Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Philippine Update #1
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
On the road again! Kim dropped me off at the Houston airport Tuesday at 1:00pm to catch my 4:50pm flight to Cebu, Philippines (with a few stops along the way). After patiently awaiting my marching orders from above, I finally zeroed in on my next Great Grandmaster Adventure and was lead to make contact with my next teacher in this adventure, Master Henry Jayme. Master Jayme is a well rounded practitioner of Philippino Martial Arts who I will be studying under for the next two weeks. I have asked him to train me as well as to introduce me to the local practitioners where I will witness their training methods and train with them as the opportunity arises. I have been in prayer for this great opportunity for some time now and I know many of you have been praying for me as well.
As I find my seat on the plane, I meet my next answered prayer. Let me introduce to you, Michael Holcomb, President of Keppel Marine Agencies International. Keppel manufactures offshore rigs and Michael is president of the Houston location and in charge of marketing all of Keppel’s locations worldwide. Michael is 56 years old, a father of two, and lives in Missouri City, Texas with his wife. His office is in the Galleria area and he is traveling to Singapore on business. We have a 24 hour flight to get to know each other and, come to find out, we have a lot in common. Michael is a marathon runner with 17 marathons under his belt and a goal to run one in every state. I have four marathons under my belt and (though not quite as ambitious as Michael’s) a goal of running one every five years. As Master Instructor I have asked my black belts to keep a "stretch goal" in their life to keep them growing and always reaching for a new level. I set that goal for myself after running my first marathon at age 35 as a way of leading by example, and God willing, I will run my fifth marathon in 2011 at age 55. It was inspiring to meet someone else who is setting and reaching similar goals.
The first leg of our trip our trip is exactly 12 hours to Moscow and the second leg is 12 more hours to Singapore. Needless to say, we have plenty of time to get acquainted. Being runners gave Mike and I an instant connection and we exchange running war stories and stories of overcoming. We also have time to exchange our work experiences, our family blessings, and I filled him in on my Great Grandmaster Adventure. Michael was interested in how I incorporate Christ into teaching the Martial Arts. Talk about a captive audienceJ! Neither one of us had anywhere to be so… his curiosity was enthusiastically answered with an introduction to some of AGPMA’s core concepts (Jim Collins’ "Principles of Good to Great," Chip Ingram’s "Ten Characteristics of Great Christians," Stephen Covey’s "Eight Habits of Highly Effective People," and AGPMA’s "Core Scriptures"). Michael was quite an interesting guy and he seemed very interested in the introduction that I gave him. He even showed interest in attending one of my Boot Camps! (Mike…If you are reading this, I hope to see you drop in for my next Boot Camp scheduled for February 15!) Pray for Michael and our future time together. I have a feeling our paths will cross again and I know that God has a purpose in our meeting that is way beyond our understanding. I leave his company feeling like I’ve made a new friend who I hope to keep in touch with.
On my final flight, from Singapore to Cebu, I meet seven month old, Marcus, and his mom, Sara. Sara is an intensive care nurse in London who is Philippino. This is a very short flight in comparison to the first two. I read, sleep, talk a little with Sara, and help with Marcos from time to time.
Travel mercies have been granted and I arrive safely at my destination in Cebu, Philippines 30 hours after leaving the Houston airport. I exchange $20 for pesos and begin looking for a taxi cab. I was approached by many cab drivers and their representatives, but I was advised by Master Jayme to find a cab with a meter and with the price posted. Turns out, this was very good advice. I find a cab and I arrive at Fuente Pension House, my home for the next two weeks, around 1:30pm on Thursday. The attendant informs me that there is only internet connection in the lobby and café. As anxious as I was to communicate, having had very little sleep in the last 30 hours, I retire to my room where I quickly crash and burn.
I wake up at around 1:00am (my schedule a little off) and I unpack, shower, and check to see if, by chance, I can get internet access in my room. Bingo…I have access (I must have misunderstood him)! So I sit down to check my email and to write this update to you. I have an email from Master Henry Jayme and I communicate with him, making plans to meet him in the morning for our first training session. I am full of anticipation as to what my training here will bring and to who all God will put in my path along the way!
It has been amazing to watch as God has put together the pieces of this trip from the time that He put it on my heart until now. I want to thank my sponsors who have so generously given to this trip. I, of course, have to mention our accountant and friend, Mr. Joseph Polizzi, who helps keep us in line. I can’t thank him enough for all he does for us and for the community (If you need an accountant, he is your man!) Also, as many of you may have heard, for the last few months, Premier Martial Arts has been home to a church family who was displaced by Hurricane Ike. After the hurricane, our students and friends, Pastors Carter and Laura Ware, were without a place to meet and we offered our school’s facilities. I have in turn been so blessed as I have been a part of the transition and growth at Faith for All Nations. The pastors and church family decided to bless me by supporting this trip with their missions offering and they were overwhelming generous in their contributions. Last Sunday, before I left for the Philippines, I was asked by Pastor Carter to encourage the members of Faith for All Nations and to say thanks for their contribution. That morning as I was studying my Bible, God gave me the encouragement I was looking for, both for myself and for the church, and it was found in the book of Isaiah. The following scriptures were scheduled for my morning reading (no coincidences…just Divine arrangements J).
Isaiah 52:7 How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace And brings good news and happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God Reigns!"
Application- God says that the feet of those who bring good news are "beautiful". It is a wonderful privilege to be able to share God’s Good News with others, his news of redemption, salvation, and peace. To whom do you need to give the Good News?
Cross Reference- Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
It is truly amazing the way God puts things together for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose! As I mentioned earlier, I have been in prayer for this great moment and I know that many of you have been praying for me as well. I want to thank you for your support and to ask you to keep the prayers coming – for me and for my family and staff as they keep things running while I’m away.
In closing, I want to encourage everyone to walk in the Spirit and to read your Bible first thing in the morning. When we give God the first part of our day, He will bless you and prepare you to be a blessing to others in your day.
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. If you are new to my Great Grandmaster Adventure, I invite you to go to algarza.blogspot.com to read about my trips in 2007 to Thailand, Brazil, and China. (Thank you to Pastor Laura Ware for putting my blogspot on-line for me.)
Al Garza’s
2047 W. Main C-9 League City, TX 77573
(281) 332-KICK www.algarza.com
On the road again! Kim dropped me off at the Houston airport Tuesday at 1:00pm to catch my 4:50pm flight to Cebu, Philippines (with a few stops along the way). After patiently awaiting my marching orders from above, I finally zeroed in on my next Great Grandmaster Adventure and was lead to make contact with my next teacher in this adventure, Master Henry Jayme. Master Jayme is a well rounded practitioner of Philippino Martial Arts who I will be studying under for the next two weeks. I have asked him to train me as well as to introduce me to the local practitioners where I will witness their training methods and train with them as the opportunity arises. I have been in prayer for this great opportunity for some time now and I know many of you have been praying for me as well.
As I find my seat on the plane, I meet my next answered prayer. Let me introduce to you, Michael Holcomb, President of Keppel Marine Agencies International. Keppel manufactures offshore rigs and Michael is president of the Houston location and in charge of marketing all of Keppel’s locations worldwide. Michael is 56 years old, a father of two, and lives in Missouri City, Texas with his wife. His office is in the Galleria area and he is traveling to Singapore on business. We have a 24 hour flight to get to know each other and, come to find out, we have a lot in common. Michael is a marathon runner with 17 marathons under his belt and a goal to run one in every state. I have four marathons under my belt and (though not quite as ambitious as Michael’s) a goal of running one every five years. As Master Instructor I have asked my black belts to keep a "stretch goal" in their life to keep them growing and always reaching for a new level. I set that goal for myself after running my first marathon at age 35 as a way of leading by example, and God willing, I will run my fifth marathon in 2011 at age 55. It was inspiring to meet someone else who is setting and reaching similar goals.
The first leg of our trip our trip is exactly 12 hours to Moscow and the second leg is 12 more hours to Singapore. Needless to say, we have plenty of time to get acquainted. Being runners gave Mike and I an instant connection and we exchange running war stories and stories of overcoming. We also have time to exchange our work experiences, our family blessings, and I filled him in on my Great Grandmaster Adventure. Michael was interested in how I incorporate Christ into teaching the Martial Arts. Talk about a captive audienceJ! Neither one of us had anywhere to be so… his curiosity was enthusiastically answered with an introduction to some of AGPMA’s core concepts (Jim Collins’ "Principles of Good to Great," Chip Ingram’s "Ten Characteristics of Great Christians," Stephen Covey’s "Eight Habits of Highly Effective People," and AGPMA’s "Core Scriptures"). Michael was quite an interesting guy and he seemed very interested in the introduction that I gave him. He even showed interest in attending one of my Boot Camps! (Mike…If you are reading this, I hope to see you drop in for my next Boot Camp scheduled for February 15!) Pray for Michael and our future time together. I have a feeling our paths will cross again and I know that God has a purpose in our meeting that is way beyond our understanding. I leave his company feeling like I’ve made a new friend who I hope to keep in touch with.
On my final flight, from Singapore to Cebu, I meet seven month old, Marcus, and his mom, Sara. Sara is an intensive care nurse in London who is Philippino. This is a very short flight in comparison to the first two. I read, sleep, talk a little with Sara, and help with Marcos from time to time.
Travel mercies have been granted and I arrive safely at my destination in Cebu, Philippines 30 hours after leaving the Houston airport. I exchange $20 for pesos and begin looking for a taxi cab. I was approached by many cab drivers and their representatives, but I was advised by Master Jayme to find a cab with a meter and with the price posted. Turns out, this was very good advice. I find a cab and I arrive at Fuente Pension House, my home for the next two weeks, around 1:30pm on Thursday. The attendant informs me that there is only internet connection in the lobby and café. As anxious as I was to communicate, having had very little sleep in the last 30 hours, I retire to my room where I quickly crash and burn.
I wake up at around 1:00am (my schedule a little off) and I unpack, shower, and check to see if, by chance, I can get internet access in my room. Bingo…I have access (I must have misunderstood him)! So I sit down to check my email and to write this update to you. I have an email from Master Henry Jayme and I communicate with him, making plans to meet him in the morning for our first training session. I am full of anticipation as to what my training here will bring and to who all God will put in my path along the way!
It has been amazing to watch as God has put together the pieces of this trip from the time that He put it on my heart until now. I want to thank my sponsors who have so generously given to this trip. I, of course, have to mention our accountant and friend, Mr. Joseph Polizzi, who helps keep us in line. I can’t thank him enough for all he does for us and for the community (If you need an accountant, he is your man!) Also, as many of you may have heard, for the last few months, Premier Martial Arts has been home to a church family who was displaced by Hurricane Ike. After the hurricane, our students and friends, Pastors Carter and Laura Ware, were without a place to meet and we offered our school’s facilities. I have in turn been so blessed as I have been a part of the transition and growth at Faith for All Nations. The pastors and church family decided to bless me by supporting this trip with their missions offering and they were overwhelming generous in their contributions. Last Sunday, before I left for the Philippines, I was asked by Pastor Carter to encourage the members of Faith for All Nations and to say thanks for their contribution. That morning as I was studying my Bible, God gave me the encouragement I was looking for, both for myself and for the church, and it was found in the book of Isaiah. The following scriptures were scheduled for my morning reading (no coincidences…just Divine arrangements J).
Isaiah 52:7 How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace And brings good news and happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God Reigns!"
Application- God says that the feet of those who bring good news are "beautiful". It is a wonderful privilege to be able to share God’s Good News with others, his news of redemption, salvation, and peace. To whom do you need to give the Good News?
Cross Reference- Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
It is truly amazing the way God puts things together for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose! As I mentioned earlier, I have been in prayer for this great moment and I know that many of you have been praying for me as well. I want to thank you for your support and to ask you to keep the prayers coming – for me and for my family and staff as they keep things running while I’m away.
In closing, I want to encourage everyone to walk in the Spirit and to read your Bible first thing in the morning. When we give God the first part of our day, He will bless you and prepare you to be a blessing to others in your day.
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. If you are new to my Great Grandmaster Adventure, I invite you to go to algarza.blogspot.com to read about my trips in 2007 to Thailand, Brazil, and China. (Thank you to Pastor Laura Ware for putting my blogspot on-line for me.)
Al Garza’s
2047 W. Main C-9 League City, TX 77573
(281) 332-KICK www.algarza.com
Monday, February 2, 2009
Philippine Update #2
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
Just completed my final workout/study of week one with Henry, followed by my first burrito here in Cebu (yum!). Wow! It’s been a fun and fulfilling week with so much to tell you about and some exciting Kingdom results to share.
So here we go…Friday I was having breakfast in the café here at the hotel when Henry arrived for our first meeting scheduled for 8:00am. Now let me introduce you to my teacher, Henry Jayme, a well rounded Pilipino Martial Artist with a background in Shaolin Kung Fu. Henry is one month younger than me, so that makes him 28 years and 11 months oldJ! Ok, ok…I know you don’t buy that. Henry is 52 years young and he began studying Balintawak (a style of Pilipino Martial Arts) in the late 70s. Over time he has been able to marry the Balintawak and the Kung Fu styles in his personal training.
After briefly getting acquainted, I go over my objectives and purpose for being here and then we’re off! We catch a cab and…oh boy…flashbacks from China, Brazil, and Thailand (Is my life insurance paid up?) After a few close calls and no time wasted, we arrive safely at Henry’s home/school. I am always impressed and inspired by the simplicity of the environments in the foreign countries that I have visited, and this is no exception. Basically, there is nothing wasted. They make do with very little and they make it work very well. Henry’s training facility is basically a small shed about 8ftx16ft. Nothing fancy…in fact, it makes the first back street Rocky gym look like an uptown training center for the pros. We get right down to business, starting with Lesson 1 of the 16 Balintawak Lessons that he has written on a dry erase board. Lesson 1 is their version of the 12 Basic Strikes with two footwork variations. Then we’re on to the 12 Defenses, followed by the 12 Defenses at random with Pakgang. Lessons 1-3 down and we skip ahead to Lesson 13, Combat Judo. Henry explains that, in this version of Combat Judo, they don’t believe in taking the opponent to the ground. Instead, they use joint locks to control him, then they just kill him while he’s standing (Did he just say "kill him"?). He goes on to explain that they believe it is too risky to take the opponent to the ground, so they just finish him off while standing!
Over the course of Friday through Monday, we had daily review (and correction), and to date we have covered most of the 16 Lessons along with a few disarming techniques and some knight fighting. While the stick training has been fun and interesting, Henry is also teaching me some Tat Kun Tao ("Touch Fist Way/Knowledge") forms. These are Pilipino style inside fighting forms based on boxing fundamentals… very interesting. This has been an unexpected pleasure and it complements my personal fighting style very well. I love it!
My training sessions with Henry are each 4 hours long. They go by fairly quickly most days and I manage to get in some Bible training with him at the beginning or end as well as go over scripture during breaks. It has been fun getting to know Henry. Turns out he’s a very interesting guy – a Pilipino Martial Arts teacher, a treasure hunter, a taxi driver, and a spiritual leader to the locals here (filling the shoes of his late father who had a following of people). I’ll explain more on that when I return from the mountain. On Saturday, I am scheduled to go to Henry’s home in the mountains, where I will meet his mother and some of the people that he leads spiritually.
A quick note to my UFC fans out there…How about St. Pierre? Henry and I watched the fight on the web (St. Pierre v. Penn). The only problem was it kept freezing up so we missed a lot of it. On some fights we didn’t get to see the results. But, I did see enough of the main event to know that Pierre dominated! This was Henry’s first introduction to UFC and he loved it. Oh…and we watched it on my laptop at a Starbucks! I know…diehardJ!
Ok…now back to my training and the real reason that I’m here. During one of our discussions, Henry asked me some questions about Revelation. One question lead to another, so it was time to go to "Revelation School" in God’s Word. God has a way of taking over sometimes and boy am I glad when He does. That night, as I was looking for answers to Henry’s questions, I found a 31 lesson study on Revelation by Keith Krell. After studying a few of the articles in search of answers, I asked Henry if he would like to join me in the study. He said yes, so we moved our workout sessions to my room. To date, we have made it through the first 12 lessons. Though Henry said that he was a Christian, his reasoning was that his father told him he was born a Christian. So yesterday I took him through the plan of salvation and invited him to ask Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. I explained that, if nothing else, this would be a rededication of his life to the Lord. Victory! Now, there is no doubt that Henry is a born again Christian! It’s amazing that God cares so much about each one of His children that He doesn’t want to leave one behind. I truly feel like God brought me all the way here just for Henry and I know that He has a plan to use Henry to lead the people who followed his father into the Kingdom of Heaven. I am excited just thinking about it! And as for me, God is training me in His Word in Revelation like never before.
It’s now 3:40am and I am expecting Henry to arrive soon for week 2 day 1 of our training. We will begin with the 13th lesson in Revelation, "All Heaven Breaks Loose" (what a great titleJ). I am giving you the website below and I want to encourage (or entice) you with this verse:
Revelation 1:3 - Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Maybe you are like me and at a point where you welcome blessings but, more than anything, you want to understand more so you can be a blessing to others. If so…join me and Henry as we go to "Revelation School."
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. To join me in this GREAT study go to www.bible.org/series.php?series_id=195. You’re going to LOVE it! To read past updates from my travels go to algarza.blogspot.com.
Just completed my final workout/study of week one with Henry, followed by my first burrito here in Cebu (yum!). Wow! It’s been a fun and fulfilling week with so much to tell you about and some exciting Kingdom results to share.
So here we go…Friday I was having breakfast in the café here at the hotel when Henry arrived for our first meeting scheduled for 8:00am. Now let me introduce you to my teacher, Henry Jayme, a well rounded Pilipino Martial Artist with a background in Shaolin Kung Fu. Henry is one month younger than me, so that makes him 28 years and 11 months oldJ! Ok, ok…I know you don’t buy that. Henry is 52 years young and he began studying Balintawak (a style of Pilipino Martial Arts) in the late 70s. Over time he has been able to marry the Balintawak and the Kung Fu styles in his personal training.
