By Prof. Mark
 
I recently traveled to Miami, Florida for the 2023 Demian Maia Affiliate training camp.  The camp went from July 6th to 10th with several hours of intense training each day.  The training consisted mostly of advanced Jiu-jitsu strategies, but also focused on business and marketing principles for success in running a martial arts gym.  Now that Demian has retired from fighting in the UFC, he is more focused on growing his own academy, and helping his affiliates do the same. 
This camp was amazing in many ways. I was able to reconnect with some guys that I haven't seen since before COVID.  I was also able to meet some new friends, and that's always great. 
The training was incredible.  It included takedowns, positioning and submissions of course.  In many cases Demian drew upon his extensive experience in Mixed Martial Arts to refine and improve strategies in Jiu-jitsu for self-defense and competition. 
This was my first dive back into the intensity that Jiu-Jitsu requires on this level and I am happy to say that my body held up well.  Over the last three years I’ve been struggling with a nasty injury and surgery, and I am very happy to be really getting back to it.  By the way, the injury was from doing roadwork to stay fit during the pandemic quarantines…not the martial arts.
Everybody in the group was super cool at helping me bring my game back up to where it should be.  My training partners all did a fantastic job of balancing setting a challenging pace with staying technical and not pushing too far.  I have a new level of trust and appreciation for Team Demian, and I will never forget it.
In addition to the amazing training the group was able to get out and enjoy some R&R, visiting some great restaurants, beaches, pools and sights.  I was also able to room with the boss and that was a blast, too.  We talked a lot about ways to make a gym the best it can be, and shared some ideas and laughs.  He insisted on driving everywhere, which provided more opportunities to chat and brush up on my familiarity with Brazilian music, too.
Thanks to all of the guys at the camp, and special thanks to Mestre Demian Maia for an amazing camp!  

In traditional Japanese and Okinawan martial arts it is common that each student receives a name plaque or ’nafuda’ to be hung in the dojo.  The plaque is hung in a display called the ’nafuda-kake’  which has all of the names of the students and teachers organized in the order of lowest rank levels to highest.  As each student progresses through the rank system of the art, they watch their name plaque move further and further up in levels.  This is a great way for students to see their progress in their training, and know everyone’s place in the dojo hierarchy.
As part of ZenQuest’s ’Spring Cleaning’ the name plaque display for it’s Uechi-Ryu students was reorganized and updated.  Since moving to the school’s current location all of the ranks were placed on the same horizontal line on the upper part of the west wall.  However, due to the need to accommodate more names another line was added above that one.  Now, all Dan or black-belt ranks will reside on the upper line and all Kyu or colored-belt ranks will be placed on the lower line.  
One new rank was added to the display to accommodate Sensei Mark’s promotion to 8th degree black belt or Hachidan.  This is the first time in the history of the school that someone has achieved that rank (going back to 1972!) 
Another new rank was added to the display for 7th level or Nanakyu (Blue Stripe.)  Until now, students received the nafuda at 6th level or Rokkyu (Blue Belt.) The change comes due to Senseis Connie and Mark feeling that younger students should be rewarded with their name plaques sooner than they generally had been.  So, ZenQuest’s Uechi-Ryu students currently with the rank of blue-stripe are now being awarded a nafuda name-plaque to hang on the wall.  Newer students can also look forward to getting their ’nafuda’ a little sooner, and students with them already can feel good about the growth of the school. 
We recently had several students receive plaques for achieving Blue Belt, too.  When a student receives the name-plaque and places it on the dojo wall, its kind of a big deal.  They are considered to be not only representing their own progress, but also their family name.  So, students and families should feel a great sense of pride as they watch the name-plaque progress up through the ranks.
So, congratulations to all of the students receiving name-plaques!  Please continue and keep up the good work.

Our annual ‘Spring Cleaning’ was held on Sunday, June 25, this year.  Technically, this one happened in early summer, but that didn’t stop people from making it a big success.  No less than twenty adults and five children showed up to participate, which may be a record turnout. 
The group worked for over two hours giving the gym a thorough dusting, washing, and reorganizing.  This ritual goes a long way to keeping the facility fresh and clean beyond the weekly cleanings that normally happen.  So, virtually everything in the place was washed and renewed.  This originally started out as something that Senseis Connie and Mark would do, but others joined in at some point and it became a ‘thing.’   
ZenQuest provided some breakfast treats and drinks for the cleaning crew.  After the event several of the participants went for a lunch at the new restaurant ’Antimony.’  There the group enjoyed some good food, a live band, and some laughs of course.
Huge thanks to everyone that joined in on this year’s Spring Cleaning!  The gym is a better place to train now thanks to you all!