepare themselves mentally for the class.
Being on time also gives the student an opportunity to say hello to their instructors and the other students that they’ll be working with in the class. One of the great things about training at ZenQuest is the ‘social’ part of it. Students are able to interact with others in an environment where everyone is encouraged to be positive and supportive of others. Students often make lasting friendships in the dojo. They share a bond that the Okinawans call ’Buji’ or ’war-blood.’
Arriving late makes any preparation for the class rushed. It can make the student start the class feeling unsettled and embarrassed when they enter the class. They often miss the ‘warm-up’ portion of the class which is designed to prepare the body AND the mind for the more challenging exercises that follow. This can increase the chances of injury, and delay our immersion into the training. Arriving late also causes us to miss some of the opportunities we would have to engage with the other students and make new friends.
 So, be mindful and practice timeliness. Experts say that mindfulness or ‘conscientiousness’ is the number one quality that interviewers consider when hiring. Mindfulness also keeps our stress levels low and improves the overall quality of our lives!

​Last winter we explored the idea of creating a text messaging system for our students. This idea was originally thought of as a better way to notify students and families of weather closures. However, this could be an alternative way to deliver other news and important notices to our students and families.  Now that we’re going into another fall and winter season, we will actually put that system in place.
For the last 16 years or so we have used our website and email as the primary way to share our newsletter and other notices with our students. For many years before that these were physically mailed to students and families via ‘snail-mail.’ But in 2024 only about 20% of people open email notices like these, but almost 90% open text alerts.
So, on September 14th, we will send out a text message that will allow students and families to opt-into the brand new ‘Zen-Text’ system. This is completely voluntary and they can also opt out of this at any time. Keep in mind that we occasionally have class cancellations due to bad weather, power outages, and other unforeseen circumstances. We will also provide a link to our monthly newsletter each month for keeping up on what’s happening at ZenQuest.
A list is now being generated based on phone numbers provided on student registration forms. Students and parents who have not provide a cell-phone number on your original registration form(s), or the number provided has changed (and you would like to be included in the Zen-Texts) please provide that to us at your convenience. This can be done via email at [email protected], a phone call to 413-637-0656, or just physically at our front desk.
We are mindful that too many text messages can be annoying and intend to limit the number of those to only messages considered important. As always, any information provided will be kept private and not shared with anyone else. Feel free to contact us with any questions about this.

​The ‘Back-To-School’ season is almost here again and at ZenQuest that means organizing our children’s classes for the busy season. We do this in order to keep reasonable limits on these classes and insure a positive experience for each student. After an unusually busy summer it is more important than ever for parents and older kids to reserve their classes at this time.
Youth students and parents should notify us at their earliest convenience which classes they will be continuing with this fall. Starting now, student lists are be created for each youth class in the schedule, with limited space available. So, it is essential that we get you onto the appropriate class lists.  Students aged thirteen years or older are eligible to transition to Adult classes (including Karate, Jiu-jitsu, Thai Kickboxing, and Strength & Conditioning.)  These classes are more open and do not need to be limited like the youth classes. 
Students and parents can reserve their classes by any of the following ways:
¨    Speaking to someone directly at the front desk
¨    Sending an email to [email protected]
¨    Calling us at 413-637-0656
 
Please remember that class reservations and lists are made on a ‘first come first served’ basis. Waiting lists will be generated for classes that reach their limit. Students who are not able to attend their first choice for classes right away are encouraged to choose alternative classes until space opens up in their most preferred classes.
Also, remember that class reservations will only be effective with an active student enrollment. Reservations for students not currently enrolled must be accompanied with tuition payment to restart the student’s membership. Remember, too, that ‘Partial Participation’ discounts are reserved for students aged seven years old and younger.
As of September 1st, youth students are encouraged to limit their participation to a maximum of two or three classes per week in each program. This is to balance enthusiastic individual attendance with allowing other students to share the dojo. Also, parents and students need to be careful to prevent ‘burnout’ in younger students. This still allows most students to attend as many as six classes per week between Karate and Jiu-jitsu.  
We are still using precautionary sanitizing and cleaning, and asking students to exercise intelligent personal care (refraining from attending classes when sick.) With these measures students can reap the benefits of the learning, physical activity, and socialization at ZenQuest. 
Please note, after Labor Day, the Wednesday Pythons and the Monday Strength and Conditioning classes will return to the class schedule. Tuition rates. Will remain the same.  As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns going forward. We will look forward to another great season of fun and learning at the oldest and best martial arts school in the Berkshires!!
 