After briefly getting acquainted, I go over my objectives and purpose for being here and then we’re off! We catch a cab and…oh boy…flashbacks from China, Brazil, and Thailand (Is my life insurance paid up?) After a few close calls and no time wasted, we arrive safely at Henry’s home/school. I am always impressed and inspired by the simplicity of the environments in the foreign countries that I have visited, and this is no exception. Basically, there is nothing wasted. They make do with very little and they make it work very well. Henry’s training facility is basically a small shed about 8ftx16ft. Nothing fancy…in fact, it makes the first back street Rocky gym look like an uptown training center for the pros. We get right down to business, starting with Lesson 1 of the 16 Balintawak Lessons that he has written on a dry erase board. Lesson 1 is their version of the 12 Basic Strikes with two footwork variations. Then we’re on to the 12 Defenses, followed by the 12 Defenses at random with Pakgang. Lessons 1-3 down and we skip ahead to Lesson 13, Combat Judo. Henry explains that, in this version of Combat Judo, they don’t believe in taking the opponent to the ground. Instead, they use joint locks to control him, then they just kill him while he’s standing (Did he just say "kill him"?). He goes on to explain that they believe it is too risky to take the opponent to the ground, so they just finish him off while standing!
Over the course of Friday through Monday, we had daily review (and correction), and to date we have covered most of the 16 Lessons along with a few disarming techniques and some knight fighting. While the stick training has been fun and interesting, Henry is also teaching me some Tat Kun Tao ("Touch Fist Way/Knowledge") forms. These are Pilipino style inside fighting forms based on boxing fundamentals… very interesting. This has been an unexpected pleasure and it complements my personal fighting style very well. I love it!
My training sessions with Henry are each 4 hours long. They go by fairly quickly most days and I manage to get in some Bible training with him at the beginning or end as well as go over scripture during breaks. It has been fun getting to know Henry. Turns out he’s a very interesting guy – a Pilipino Martial Arts teacher, a treasure hunter, a taxi driver, and a spiritual leader to the locals here (filling the shoes of his late father who had a following of people). I’ll explain more on that when I return from the mountain. On Saturday, I am scheduled to go to Henry’s home in the mountains, where I will meet his mother and some of the people that he leads spiritually.
A quick note to my UFC fans out there…How about St. Pierre? Henry and I watched the fight on the web (St. Pierre v. Penn). The only problem was it kept freezing up so we missed a lot of it. On some fights we didn’t get to see the results. But, I did see enough of the main event to know that Pierre dominated! This was Henry’s first introduction to UFC and he loved it. Oh…and we watched it on my laptop at a Starbucks! I know…diehardJ!
Ok…now back to my training and the real reason that I’m here. During one of our discussions, Henry asked me some questions about Revelation. One question lead to another, so it was time to go to "Revelation School" in God’s Word. God has a way of taking over sometimes and boy am I glad when He does. That night, as I was looking for answers to Henry’s questions, I found a 31 lesson study on Revelation by Keith Krell. After studying a few of the articles in search of answers, I asked Henry if he would like to join me in the study. He said yes, so we moved our workout sessions to my room. To date, we have made it through the first 12 lessons. Though Henry said that he was a Christian, his reasoning was that his father told him he was born a Christian. So yesterday I took him through the plan of salvation and invited him to ask Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. I explained that, if nothing else, this would be a rededication of his life to the Lord. Victory! Now, there is no doubt that Henry is a born again Christian! It’s amazing that God cares so much about each one of His children that He doesn’t want to leave one behind. I truly feel like God brought me all the way here just for Henry and I know that He has a plan to use Henry to lead the people who followed his father into the Kingdom of Heaven. I am excited just thinking about it! And as for me, God is training me in His Word in Revelation like never before.
It’s now 3:40am and I am expecting Henry to arrive soon for week 2 day 1 of our training. We will begin with the 13th lesson in Revelation, "All Heaven Breaks Loose" (what a great titleJ). I am giving you the website below and I want to encourage (or entice) you with this verse:
Revelation 1:3 - Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Maybe you are like me and at a point where you welcome blessings but, more than anything, you want to understand more so you can be a blessing to others. If so…join me and Henry as we go to "Revelation School."
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. To join me in this GREAT study go to www.bible.org/series.php?series_id=195. You’re going to LOVE it! To read past updates from my travels go to algarza.blogspot.com.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Philippine Update #3
Hello PMA Friends and Family,
Well…once again God has divinely arranged this trip beyond my expectations. It is so humbling to be on the receiving end of His grace and peace. Keith Krell, the pastor and author of the Revelation study that Henry and I just finished, says “we must know God’s grace first; then we can know His peace.” I believe this is so true because, with every step of faith I take in my walk with the Lord, I experience another degree of God’s grace and peace as I watch Him orchestrate His will in my life.
Sunday morning, as I was thinking about home…missing Kim and Ashley…dwelling on missing Cody’s first fight in adult men’s division in an AOK tournament (Congratulations Cody…I am very proud of you!)…wishing I was going to be there to help Jacob and Cody build a fence for a friend…missing my friends…my students…my cat (you name it, I missed it)…God put on my spirit this scripture:
Mark 10:29-31 – Jesus said, "Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They'll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! (The Message)
WOW…a promise like that sounds like a win/win to me! God has a way of encouraging us in His Word. While I still missed everyone, it did help me get back to focus on the right thing.
I am here in Cebu for a very specific objective that God has called me for, so I took care of business and didn’t get around much to see the country. What I did find out from my travel guide is that Cebu is a long and narrow island located centrally in a group of islands that form the Visayas, which is central of the three main Philippine island groups. It is geographically unique because of its size, stretching 122 miles long and nowhere exceeding 20 miles across. The island has a population of 3 million. In comparison, Galveston has a population of approximately 57,000 which gives me something to relate to to get a better understanding of its size. Cebuano is the native tongue, but Filipino is commonly understood and spoken. And thanks to God that English is widely used throughout the island. For the most part, I had no problems with communication and, when I did, it was one of those “iron sharpens iron” moments where Henry came through for me. From experience, I can tell you that the food was good, though I wasn’t very adventuresome. I had one traditional Filipino meal and other than that the list consisted of pizza (which made the list twice), mauhi mauhi (also twice), burger, burrito, pasta (a couple of times), and some fasting. Getting around was mostly done by cab and walking, but the streets are filled with colorful “jeepneys” (little buses that remind me of the Art Car Parade in Houston) available for a minimal fare. The U.S. dollar exchanges for 45 pesos which makes for a great deal for us. I also learned that Cebu is known for making world class guitars. I saw some really nice ones and they were very cheap (I would love for my son, Jacob, to see them).
Now for some history on the island (the short version)…I found a couple of interesting personal connections with the following things. The Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan lead a contingent that arrived April 7, 1521 on Cebu island (April 7 just happens to be my birthday). This date is widely considered to be the beginnings of the Philippines. They celebrated with a mass that was lead be Magellan’s chaplain, Father Pedro Valderrama, and a crucifix was planted and still remains there to this day. The crucifix has come to be known as “Magellan’s Cross,” a monument which is synonymous with the island of Cebu. According to Henry, this was the first arrival of Christianity to the Philippines and, a week after their arrival, 800 natives were converted to the faith after witnessing a miracle of some kind. Magellan’s leadership was known as fair and generous and he led the natives to bring their idols for a mass burning.
Throughout my trip I was looking for the opportunity to bless others with the donations given to me by Polizzi Financial and Faith for All Nations Church, so I asked Henry where I could find some hungry moms and kids to take out for a meal. So…just what the doctor ordered…Sunday evening, he took me “uptown” (that’s what he called it) where we found a group of women and children around the corner of Magellan’s Cross and beside the church. We talked to a few mothers and their kids and, before we knew it, we were surrounded by 54 women and children – ranging in age from a few months (with their mothers holding them) to teenagers. I was totally blessed with the opportunity to take 54 hungry mommas and little children to dinner at Jolbee’s (which is basically equivalent to McDonald’s). The managers brought us in the back way and gave us the whole upstairs section. They each ate a burger, fries, a drink, and ice cream for dessert! This was exactly what God had put on my heart to do with the gift that was given to me and it was so amazing how He made the way for it to happen. What a blessing! I’ve never seen such appreciation and love shown in return. I let them know to thank Jesus for the gift and told them how much Jesus loves them. I know God is overjoyed and smiling down on my sponsors.
Proverbs 27:17 says “you use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another” (The Message). Well…Henry and I have experienced two weeks of building a friendship in Christ and in Balintawak. At times, I have felt like I was being sharpened with steel when he hit me! We have trained no less than 4 hours a day for the last 12 days (some days for 6 hours). The last 8 days of our training took place in my hotel room and was interwoven with reading the lessons in the Revelation study. What a great way to stay alert, stretch out, and let go of stress. As the saying goes, “repetition is the mother of mastery.” I was given the opportunity to do the drills, forms, and stick fighting many, many times (so I guess I’m on my way to masteryJ). I have been humbled and built up by my training in Balintawak and have been pleasantly surprised by the bonus of training in Shaolin concepts and exercises. I look forward to sharing these lessons with my students upon my return. The Tat Kun Tao (“Touch Fist Way/Knowledge”) forms are also an important link that I will enjoy introducing into the Premier Martial Arts training methods. I know that Master Robles and Mr. Van Over will love the boxing and inside fighting concepts (as I do). So for the Martial Arts side of this Grandmaster Adventure…I would say “mission accomplished.”
Have you heard the joke about the optimist and and pessimist twins? Well…in case you haven’t, here goes…
A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other said the volume needed to be turned up. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom & gloom pessimist.Just to see what would happen, on the twins' birthday their father loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist's room he loaded with horse manure.That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying bitterly. "Why are you crying?" the father asked. "Because my friends will be jealous, I'll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff, I'll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken," answered the pessimist twin.Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. "What are you so happy about?" he asked. To which his optimist twin replied, "With this much manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"
Yes…God makes us all different! I tend to be like the eternal optimist, for I am always looking for the pony in people and in situations (in spite of all the @#$%...oopsJ)! Zig Ziglar calls this being a “good finder.” My nature is to see the positive, the pure, and the praiseworthy and I realized this is how I see God and Christianity too for the most part. I look at God as a loving Father who filled the void that was in me and freed me from my bad habits. While I am aware of His wrath and I have a healthy fear of Him, my study of Revelation has brought the wrath side of God to light for me like never before. God has given me an assignment to be a voice for him in the Martial Arts and I have been growing in this mission since 1979. I love sharing His Word and helping others to know Him and His love. But, I gotta tell you…God has a side of Him that I don’t ever want to see anyone stand before, unprepared to answer the questions that He has for us. I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking that it all comes without us doing our part to get the Word out and to be there for one another. I love the saying, “if time is short and hell is hot, we need to be telling others about Jesus!” It’s true that Jesus is the gentle Lamb patiently waiting for us to accept Him and not wanting anyone to be left behind. But Revelations brings to light the side of Jesus who is a roaring Lion who will judge the world. Bob Dylan had a song waaaaaay back in the day called “You Gotta Serve Somebody” and I think the lyrics are timeless…”It may be the Devil, it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody!”
Henry and I succeeded in reading the entire 31 Lesson study on Revelation. In our study, I learned that Revelation is the only book of the Bible that promises us a blessing for reading, hearing, and heeding its contents. We are a people built to love and thrive for reward, so this got my attention. This means that Revelation should be thoroughly read and applied and I’ve determined in my heart that I will return to this great book many times. I want to share this book with anyone who will listen. While I am still learning, I know that the Holy Spirit will provide the key to unlock the book of Revelation and continue to lead me divinely. So…on the spiritual side of this Grandmaster Adventure…I would say “mission accomplished.” Plus, the soul of a leader here in Cebu has been saved and will be ready and willing to be used to lead his community to Christ…”major bonus points”!!
This trip would not have been possible without the generous donations provided by my sponsors, Polizzi Financial Services and Faith for All Nations Church. If you are ever in need of an accountant or a church home, I pray that you will bless them with your support. I have to also thank my awesome wife and children. A Christian parent’s greatest joy is stated in 3 John 1:4 – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” I might add my students, friends, and family to this too! To Master Falco and my second to none staff…You Rock! To my fellow Premier Martial Arts school owners and our great president, Mr. Van Over… thanks for sharing the vision and allowing me to be a part of raising the standard through Premier Martial Arts. We are making an impact on the Martial Arts world and we’ve only just begun! To all my friends and family…keep the faith and keep on keeping on!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. As I celebrate another successful adventure, I invite you to join me and be part of Jesus’ “Party Starters Club.” Here are the details in Michael English’s song “Start a Party”…
Starting my day, with big preparationsGoing out strong, with great expectationI want the world, To know that my Jesus lives
I have a clue, that my reputationCould show that God's love, has an open invitationI won’t miss the chance, that someone might call His name
I wanna to start a partyUp in heavenAnd get those angels dancin'For a new heartbeatIt's a righteous celebrationSingin' hallelujahI wanna start a party
Angels rejoice, and the demons all trembleWhen a lost one is found, all of heaven assemblesIf we each do our part, This party could last for years
Great Stuff…huh!!! J
Faith for All Nations Church
Pastors Carter & Laura Ware
http://www.faithforallnations.org/
171 Gulf Fwy South
League City, TX 77573
(281) 316-2332
Al Garza’s
2047 W. Main C-9
Well…once again God has divinely arranged this trip beyond my expectations. It is so humbling to be on the receiving end of His grace and peace. Keith Krell, the pastor and author of the Revelation study that Henry and I just finished, says “we must know God’s grace first; then we can know His peace.” I believe this is so true because, with every step of faith I take in my walk with the Lord, I experience another degree of God’s grace and peace as I watch Him orchestrate His will in my life.
Sunday morning, as I was thinking about home…missing Kim and Ashley…dwelling on missing Cody’s first fight in adult men’s division in an AOK tournament (Congratulations Cody…I am very proud of you!)…wishing I was going to be there to help Jacob and Cody build a fence for a friend…missing my friends…my students…my cat (you name it, I missed it)…God put on my spirit this scripture:
Mark 10:29-31 – Jesus said, "Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They'll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! (The Message)
WOW…a promise like that sounds like a win/win to me! God has a way of encouraging us in His Word. While I still missed everyone, it did help me get back to focus on the right thing.
I am here in Cebu for a very specific objective that God has called me for, so I took care of business and didn’t get around much to see the country. What I did find out from my travel guide is that Cebu is a long and narrow island located centrally in a group of islands that form the Visayas, which is central of the three main Philippine island groups. It is geographically unique because of its size, stretching 122 miles long and nowhere exceeding 20 miles across. The island has a population of 3 million. In comparison, Galveston has a population of approximately 57,000 which gives me something to relate to to get a better understanding of its size. Cebuano is the native tongue, but Filipino is commonly understood and spoken. And thanks to God that English is widely used throughout the island. For the most part, I had no problems with communication and, when I did, it was one of those “iron sharpens iron” moments where Henry came through for me. From experience, I can tell you that the food was good, though I wasn’t very adventuresome. I had one traditional Filipino meal and other than that the list consisted of pizza (which made the list twice), mauhi mauhi (also twice), burger, burrito, pasta (a couple of times), and some fasting. Getting around was mostly done by cab and walking, but the streets are filled with colorful “jeepneys” (little buses that remind me of the Art Car Parade in Houston) available for a minimal fare. The U.S. dollar exchanges for 45 pesos which makes for a great deal for us. I also learned that Cebu is known for making world class guitars. I saw some really nice ones and they were very cheap (I would love for my son, Jacob, to see them).
Now for some history on the island (the short version)…I found a couple of interesting personal connections with the following things. The Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan lead a contingent that arrived April 7, 1521 on Cebu island (April 7 just happens to be my birthday). This date is widely considered to be the beginnings of the Philippines. They celebrated with a mass that was lead be Magellan’s chaplain, Father Pedro Valderrama, and a crucifix was planted and still remains there to this day. The crucifix has come to be known as “Magellan’s Cross,” a monument which is synonymous with the island of Cebu. According to Henry, this was the first arrival of Christianity to the Philippines and, a week after their arrival, 800 natives were converted to the faith after witnessing a miracle of some kind. Magellan’s leadership was known as fair and generous and he led the natives to bring their idols for a mass burning.
Throughout my trip I was looking for the opportunity to bless others with the donations given to me by Polizzi Financial and Faith for All Nations Church, so I asked Henry where I could find some hungry moms and kids to take out for a meal. So…just what the doctor ordered…Sunday evening, he took me “uptown” (that’s what he called it) where we found a group of women and children around the corner of Magellan’s Cross and beside the church. We talked to a few mothers and their kids and, before we knew it, we were surrounded by 54 women and children – ranging in age from a few months (with their mothers holding them) to teenagers. I was totally blessed with the opportunity to take 54 hungry mommas and little children to dinner at Jolbee’s (which is basically equivalent to McDonald’s). The managers brought us in the back way and gave us the whole upstairs section. They each ate a burger, fries, a drink, and ice cream for dessert! This was exactly what God had put on my heart to do with the gift that was given to me and it was so amazing how He made the way for it to happen. What a blessing! I’ve never seen such appreciation and love shown in return. I let them know to thank Jesus for the gift and told them how much Jesus loves them. I know God is overjoyed and smiling down on my sponsors.
Proverbs 27:17 says “you use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another” (The Message). Well…Henry and I have experienced two weeks of building a friendship in Christ and in Balintawak. At times, I have felt like I was being sharpened with steel when he hit me! We have trained no less than 4 hours a day for the last 12 days (some days for 6 hours). The last 8 days of our training took place in my hotel room and was interwoven with reading the lessons in the Revelation study. What a great way to stay alert, stretch out, and let go of stress. As the saying goes, “repetition is the mother of mastery.” I was given the opportunity to do the drills, forms, and stick fighting many, many times (so I guess I’m on my way to masteryJ). I have been humbled and built up by my training in Balintawak and have been pleasantly surprised by the bonus of training in Shaolin concepts and exercises. I look forward to sharing these lessons with my students upon my return. The Tat Kun Tao (“Touch Fist Way/Knowledge”) forms are also an important link that I will enjoy introducing into the Premier Martial Arts training methods. I know that Master Robles and Mr. Van Over will love the boxing and inside fighting concepts (as I do). So for the Martial Arts side of this Grandmaster Adventure…I would say “mission accomplished.”
