Tag: Knoxville Tennessee

Isshin-ryu Karate

Martial Mayhem for a Good Cause!

On Saturday, October 30th, a group of martial artists got together at the Beulah United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a day of martial arts training while raising money for Knoxville’s Children’s Hospital in honor of Charla Alley. Sadly, Charla, the wife of Sensei Jim Alley, succumbed to a terminal illness some time ago. The seminar, originally planned by Sensei Bob Noel, was canceled and rescheduled several times due to the Covid pandemic.

Several instructors from different styles volunteered their time to teach a variety of topics to a group of about 30 attendees. Nearly $1,000 was raised for charity and every participant had a great time.

Here is the lineup of instructors for last Saturday’s event.

Sensei Bob Noel
Uechi-Ryu Karate
Event Host & Organizer

Sensei Noel teaches traditional Uechi-ryu Karate at the Knoxville Uechi-ryu Karate School located at the Street Beatz Studio.

Sensei Noel led a warm-up session consisting of Uechi-ryu basic exercises and the Uechi-ryu version of Sanchin Kata.

Sensei Eddie Satterfield
Isshin-ryu Karate

Sensei Satterfield led a great session on Qi Gong breathing as a tool for relaxing, energizing, and healing. It was a great way to get charged up for the seminar.

Sensei Danny Satterfield
Isshin-ryu Karate

Sensei Danny Satterfield led a very informative session on the framing mechanics of Sanchin Kata. I think it was an eye-opening session for a lot of participants.

Sensei Danny Smith
Isshin-ryu Karate

Sensei Smith led a session on a sai kata from the Tokushinryu Kobudo system. It was clear from participant’s comments, that they really enjoyed this session

Sensei Scott Britt
Isshin-ryu Karate

Sensei Britt presented a fascinating session on the Suruchin, a traditional flexible weapon from Okinawan Kobudo. Scott has written a book on this intriguing weapon.

Sensei Darren Gilbert
Isshin-ryu Karate

Sensei Gilbert presented a great session on using stances to break the line of attack and avoid getting hit, while still allowing you to effectively strike your opponent. This foundational skill is key to unlocking techniques in kata.

Sensei Michael Patrick
Torite Jutsu

Sensei Patrick presented a session on using pressure point techniques to control and subdue your attacker. Understanding pressure points is a big help in understanding the techniques found in kata. This is always a popular topic with participants.

Sensei Mike Allen
Isshin-ryu Karate

Sensei Allen led a well-enjoyed session on Tegumi, which is a traditional form of Okinawan grappling. Many participants commented that this session was a lot of fun.

Sensei David Higgins
Shorin-ryu Karate

Sensei Higgins, a black belt in Shorin-ryu as well as a student of Uechi-ryu, led a session on Shuji No Kun, a Yammani Ryu bo kata. This session was particularly enjoyed by a few of our younger participants, and I enjoyed it as well.

Sensei Jim Alley
Isshin-ryu Karate

Sensei Alley ended the day with a session on techniques from Naihanchi, which with Sanchin Kata, is referred to as the mother and father of Isshin-ryu Karate. It was a great end to a great day!

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Montagnard

Montagnard Release Update

I just got an amazing update from my editor!

And it made my entire year! I should have the edited copy back by the end of the week and will soon be able to schedule the release date. It is a struggle to be patient with this process. While I seem to have endless patience with other people, I have never been very patient with myself. I am learning, however.

My editor is Beth Kallman Werner, the Founder and President of Author Connections, and author of Real Women’s Stories 2018. Real Women’s Stories is a collection of stories written by strong, independent women. It tells the tales of mothers, daughters, women who survived violence and abuse, built empires, traded routine for adventures, honored their families, and share thought-provoking stories that give new meaning to the term “going home.”

About Montagnard …

It seems the whole world is on hold for a bit. Thankfully, books carry on! I’m finishing up the first round. The book is fantastic.

… I’m thankful that even in quarantine, I can be outdoors in a private space … Thank you for the distraction of MONTAGNARD. I’ll always remember what I worked on this year.

Beth Kallman Werner

So, thank you, Beth, for the great comment and encouragement. I can’t wait to get the book back and continue on with the publishing process. And for those who are willing to give Montagnard a read, I really think you will enjoy it.

I believe Montagnard will read well as a stand-alone novel; however, a few sections might make a bit more sense to the reader if they have first read the book, Serpents Underfoot. Granted, it was my first, and there are a few uneven spots early on, but it smooths out nicely and is still a great read.

Check it out here!

Tuesday Tunes

Tunes for Tuesday: Now that’s Killer

Alice Cooper may not be everyone’s cup of tea …

But this iconic shock rocker left an indelible mark on heavy metal rock and roll.