The Kikai camp wrapped up on Saturday, July 27. We hope that everyone who attended enjoyed the training, got ‘tuned-up’ a bit, and gained new insight into Uechi-Ryu Karate. We should all remember that ‘Kikai’ means ‘opportunity’ and we should not miss this chance to learn and grow from this experience.
Kikai 2024 consisted of  an immersive Uechi-Ryu Karate training experience. Uechi enthusiasts from across the U.S. and Canada were in attendance. The training covered a variety of topics including Hojo Undo, Sanchin, Kata, Bunkai, Yakusoku Kumite, Kote Kitae and more. The guest of honor, Sensei Nakahodo also treated the most advanced camp goers to a bit of ‘Kyushu’ or pressure point training.
The event featured four Okinawan Uechi-Ryu Masters including Grandmaster Tsutomu Nakahodo, Master Hirokuni Yamashiro, Master Tatsuhide Miyazato, and Master Atsushi Hamada all of the Okinawa Karatedo Association. The event was co-sponsored by two affiliated Dojos, ZenQuest Martial Arts Center in Lenox, and the Uechi Karate Dojo in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.
ZenQuest hosted the Berkshire portion of the camp on Monday, July 22 and Tuesday, July 23. After a day of rest, the Masters continued in North Attleboro between Thursday, July 25 to Saturday, July 27. A Dan test and banquet were also held there on Sunday, July 28.
The visiting Masters said that they thoroughly enjoyed providing instruction at the camp and their time visiting New England. Despite some initial travel difficulties and delays, they were able to experience some of the beauty and culture of the area and, of course, the people in attendance.
The training in the Berkshires was originally scheduled to begin on Sunday, July 21. However, due to travel problems and delays caused by the global ‘CrowdStrike’ software failure, the first training session had to be cancelled. The camp also coincided with a worldwide surge in the latest strain of COVID, and this complicated things a bit further during the camp.
The end of the camp saw some advanced students ‘challenge’ for new Dan levels. This was for high Dan or Black Belts, so the candidates were held to the highest standards and expectations for promotion. Congratulations to the four individuals who successfully passed their Dan tests including: Chip Quimby to 8th Dan; Carl Quilitzsch, Bob Otto, and Joe Montanino to 9th Dan.
Congratulations to Senseis Ed and Jean, too, for their dojo’s 50th anniversary. To an outside observer, it can be difficult to understand all that is involved in running a martial arts school, and it is no small accomplishment to endure all of the challenges that 50 years can bring. ZenQuest technically saw it’s own 50th anniversary in 2022. This is because the original version of the school opened as the Okinawan Karate School of Pittsfield back in 1972. However, with the changes that the Dojo has gone through over the years and super busy schedules, it fell through the cracks.
Unlike their travel to the U.S., the Masters’ return flights went exactly as scheduled without any issues. In the days following the camp the hosts have been in communication with them about improvements that can be made for future camps.
      We’ll be planning another training camp like Kikai 2024 in the Berkshires, probably in 2027. Trainings like the Kikai camp go a long way to elevate the collective quality of the training and teaching in the dojo. This can benefit everyone in the ZenQuest Uechi programs!
Thanks to everyone who supported the camp, and special thanks to the Okinawan Masters for all of their help and inspiration. This was likely Sensei Nakahodo’s last visit to the U.S., and we are especially grateful to him for making the trip to share his vast knowledge of the art. For more information and photos of the Kikai camp visit ZenQuestMAC.com.

​In the martial arts there can be many challenges to deal with in order to keep our training going and reach our goals. These can range from difficulties in learning techniques, distractions, lack of motivation, family and work struggles, illnesses, injuries, burn-out, and personality conflicts to name a few.
The best way to deal with these challenges is the principle of ’just show Up.’ This is simply making a solid habit of getting to the gym/dojo on a regular basis to train. If we can make a routine of throwing our gear in the car and motivating ourselves to get there consistently we will...over time...learn, level-up, master strategies, gain insight, and grow as a person.
This was mentioned recently at ZenQuest by a student who quoted a previous martial arts teacher from many years ago. Sometimes ’just show Up’ might have a colorful word or two added for emphasis. In any case it’s worth repeating here as it is the single most important part of success in any martial arts endeavor.
As we all know things that seem like they would be easy at first can turn out to be super challenging. With busy schedules of school, work, family, and other activities, getting to the dojo a couple of times each week can be difficult at times. However, most of the challenges we will encounter can be overcome with some commitment, self-disciple, and support from those around us.
It can be easy for us to make excuses for skipping training, too. Anything from “I’m too busy” to “I’m too tired” to “I’m not 100%” to “I’ll train at home” are common mental traps to fall into. But, making a habit of excuses instead of getting to the dojo is guaranteed to ruin your martial arts experience. Prioritizing training and shaking off negative thoughts will keep you on track.
With busy schedules, sometimes things come up that cause us to miss class. Oftentimes, though, we can adjust our schedules and simply attend a different class during that week. For cases where we feel physically or mentally fatigued training will actually likely energize us and improve our state of mind.
Once we’ve successfully committed to regular and consistent training the benefits are nothing short of amazing. Attending martial arts classes regularly is essential for making progress. Here's why regular attendance is so important:
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Muscle Memory
A big part of mastering a martial art is creating a situation where it’s techniques and strategies get imprinted into our brain. This is known as ‘building muscle memory.’ The more we practice the 