Have you heard the joke about the optimist and and pessimist twins? Well…in case you haven’t, here goes…
A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other said the volume needed to be turned up. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom & gloom pessimist.Just to see what would happen, on the twins' birthday their father loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist's room he loaded with horse manure.That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying bitterly. "Why are you crying?" the father asked. "Because my friends will be jealous, I'll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff, I'll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken," answered the pessimist twin.Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. "What are you so happy about?" he asked. To which his optimist twin replied, "With this much manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"
Yes…God makes us all different! I tend to be like the eternal optimist, for I am always looking for the pony in people and in situations (in spite of all the @#$%...oopsJ)! Zig Ziglar calls this being a “good finder.” My nature is to see the positive, the pure, and the praiseworthy and I realized this is how I see God and Christianity too for the most part. I look at God as a loving Father who filled the void that was in me and freed me from my bad habits. While I am aware of His wrath and I have a healthy fear of Him, my study of Revelation has brought the wrath side of God to light for me like never before. God has given me an assignment to be a voice for him in the Martial Arts and I have been growing in this mission since 1979. I love sharing His Word and helping others to know Him and His love. But, I gotta tell you…God has a side of Him that I don’t ever want to see anyone stand before, unprepared to answer the questions that He has for us. I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking that it all comes without us doing our part to get the Word out and to be there for one another. I love the saying, “if time is short and hell is hot, we need to be telling others about Jesus!” It’s true that Jesus is the gentle Lamb patiently waiting for us to accept Him and not wanting anyone to be left behind. But Revelations brings to light the side of Jesus who is a roaring Lion who will judge the world. Bob Dylan had a song waaaaaay back in the day called “You Gotta Serve Somebody” and I think the lyrics are timeless…”It may be the Devil, it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody!”
Henry and I succeeded in reading the entire 31 Lesson study on Revelation. In our study, I learned that Revelation is the only book of the Bible that promises us a blessing for reading, hearing, and heeding its contents. We are a people built to love and thrive for reward, so this got my attention. This means that Revelation should be thoroughly read and applied and I’ve determined in my heart that I will return to this great book many times. I want to share this book with anyone who will listen. While I am still learning, I know that the Holy Spirit will provide the key to unlock the book of Revelation and continue to lead me divinely. So…on the spiritual side of this Grandmaster Adventure…I would say “mission accomplished.” Plus, the soul of a leader here in Cebu has been saved and will be ready and willing to be used to lead his community to Christ…”major bonus points”!!
This trip would not have been possible without the generous donations provided by my sponsors, Polizzi Financial Services and Faith for All Nations Church. If you are ever in need of an accountant or a church home, I pray that you will bless them with your support. I have to also thank my awesome wife and children. A Christian parent’s greatest joy is stated in 3 John 1:4 – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” I might add my students, friends, and family to this too! To Master Falco and my second to none staff…You Rock! To my fellow Premier Martial Arts school owners and our great president, Mr. Van Over… thanks for sharing the vision and allowing me to be a part of raising the standard through Premier Martial Arts. We are making an impact on the Martial Arts world and we’ve only just begun! To all my friends and family…keep the faith and keep on keeping on!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. As I celebrate another successful adventure, I invite you to join me and be part of Jesus’ “Party Starters Club.” Here are the details in Michael English’s song “Start a Party”…
Starting my day, with big preparationsGoing out strong, with great expectationI want the world, To know that my Jesus lives
I have a clue, that my reputationCould show that God's love, has an open invitationI won’t miss the chance, that someone might call His name
I wanna to start a partyUp in heavenAnd get those angels dancin'For a new heartbeatIt's a righteous celebrationSingin' hallelujahI wanna start a party
Angels rejoice, and the demons all trembleWhen a lost one is found, all of heaven assemblesIf we each do our part, This party could last for years
Great Stuff…huh!!! J
Faith for All Nations Church
Pastors Carter & Laura Ware
http://www.faithforallnations.org/
171 Gulf Fwy South
League City, TX 77573
(281) 316-2332
Al Garza’s
2047 W. Main C-9
League City, TX 77573
(281) 332-KICK www.algarza.com
(281) 332-KICK www.algarza.com
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
China Update #1
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
As many of you know, I have been reading through my Bible, beginning to end, since last March. I am currently in the book of James and if you have ever read James, you probably remember him saying that “when there are trials in life…” (notice he does not say if, but when) we should “…count it all joy” and learn and grow stronger in them. He says that we should not pray for God to remove them, but instead pray that God would give you the strength to endure them. So once again, through His Word, God has pre-framed and prepared me for my “Great Grandmaster Adventure.”
It is Thursday night, September 6th – forty-nine hours, six airports, five flights, and one bag lost and recovered after leaving Bush Intercontinental in Houston – and I am checking in to the Seaman Hotel in Kashgar, China. This will be my home for the next three weeks. As excited as I am about what God has in store for me here in Kashgar, several highlights I have already experienced have been meeting people in my flights and in the airports (lots of airport time), so I will start there…
Because of some miscommunication in arranging my flight schedule, I arrived in Beijing a day late and I guess you could say a Yen short J for my connecting flight to Urumgi. No problem! I had the pleasure of spending the night in the Beijing airport with Li Tao, an English-speaking engineer who is from China but working in Saudi Arabia. We got to know each other pretty well as he seems to have been the only other person in the airport who had a longer layover than me. He turned out to be a big help the next morning when he helped me reschedule my flight to Urumgi and then to Kashgar. Praise the Lord for Li Tao and his graciousness, not to mention his ability to speak English and Chinese (since my excellent English, good Tex-Mex, and few Thai and Portuguese words were of no help)! So far I have gotten by with Nihao (hello), Zaijian, (good bye) Xie-Xie (thank you) coupled with God’s Language of Love.
So after an overnight stay in the Beijing airport I was off to Urumgi then to Kashgar. In route from Urumgi to Kashgar, I sat next to John Chang from Taiwan. John was named “Mr. Taiwan” when he was 20 years old! Now 50, he still looks to be in great shape. He was traveling with his sister and his parents (87 years young). They were a Christian family, on their way to Kashgar to hire employees for their family owned and operated company. The flight went fast as I introduced him to the Newsboys “Go” CD, we shared some scripture, and we exchanged some testimonies about how great God is. I met the rest of his family when we arrived at the airport in Kashgar and left in hopes of meeting up for a Bible study on Sunday.
Now approximately 11:30 on Thursday night, just after unpacking, Mr. John Hu, my contact in Kashgar, called to invite me to come out to his Café. It has been over forty-nine hours since my last shower, so I consented to going, only after a shower and a shave. Unfortunately, by the time I got cleaned up, John was no where to be found. I figured that he had called it a night, so I decided to call it a night also. A soft bed and a good night’s sleep…YES!
Friday morning, I met John Hu and began to get acquainted with him and with the area. John Hu, his wife Chui Xiu Ying, and his 17 year old son Pi Ter are the owners of five John’s Café and Travel locations. They specialize in traveling the Silk Road and this side of China. John and his family are very friendly and have been great hosts so far. Thanks to my good friend Pastor Larry Garza, who put me in touch with John, I am being looked after once again on my adventure.
As a Martial Artist, I seek to add balance to my training and teaching by studying Tai Chi with a focus on the health and healing aspects. I have a desire to service my students both young and “mature” with the Tai Chi principles that I will learn. Mostly, I hope to learn additional training methods to enhance everything that I teach and do. John Hu arranged for me to meet my teacher, Ms. Yu, who is a well regarded Tai Chi instructor here in China. We made plans to meet at 6:00pm at my hotel.
In the meantime, I asked John Hu where I could get dollars exchanged to yin and he offered to drop me off on his way to do some business. As promised, he dropped me off at the nearby bank and gave me directions to walk back to which I thought to myself, “it’s a beautiful day and a little walk will be nice.” Little did he or I know that my pursuit of the almighty yin would lead to my next adventure. After standing in a long slow line, I excitedly reached the cashier only to be told that I needed to go to the Kashgar Bank of China which was just out the door and a few meters to the right. So off I went, on foot, to find some yin. Let’s see, how far is a few meters? All the signs on the businesses were in Chinese and there were many that looked like banks…in fact, they all looked like banks. I entered several businesses and asked for directions to no avail until I found a nice man who put me in a cab and sent me in the opposite direction giving the young smiley cab driver directions. By this time, my three Chinese greetings were exhausted. The cab driver kept repeating something like “banko” and I would answer “yes, banko” while thinking to myself that sounded more Spanish than Chinese. He would smile real big, but something told me that we were not communicating. He eventually pulled over, asked a guy a question, turned the cab around, and took me to my second bank. So once again, I approach a cashier and, in the words of Joe DiMaggio, “déjà vu all over again.” She says that she can’t help me, but the Kashgar Bank of China can. The cashier there spoke enough English and Chinese to tell the cab driver where the infamous Bank of China is located. So off we go, back to where we came from. The meter was running, but by now that was the least of my worries. My smiley cab driver and I finally found the bank that I was looking for. Once again, I found myself in a long line and, when I reached the front, the lady took my Visa card and passport to the back to fulfill my request. After a few minutes, she returns and says “debit card”, points outside toward the front and says “ATM machine, ATM go!” BINGO!! I made it to the ATM machine and experienced sweet success as I got my elusive yin. With yin in hand, I approach my friendly cabbie, who I had asked to wait for me, and I asked him to take me back to the Seaman hotel. He smiles big and says “Seaman.” Again, questioning if we were communicating I said “yes” and began praying. At the end of the ride, I arrived at the Seaman hotel with enough yin to last me a while. Praise the Lord and welcome to Kashgar! Could this experience have been one of those “when’s” that James was talking about? Stronger…Smarter…I certainly hope so!!
At 6:00 that evening, as scheduled, my Tai Chi teacher Ms. Yu rode up on her bike to meet me, go over my training goals, design my workout schedule, and decide on a workout location near my hotel. She spoke no English and, of course, by now you know what my Chinese language capacity is. With the help of John Hu, we discussed my goals for training and scheduled my first workout for that evening at 8:00. Ms. Yu went home to change and returned at 8:00pm. She started me with some exercises and then went right into my first form. Our first workout lasted for one and a half hours and, at the end, I was very pleased with John’s choice of an instructor for me. She was a great teacher and in spite of the language barrier, I was receiving top notch instruction and loving it. She built me up as she relayed to John that I am a good student and a fast learner. So, it appeared that we were mutually satisfied with each other’s performance.
Before coming to China, I had heard stories about the Sunday Market where I could buy almost anything, even a camel! I thought that a camel could be a nice gift to take home to Kim and the kids, but unfortunately the ride home might take even longer than forty-nine hours, so I scratched that idea. Still, I was anxious to see the place that I had heard so much about so, on Sunday, I braved it and took another cab ride to the Sunday Market. It turned out to be a very nice outing and I plan to return again before I go home. It was now time to go back to my hotel and get ready for my evening lesson.
As of Sunday, I had taken four Tai Chi lessons and made it through my first form. After another great workout, she told John Hu that she was ready to move on and begin teaching me something else. I encouraged her to keep fine tuning my footwork and stances. So on Monday, she responded to my request by breaking down the stance work and taking me through a good leg strengthening exercise which made for another great lesson.
So far, the only opportunity to use my Tai Chi skills has been in repeated combat with a gang of Chinese Fighting Black and Yellow Bees. I have been able to defuse the attacks, sacrificing only some of my drink and suffering no bee stings as of yet. I think that they sense my Tai Chi skills improving because tonight I had my first meal without them buzzing around and trying to intimidate me. I will stay alert and continue to train hard just in case. Other than the gang of bees, the environment seems to be very safe.
It is now Monday evening and so far my training experience has been a lot of fun. We have found a quiet place just outside of the Hotel to train. Occasionally, we attract a few spectators who just stand around and watch. The kids come by and giggle as they mimic the moves. One older man actually took it upon himself to help Ms. Yu straighten my stance. He meant well, but I think Ms. Yu was doing fine on her own. We have also had a Japanese fellow who has joined us in doing the form a couple of times. I expect that the training will crank up some this week as I will be introduced to the sword and maybe the steel whip chain. I have attempted to teach Ms. Yu the fruits of the spirit, but it is going slow at best. I asked John Hu to write them down for me in Chinese so that I can use them in teaching her in our next lesson.
In closing, I want to say that I am grateful to have been blessed with the vision of this adventure. God is providing everything that I need through His loving and faithful believers. Thank you to my awesome family – Kim, Ashley, Jacob, and Cody – and my staff for your continued support. Jospeh Polizzi and Natalie King, God bless you for your support and sponsorship. Special thanks to Master Robles and his students and Junior Master Beasley and her students for their contributions. And once again, a big thanks to Mr. Silva and Mr. Van Over for their leadership. I pray that my sponsors are blessed abundantly by others as I have been abundantly blessed by them.
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
“Father, let my light shine before men in such a way that they may see my good works,
and glorify my Father who is in Heaven.”
- Matthew 5:16
As many of you know, I have been reading through my Bible, beginning to end, since last March. I am currently in the book of James and if you have ever read James, you probably remember him saying that “when there are trials in life…” (notice he does not say if, but when) we should “…count it all joy” and learn and grow stronger in them. He says that we should not pray for God to remove them, but instead pray that God would give you the strength to endure them. So once again, through His Word, God has pre-framed and prepared me for my “Great Grandmaster Adventure.”
It is Thursday night, September 6th – forty-nine hours, six airports, five flights, and one bag lost and recovered after leaving Bush Intercontinental in Houston – and I am checking in to the Seaman Hotel in Kashgar, China. This will be my home for the next three weeks. As excited as I am about what God has in store for me here in Kashgar, several highlights I have already experienced have been meeting people in my flights and in the airports (lots of airport time), so I will start there…
Because of some miscommunication in arranging my flight schedule, I arrived in Beijing a day late and I guess you could say a Yen short J for my connecting flight to Urumgi. No problem! I had the pleasure of spending the night in the Beijing airport with Li Tao, an English-speaking engineer who is from China but working in Saudi Arabia. We got to know each other pretty well as he seems to have been the only other person in the airport who had a longer layover than me. He turned out to be a big help the next morning when he helped me reschedule my flight to Urumgi and then to Kashgar. Praise the Lord for Li Tao and his graciousness, not to mention his ability to speak English and Chinese (since my excellent English, good Tex-Mex, and few Thai and Portuguese words were of no help)! So far I have gotten by with Nihao (hello), Zaijian, (good bye) Xie-Xie (thank you) coupled with God’s Language of Love.
So after an overnight stay in the Beijing airport I was off to Urumgi then to Kashgar. In route from Urumgi to Kashgar, I sat next to John Chang from Taiwan. John was named “Mr. Taiwan” when he was 20 years old! Now 50, he still looks to be in great shape. He was traveling with his sister and his parents (87 years young). They were a Christian family, on their way to Kashgar to hire employees for their family owned and operated company. The flight went fast as I introduced him to the Newsboys “Go” CD, we shared some scripture, and we exchanged some testimonies about how great God is. I met the rest of his family when we arrived at the airport in Kashgar and left in hopes of meeting up for a Bible study on Sunday.
Now approximately 11:30 on Thursday night, just after unpacking, Mr. John Hu, my contact in Kashgar, called to invite me to come out to his Café. It has been over forty-nine hours since my last shower, so I consented to going, only after a shower and a shave. Unfortunately, by the time I got cleaned up, John was no where to be found. I figured that he had called it a night, so I decided to call it a night also. A soft bed and a good night’s sleep…YES!
Friday morning, I met John Hu and began to get acquainted with him and with the area. John Hu, his wife Chui Xiu Ying, and his 17 year old son Pi Ter are the owners of five John’s Café and Travel locations. They specialize in traveling the Silk Road and this side of China. John and his family are very friendly and have been great hosts so far. Thanks to my good friend Pastor Larry Garza, who put me in touch with John, I am being looked after once again on my adventure.
As a Martial Artist, I seek to add balance to my training and teaching by studying Tai Chi with a focus on the health and healing aspects. I have a desire to service my students both young and “mature” with the Tai Chi principles that I will learn. Mostly, I hope to learn additional training methods to enhance everything that I teach and do. John Hu arranged for me to meet my teacher, Ms. Yu, who is a well regarded Tai Chi instructor here in China. We made plans to meet at 6:00pm at my hotel.
In the meantime, I asked John Hu where I could get dollars exchanged to yin and he offered to drop me off on his way to do some business. As promised, he dropped me off at the nearby bank and gave me directions to walk back to which I thought to myself, “it’s a beautiful day and a little walk will be nice.” Little did he or I know that my pursuit of the almighty yin would lead to my next adventure. After standing in a long slow line, I excitedly reached the cashier only to be told that I needed to go to the Kashgar Bank of China which was just out the door and a few meters to the right. So off I went, on foot, to find some yin. Let’s see, how far is a few meters? All the signs on the businesses were in Chinese and there were many that looked like banks…in fact, they all looked like banks. I entered several businesses and asked for directions to no avail until I found a nice man who put me in a cab and sent me in the opposite direction giving the young smiley cab driver directions. By this time, my three Chinese greetings were exhausted. The cab driver kept repeating something like “banko” and I would answer “yes, banko” while thinking to myself that sounded more Spanish than Chinese. He would smile real big, but something told me that we were not communicating. He eventually pulled over, asked a guy a question, turned the cab around, and took me to my second bank. So once again, I approach a cashier and, in the words of Joe DiMaggio, “déjà vu all over again.” She says that she can’t help me, but the Kashgar Bank of China can. The cashier there spoke enough English and Chinese to tell the cab driver where the infamous Bank of China is located. So off we go, back to where we came from. The meter was running, but by now that was the least of my worries. My smiley cab driver and I finally found the bank that I was looking for. Once again, I found myself in a long line and, when I reached the front, the lady took my Visa card and passport to the back to fulfill my request. After a few minutes, she returns and says “debit card”, points outside toward the front and says “ATM machine, ATM go!” BINGO!! I made it to the ATM machine and experienced sweet success as I got my elusive yin. With yin in hand, I approach my friendly cabbie, who I had asked to wait for me, and I asked him to take me back to the Seaman hotel. He smiles big and says “Seaman.” Again, questioning if we were communicating I said “yes” and began praying. At the end of the ride, I arrived at the Seaman hotel with enough yin to last me a while. Praise the Lord and welcome to Kashgar! Could this experience have been one of those “when’s” that James was talking about? Stronger…Smarter…I certainly hope so!!
At 6:00 that evening, as scheduled, my Tai Chi teacher Ms. Yu rode up on her bike to meet me, go over my training goals, design my workout schedule, and decide on a workout location near my hotel. She spoke no English and, of course, by now you know what my Chinese language capacity is. With the help of John Hu, we discussed my goals for training and scheduled my first workout for that evening at 8:00. Ms. Yu went home to change and returned at 8:00pm. She started me with some exercises and then went right into my first form. Our first workout lasted for one and a half hours and, at the end, I was very pleased with John’s choice of an instructor for me. She was a great teacher and in spite of the language barrier, I was receiving top notch instruction and loving it. She built me up as she relayed to John that I am a good student and a fast learner. So, it appeared that we were mutually satisfied with each other’s performance.
