Although there is still time to enjoy your summer, it’s not too early to start thinking about the Back-to-School season.  The fall and winter seasons are always the busiest time for children’s classes at ZenQuest.  During this time we do our best to organize our kids’ classes to ensure a healthy and positive environment for everyone.  This includes limiting the size of classes, and asking parents to designate which classes their children will be attending. 
      Soon we will send out our children’s ‘Fall Registration’ packet in the mail.  It will contain everything you need to make your Fall Registration easy, including Class-Selection Forms.  These forms are the best way to reserve your preferred classes during the coming fall and winter season.  They will also indicate the most appropriate classes for each youth student based on their age, size and experience level.  The only change happening to the schedule effecting youth students, starting in September, is the Monday evening 6:15-7:15 Uechi Class will return to a Cobras only class.
      Please remember that ‘Partial Participation’ discounts are reserved for students age eight years old and younger.  Kids age thirteen or older are eligible to attend unlimited Adult classes including Karate, Jiu-jitsu, Thai Kickboxing, and Strength & Conditioning.  Please note that classes will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis and waiting lists will be generated for students whose forms and enrollment are received after their chosen classes are filled. 
      Please let us know if you have any questions about any of this, and look for your Fall Enrollment package in the mail soon.  We will look forward to another great season of fun and learning at the oldest and best martial arts school in the Berkshires!!

We’ve been voted ‘Best Martial Arts Academy’ in the Berkshires for the second year in a row!  The “Reader’s Choice Awards” contest is run by the area’s largest source for both online and printed news.  We are pleasantly surprised and honored to receive this awesome award.
We’d like the thank everyone who voted for us.  We’d also like to thank our students, instructors, families, supporters, and parent organizations for all that they do to make ZenQuest amazing! 
We will continue to do everything we can to provide a great facility, world class instruction and a positive training environment...and shoot for another ‘repeat’ next year.
Thanks again to everyone!

Team ZenQuest will be challenging for two amateur MMA title belts on August 18th! Both Matt "Machine" Bienia and Neil “Beast Mode” Von Flatern will be fighting in the ‘Cage Titans XL’ event in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  The owners of those belts are not going to give their titles easily, so these should be two exciting wars to witness.
Matt will face Chris “The Bearded Dragon” O'Brien, who is the ‘Cage Titans’ Lightweight champion.  Chris is a scrappy grappler with a solid striking game and a record of 4-0 with four finishes.  The Machine has a record of 5-1, with five finishes and two Lightweight title belts of his own.  Matt has a grinding relentless style with top-notch striking and Jiu-jitsu.  He’s currently ranked #1 among amateur Lightweight fighters in the state of Massachusetts, while Chris is ranked #2.  Both fighters are highly motivated to claim bragging rights on this one.
Neil is set to make his long-awaited return to the cage to face Welterweight champion, Trevor “Scarecrow” Gudde.  At 6’7” Trevor is a lanky 170 pound striker with a purple belt in Jiu-jitsu.  His record of 5-0 includes one finish and four decisions.  After a variety of personal challenges and cancelled bouts “Von Beast” will step into the cage for the first time since early 2016.  Neil has dominated with Jiu-jitsu on his previous run, but his Thai Kickboxing has gone to a new level.  He’s currently 4-1 with three finishes.  Neil is fired up to claim his first championship strap, and Trevor has no intentions of letting it go.
Tickets for this are now available at ZenQuest!  Don’t miss this exciting night of action with Team “Z”!  As always, thanks to our fans and sponsors for their continued support.

Mark DellaGrotte will be returning for another Thai Kickboxing seminar on Saturday, September 15.  Considered to be one of the best Muay Thai coaches in the world, Kru Mark always provides a top-notch learning experience.  DellaGrotte has trained and fought in Thailand directly under legendary Grandmaster Senanan Yodtong.  He has also coached numerous world class fighters in Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts.  He’ll bring that same style of coaching to this seminar, so don’t miss it. 
The three-hour hands-on clinic will be from 12:00 to 3:00 PM.  Pre-registration cost will be $100 until Thursday, September 13, after which the cost will be $120. Local students may register at the front desk, and ‘out-of-towners’ will soon be able to register via PayPal or through the ZenQuest website.  Space is limited for this so please reserve your spot ASAP.

Senseis Connie and Mark will be traveling to Asia this November to brush up on and advance their knowledge of both Muay Thai and Karate.  First, they will visit Pattaya, Thailand to train at the headquarters for Sityodtong Muay Thai for one week.  They will train for as much as five hours each day at the world renown Sityodtong training camp.  The Sityodtong camp in the town of Chonburi was established by Grandmaster Senanan Yodtong.  He was one of the greatest Muay Thai fighters and trainers in history, producing no less than 57 champions.  Master Yodtong’s legacy continues under the direction of Kru Toy Sityodtong, who will coach and supervise Coaches Mark and Connie while they’re there.
After Thailand, the Flynns will head to Okinawa for two weeks.  As on their previous visits, they will train with several of the leading Masters of Uechi-Ryu in the world.  Sensei Connie has been invited to test for her Nanadan or 7th Degree Black Belt in Uechi-Ryu, and she’s excited to meet the challenge.  To qualify for the exam, Sensei Connie is required to train four hours per day for two weeks.  Three of ZenQuest instructors will be joining the Flynns for the Okinawa trip, including Senseis Matt Moreau, Beth Yanuskewicz and Michelle Moreau.  The group is looking forward to some amazing training, and soaking in the sights and culture of the birthplace of Karate. 
During this trip our regular schedule of classes will be conducted as usual, so please continue to help our other instructors to ‘hold down the fort’ at that time.  Remember  that everyone benefits from this kind of trip, which is guaranteed to improve the quality of instruction at ZenQuest!