The Kikai 2024 Karate camp is fast approaching! This is a training camp co-sponsored by ZenQuest and the Uechi Karate Dojo of North Attleboro featuring four Okinawan Masters including Master Tsutomu Nakahodo. Master Nakahodo is Sensei Connie’s and Mark’s head teacher and one of the most advanced Uechi-Ryu teachers in the world. The event filled up immediately with a great turnout, so it should be amazing!  
The camp will happen between July 21 and 28. In spite of the fact that several of ZenQuest’s instructors will be running and attending the camp, the vast majority of classes at ZenQuest will still be held during that time. All regularly scheduled classes will be held except the following:
 
· Uechi-Ryu Adults: 7/22 to 7/27
· Tigers: Mon. 4:15 PM - 7/22 & Sat. 9:15 AM - 7/27
· Dragons - Thurs. 4:15 PM - 7/25
· Muay Thai - Wed. 12:00 PM - 7/24, Fri. 12:00 PM - 7/26 & Sat. 12:00 PM - 7/27
· Team Sparring - Mon. 8:00 PM - 7/22 & Sat. 1:15 AM - July 27
 
Please make a note of these class cancellations and make adjustments accordingly. Most students can simply do classes at other times, move up an age group, or cross-train in another art to make-up any missed classes.
Remember that trainings like the Kikai camp go towards instructor development and tend to elevate the quality of the teaching in the dojo. Essentially this benefits everyone at ZenQuest!

The Kikai Camp is just about here! As part of preparing for the camp we have commissioned an artist to paint portraits of two of the Masters that will be visiting. Our in-house ‘artiste’, Chalice Mitchel, recently completed portraits of Grandmaster Tsutomu Nakahodo  and Master Hirokuni Yamashiro. The portrait of Nakahodo Sensei is already framed and hanging in ZenQuest’s blue room, and the Sensei Yamashiro portrait is currently being framed.
Master Nakahodo is a 10th Dan (degree Black Belt) in Uechi-Ryu Karate and one of the most senior masters of the art in the world. He is also Sensei Connie’s and Mark’s primary teacher. Master Yamashiro is a 9th Dan and also Sensei Connie’s and Mark’s teacher. He has also been instrumental in helping them on their trips to Okinawa, and has visited the Berkshires several times.
Chalice has styled the new portraits to match those already hanging at ZenQuest. Eventually she will also do portraits of Grandmasters Higa and Takamiyagi who were the Flynn’s head instructors until their passing in 2022 and 2012 respectively.
Huge thanks to Chalice for her amazing work on these incredible additions to the Berkshires’ premier martial arts school. She is a local art instructor and accomplished freelance artist. For more information on her work please contact us.

​Many people train in martial arts to improve and maintain their physical fitness. In addition to the skills they learn in the classes they attend, they also burn a fair number of calories while building strength, flexibility, coordination, and stamina. This can also improve the quality of the student’s life with improved body and brain chemistry, lower stress levels, and better sleep patterns.
Many students do supplemental exercises to enhance their overall fitness.  Done right, this can improve their performance in the martial arts, and even tend to prevent the occasional injury. Aside from practicing their art at home, we encourage students to cross-train in different arts, or even other sports and activities to enhance their fitness. This can be roadwork or treadmill time, bicycling, weight training, stretching or Yoga, hiking, etc.
Senior students and instructors also carry the responsibility of setting the example for others in the dojo on fitness and health, and representing their martial art and academy well. It important for them to perform their art on the highest levels and a high level of physical fitness is required to do this. Strength, speed, mobility, and even mental awareness are all better with a high level of physical fitness.
There is another side to physical fitness though that can actually be the hardest part. That is the food that we eat each day. Following a smart diet will keep our bodies healthy and in top condition for the demands of our chosen art(s). Conversely, bad eating habits or being reckless with diet can leave us struggling to perform well and mediocre results in our development. This gets more difficult as we get older. However, just like the training part, an intelligent approach