Before coming to China, I had heard stories about the Sunday Market where I could buy almost anything, even a camel! I thought that a camel could be a nice gift to take home to Kim and the kids, but unfortunately the ride home might take even longer than forty-nine hours, so I scratched that idea. Still, I was anxious to see the place that I had heard so much about so, on Sunday, I braved it and took another cab ride to the Sunday Market. It turned out to be a very nice outing and I plan to return again before I go home. It was now time to go back to my hotel and get ready for my evening lesson.
As of Sunday, I had taken four Tai Chi lessons and made it through my first form. After another great workout, she told John Hu that she was ready to move on and begin teaching me something else. I encouraged her to keep fine tuning my footwork and stances. So on Monday, she responded to my request by breaking down the stance work and taking me through a good leg strengthening exercise which made for another great lesson.
So far, the only opportunity to use my Tai Chi skills has been in repeated combat with a gang of Chinese Fighting Black and Yellow Bees. I have been able to defuse the attacks, sacrificing only some of my drink and suffering no bee stings as of yet. I think that they sense my Tai Chi skills improving because tonight I had my first meal without them buzzing around and trying to intimidate me. I will stay alert and continue to train hard just in case. Other than the gang of bees, the environment seems to be very safe.
It is now Monday evening and so far my training experience has been a lot of fun. We have found a quiet place just outside of the Hotel to train. Occasionally, we attract a few spectators who just stand around and watch. The kids come by and giggle as they mimic the moves. One older man actually took it upon himself to help Ms. Yu straighten my stance. He meant well, but I think Ms. Yu was doing fine on her own. We have also had a Japanese fellow who has joined us in doing the form a couple of times. I expect that the training will crank up some this week as I will be introduced to the sword and maybe the steel whip chain. I have attempted to teach Ms. Yu the fruits of the spirit, but it is going slow at best. I asked John Hu to write them down for me in Chinese so that I can use them in teaching her in our next lesson.
In closing, I want to say that I am grateful to have been blessed with the vision of this adventure. God is providing everything that I need through His loving and faithful believers. Thank you to my awesome family – Kim, Ashley, Jacob, and Cody – and my staff for your continued support. Jospeh Polizzi and Natalie King, God bless you for your support and sponsorship. Special thanks to Master Robles and his students and Junior Master Beasley and her students for their contributions. And once again, a big thanks to Mr. Silva and Mr. Van Over for their leadership. I pray that my sponsors are blessed abundantly by others as I have been abundantly blessed by them.
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
“Father, let my light shine before men in such a way that they may see my good works,
and glorify my Father who is in Heaven.”
- Matthew 5:16
Monday, January 12, 2009
China Update #2
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
One thing that I have learned in my study of God’s Word is that he always gives it to us straight. For example, in Revelations he warns…
“I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Revelations 3:15-16 (NIV)
Can’t get to the point much better than that! When I started thinking about that verse, I began to compare being “lukewarm” to being a “pocket of greatness.” (As I have mentioned in some of my previous letters, one of my goals in my travels has been to find pockets of greatness and to be a pocket of greatness.) I would venture to say that someone who is lukewarm would not be a pocket of greatness in God’s eyes. That said…I decided that I do not want to be lukewarm. My goal is to be on fire, fully alive, stepping up and stepping out of my comfort zone to be used by God in a great way. I’d say that would be a pretty good example of a “pocket of greatness”! I am excited to look for opportunities to be that person and I am continually blessed as I find that greatness in others.
One “pocket of greatness” I would like to recognize is my new friend and gracious host, Mr. John Hu. As I mentioned before, John and his family own five separate John’s Café and Travel locations on the East Side of China. His hospitality has definitely been a blessing on this trip as he has helped make arrangements for my flights, my room and board, my meals, my training, and even my communication with my wife and family. God’s Word tells us that what we do to the “unto the least of these” we do unto the Lord. Well…John Hu has definitely taken care of “the least of these” as he has looked after me while I am all alone in a land that is foreign to me. It is apparent that God’s Love is in him as he continually shows that love to me.
Week two highlights are many…
First, to update you on my battle with the bees…The Chinese Fighting Bees have discovered my training area. I think they have observed my technique and I have to admit that I no longer intimidate them with my Tai Chi skills. They have realized that I am just a beginner and they now come at me like bananas in bunches. I have reverted to practicing Mr. Mireles’ dance defense against them (Aaron, you know the oneJ). As aggressive as they are, I’m sure they are harmless. Just the same, please pray for me to make it out without a sting!
Ms. Wong joined Ms. Yu and I in our training last week to make for some interesting workout sessions. Ms. Wong is a middle school teacher who came to her first lesson as ready to practice her English as she was to learn Tai Chi. With her help, we made it through the first six Fruits of the Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, and Goodness…and the rest are to follow. We had a lot of fun as I taught them the words in English and they taught me the Chinese translations. Ms. Wong has trained with us twice now and she has brought a lot of fun and energy to the lessons.
Another highlight was being introduced to Tai Chi Softball…very interesting! It reminds me of hacky sack (which I have no personal experience with, but have watched my talented young staff members play). The only difference is that Tai Chi Softball is played with a racket. It starts out very basic, but it can get pretty fancy pretty quickly. Ms. Yu demonstrated it for me first and I thought to myself “that looks pretty simple.” Then I got the racket in my hand and gained a whole new respect for Ms. Yu and for the art of Tai Chi Softball as I realized the control and the finesse that was involved. I have made some progress since my first attempt at it. We have been using it as a warm up and a cool down and I have learned that it is a great way to practice Tai Chi through disguised repetition.
As of now, I have experienced (learned would be an exaggeration) two Tai Chi forms, Tai Chi balance and flexibility exercises, Tai Chi Softball and today I was introduced to the Tai Chi Sword (something that I have been looking forward to). At best, I have been moving slowJ! Get it? Tai Chi=Slow! (Oh well…couldn’t resist)! The slow movements ofTai Chi are a definite contrast to my Tae Kwon Do base and the Premier Martial Arts and Krav Maga that I practice at home, as well as the Muay Thai training I experienced in Thailand and the Jujitsu training that I experienced in Brazil. In short, it is not what I am used to! However, the body control, mental concentration, and deep breathing is exactly what I was looking for. As I mentioned before, my goal here has been to add balance to my training and my teaching. I’ve heard it said that seeking balance is like “being in a state of constant negotiation” and this experience has proven that statement to be true.
I will learn all that I can during my last week here in Kashgar and I will look forward to coming home and passing on what I have learned to my students. I don’t mean to whine…but I miss everyone tremendously! I am very excited about coming home on Tuesday and I am ready to hit the ground running!!
Before closing, I would like to take a minute to congratulate my awesome AGPMA team back home for the great job they are doing while I am away. Daily reports from Kim have been outstanding and it’s is exciting to know that my students are being taken care of in my absence. In November, we will celebrate our 31st Anniversary in the Martial Arts business and October will mark 2 years of being a Premier Martial Arts school. I am very proud of both of these accomplishments. I know that the Premier systems have so much to do with the team’s success while I am away and I am so happy that I was inspired to join the Premier Team!
Once again, I’d like to say a special thanks to my good friends – Joseph Polizzi (of Polizzi Financial Services) and Natalie King (of Meineke Car Care Centers). And thanks to the rest of my friends, family, staff, and students who have supported me with your thoughts and prayers!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
One thing that I have learned in my study of God’s Word is that he always gives it to us straight. For example, in Revelations he warns…
“I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Revelations 3:15-16 (NIV)
Can’t get to the point much better than that! When I started thinking about that verse, I began to compare being “lukewarm” to being a “pocket of greatness.” (As I have mentioned in some of my previous letters, one of my goals in my travels has been to find pockets of greatness and to be a pocket of greatness.) I would venture to say that someone who is lukewarm would not be a pocket of greatness in God’s eyes. That said…I decided that I do not want to be lukewarm. My goal is to be on fire, fully alive, stepping up and stepping out of my comfort zone to be used by God in a great way. I’d say that would be a pretty good example of a “pocket of greatness”! I am excited to look for opportunities to be that person and I am continually blessed as I find that greatness in others.
One “pocket of greatness” I would like to recognize is my new friend and gracious host, Mr. John Hu. As I mentioned before, John and his family own five separate John’s Café and Travel locations on the East Side of China. His hospitality has definitely been a blessing on this trip as he has helped make arrangements for my flights, my room and board, my meals, my training, and even my communication with my wife and family. God’s Word tells us that what we do to the “unto the least of these” we do unto the Lord. Well…John Hu has definitely taken care of “the least of these” as he has looked after me while I am all alone in a land that is foreign to me. It is apparent that God’s Love is in him as he continually shows that love to me.
Week two highlights are many…
First, to update you on my battle with the bees…The Chinese Fighting Bees have discovered my training area. I think they have observed my technique and I have to admit that I no longer intimidate them with my Tai Chi skills. They have realized that I am just a beginner and they now come at me like bananas in bunches. I have reverted to practicing Mr. Mireles’ dance defense against them (Aaron, you know the oneJ). As aggressive as they are, I’m sure they are harmless. Just the same, please pray for me to make it out without a sting!
Ms. Wong joined Ms. Yu and I in our training last week to make for some interesting workout sessions. Ms. Wong is a middle school teacher who came to her first lesson as ready to practice her English as she was to learn Tai Chi. With her help, we made it through the first six Fruits of the Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, and Goodness…and the rest are to follow. We had a lot of fun as I taught them the words in English and they taught me the Chinese translations. Ms. Wong has trained with us twice now and she has brought a lot of fun and energy to the lessons.
Another highlight was being introduced to Tai Chi Softball…very interesting! It reminds me of hacky sack (which I have no personal experience with, but have watched my talented young staff members play). The only difference is that Tai Chi Softball is played with a racket. It starts out very basic, but it can get pretty fancy pretty quickly. Ms. Yu demonstrated it for me first and I thought to myself “that looks pretty simple.” Then I got the racket in my hand and gained a whole new respect for Ms. Yu and for the art of Tai Chi Softball as I realized the control and the finesse that was involved. I have made some progress since my first attempt at it. We have been using it as a warm up and a cool down and I have learned that it is a great way to practice Tai Chi through disguised repetition.
As of now, I have experienced (learned would be an exaggeration) two Tai Chi forms, Tai Chi balance and flexibility exercises, Tai Chi Softball and today I was introduced to the Tai Chi Sword (something that I have been looking forward to). At best, I have been moving slowJ! Get it? Tai Chi=Slow! (Oh well…couldn’t resist)! The slow movements ofTai Chi are a definite contrast to my Tae Kwon Do base and the Premier Martial Arts and Krav Maga that I practice at home, as well as the Muay Thai training I experienced in Thailand and the Jujitsu training that I experienced in Brazil. In short, it is not what I am used to! However, the body control, mental concentration, and deep breathing is exactly what I was looking for. As I mentioned before, my goal here has been to add balance to my training and my teaching. I’ve heard it said that seeking balance is like “being in a state of constant negotiation” and this experience has proven that statement to be true.
I will learn all that I can during my last week here in Kashgar and I will look forward to coming home and passing on what I have learned to my students. I don’t mean to whine…but I miss everyone tremendously! I am very excited about coming home on Tuesday and I am ready to hit the ground running!!
Before closing, I would like to take a minute to congratulate my awesome AGPMA team back home for the great job they are doing while I am away. Daily reports from Kim have been outstanding and it’s is exciting to know that my students are being taken care of in my absence. In November, we will celebrate our 31st Anniversary in the Martial Arts business and October will mark 2 years of being a Premier Martial Arts school. I am very proud of both of these accomplishments. I know that the Premier systems have so much to do with the team’s success while I am away and I am so happy that I was inspired to join the Premier Team!
Once again, I’d like to say a special thanks to my good friends – Joseph Polizzi (of Polizzi Financial Services) and Natalie King (of Meineke Car Care Centers). And thanks to the rest of my friends, family, staff, and students who have supported me with your thoughts and prayers!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
Sunday, January 11, 2009
China Update #3
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
It is now Sunday morning here in Kashgar and I just finished reading the book of Revelations – 19 months after beginning the Book of Genesis in March of 2006! Wow…what insight my Life-Application Bible has brought me over the past months. Even though this was not my first time to read it, God’s Word has a way of being new and fresh every time I revisit it. It’s so alive and relevant to today!
Way back in April of 2006 when I was in the Book of Joshua, I was comforted with the same words that God used to comfort Joshua. He said, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you or forsake you” – Joshua 1:5. These words came to me as I was preparing to make the plans for my traveling more public and putting the team together to make it possible. I was in deep prayer for the words to express what God had put on my heart to do and I found guidance when I looked at the application to this verse…
Every job is a new challenge. Without God, it can be frightening. With God, It can be a
GREAT Adventure. Just as God was with Joshua, he is with us as we face our new challenges. (taken from my Life-Application Bible)
I had been playing around with these very words as I had been studying and speaking on Jim Collins’ book Good to GREAT and Pastor Chip Ingram’s sermon Good to GREAT in God’s Eyes. So I just inserted “Grandmaster” into the name and made it official. I must humbly give the glory to God and the reading of His Word for everything GREAT in this “Great Grandmaster Adventure.” As I think about what is so GREAT about it, two things stand out above anything else – God and the people. I have been surrounded by both everywhere I have been. It is reassuring to know that wherever I go God’s got my back. Yes, there is evil everywhere, but I am a firm believer that “you get what you look for.” So I choose to look for the good in people and to show them God’s goodness in me.
As I read my Bible back in April of 2006, I also focused on Joshua 1:8. This verse has been a personal favorite since my friend and former Pastor, Cliff Poe, taught it in a sermon to our congregation. He introduced it as “God’s formula for success” and it says, “Do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” Then you will be prosperous and successful” – Joshua 1:8. I gained even more insight when I looked at the application…
So many people think that prosperity and success come from having power, influential personal contacts, and a relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy for gaining prosperity that God taught Joshua goes against such criteria. He said that to succeed Joshua must do three things. 1) be strong and courageous because the task ahead would not be easy, 2) obey God’s law, and 3) constantly read and study the Book of the Law—God’s Word. To be successful, follow God’s words to Joshua. You may not succeed by the world’s standards, but you will be a success in God’s eyes—and his opinion lasts forever. (also taken from my Life-Application Bible)
Being disciplined to read God’s Word daily has been the single most important thing that I could have committed to to get me to this point in my adventure and, more importantly, to this point in my life. My concerns and fears have been replaced with a deep faith in the Lord. He has unfolded His plan and purpose for my Great Grandmaster Adventure one day at a time through His Word and through all his faithful followers who have contributed through their encouragement, prayers, and contributions. To my family, friends, students, staff, and PMA associates, a BIG thanks for all your support. I want to thank you for the love you have showed me. I don’t know where you are in your faith today, but I encourage you commit to building daily spiritual disciplines into your life. Make it the most important thing on your to do list. You will be blessed and you will be a blessing to others. I am inspired to stay committed to this daily discipline so that I can continue to grow in Christ.
Speaking of growing…I just returned from my next to the last Tai Chi lesson with Ms. Yu. It was heaven out there, which was surprising because last night a cold front came through bringing with it lots of wind. I was alarmed as I was sitting in John’s Café (which is an open Café) and the wind blew in a heavy sand storm. I got my coffee to go and came back up to my room as quickly as I could. But this morning showed no signs of last night’s storm. Instead, I was blessed with a sunny, crisp, and quiet morning for my next to the last lesson. I gotta tell you that Ms. Yu had her work cut out for her in training this Texas point fighter/kick boxer, self protection instructor, marathon runner, and type-A personality to learn the slow and gentle way of Tai Chi. Every now and then I just wanted to throw a side kick, put someone in a submission hold, or just hit somethingJ! But I resisted the urge and managed to keep myself under control. And I finally achieved sweet victory! Yes…I achieved success in my lesson today as I performed my two forms for the first time to the music with perfect timing. It has been challenging just to learn the forms and, up until now, I have been more concerned with learning them than with the music or the timing. But it all came together in this morning’s lesson. I could almost see Ms. Yu’s feeling of triumph as I closed the form on cue with the final note. I considered telling her that this would be a good lesson to end with, but I kept my thoughts to myself and finished on a high note with plans to come back this evening for my final lesson.
Oh…I want to let you know that your prayers have been answered and I will be returning home without a single bee sting! Those Chinese Fighting Bees had me worried a few times, but we made it through without any casualties (on either side). We did have a few close calls though during one of my Tai Chi Softball lessons when I was forced to use my racket to scare them away. I cranked up the speed and used some Aaron Mireles fancy footwork during that lesson!
Before sharing my next story, I just want to say that it is not meant to offend any of my older students or friends. I just found this a bit humorous and wanted to share…Over the last three weeks Ms. Yu has consistently built me up to Mr. and Mrs. Hu in each of our interpretation sessions. She has said many good things in reference to how fast I learn, how well I perform, and how much better I was than her other students. Well…last week I had the opportunity to go with her to a morning workout in the shopping mall square. This is where many people gather for early morning Tai Chi workouts. At this workout, I had the pleasure of meeting many of the students who she had been referring to in her comparisons. I found it both humorous and humbling when I realized that the students that she was comparing me to ranged in age from 65 to 80 plus! This helped me understand where she was coming from and it brought me back down to earth. Oh well…I guess I am getting older too. At 51, I have made it to what I have heard called the “best side of 50” (I don’t know about that yet, the other side was pretty good). I have met some great role models in my life that have reached this side of 50 and continued to inspire me with their health and youthfulness. I hope to be like them and continue to live a passionate life…only time will tell!
Well…it is now Sunday evening and I just finished my last lesson and said my good bye’s to Ms. Yu. After 18 days and 72 hours of private instruction, I will be bringing home two Tai Chi empty hand forms (to music), a Tai Chi sword form (also to music), twelve Tai Chi softball exercises, and a few more Chinese words like hao which means “good.” Hao was one of my favorite things to hear from Ms. Yu once a move started to come together. Our communication gap was overcome by my desire to learn and her desire to teach. I will miss our daily workouts which consisted of very few words and lots of action.