Before there was … Ozzy Osborne, Marilyn Manson, or Rob Zombie … there was Alice Cooper!

Born Vincent Damon Furnier, Alice Cooper is an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spans over 50 years. With his distinctive raspy voice and a theatrical stage show featuring props, like guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, reptiles, baby dolls, and dueling swords, Cooper is considered by music journalists and peers alike to be “The Godfather of Shock Rock”. Drawing equally from horror films, vaudeville, and garage rock, Alice Cooper pioneered a macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock people’s senses.

I was fifteen when the album, Welcome to My Nightmare, was released, and being intrigued by the cover, I bought a copy. I thought the title song was excellent, and I also enjoyed the songs Steven and Only Women Bleed.

Welcome to My Nightmare (1990 Music Video, Epic Records)

Now hooked, I bought the album, Killer, which had been released four years earlier and had several great songs on it, including Under My Wheels, Be My Lover, and Desperado! I couldn’t find a video of Desperado with decent sound quality, so I just added the song from the album itself.

Desperado (From the album, Killer, released November 1971)

Alice Cooper was one of those shows I always wanted to see but didn’t think I’d get the chance. Then, lo and behold. Alice Cooper played the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee. What a great concert. It was nice to see grandma and grandpa, mom and dad, and the kids all at the same show. I mean, where else does that happen?

We were about 10 rows back on the left side of the stage!

Schools Out (Live at the Tennessee Theatre Knoxville, 2012)

Feed My Frankenstein is a 1991 song on Alice Cooper’s 19th solo album titled Hey Stoopid. This song was featured in the 1992 film Wayne’s World. Guest musicians on the track include legendary rockers such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Nikki Sixx. It also included an appearance by Elvira.

Feed My Frankenstein (Live 2010)

You can’t talk about Alice Cooper today and not mention Nita Strauss. Nita is an American rock musician who comes from a long line of classical musicians, and she is a descendant of the famous Austrian composer, Johann Strauss.

Initially known for her work with an all-female Iron Maiden cover band called The Iron Maidens, Nita has had a great career as a solo artist. She is the first female signature artist with Ibanez guitars and is regularly featured on the covers of worldwide print magazines, including Guitar World and Guitar Player. She was ranked #1 on Guitar World’s list of “10 Female Guitar Players You Should Know.” She has also played with Consume the Fire, Femme Fatale, and Critical Hit.

Now she tours with Alice Cooper, and this girl can shred!

Poison (Live 2017, with Nita Stauss)

How’s that for some guitar playing! In 2014, Nita was also the official in-house guitarist for LA KISS, the arena football team owned by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS, and she can really rock the National Anthem. In fact, that’s what got her the gig with Alice Cooper.

Tuesday Tunes

Tunes for Tuesday: Carry On!

Yeah! I know it’s one day late. So, sue me!

Growing up, there was not a lot of agreement as to what constituted great music in my family. My mother grew up on Elvis Presley and liked some rock music, mostly on the lighter pop side. My father, not so much. Both my parents loved Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, opera, and Madrigals. I liked Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult, Steppenwolf, Ted Nugent, and even some Kiss. Not a lot of genre cross-over there.

Then one day, I was listening to one of my albums, and my Dad stopped and listened for a moment and then said, “Now, that’s well-orchestrated rock.” Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather!

At the time, I was listening to some Kansas

Carry On Wayward Son

I saw Kansas three times. Twice as a teenager; once in Springfield, MA, once at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, NY, and then later on in Knoxville, TN, in the mid-1980s.

Everybody liked Dust in the Wind. And it’s a great song. However, not one of my favorites. It is a bit mellow and seems slightly depressing to me. But hey, to each his own.

Dust in the Wind

One of my favorites was, of course, Carry On Wayward Son. And, of course, there were What’s on My Mind and Song for America, to name a few more.

What’s On My Mind

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a live video clip of this song with excellent sound quality. So, here is the version from their first album.

Song For America

How can you not like that!

Political

83% of Knoxville Voters Do Not Vote Yesterday

Knoxville held an election yesterday!   Hello!  83% of you did not vote!  This is part of what is so wrong with America today. Your vote does count! Madeline Rogero lacked 15 (Yep … 15!) votes of having a clear victory … Knoxville is headed for a runoff election.

You cannot help fix things if you do not get off your butts and vote.  Obama hopes you will stay home in November 2012.  As a nation, we simply cannot afford that … we cannot afford voter apathy!  Too much is at stake.

Are you going to fight for your country and exercise the RIGHT that literally thousands of Americans before us died to protect … or are you going to apathetically fritter away all your rights and responsibilities as a free Americans?

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