Our latest Advanced Concepts in Jiu-jitsu clinic was held on Saturday, August 4th.  This one included some great work on the Leg-Lasso, or Lasso Guard.  This is a strategy where a defender entangles his legs in the opponent’s arms, making it difficult for them to advance their position and making them vulnerable to attacks. 
      Several students earned promotions this time.  The following received promotions: Russel Moody and Glen Giumarra to Blue Belt, Karyn Bienia to 1-Stripe Blue Belt, Matt Moreau and Chris Bradley to 2-Stripe Blue Belt, Frank Scago to 3-Stripe Blue Belt, Mike Wynn to 4-Stripe Blue Belt, Matt Gerlitz to 1-Stripe Purple Belt, Neil Von Flatern to 2-Stripe Purple Belt, and Herb Gregg and Tim Somerville to 4-Stripe Purple Belt. 
Congratulations to everyone and keep up the good work!

A horde of students and friends showed up for our annual Clean-up & Repair Day on July 29.  Almost thirty people scrubbed every area of the gym, and the equipment used for training.  Some repairs and improvements were also made, too.  Among the biggest undertakings were repairs to the playground, and the installation of padding behind the cage-panels in the black room.  These were made to keep those areas functioning and as safe as possible. 
Huge thanks to everyone who contributed to this effort.  It’s extremely important to keep everything clean and safe for everyone who comes to ZenQuest and we sincerely appreciate your help.

Martial arts schools typically teach a series of combative strategies for fitness and self-defense.  Many of them will also include (to varying degrees) some mental and ‘spiritual’ or emotional elements in their programs.  This can include things like:
 
·      Etiquette and social courtesies
·      Focus and concentration
·      Awareness and mindfulness
·      Self-control and discipline
·      Patience and perseverance
·      Discretion and de-escalation skills
·      Emotional stability and calmness
 
These elements of training are just as important...maybe more important to the student as staying physically fit and developing a solid skill set in your chosen art.  For most of us the need to defend our lives will be a rare occasion.  But, our daily lives benefit from social courtesy, focus, awareness, discipline, discretion and stability.
In the modern era, martial arts schools need to find creative ways to teach these principles to their students.  To run a dojo or gym like a Zen monastery would likely mean a financial end to the establishment.  Instructors also need to be careful not to cross over into a ‘religious’ area in teaching these principles out of respect for different students’ beliefs.
To be successful and still teach these principles to the majority of students, instructors need to make these lessons interesting and fun, and even get creative sometimes.  Many of the standard exercises in a martial art are designed to include these ideas.  Well organized schools will include a code-of-conduct or “Dojo Code” to reinforce these principles.  Certain drills or activities may not seem to have much value in martial arts training, but they typically do.   For kids, even games at the end of classes usually provide some skill building and lessons on qualities like fairness, sportsmanship, honor, self-control and attention to rules and structure.
These principles can take some time to learn, especially for children.  To truly develop as part of a student’s character these qualities usually take months or even years.  Regular training in the Dojo or “gym” under the guidance of experienced leaders and dedication to all the exercises WILL impart these qualities to those who are willing to learn.  This requires some trust and effort on the part of the student.  In the case of younger students, parental trust and support are also a key element to them learning these principles.
Students will go through many different phases and challenges as they learn the non-physical elements to martial arts training.  Sometimes they will have to define boundaries for themselves the “hard way.”  Listening carefully to their instructors and trying to absorb the lessons taught in the Dojo can help to minimize this normal part of learning. 
If a situation arises when a student has difficulty with any of the principles highlighted, it can often be turned into a “teachable moment” for them.  The student (and/ or parent) should be sure to talk to an instructor to understand better and get some perspective on the situation.  Whatever the case, the instructors will most often be able to help, and, turn a negative into a positive.  Well seasoned instructors have likely dealt with the same situation before, and are well prepared to make the best of any situation.  This is a case where trusting the experts can go a long way.  

 Based on the crazy success of our recent Referral Rewards program...we’re doing it again!  Our latest program brought in 17 new students between February 15th and April 30th.  We’re hoping that the trend continues, and are happy to show our appreciation for those who spread the word about ZenQuest. 
As before, each student who sends a friend to us will receive a $50 gift certificate from ZenQuest.  In addition, both the student who did the referral, and the new student, were entered into a drawing for an another $50 gift certificate.  To qualify, referred students must enroll for at least three-months. 
       Congratulations to Marissa Maher for winning our last drawing, which was held on May 1st, and congratulations to all of our recent new students for beginning their martial arts journey at ZenQuest.  Let’s keep those referrals going!
 

The Bill Wright Scholarship Fund held it’s annual “Kick-a-thon” on Saturday, May 19th.  Participants were given five minutes to see how many kicks they could do in an effort to raise money for the Bill Wright Scholarship Fund.  This time around over $1,100 were raised through pledges and donations made for the kickers.  The top kicker, Matt Moreau, performed 438 kicks and won a $25 gift certificate to ZenQuest.  The top fundraiser was Troy Middleton, who raised $464 and won a $25 gift certificate to the King Kone ice cream shop.  In addition to the Kickathon, the BWSF raised over $160 through an Arizona Pizza “Dine to Donate” event held on May 6th.
      The BWSF was inspired by long-time student, Bill Wright, who began training in the martial arts while in his seventies.  Bill was an inspiration to other students, being very dedicated and working hard to achieve the rank of Sandan or 3rd degree Black Belt in Uechi-Ryu Karate.  Upon his passing, the BWSF was created to help underprivileged youngsters to better themselves through the martial arts that Bill loved so much.
      Thanks to everyone who contributed to the recent fundraisers.  Please remember that this is an ongoing effort and donations are always welcome, we appreciate your support!