My China experience has been just what I had prayed for – a time to slow down, to learn the principles of Tai Chi, to spend time in God’s Word, and to seek the opportunity to share His Word with others. I have been challenged in my Martial Arts training in exciting new ways. And I have been called to endure in my faith through some trials. I did make it through all nine Fruits of the Spirit with Ms. Yu and Ms. Wong! I also had some interesting times sharing with other travelers in John’s Café. As the Disney tune goes, “It’s a small world after all.” My first day here I met and exchanged stories with Matt who was from Texarkana, Texas and, throughout my stay, I have enjoyed meeting and sharing with people from all over the world. Like I said before, it is all about God and the people.
It is now Monday morning and I am preparing for my journey home. I have prayed for safe travels, for the people who will sit next to me on my four flights, and for my time in the airport during transitions. I’ve prayed for my team and for my contributors at home to receive blessings from God’s abundance. I have prayed for those of you reading this update, that you will be inspired to make your faith a priority in your lives. I have good news to share from God’s Word for anyone who wants or needs to hear it! Oh…about the end of The Book…Revelations is a book of hope. It teaches that no matter what happens on earth, God is in control!!
To my family…I am coming home! And to my students…I’ll be back on the mat this week! Looking forward to seeing and sharing with you all!!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
It is now Sunday morning here in Kashgar and I just finished reading the book of Revelations – 19 months after beginning the Book of Genesis in March of 2006! Wow…what insight my Life-Application Bible has brought me over the past months. Even though this was not my first time to read it, God’s Word has a way of being new and fresh every time I revisit it. It’s so alive and relevant to today!
Way back in April of 2006 when I was in the Book of Joshua, I was comforted with the same words that God used to comfort Joshua. He said, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you or forsake you” – Joshua 1:5. These words came to me as I was preparing to make the plans for my traveling more public and putting the team together to make it possible. I was in deep prayer for the words to express what God had put on my heart to do and I found guidance when I looked at the application to this verse…
Every job is a new challenge. Without God, it can be frightening. With God, It can be a
GREAT Adventure. Just as God was with Joshua, he is with us as we face our new challenges. (taken from my Life-Application Bible)
I had been playing around with these very words as I had been studying and speaking on Jim Collins’ book Good to GREAT and Pastor Chip Ingram’s sermon Good to GREAT in God’s Eyes. So I just inserted “Grandmaster” into the name and made it official. I must humbly give the glory to God and the reading of His Word for everything GREAT in this “Great Grandmaster Adventure.” As I think about what is so GREAT about it, two things stand out above anything else – God and the people. I have been surrounded by both everywhere I have been. It is reassuring to know that wherever I go God’s got my back. Yes, there is evil everywhere, but I am a firm believer that “you get what you look for.” So I choose to look for the good in people and to show them God’s goodness in me.
As I read my Bible back in April of 2006, I also focused on Joshua 1:8. This verse has been a personal favorite since my friend and former Pastor, Cliff Poe, taught it in a sermon to our congregation. He introduced it as “God’s formula for success” and it says, “Do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” Then you will be prosperous and successful” – Joshua 1:8. I gained even more insight when I looked at the application…
So many people think that prosperity and success come from having power, influential personal contacts, and a relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy for gaining prosperity that God taught Joshua goes against such criteria. He said that to succeed Joshua must do three things. 1) be strong and courageous because the task ahead would not be easy, 2) obey God’s law, and 3) constantly read and study the Book of the Law—God’s Word. To be successful, follow God’s words to Joshua. You may not succeed by the world’s standards, but you will be a success in God’s eyes—and his opinion lasts forever. (also taken from my Life-Application Bible)
Being disciplined to read God’s Word daily has been the single most important thing that I could have committed to to get me to this point in my adventure and, more importantly, to this point in my life. My concerns and fears have been replaced with a deep faith in the Lord. He has unfolded His plan and purpose for my Great Grandmaster Adventure one day at a time through His Word and through all his faithful followers who have contributed through their encouragement, prayers, and contributions. To my family, friends, students, staff, and PMA associates, a BIG thanks for all your support. I want to thank you for the love you have showed me. I don’t know where you are in your faith today, but I encourage you commit to building daily spiritual disciplines into your life. Make it the most important thing on your to do list. You will be blessed and you will be a blessing to others. I am inspired to stay committed to this daily discipline so that I can continue to grow in Christ.
Speaking of growing…I just returned from my next to the last Tai Chi lesson with Ms. Yu. It was heaven out there, which was surprising because last night a cold front came through bringing with it lots of wind. I was alarmed as I was sitting in John’s Café (which is an open Café) and the wind blew in a heavy sand storm. I got my coffee to go and came back up to my room as quickly as I could. But this morning showed no signs of last night’s storm. Instead, I was blessed with a sunny, crisp, and quiet morning for my next to the last lesson. I gotta tell you that Ms. Yu had her work cut out for her in training this Texas point fighter/kick boxer, self protection instructor, marathon runner, and type-A personality to learn the slow and gentle way of Tai Chi. Every now and then I just wanted to throw a side kick, put someone in a submission hold, or just hit somethingJ! But I resisted the urge and managed to keep myself under control. And I finally achieved sweet victory! Yes…I achieved success in my lesson today as I performed my two forms for the first time to the music with perfect timing. It has been challenging just to learn the forms and, up until now, I have been more concerned with learning them than with the music or the timing. But it all came together in this morning’s lesson. I could almost see Ms. Yu’s feeling of triumph as I closed the form on cue with the final note. I considered telling her that this would be a good lesson to end with, but I kept my thoughts to myself and finished on a high note with plans to come back this evening for my final lesson.
Oh…I want to let you know that your prayers have been answered and I will be returning home without a single bee sting! Those Chinese Fighting Bees had me worried a few times, but we made it through without any casualties (on either side). We did have a few close calls though during one of my Tai Chi Softball lessons when I was forced to use my racket to scare them away. I cranked up the speed and used some Aaron Mireles fancy footwork during that lesson!
Before sharing my next story, I just want to say that it is not meant to offend any of my older students or friends. I just found this a bit humorous and wanted to share…Over the last three weeks Ms. Yu has consistently built me up to Mr. and Mrs. Hu in each of our interpretation sessions. She has said many good things in reference to how fast I learn, how well I perform, and how much better I was than her other students. Well…last week I had the opportunity to go with her to a morning workout in the shopping mall square. This is where many people gather for early morning Tai Chi workouts. At this workout, I had the pleasure of meeting many of the students who she had been referring to in her comparisons. I found it both humorous and humbling when I realized that the students that she was comparing me to ranged in age from 65 to 80 plus! This helped me understand where she was coming from and it brought me back down to earth. Oh well…I guess I am getting older too. At 51, I have made it to what I have heard called the “best side of 50” (I don’t know about that yet, the other side was pretty good). I have met some great role models in my life that have reached this side of 50 and continued to inspire me with their health and youthfulness. I hope to be like them and continue to live a passionate life…only time will tell!
Well…it is now Sunday evening and I just finished my last lesson and said my good bye’s to Ms. Yu. After 18 days and 72 hours of private instruction, I will be bringing home two Tai Chi empty hand forms (to music), a Tai Chi sword form (also to music), twelve Tai Chi softball exercises, and a few more Chinese words like hao which means “good.” Hao was one of my favorite things to hear from Ms. Yu once a move started to come together. Our communication gap was overcome by my desire to learn and her desire to teach. I will miss our daily workouts which consisted of very few words and lots of action.
My China experience has been just what I had prayed for – a time to slow down, to learn the principles of Tai Chi, to spend time in God’s Word, and to seek the opportunity to share His Word with others. I have been challenged in my Martial Arts training in exciting new ways. And I have been called to endure in my faith through some trials. I did make it through all nine Fruits of the Spirit with Ms. Yu and Ms. Wong! I also had some interesting times sharing with other travelers in John’s Café. As the Disney tune goes, “It’s a small world after all.” My first day here I met and exchanged stories with Matt who was from Texarkana, Texas and, throughout my stay, I have enjoyed meeting and sharing with people from all over the world. Like I said before, it is all about God and the people.
It is now Monday morning and I am preparing for my journey home. I have prayed for safe travels, for the people who will sit next to me on my four flights, and for my time in the airport during transitions. I’ve prayed for my team and for my contributors at home to receive blessings from God’s abundance. I have prayed for those of you reading this update, that you will be inspired to make your faith a priority in your lives. I have good news to share from God’s Word for anyone who wants or needs to hear it! Oh…about the end of The Book…Revelations is a book of hope. It teaches that no matter what happens on earth, God is in control!!
To my family…I am coming home! And to my students…I’ll be back on the mat this week! Looking forward to seeing and sharing with you all!!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Brazil Update #1
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
What is your “BHAG”? The phrase “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG – pronounced Bee-HAG) is used by author Jim Collins to describe the passion, the desire, the purpose, the vision that drives you. It is a clear and compelling long term goal that you strive for and progress toward. What are you passionate about? What are you great at? What drives you? When you discover the answer to these questions, you have discovered your BHAG!
The “Great Grandmaster Adventure” is my BHAG – it is what drives me and what I am passionate about. As a Martial Artist my long term goal is to earn the rank of Grandmaster (10th Degree Black Belt). But more importantly, I desire to gain firsthand knowledge of what the Martial Arts world has to offer and to experience different styles, training methods, relationships, and cultures. In 2033, at the young age of 77, I will reach the honorable rank of Grandmaster and thus my “Great Grandmaster Adventure” will be complete. My purpose in this adventure, however, is about more than just the Martial Arts. God has put this mission in my heart and I pray that, by living it to the fullest, I may inspire others to reach for their full potential as well. As a Christian, my goal is to be a Godly example, to inspire, and to lead others to Christ. It’s more than just a long term goal…it’s about eternity!
As most of you know, 2007 has been the kick-off year for my adventure. Each trip has been a short-term step in the progress toward my goal. So far my trips have included: Madison, Wisconsin where I trained with my friend Grandmaster Ron Van Browning and, fellow PMA school owner, Randy Reid; Bangkok, Thailand where I trained at the world renowned Fairtex Muay Thai Training Camp; Dallas, Texas where I attended the first Kick-4-College Karate Championship; and Jupiter, Florida where I attended the first Premier Mixed Martial Arts Certification. My time at home has been just as memorable as my time away. Some highlights have included: hosting and training in the Modern Arnis Winter Camp with students from all over the country and world; directing the Battle of Texas Karate Champions for my cousins, the Benavidez’s; witnessing the Baptism of three AGMA students into God’s Kingdom; being treated to the UFC Fights at the Toyota Center as a birthday present from my student and friend, Roy Starr; and spending Easter at home with my wonderful family. While some steps have been bigger than others, each has been an opportunity to learn and grow, and the best part has been sharing the knowledge and experience gained with my students.
And that brings up to today…when I will take the next step as I leave for Rio, Brazil! After walking daily by faith and waiting for guidance from God, He spoke and He provided the necessary funds for me to book my flight. In an effort to avoid overburdening my family or my school, my student and accountant, Mr. Joseph Polizzi offered to sponsor my flight to Brazil. At Graduation last week, Mr. Polizzi gave his testimony as to why he feels that this sponsorship will benefit him as a student and as a business owner. For those of you who were there, I hope you enjoyed his talk.
I have been advised by Mr. Polizzi to offer the same opportunity to those AGMA business owners and supporters who might like to be used by God in providing for the rest of the funds for Brazil and for future travels. In return, beyond the eternal blessings, sponsors could receive marketing for their business or cause. For example, business names of sponsors will be listed in all email updates (sent out to hundreds of students, businesses, and friends), sponsors will be listed in an e-book that will be written about the Great Grandmaster Adventure, etc. In addition, I will be offering private lessons in the Martial Art of each country that I visit (i.e. Muay Thai from Thailand, Brazilian Jujitsu from Brazil, etc.). I hope that anyone who is able will consider taking advantage of this opportunity and be blessed through the funding of this cause.
“Where God guides, God provides!” This has been our motto since beginning this adventure. Walking in faith is not only believing that God’s Word is true; but also believing that every one of His miracles is real and can be real in your life, and every one of His promises is kept and will be kept in your life. In faith, we must take what we know to be truth and apply it to our own life. So, I ask for your prayers as I walk in faith, knowing that God will continue to provide as I seek to do His will.
Matthew 23:11-12 says, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself may be exalted.” Wherever I am, I pray that I will continue to humble myself before the Lord so that I may serve others and be used to do His will.
I have enjoyed my time at home with my family and my students and I am now full of anticipation as to what adventures my Brazil trip might hold. I am looking forward to sharing those blessings with you all! Thank you for your continued prayers and support in my travels!!
God’s Love & Peace,
Master Al Garza
P.S. I hope you enjoyed the three updates from Thailand. If you didn’t receive them and would like to, please contact Kim or Ashley (by replying to this email) to request them.
WALK BY FAITH!
(in the Word of God)...
BE BIG!
(Blessed in God)...
DIP!
(Lower yourself before the Lord)
www.algarza.com
What is your “BHAG”? The phrase “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG – pronounced Bee-HAG) is used by author Jim Collins to describe the passion, the desire, the purpose, the vision that drives you. It is a clear and compelling long term goal that you strive for and progress toward. What are you passionate about? What are you great at? What drives you? When you discover the answer to these questions, you have discovered your BHAG!
The “Great Grandmaster Adventure” is my BHAG – it is what drives me and what I am passionate about. As a Martial Artist my long term goal is to earn the rank of Grandmaster (10th Degree Black Belt). But more importantly, I desire to gain firsthand knowledge of what the Martial Arts world has to offer and to experience different styles, training methods, relationships, and cultures. In 2033, at the young age of 77, I will reach the honorable rank of Grandmaster and thus my “Great Grandmaster Adventure” will be complete. My purpose in this adventure, however, is about more than just the Martial Arts. God has put this mission in my heart and I pray that, by living it to the fullest, I may inspire others to reach for their full potential as well. As a Christian, my goal is to be a Godly example, to inspire, and to lead others to Christ. It’s more than just a long term goal…it’s about eternity!
As most of you know, 2007 has been the kick-off year for my adventure. Each trip has been a short-term step in the progress toward my goal. So far my trips have included: Madison, Wisconsin where I trained with my friend Grandmaster Ron Van Browning and, fellow PMA school owner, Randy Reid; Bangkok, Thailand where I trained at the world renowned Fairtex Muay Thai Training Camp; Dallas, Texas where I attended the first Kick-4-College Karate Championship; and Jupiter, Florida where I attended the first Premier Mixed Martial Arts Certification. My time at home has been just as memorable as my time away. Some highlights have included: hosting and training in the Modern Arnis Winter Camp with students from all over the country and world; directing the Battle of Texas Karate Champions for my cousins, the Benavidez’s; witnessing the Baptism of three AGMA students into God’s Kingdom; being treated to the UFC Fights at the Toyota Center as a birthday present from my student and friend, Roy Starr; and spending Easter at home with my wonderful family. While some steps have been bigger than others, each has been an opportunity to learn and grow, and the best part has been sharing the knowledge and experience gained with my students.
And that brings up to today…when I will take the next step as I leave for Rio, Brazil! After walking daily by faith and waiting for guidance from God, He spoke and He provided the necessary funds for me to book my flight. In an effort to avoid overburdening my family or my school, my student and accountant, Mr. Joseph Polizzi offered to sponsor my flight to Brazil. At Graduation last week, Mr. Polizzi gave his testimony as to why he feels that this sponsorship will benefit him as a student and as a business owner. For those of you who were there, I hope you enjoyed his talk.
I have been advised by Mr. Polizzi to offer the same opportunity to those AGMA business owners and supporters who might like to be used by God in providing for the rest of the funds for Brazil and for future travels. In return, beyond the eternal blessings, sponsors could receive marketing for their business or cause. For example, business names of sponsors will be listed in all email updates (sent out to hundreds of students, businesses, and friends), sponsors will be listed in an e-book that will be written about the Great Grandmaster Adventure, etc. In addition, I will be offering private lessons in the Martial Art of each country that I visit (i.e. Muay Thai from Thailand, Brazilian Jujitsu from Brazil, etc.). I hope that anyone who is able will consider taking advantage of this opportunity and be blessed through the funding of this cause.
“Where God guides, God provides!” This has been our motto since beginning this adventure. Walking in faith is not only believing that God’s Word is true; but also believing that every one of His miracles is real and can be real in your life, and every one of His promises is kept and will be kept in your life. In faith, we must take what we know to be truth and apply it to our own life. So, I ask for your prayers as I walk in faith, knowing that God will continue to provide as I seek to do His will.
Matthew 23:11-12 says, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself may be exalted.” Wherever I am, I pray that I will continue to humble myself before the Lord so that I may serve others and be used to do His will.
I have enjoyed my time at home with my family and my students and I am now full of anticipation as to what adventures my Brazil trip might hold. I am looking forward to sharing those blessings with you all! Thank you for your continued prayers and support in my travels!!
God’s Love & Peace,
Master Al Garza
P.S. I hope you enjoyed the three updates from Thailand. If you didn’t receive them and would like to, please contact Kim or Ashley (by replying to this email) to request them.
WALK BY FAITH!
(in the Word of God)...
BE BIG!
(Blessed in God)...
DIP!
(Lower yourself before the Lord)
www.algarza.com
Friday, January 9, 2009
Brazil Update #2
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
Great Christians “Think GREAT thoughts!” According to Pastor Chip Ingram, this is one of the principles that allows Christians to move from “Good to Great in God’s Eyes.” This is one of my favorite scriptures, written by Paul to encourage the Philippians:
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good reputation, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” - Philippians 4:8
If we allow it, God’s Word can transform our minds from thinking negative thoughts to thinking positive thoughts – from focusing on what is bad, to focusing on what is good. I have definitely needed Paul’s encouragement since my departure from home and arrival to Brazil. Though filled with its challenges, I will spare you the gory details and focus on the good!
There is plenty of good to share…beginning with my nine hour flight from Dulles to San Paulo, where I sat next to a Christian gentleman named Christopher Dietmar, who was on his way home to Brazil. Light conversation led to a deep Bible study (for three hours), after I discovered that Christopher was a Christian. “As iron sharpens iron,” he and I were both sharper in God’s Word when we parted ways.
I arrived in Rio, Brazil on Wednesday at 11:00am. Unfortunately, upon arrival I found out that my apartment would not be ready until Thursday. No, I didn’t have to sleep on the streets like some of the unfortunate souls who I have seen down here (and back at home). Instead, I had the opportunity to stay with the owner of the apartment and share some of my favorite scriptures along with a daily devotional. As I said, my arrival was not without its challenges, but my apartment was ready for me to move in to on Thursday around 3:00pm and this was the beginning of breakthough!
Breakthrough came when I arrived at the Brazilian Top Team (BTT) gym where I would be training for the next three weeks. BTT is located in the hub of Zona Sul, on the border of a lagoon and in view of the mountains. BTT fighters train in Vale Tudo (“anything goes” in Portuguese), which is the same as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). They are one of the most famous teams in the world. What an awesome experience to train in their environment!
There I met world famous Mario Sperry who has a reputation for being one of the greatest ground fighters in the world. Mario spoke English and he introduced me to Claudio Palmieri and Christo da Conceicao (who goes by “Banana”), who have been my private instructors since Saturday. Claudio and Banana are two of the most sincere and friendliest people I have ever met. We have had three awesome private lessons in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) – just them and me! The language barrier is not as bad here for me as it was in Thailand. Portuguese parallels Spanish quite a bit and I am very fluent in Tex-Mex (as long as it is spoken sloooooooowly)J! On our second lesson, a third person joined us to act as a translator and this helped tremendously. Just like in Thailand, communication gets easier and I become more comfortable with the environment each day.
Aside from training and sharing the Word as much as I can, one of my objectives in my travels is to learn and observe the best and most up to date training methods, so that I can come home and torture (I mean train J) my students like the world’s best. Lookout students…I’m coming home with some great stuff! Brazilian Top Team fighters train in Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and wrestling under the direction of Mario Sperry and his partner, Murilo Bustamante. I have spent some quality time speaking with Mario and watching and taking notes as he trains his fighters. He is no-nonsense and intense in his training, yet he has taken the time to be courteous and to welcome me with respect. I have enjoyed asking him questions about the training and asking him to translate for me. While I can follow his teaching for the most part, it is sometimes nice to understand the spirit of what he is saying on a deeper level.
I have also bonded with Darryl Gholar, a wrestling coach who teaches the wrestling and take down component of the Vale Tudo. Darryl is a world class wrestler who has beaten Randy Couture (not too shabby). Another wrestling coach named Jefferson Teixeira, a three time national champion and former collegiate coach, has been highly recommended to me. I have a private lesson scheduled with him on Friday morning where I will seek to get more training in wrestling takedowns.
I owe my next meeting to one of AGPMA’s own Black Belts, Bea Grant. She arranged for me to meet up with her dad, Professor Rudolph Hermanny, who is a long time Judo, Capoeira, and now Jiu-Jitsu player. He met me at my apartment on Monday at three and treated me to another breakthrough…the most delicious dinner I have had in a long time. The restaurant had a huge salad bar and the main course was meat, meat, and more meat – at least five kinds of meat served Brazilian style (one at a time to your table)! As the meat kept coming, I kept saying “Sim” (yes) and “Abrigodo” (thank you)! I rolled myself out of there and we went to “Pao de Acucar” (the Sugar Loaf), the western hemisphere’s most famous monolith. It rises from the dark sea to just under 400 meters high, towering over Botafogo beach and separating Guanabara Bay from the open Atlantic Ocean. The views from the top by cable car are unforgettable. Rio de Janeiro is a city like none other, incredibly built into cliffs and mountains and surrounded by the lagoons and beaches of a tropical forest.
From there, we visited Professor Hermanny’s friend, Professor Kastriot Mehdi, at the Academia De Judo, where we watched him teach two great Judo classes. We ended the night at the club where Professor Hermanny trains in Jui-Jitsu and teaches an exercise class to a group of ladies who have been with him for over 20 years. There we watched a Shotokan class, which reminded me of my love for that style and the respect I have for its founder, Gischin Funakoshi. One of his philosophies that I live by to this day is that “Karate always begins and ends with respect.” Great Stuff!
As you can see, what got off to a rocky start has transitioned into a series of blessings and opportunities that can only be described as divine arrangements. Daily challenges have continued to show their ugly face, but I continuously strive to be a “good finder.” I just can’t help but think about how often we are faced with a challenge and lose heart. Instead of finding the positive we become overwhelmed with the negative and give up just before breakthrough. I encourage you to become a “good finder,” stay focused on what is “excellent or praiseworthy.” It will give you the power to see your life to breakthrough!
I want to thank my supporters – Mr. Polizzi (of Polizzi Financial Services) and all of you who have responded to his offer by using his services and supporting this cause. Also, I want to thank all the prayer warriors who are keeping me showered in prayers. Thank you all for your continued support!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
Great Christians “Think GREAT thoughts!” According to Pastor Chip Ingram, this is one of the principles that allows Christians to move from “Good to Great in God’s Eyes.” This is one of my favorite scriptures, written by Paul to encourage the Philippians:
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good reputation, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” - Philippians 4:8
If we allow it, God’s Word can transform our minds from thinking negative thoughts to thinking positive thoughts – from focusing on what is bad, to focusing on what is good. I have definitely needed Paul’s encouragement since my departure from home and arrival to Brazil. Though filled with its challenges, I will spare you the gory details and focus on the good!
There is plenty of good to share…beginning with my nine hour flight from Dulles to San Paulo, where I sat next to a Christian gentleman named Christopher Dietmar, who was on his way home to Brazil. Light conversation led to a deep Bible study (for three hours), after I discovered that Christopher was a Christian. “As iron sharpens iron,” he and I were both sharper in God’s Word when we parted ways.
I arrived in Rio, Brazil on Wednesday at 11:00am. Unfortunately, upon arrival I found out that my apartment would not be ready until Thursday. No, I didn’t have to sleep on the streets like some of the unfortunate souls who I have seen down here (and back at home). Instead, I had the opportunity to stay with the owner of the apartment and share some of my favorite scriptures along with a daily devotional. As I said, my arrival was not without its challenges, but my apartment was ready for me to move in to on Thursday around 3:00pm and this was the beginning of breakthough!
Breakthrough came when I arrived at the Brazilian Top Team (BTT) gym where I would be training for the next three weeks. BTT is located in the hub of Zona Sul, on the border of a lagoon and in view of the mountains. BTT fighters train in Vale Tudo (“anything goes” in Portuguese), which is the same as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). They are one of the most famous teams in the world. What an awesome experience to train in their environment!
There I met world famous Mario Sperry who has a reputation for being one of the greatest ground fighters in the world. Mario spoke English and he introduced me to Claudio Palmieri and Christo da Conceicao (who goes by “Banana”), who have been my private instructors since Saturday. Claudio and Banana are two of the most sincere and friendliest people I have ever met. We have had three awesome private lessons in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) – just them and me! The language barrier is not as bad here for me as it was in Thailand. Portuguese parallels Spanish quite a bit and I am very fluent in Tex-Mex (as long as it is spoken sloooooooowly)J! On our second lesson, a third person joined us to act as a translator and this helped tremendously. Just like in Thailand, communication gets easier and I become more comfortable with the environment each day.
Aside from training and sharing the Word as much as I can, one of my objectives in my travels is to learn and observe the best and most up to date training methods, so that I can come home and torture (I mean train J) my students like the world’s best. Lookout students…I’m coming home with some great stuff! Brazilian Top Team fighters train in Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and wrestling under the direction of Mario Sperry and his partner, Murilo Bustamante. I have spent some quality time speaking with Mario and watching and taking notes as he trains his fighters. He is no-nonsense and intense in his training, yet he has taken the time to be courteous and to welcome me with respect. I have enjoyed asking him questions about the training and asking him to translate for me. While I can follow his teaching for the most part, it is sometimes nice to understand the spirit of what he is saying on a deeper level.
I have also bonded with Darryl Gholar, a wrestling coach who teaches the wrestling and take down component of the Vale Tudo. Darryl is a world class wrestler who has beaten Randy Couture (not too shabby). Another wrestling coach named Jefferson Teixeira, a three time national champion and former collegiate coach, has been highly recommended to me. I have a private lesson scheduled with him on Friday morning where I will seek to get more training in wrestling takedowns.
I owe my next meeting to one of AGPMA’s own Black Belts, Bea Grant. She arranged for me to meet up with her dad, Professor Rudolph Hermanny, who is a long time Judo, Capoeira, and now Jiu-Jitsu player. He met me at my apartment on Monday at three and treated me to another breakthrough…the most delicious dinner I have had in a long time. The restaurant had a huge salad bar and the main course was meat, meat, and more meat – at least five kinds of meat served Brazilian style (one at a time to your table)! As the meat kept coming, I kept saying “Sim” (yes) and “Abrigodo” (thank you)! I rolled myself out of there and we went to “Pao de Acucar” (the Sugar Loaf), the western hemisphere’s most famous monolith. It rises from the dark sea to just under 400 meters high, towering over Botafogo beach and separating Guanabara Bay from the open Atlantic Ocean. The views from the top by cable car are unforgettable. Rio de Janeiro is a city like none other, incredibly built into cliffs and mountains and surrounded by the lagoons and beaches of a tropical forest.
From there, we visited Professor Hermanny’s friend, Professor Kastriot Mehdi, at the Academia De Judo, where we watched him teach two great Judo classes. We ended the night at the club where Professor Hermanny trains in Jui-Jitsu and teaches an exercise class to a group of ladies who have been with him for over 20 years. There we watched a Shotokan class, which reminded me of my love for that style and the respect I have for its founder, Gischin Funakoshi. One of his philosophies that I live by to this day is that “Karate always begins and ends with respect.” Great Stuff!
As you can see, what got off to a rocky start has transitioned into a series of blessings and opportunities that can only be described as divine arrangements. Daily challenges have continued to show their ugly face, but I continuously strive to be a “good finder.” I just can’t help but think about how often we are faced with a challenge and lose heart. Instead of finding the positive we become overwhelmed with the negative and give up just before breakthrough. I encourage you to become a “good finder,” stay focused on what is “excellent or praiseworthy.” It will give you the power to see your life to breakthrough!
I want to thank my supporters – Mr. Polizzi (of Polizzi Financial Services) and all of you who have responded to his offer by using his services and supporting this cause. Also, I want to thank all the prayer warriors who are keeping me showered in prayers. Thank you all for your continued support!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Brazil Update #3
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
“A man in a hurry will be miserable in Brazil!” These are the words of Peter Fleming, author of one of Brazil’s best travel books. I have to agree that is certainly true here in Rio, since it takes so much time to take in all of the surrounding beauty. Though, I would have to admit that the saying would not hold true to the taxi and bus drivers around here. Man alive, to them, time is money and they are out to get all they can (not to look down on them since I know they are doing what they can to provide for their families just like everyone else). They have got to be some of the best drivers in the world and they rely totally on their brakes (and, therefore, so do I)! It has taken two weeks, but I have learned to relax and smile (on the outside) as I think “brakes don’t fail me now” (on the inside). Peter Fleming also says that people in Rio don’t notice their problems because they are always looking at the beach! So let’s follow the Brazilian way and go to the beach…
My apartment is two blocks from the Copacabana Beach and, believe it or not, it took me 12 days to make that walk. Not only did I take a walk, but I went for a run in one of the best environments I’ve ever run – surrounded by mountains, skyscrapers, and sandy white beaches. I can definitely understand how you could forget the day to day worries when you are surrounded by such breathtaking beauty! Since my first run on Sunday, I have enjoyed a daily run on the beach and today (Tuesday) I accepted an invitation from Professor Hermanny (Bea’s Dad) “to go for a walk by the sea” as he so invitingly put it. By the time I made it back to my apartment (two and a half hours later), I had walked two beaches and a lagoon. What an unforgettable introduction to part of God’s creation!
Let me describe one more attraction I was introduced to in Rio and then I will get to the superb Martial Arts training I have experienced here…
The Christo Redentor (“Christ the Redeemer”) statue on Corcovado Mountain came highly recommended for me to see. The Christ statue (as it is referred to) seems to cradle Rio in its embrace from the top of Corcovado Mountain. The view from the statue is said to be the most spectacular view of the city, especially at sunset. You are surrounded by rainforest on all sides, and in front of you are the “Sugar Loaf” (Rio’s famous monolith) and a multitude of mountains rising from the Atlantic and bordered by endless beaches. I have felt a certain peace while here, as it seems that from any place in the city I can look up to the top of Corcovada Mountain and see “Christ the Redeemer” watching over me. During my Bible study, God gave me this scripture of encouragement and, in a sense, I feel that it is also an assignment:
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
- Isaiah 52:7
Doesn’t that remind you of Philippians 4:8 (“Whatever is good…”)?
As I mentioned in my first update, Bea arranged for me to meet up with her dad, Professor Rudolf Hermanny. He is now 75 years young. He represented Capoeira in the original Vale Tudo (anything goes) in the 50’s and 60’s, then went on to study and advance as one of the top Judo players in Brazil, and now finds the Jiu-Jitsu ground game something that he can enjoy without as much risk of injury. What a living legend…full of life and full of interesting stories!! I trained in a Jiu-Jitsu class with him that was taught by a Gracie Jui-Jitsu Black Belt, Mr. Carodoso. I was one of three students in the class and I got first-rate instruction and care.
The next highlight was my (much anticipated) workout with Jefferson Teixeira last Friday morning. It was a very exhilarating morning, beginning with a private lesson with Jefferson in wrestling. I was totally impressed with his way of teaching me…another great trainer here at Brazilian Top Team! The training and information passed on was very valuable and will make its way into everything that I teach in PMA, self protection, and MMA. I followed that lesson with another private with Claudio and Banana and they are just as exceptional. That combination of training (which I repeated today) is one of the toughest workouts I’ve had. It involved strength and conditioning drills, wrestling, and extra rolling (basically ground sparring) with Claudio and Banana. If I compared my trainers or my workouts, I wouldn’t be giving any of them the respect or value they deserve, so I’ll just say it’s all top notch!
Friday’s “icing on the cake” was watching the Pro BTT train for three hours, led by Mario Sperry. At the end of their workout, they huddle in a tight circle and say the Lord’s Prayer and a Hail Mary. I could see their great spirit and love for each other. Before Mario went into the circle, I complimented him for leading his team to do that and he was very humble and receptive to my praise. I asked him if he was familiar with 1st Corinthians 9:24-27 and I recited it to him. His eyes lit up and I could tell that he liked it. I told him that I would like to give him a copy and asked if I could email it to him. He gave me his email and I sent it to him that day. Here is his reply…words of wisdom from a Champion trainer!!
"Thank you very much for your e-mail...
It is funny, how sometimes, I come a long with some things that I always try to pass to my students, without expect those things to happen...What I am trying to say (forgive me about my English... Some times is hard to express myself), I got in a point in my personal and professional life, that when I teach, I learn more than anything... In a way, your words are exactly what I am looking for: to have goal, is the most important thing... With a goal, we can train the desire, with the desire, we have the power to achieve it... And than, we have the act to achieve it: the attitude to do it...
Everyday, I pray to God to give to my fellow students and partners, to give them the wisdom to learn and teach me something...To get near the perfection is nothing more than become teacher and student at the same time... That's what motivates me more those days...
Thank you very much for spending your time with us... I am learning a lot from you...Most people do not understand that, sometimes we get in a point that, to train the body is something that is not enough... We need to train our minds and than, the last stage : our own spirits...Than we can became, as near we can get from our God... We can get near the perfection...
Some times it happens once, twice or even several times ( it really depends how much you train, why you train and how you train)... When you win a important fight without notice. When you do a move without thinking about it, and it works 100%... In my point of view, those blessed moments, are the result of years of training... When your body, spirit and soul are one... I already felt, sometimes, those moments... And I am willing to fell them again... Not just because of the money and the glamour of being a great fighter ( I am not reach, but I have enough to have a good life and I have many important titles, in different martial arts), but just to feel again, even for less than a second, the presence of God..... That's what really motivates me...
I guess, God gave us the Martial Arts skills, to inspire people, to people notice you and follow our example... No matter what we do, if you have a talent, you are going to be notice by the others and by our attitude, we can inspire the others to be better human beings...You can be a great lower, doctor, engineering... Your talent is nothing more than God's hand to make a better world...
God bless us all... And let's pray to HIM, to give us the desire and the will to
keep on in our path of spiritual winnings, because we do not need nothing
more than that...
Regards from you student;
Mario Sperry
Ps: I am send some pictures where I felt some of those moments, I was telling o about.... "
As you can see, God is making the way daily…to share His word with a hungry world of those who have never heard the loving Word of God, with those who have been turned off by religion and walked away from a loving God, and with those Christians who know the Word but (it breaks my heart to see) are not living a fulfilled life.
Take care and live a GREAT life in God’s eyes!!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
“A man in a hurry will be miserable in Brazil!” These are the words of Peter Fleming, author of one of Brazil’s best travel books. I have to agree that is certainly true here in Rio, since it takes so much time to take in all of the surrounding beauty. Though, I would have to admit that the saying would not hold true to the taxi and bus drivers around here. Man alive, to them, time is money and they are out to get all they can (not to look down on them since I know they are doing what they can to provide for their families just like everyone else). They have got to be some of the best drivers in the world and they rely totally on their brakes (and, therefore, so do I)! It has taken two weeks, but I have learned to relax and smile (on the outside) as I think “brakes don’t fail me now” (on the inside). Peter Fleming also says that people in Rio don’t notice their problems because they are always looking at the beach! So let’s follow the Brazilian way and go to the beach…
My apartment is two blocks from the Copacabana Beach and, believe it or not, it took me 12 days to make that walk. Not only did I take a walk, but I went for a run in one of the best environments I’ve ever run – surrounded by mountains, skyscrapers, and sandy white beaches. I can definitely understand how you could forget the day to day worries when you are surrounded by such breathtaking beauty! Since my first run on Sunday, I have enjoyed a daily run on the beach and today (Tuesday) I accepted an invitation from Professor Hermanny (Bea’s Dad) “to go for a walk by the sea” as he so invitingly put it. By the time I made it back to my apartment (two and a half hours later), I had walked two beaches and a lagoon. What an unforgettable introduction to part of God’s creation!
Let me describe one more attraction I was introduced to in Rio and then I will get to the superb Martial Arts training I have experienced here…
The Christo Redentor (“Christ the Redeemer”) statue on Corcovado Mountain came highly recommended for me to see. The Christ statue (as it is referred to) seems to cradle Rio in its embrace from the top of Corcovado Mountain. The view from the statue is said to be the most spectacular view of the city, especially at sunset. You are surrounded by rainforest on all sides, and in front of you are the “Sugar Loaf” (Rio’s famous monolith) and a multitude of mountains rising from the Atlantic and bordered by endless beaches. I have felt a certain peace while here, as it seems that from any place in the city I can look up to the top of Corcovada Mountain and see “Christ the Redeemer” watching over me. During my Bible study, God gave me this scripture of encouragement and, in a sense, I feel that it is also an assignment:
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
- Isaiah 52:7
Doesn’t that remind you of Philippians 4:8 (“Whatever is good…”)?
As I mentioned in my first update, Bea arranged for me to meet up with her dad, Professor Rudolf Hermanny. He is now 75 years young. He represented Capoeira in the original Vale Tudo (anything goes) in the 50’s and 60’s, then went on to study and advance as one of the top Judo players in Brazil, and now finds the Jiu-Jitsu ground game something that he can enjoy without as much risk of injury. What a living legend…full of life and full of interesting stories!! I trained in a Jiu-Jitsu class with him that was taught by a Gracie Jui-Jitsu Black Belt, Mr. Carodoso. I was one of three students in the class and I got first-rate instruction and care.
The next highlight was my (much anticipated) workout with Jefferson Teixeira last Friday morning. It was a very exhilarating morning, beginning with a private lesson with Jefferson in wrestling. I was totally impressed with his way of teaching me…another great trainer here at Brazilian Top Team! The training and information passed on was very valuable and will make its way into everything that I teach in PMA, self protection, and MMA. I followed that lesson with another private with Claudio and Banana and they are just as exceptional. That combination of training (which I repeated today) is one of the toughest workouts I’ve had. It involved strength and conditioning drills, wrestling, and extra rolling (basically ground sparring) with Claudio and Banana. If I compared my trainers or my workouts, I wouldn’t be giving any of them the respect or value they deserve, so I’ll just say it’s all top notch!
Friday’s “icing on the cake” was watching the Pro BTT train for three hours, led by Mario Sperry. At the end of their workout, they huddle in a tight circle and say the Lord’s Prayer and a Hail Mary. I could see their great spirit and love for each other. Before Mario went into the circle, I complimented him for leading his team to do that and he was very humble and receptive to my praise. I asked him if he was familiar with 1st Corinthians 9:24-27 and I recited it to him. His eyes lit up and I could tell that he liked it. I told him that I would like to give him a copy and asked if I could email it to him. He gave me his email and I sent it to him that day. Here is his reply…words of wisdom from a Champion trainer!!
"Thank you very much for your e-mail...
It is funny, how sometimes, I come a long with some things that I always try to pass to my students, without expect those things to happen...What I am trying to say (forgive me about my English... Some times is hard to express myself), I got in a point in my personal and professional life, that when I teach, I learn more than anything... In a way, your words are exactly what I am looking for: to have goal, is the most important thing... With a goal, we can train the desire, with the desire, we have the power to achieve it... And than, we have the act to achieve it: the attitude to do it...
Everyday, I pray to God to give to my fellow students and partners, to give them the wisdom to learn and teach me something...To get near the perfection is nothing more than become teacher and student at the same time... That's what motivates me more those days...
Thank you very much for spending your time with us... I am learning a lot from you...Most people do not understand that, sometimes we get in a point that, to train the body is something that is not enough... We need to train our minds and than, the last stage : our own spirits...Than we can became, as near we can get from our God... We can get near the perfection...
Some times it happens once, twice or even several times ( it really depends how much you train, why you train and how you train)... When you win a important fight without notice. When you do a move without thinking about it, and it works 100%... In my point of view, those blessed moments, are the result of years of training... When your body, spirit and soul are one... I already felt, sometimes, those moments... And I am willing to fell them again... Not just because of the money and the glamour of being a great fighter ( I am not reach, but I have enough to have a good life and I have many important titles, in different martial arts), but just to feel again, even for less than a second, the presence of God..... That's what really motivates me...
I guess, God gave us the Martial Arts skills, to inspire people, to people notice you and follow our example... No matter what we do, if you have a talent, you are going to be notice by the others and by our attitude, we can inspire the others to be better human beings...You can be a great lower, doctor, engineering... Your talent is nothing more than God's hand to make a better world...
God bless us all... And let's pray to HIM, to give us the desire and the will to
keep on in our path of spiritual winnings, because we do not need nothing
more than that...
Regards from you student;
Mario Sperry
Ps: I am send some pictures where I felt some of those moments, I was telling o about.... "
As you can see, God is making the way daily…to share His word with a hungry world of those who have never heard the loving Word of God, with those who have been turned off by religion and walked away from a loving God, and with those Christians who know the Word but (it breaks my heart to see) are not living a fulfilled life.
Take care and live a GREAT life in God’s eyes!!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Brazil Update #4
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
While Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles”, Brazil is known as the “Land of Happiness.” Everyone is very kicked back and relaxed and I think that it may have something to do with all the holidays that they celebrate here. But, to just say that Brazil celebrates a lot of holidays would be an understatement! It seems that they recognize national holidays, regional holidays, and local holidays as well as holidays dedicated to certain events, people, and festivities. I have witnessed this during my short three week stay in which at least 4-5 holidays have been observed! I would attempt to schedule my workouts with my trainers and each week they would say “Oh no!” not this Saturday or next Monday or the following Tuesday, “It’s a holiday!” I could sense a little concern with making a consistent cash flow, but the up side is that they get lots of R&R and plenty of time on the beach! What a deal!!
I have really enjoyed the beauty of the different cultures that I have experienced thus far in my Great Grandmaster Adventure. For example, in Thailand people greet you with a slight bow (their hands in a prayer position) and a huge smile. In Brazil, you are greeted with a thumbs up and just as big of a smile. I was also introduced to the kiss on each cheek greeting when I met Professor Hermanny’s wife, Sandra. What a cool way to say hello! One of the first things that I noticed at the Brazilian Top Team was how everyone took the time to go around the room to personally shake hands and say “Bon Dia” (Good Morning), when arriving, and “Tchau” (Good Bye), when departing. One day, when Claudio, my BTT trainer, was leaving he gave me a kiss on the top of my head. You just have to love their compassion and personal touch! I pray that I have caught it so that I can bring it home and pass it on!!
Another thing that I must mention is Brazil’s amazing fruit drinks! I was encouraged by Bea to try the natural energy drinks that can be purchased at fruit stands on every corner for a very reasonable price. I had the privilege of trying several kinds of fruit that are unique to Brazil and I must say, there is nowhere better to get fruit juices and smoothies. Tasty and healthy (makes for a great combination) and great after a hard workout, which I had my share of. Thanks Bea, for the great recommendation!
One more thing before I get to my final days of training…I would like to announce that I am now “officially” fluent in Tex-Mex-uguese and it has not failed me yet, muto obrigado (thank you very much)! “Fale ingles?” (Do you speak English?) was my first question upon entering each cab and, 99% of the time, the reply was “Nao fale ingles!” (No!). But not to worry, I would just turn on the Tex-Mex-uguese and it got me where I was going 100% of the time. That’s how I know that I am fluent J! I gotta tell you though, there is no better language than the language of love. This is the language that I tried to speak the most. As God’s Word says, “Love will conquer all.” It was amazing to see how it just brings down the walls of difference and finds common ground to build on. I am happy to say that I left my trainers with nine English words – the “Fruits of the Spirit” found in Galatians 5:22-23 (And what do you know? The first one is “Love”!)
How about this “bonus”? Sunday, I went with Professor Hermanny to some Vale Tudo fights held in Rio. Great fights! It was great to see many of the techniques that I have been learning being applied by the fighters. But, here is the “bonus” I was referring to…I got to sit next to UFC Champion Anderson Silva (and I got to take a picture with him)! If you are a UFC fan, you probably watched Anderson Silva win the title from Rich Franklin (quite decisively, I might add). What a humble and respectful man…A great role model for the sport!
I don’t want to scare anyone away from training in Jui-Jitsu, but one of the consequences of being a lifelong Jui-Jitsu fighter is “orelha estourada” (also known as “cauliflower ears”). They appear to be kind of like a trophy to those who have them as they sport them with a sense of pride in what they have earned. I asked Mario Sperry about it and he basically said that it meant that “they got their *** kicked too many times!” Of course, his ears show no sign of orelha estourada. I’ll leave it to you to decide what the reality is…I just know that I wouldn’t want to mess with any of those guys! To avoid orelha estourada, fighters can wear ear protection like you see wrestlers wear. I will be ordering my ear protectors first thing when I get home. May not be the coolest look…but my ears are already big enough!
Monday was the day before Brazil’s Labor Day, so BTT took the day off. It worked out as a blessing though because I was able to train in BJJ and “Gi” with Professor Hermanny. Today’s Jui-Jitsu fighters are trained in what is referred to as “Gi” or “No Gi” or they are trained in “Gi AND No Gi.” I was fortunate enough to receive training in BOTH, which is what I had hoped and prepared for. For a while in the Mixed Martial Arts world, training in “No Gi” was the popular thing to do and only traditionalists trained in “Gi.” From what I have gathered, however, the trend now seems to be more of an “AND” thing. Both methods of training have lessons to be learned and applied. To explain the difference, I will quote Sam Sheridan from his book “A Fighter’s Heart”:
“The gi is a mystery; it chokes and pulls and twists around your body. It controls you. By controlling the gi, you control the man inside it. Gi grappling is all about the gi, you grab it at every turn, pulling pant legs, twisting sleeves, gripping and pulling the belt, the lapels, un-tucking your opponent’s gi and twisting the loose ends around his body to turn him, to choke him. The cloth controls the body underneath, and the body controls the cloth and breaks grips.
If you’re grappling no gi, the sweat and slipperiness of your hands give you a decent chance to escape with a strong whipping pull; there is a lot less to hold on to. So the pace with gi seems slower, more deliberate, more thoughtful—punctuated by seconds of desperate movement, muscle straining, attempts to surprise your opponent. In no-gi the movements and straining and changing positions are endless.”
So, as you can see, each has its own skills and techniques and I seek to experience and understand them both. Thanks to Professor Hermanny and Sensei Cardoso, I received training in “Gi”; and thanks to Brazilian Top Team, I received training in “No Gi.” I’d say I got to experience the best of both worlds!
After my lesson with Professor Hermanny, I met Jefferson Teixeira at Centro de Lutas Nova Geracao’s facility for my final private lesson in wrestling. Jefferson focused on seven basic techniques that will help to bring together my MMA training – from the Muay Thai stand up to the wrestling take-downs to the BJJ ground control. What an awesome teacher and what a great way to finish!
Since today (Tuesday) is a holiday, I failed in setting up a final lesson, but this has allowed me the time to write my final update. I came here “ready for anything” – with an open mind and a notebook full of questions – and I have received more than I ever imagined. There were so many “bonuses” and I know that God had his hand in each one of them. Professor Hermanny, a living legend…what a blessing to have him as my personal companion and guide during much of my stay. Thank you, Professor, for the training opportunities, for the personal guided tours, and for the home cooked meals (prepared by Cida who has been his cook since 1963). (And, thank you Bea for making all that possible!) Mario Sperry, the general of BTT…how awesome to see him in person and watch him in action. I look forward to keeping in touch with him and returning for future training. The best part is that I enjoyed all this while my team at home had a great month and made things happen for the students and for the business. Thank you to my team…YOU ROCK! And thank you to Mr. Silva and Mr. Van Over for your excellence in leadership! Victories like these are exactly why I became part of Premier Martial Arts.
I can’t help but think of Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” That’s why, as I close the door to Brazil, I can walk by faith and know that He is already making arrangements for the next step in my Great Grandmaster Adventure.
I am excited to return and begin passing on the lessons that I have learned to my AGPMA team.
This week, I will be passing them on privately to my instructors and, during the next month, I will be making my rounds to teach in all the classes. I am also looking forward to the start of my “Beach Body Boot Camp” on May 12, which will run for seven weeks. I plan to use many of the conditioning drills that I have learned while in Thailand and in Brazil along with some of the awesome PMA curriculum and more. I will pass the training on to all my Black Belt Candidates in their last few months of training, and I will be reaching as many kids as possible in this year’s Summer Camp. I will also be seeking to give back to my fellow Premier Martial Arts school owners as the opportunity presents itself.
As I leave Brazil today, I pray that God be glorified in all I have said and done here and in all that I will do as I return to share my experience with my family, students, and friends. Also, I am in prayer as I await my marching orders from above and wait to see where the Lord will lead me next. I pray that God will inspire others to follow as I attempt to make the “Leap from Good to Great in God’s Eyes”!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
While Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles”, Brazil is known as the “Land of Happiness.” Everyone is very kicked back and relaxed and I think that it may have something to do with all the holidays that they celebrate here. But, to just say that Brazil celebrates a lot of holidays would be an understatement! It seems that they recognize national holidays, regional holidays, and local holidays as well as holidays dedicated to certain events, people, and festivities. I have witnessed this during my short three week stay in which at least 4-5 holidays have been observed! I would attempt to schedule my workouts with my trainers and each week they would say “Oh no!” not this Saturday or next Monday or the following Tuesday, “It’s a holiday!” I could sense a little concern with making a consistent cash flow, but the up side is that they get lots of R&R and plenty of time on the beach! What a deal!!
I have really enjoyed the beauty of the different cultures that I have experienced thus far in my Great Grandmaster Adventure. For example, in Thailand people greet you with a slight bow (their hands in a prayer position) and a huge smile. In Brazil, you are greeted with a thumbs up and just as big of a smile. I was also introduced to the kiss on each cheek greeting when I met Professor Hermanny’s wife, Sandra. What a cool way to say hello! One of the first things that I noticed at the Brazilian Top Team was how everyone took the time to go around the room to personally shake hands and say “Bon Dia” (Good Morning), when arriving, and “Tchau” (Good Bye), when departing. One day, when Claudio, my BTT trainer, was leaving he gave me a kiss on the top of my head. You just have to love their compassion and personal touch! I pray that I have caught it so that I can bring it home and pass it on!!
Another thing that I must mention is Brazil’s amazing fruit drinks! I was encouraged by Bea to try the natural energy drinks that can be purchased at fruit stands on every corner for a very reasonable price. I had the privilege of trying several kinds of fruit that are unique to Brazil and I must say, there is nowhere better to get fruit juices and smoothies. Tasty and healthy (makes for a great combination) and great after a hard workout, which I had my share of. Thanks Bea, for the great recommendation!
One more thing before I get to my final days of training…I would like to announce that I am now “officially” fluent in Tex-Mex-uguese and it has not failed me yet, muto obrigado (thank you very much)! “Fale ingles?” (Do you speak English?) was my first question upon entering each cab and, 99% of the time, the reply was “Nao fale ingles!” (No!). But not to worry, I would just turn on the Tex-Mex-uguese and it got me where I was going 100% of the time. That’s how I know that I am fluent J! I gotta tell you though, there is no better language than the language of love. This is the language that I tried to speak the most. As God’s Word says, “Love will conquer all.” It was amazing to see how it just brings down the walls of difference and finds common ground to build on. I am happy to say that I left my trainers with nine English words – the “Fruits of the Spirit” found in Galatians 5:22-23 (And what do you know? The first one is “Love”!)
How about this “bonus”? Sunday, I went with Professor Hermanny to some Vale Tudo fights held in Rio. Great fights! It was great to see many of the techniques that I have been learning being applied by the fighters. But, here is the “bonus” I was referring to…I got to sit next to UFC Champion Anderson Silva (and I got to take a picture with him)! If you are a UFC fan, you probably watched Anderson Silva win the title from Rich Franklin (quite decisively, I might add). What a humble and respectful man…A great role model for the sport!
I don’t want to scare anyone away from training in Jui-Jitsu, but one of the consequences of being a lifelong Jui-Jitsu fighter is “orelha estourada” (also known as “cauliflower ears”). They appear to be kind of like a trophy to those who have them as they sport them with a sense of pride in what they have earned. I asked Mario Sperry about it and he basically said that it meant that “they got their *** kicked too many times!” Of course, his ears show no sign of orelha estourada. I’ll leave it to you to decide what the reality is…I just know that I wouldn’t want to mess with any of those guys! To avoid orelha estourada, fighters can wear ear protection like you see wrestlers wear. I will be ordering my ear protectors first thing when I get home. May not be the coolest look…but my ears are already big enough!
Monday was the day before Brazil’s Labor Day, so BTT took the day off. It worked out as a blessing though because I was able to train in BJJ and “Gi” with Professor Hermanny. Today’s Jui-Jitsu fighters are trained in what is referred to as “Gi” or “No Gi” or they are trained in “Gi AND No Gi.” I was fortunate enough to receive training in BOTH, which is what I had hoped and prepared for. For a while in the Mixed Martial Arts world, training in “No Gi” was the popular thing to do and only traditionalists trained in “Gi.” From what I have gathered, however, the trend now seems to be more of an “AND” thing. Both methods of training have lessons to be learned and applied. To explain the difference, I will quote Sam Sheridan from his book “A Fighter’s Heart”:
“The gi is a mystery; it chokes and pulls and twists around your body. It controls you. By controlling the gi, you control the man inside it. Gi grappling is all about the gi, you grab it at every turn, pulling pant legs, twisting sleeves, gripping and pulling the belt, the lapels, un-tucking your opponent’s gi and twisting the loose ends around his body to turn him, to choke him. The cloth controls the body underneath, and the body controls the cloth and breaks grips.
If you’re grappling no gi, the sweat and slipperiness of your hands give you a decent chance to escape with a strong whipping pull; there is a lot less to hold on to. So the pace with gi seems slower, more deliberate, more thoughtful—punctuated by seconds of desperate movement, muscle straining, attempts to surprise your opponent. In no-gi the movements and straining and changing positions are endless.”
So, as you can see, each has its own skills and techniques and I seek to experience and understand them both. Thanks to Professor Hermanny and Sensei Cardoso, I received training in “Gi”; and thanks to Brazilian Top Team, I received training in “No Gi.” I’d say I got to experience the best of both worlds!
After my lesson with Professor Hermanny, I met Jefferson Teixeira at Centro de Lutas Nova Geracao’s facility for my final private lesson in wrestling. Jefferson focused on seven basic techniques that will help to bring together my MMA training – from the Muay Thai stand up to the wrestling take-downs to the BJJ ground control. What an awesome teacher and what a great way to finish!
Since today (Tuesday) is a holiday, I failed in setting up a final lesson, but this has allowed me the time to write my final update. I came here “ready for anything” – with an open mind and a notebook full of questions – and I have received more than I ever imagined. There were so many “bonuses” and I know that God had his hand in each one of them. Professor Hermanny, a living legend…what a blessing to have him as my personal companion and guide during much of my stay. Thank you, Professor, for the training opportunities, for the personal guided tours, and for the home cooked meals (prepared by Cida who has been his cook since 1963). (And, thank you Bea for making all that possible!) Mario Sperry, the general of BTT…how awesome to see him in person and watch him in action. I look forward to keeping in touch with him and returning for future training. The best part is that I enjoyed all this while my team at home had a great month and made things happen for the students and for the business. Thank you to my team…YOU ROCK! And thank you to Mr. Silva and Mr. Van Over for your excellence in leadership! Victories like these are exactly why I became part of Premier Martial Arts.
I can’t help but think of Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” That’s why, as I close the door to Brazil, I can walk by faith and know that He is already making arrangements for the next step in my Great Grandmaster Adventure.
I am excited to return and begin passing on the lessons that I have learned to my AGPMA team.
This week, I will be passing them on privately to my instructors and, during the next month, I will be making my rounds to teach in all the classes. I am also looking forward to the start of my “Beach Body Boot Camp” on May 12, which will run for seven weeks. I plan to use many of the conditioning drills that I have learned while in Thailand and in Brazil along with some of the awesome PMA curriculum and more. I will pass the training on to all my Black Belt Candidates in their last few months of training, and I will be reaching as many kids as possible in this year’s Summer Camp. I will also be seeking to give back to my fellow Premier Martial Arts school owners as the opportunity presents itself.
As I leave Brazil today, I pray that God be glorified in all I have said and done here and in all that I will do as I return to share my experience with my family, students, and friends. Also, I am in prayer as I await my marching orders from above and wait to see where the Lord will lead me next. I pray that God will inspire others to follow as I attempt to make the “Leap from Good to Great in God’s Eyes”!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
Thailand Update #1
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
“Why be good when you can be GREAT?” Well…if you ask yourself this question enough times, God will eventually lead you do to things that will move you from good to great in His eyes. The “Great Grandmaster Adventure” was born from this search and desire to become great in God’s eyes.
In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins states that each one of us is a potential “pocket of greatness,” wherever we are and whatever we are doing. I believe that “pockets of greatness” can be found all over the world where people pursue the things that they are passionate about. In my travels, I desire to discover “pockets of greatness” and to be a “pocket of greatness” wherever I am. I want to experience first hand training from Masters of the native Martial Arts in each country that I visit. While I train, I will be seeking opportunities to share my Martial Arts experience and, more importantly, to spread the abundant love and peace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I officially kicked off my much anticipated adventure on January 18 by traveling to Madison, Wisconsin to train in several inches of snow and -1° temperatures (not exactly what this Texas boy is used to)! That’s right…my first country to travel in was the great USA!! We must not overlook how many great Martial Artists train and teach right here in our own country. I was fortunate to spend some time training with my good friends, Master Randy Reid and Grandmaster Ron Van Browning, who have teamed up to open a Premier Martial Arts “Advanced Training Facility” which will service the other Premier facilities in Master Reid’s organization. The team plans to eventually cover the state with Premier Martial Arts schools.
Bringing together the experience of these two men definitely has the potential to create a “pocket of greatness.” Everything these men do is world class! I spent one week learning from Randy and Ron, and teaching Premier Martial Arts to their staff and students. I will be keeping tabs on the team and their progress and returning for more training and sharing in the near future.
Back home for 5 days and I was off again…this time headed to Thailand (a little more out of my comfort zone). On January 30, I jumped on a plane in Houston and 28 hours later (midnight on January 31) I landed in Bangkok. God blessed me with safe travels, great timing on connecting flights, and reliable ground transportation. Twenty minutes outside of Bangkok, I arrived at the world renowned Fairtex Muay Thai Training Camp which would be my home for the next three weeks. I spent the next day recovering from the jet lag and resting up so that I would be ready for training at 6:00am on Friday.
The training is going good. Well…the communication is a challenge, but luckily Muay Thai is very non-verbal. I train twice a day and read my Bible, write, and sleep (very little) between workouts. The training is all private and my trainer’s name is “Big Guy.” He’s smaller than me, so I guess that makes me “Giant Guy.” He only speaks Thai and I only speak English (and Tex-Mex). It’s challenging sometimes, but we’re getting along good and getting better at understanding each other. I am teaching him the Fruits of the Spirit and we have made it to “Goodness.” I think that he is Buddhist, but he will know something about Jesus’ love when I leave.
The Muay Thai kicks are quite different – no folds, kick with the shin instead of the instep, and stand on the ball of the foot when kicking. After 35 years of folding my kicks and keeping my heel down, it’s a little challenging, but I am doing better each day. I got a chance to spar with “Big Guy” yesterday. It was very controlled and I got lots of coaching throughout the fight. Praise the Lord…no one got hurt (namely me)! It has been a very positive experience even with the aces and pains, swollen feet, and sore muscles.
The food here is tasty. We eat in a small room with three tables. They put some plates and bowls of food on each table and there are about 15–20 hungry guys going after it (its kind of like eating at home with my kids). I’m learning to eat faster though…If you’ve ever eaten with me you know that will add some time to my day because I usually eat VERY slowly!!
We went to some Muay Thai fights last night and WOW…these are some of the toughest guys on the planet! The knees and elbows are killer!! Two of the guys who have been training here for a while are fighting on Thursday night and we will be going to cheer them on. I’m meeting people from all over the world and most are friendly. Most of the guys staying here are scheduled to be here for two months, six months, or even a year (and I thought three weeks was a long time).
I am buying a few sets of training equipment (shin pads, waist guard, and Thai pads) and shipping them back home. I am learning lots of details in the techniques and some good drills to use in training. I look forward to getting back and training the staff and students in what I have learned.
I will be lifting you up in my prayers. Thank you for your prayers and support.
God’s Love & Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
“Why be good when you can be GREAT?” Well…if you ask yourself this question enough times, God will eventually lead you do to things that will move you from good to great in His eyes. The “Great Grandmaster Adventure” was born from this search and desire to become great in God’s eyes.
In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins states that each one of us is a potential “pocket of greatness,” wherever we are and whatever we are doing. I believe that “pockets of greatness” can be found all over the world where people pursue the things that they are passionate about. In my travels, I desire to discover “pockets of greatness” and to be a “pocket of greatness” wherever I am. I want to experience first hand training from Masters of the native Martial Arts in each country that I visit. While I train, I will be seeking opportunities to share my Martial Arts experience and, more importantly, to spread the abundant love and peace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I officially kicked off my much anticipated adventure on January 18 by traveling to Madison, Wisconsin to train in several inches of snow and -1° temperatures (not exactly what this Texas boy is used to)! That’s right…my first country to travel in was the great USA!! We must not overlook how many great Martial Artists train and teach right here in our own country. I was fortunate to spend some time training with my good friends, Master Randy Reid and Grandmaster Ron Van Browning, who have teamed up to open a Premier Martial Arts “Advanced Training Facility” which will service the other Premier facilities in Master Reid’s organization. The team plans to eventually cover the state with Premier Martial Arts schools.
Bringing together the experience of these two men definitely has the potential to create a “pocket of greatness.” Everything these men do is world class! I spent one week learning from Randy and Ron, and teaching Premier Martial Arts to their staff and students. I will be keeping tabs on the team and their progress and returning for more training and sharing in the near future.
Back home for 5 days and I was off again…this time headed to Thailand (a little more out of my comfort zone). On January 30, I jumped on a plane in Houston and 28 hours later (midnight on January 31) I landed in Bangkok. God blessed me with safe travels, great timing on connecting flights, and reliable ground transportation. Twenty minutes outside of Bangkok, I arrived at the world renowned Fairtex Muay Thai Training Camp which would be my home for the next three weeks. I spent the next day recovering from the jet lag and resting up so that I would be ready for training at 6:00am on Friday.
The training is going good. Well…the communication is a challenge, but luckily Muay Thai is very non-verbal. I train twice a day and read my Bible, write, and sleep (very little) between workouts. The training is all private and my trainer’s name is “Big Guy.” He’s smaller than me, so I guess that makes me “Giant Guy.” He only speaks Thai and I only speak English (and Tex-Mex). It’s challenging sometimes, but we’re getting along good and getting better at understanding each other. I am teaching him the Fruits of the Spirit and we have made it to “Goodness.” I think that he is Buddhist, but he will know something about Jesus’ love when I leave.
The Muay Thai kicks are quite different – no folds, kick with the shin instead of the instep, and stand on the ball of the foot when kicking. After 35 years of folding my kicks and keeping my heel down, it’s a little challenging, but I am doing better each day. I got a chance to spar with “Big Guy” yesterday. It was very controlled and I got lots of coaching throughout the fight. Praise the Lord…no one got hurt (namely me)! It has been a very positive experience even with the aces and pains, swollen feet, and sore muscles.
The food here is tasty. We eat in a small room with three tables. They put some plates and bowls of food on each table and there are about 15–20 hungry guys going after it (its kind of like eating at home with my kids). I’m learning to eat faster though…If you’ve ever eaten with me you know that will add some time to my day because I usually eat VERY slowly!!
We went to some Muay Thai fights last night and WOW…these are some of the toughest guys on the planet! The knees and elbows are killer!! Two of the guys who have been training here for a while are fighting on Thursday night and we will be going to cheer them on. I’m meeting people from all over the world and most are friendly. Most of the guys staying here are scheduled to be here for two months, six months, or even a year (and I thought three weeks was a long time).
I am buying a few sets of training equipment (shin pads, waist guard, and Thai pads) and shipping them back home. I am learning lots of details in the techniques and some good drills to use in training. I look forward to getting back and training the staff and students in what I have learned.
I will be lifting you up in my prayers. Thank you for your prayers and support.
God’s Love & Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Thailand Update #2
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
How do you define a “Pocket of Greatness”? That question has been asked of me more than once in sharing the term with others. Here is one answer that God gave me last summer while getting ready for the open performance for our Master’s test: Would you say that a superstar would be synonymous with greatness? I got this from my Life Application Bible:
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” – Daniel 12:3
Application: Many people try to be stars in the world, only to find their stardom temporary. God tells us how we can be eternal “stars” – by being wise and leading many to God’s righteousness. If we can share our Lord with others, we can be true stars, radiantly beautiful in God’s sight!
We all have the opportunity to care, influence, and set an example for others. I approach my adventure full of hope that I may lead a righteous life and seek every opportunity to lead others in a Godly direction.
The Muay Thai training is getting better every day. The aches and pains are not as many and I think my body is adapting to the torture (I mean training)! In some respects, Muay Thai is a very simple and effective fighting system. But when you get in close, working on the inside with the clenches and take downs and mix in the knees and elbows, it brings it to a whole new level of complexity. I believe that I made a good choice in beginning my training at the Fairtex Camp. After all, my base is striking and I never want to get too far from my base.
In my last letter, I mentioned our two fighters who were scheduled to fight last Thursday night in Pattraya. I am happy to report that both Ben and Andrew were victorious in BIG ways! Once again, I was so impressed with the mental and physical toughness of all the Thai fighters. They show no sign of pain, no matter how much of a beating they take. They are beyond tough!!
I have had the pleasure of being taken out to Bangkok a couple of times. The first time, to enjoy some traditional Thai food and, the second time, to eat a traditional greasy American hamburger (and I mean GREASY)!! For dessert, I found a Starbucks and indulged in a Caramel Macchiato and I’m happy to report that it tasted just like home!
I am rapidly falling in love with the Thais who have an innocence about them that radiates care and concern. They seem to have true servant’s hearts while working for little to nothing. They lead simple lives and are surrounded by many of the temptations that I remember growing up with. I thank God that someone took time to share the Lord with me and that I surrendered my life when I did. (Otherwise…who knows where I’d be??) Daily, I seek the opportunity to share God’s love and peace with my trainers and my fellow Thai students. I never would have thought of myself as a missionary because I always said that I am surrounded by people who need to meet the Lord right at home. But here I am, seeking to build his kingdom in Thailand. His Word says it all…”His ways are not our ways. He sees so much more.”
With this trip, Kim and I have entered “no man’s land”!! In the 30 years that we’ve been together, we’ve never been apart for more than 10 days! I’ve been counting down the days ‘til I return while, at the same time, getting the most from my training and giving all to my purpose here.
Pick up your training and stay true to your heart…once you’ve given it to the Lord!!
God’s Love & Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
How do you define a “Pocket of Greatness”? That question has been asked of me more than once in sharing the term with others. Here is one answer that God gave me last summer while getting ready for the open performance for our Master’s test: Would you say that a superstar would be synonymous with greatness? I got this from my Life Application Bible:
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” – Daniel 12:3
Application: Many people try to be stars in the world, only to find their stardom temporary. God tells us how we can be eternal “stars” – by being wise and leading many to God’s righteousness. If we can share our Lord with others, we can be true stars, radiantly beautiful in God’s sight!
We all have the opportunity to care, influence, and set an example for others. I approach my adventure full of hope that I may lead a righteous life and seek every opportunity to lead others in a Godly direction.
The Muay Thai training is getting better every day. The aches and pains are not as many and I think my body is adapting to the torture (I mean training)! In some respects, Muay Thai is a very simple and effective fighting system. But when you get in close, working on the inside with the clenches and take downs and mix in the knees and elbows, it brings it to a whole new level of complexity. I believe that I made a good choice in beginning my training at the Fairtex Camp. After all, my base is striking and I never want to get too far from my base.
In my last letter, I mentioned our two fighters who were scheduled to fight last Thursday night in Pattraya. I am happy to report that both Ben and Andrew were victorious in BIG ways! Once again, I was so impressed with the mental and physical toughness of all the Thai fighters. They show no sign of pain, no matter how much of a beating they take. They are beyond tough!!
I have had the pleasure of being taken out to Bangkok a couple of times. The first time, to enjoy some traditional Thai food and, the second time, to eat a traditional greasy American hamburger (and I mean GREASY)!! For dessert, I found a Starbucks and indulged in a Caramel Macchiato and I’m happy to report that it tasted just like home!
I am rapidly falling in love with the Thais who have an innocence about them that radiates care and concern. They seem to have true servant’s hearts while working for little to nothing. They lead simple lives and are surrounded by many of the temptations that I remember growing up with. I thank God that someone took time to share the Lord with me and that I surrendered my life when I did. (Otherwise…who knows where I’d be??) Daily, I seek the opportunity to share God’s love and peace with my trainers and my fellow Thai students. I never would have thought of myself as a missionary because I always said that I am surrounded by people who need to meet the Lord right at home. But here I am, seeking to build his kingdom in Thailand. His Word says it all…”His ways are not our ways. He sees so much more.”
With this trip, Kim and I have entered “no man’s land”!! In the 30 years that we’ve been together, we’ve never been apart for more than 10 days! I’ve been counting down the days ‘til I return while, at the same time, getting the most from my training and giving all to my purpose here.
Pick up your training and stay true to your heart…once you’ve given it to the Lord!!
God’s Love & Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
Monday, January 5, 2009
Thailand Update #3
Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
I hope you enjoyed the first two updates on my “Great Grandmaster Adventure.” If you didn’t receive them and would like to, please contact Kim or Ashley (by replying to this email) to request them.
Like the saying goes, “I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news.” First, the GOOD news…this will be my last update from Thailand as I am now getting ready to head home. Now, the BAD news…if you’re busy, you might want to read this one in a few sittings because it’s going to be a looong one! By the time you get this letter, I will (hopefully) be safe at home with my family. In 30 years of being together, I have never missed my wife as much as I do right now (not to mention my kiddos). I am looking forward to seeing them and I can’t wait to teach my staff and my students all the lessons that I have learned in Thailand.
It’s Monday night around 11:00pm (Thailand time) and I’m sitting down to write my final overview of my Thailand adventure. I just can’t help but start with praising my Lord and Savior. I pray that I can convey to you the provisions and the mercy He’s given me and express to you what an awesome God we serve. It is so rewarding to be on his team!
I will leave Fairtex tomorrow morning at 4:00am to catch my return flight scheduled for 6:40am on Tuesday, February 20. I am scheduled to arrive at home in Houston, approximately 23+ hours later, at 4:40pm on Tuesday, February 20 (figure out the math on that one)!
While in Thailand, I have had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with some interesting people. My friend and student Lisa Kurrass put me in touch with Mr. Prayoon Dhum, who lives in Bangkok and is involved with real estate and politics in the area, and Mr. Blair Duffy, an American who actually landed in Bangkok three days after I did to begin his new job in Thailand. Through these two gentlemen, I learned a little bit about the Thai culture, got to see some impressive landmarks in Bangkok, and was treated to some Thai hospitality. I will continue to pray for these men as they are doing God’s work in a place where there is much work to be done. As the proverb says…“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
I had the honor of learning from Master “Big Guy” and Muay Thai Champions Dum, Jeckell, and Abday (due to the language barrier, that’s the best that I can do on the names and spellings) and I will be incorporating their lessons in my teachings to my staff and my students. (By the way, I did make it through all the fruits of the spirit with my trainers!) As I mentioned before, in some respects, Muay Thai is a very simple and effective fighting system. I think that the simplicity comes from the fact that there are basically 2 kicks – a push kick and a round kick. So…if you can, just imagine working out for two hours twice a day for 20 days. How many round kicks do you think you could throw in approximately 80 hours of training? Well, that’s how many I threw during my three weeks in Thailand!
For my first foreign mission…”Mission Accomplished” is an understatement! God watched over me as I trained and gave me the strength to push my body to new levels. I return from Thailand in better physical condition (5 pounds lighter), a better Martial Artist, and a better person for having been in the presence of so many of God’s remarkable children (known as the Thais). As his representative, He opened doors for me to plant seeds of His love and peace wherever I was. Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles.” Their smiles are in their hearts and it radiates on their face as they serve you through and through. Falling in love with the Thais was easy! My final assessment of Fairtex is that it is a potential “pocket of greatness” in my book. I will be leaving a better person for being here. I am in prayer about the possibility of future Thailand visits as I desire to learn more from and contribute more to this “pocket of greatness.”
As I reflect back to a few years ago when God first put this adventure on my heart, I remember the obstacles, speed bumps, and what appeared to be road blocks which are too many to list in this letter. I have to give thanks to my Lord, my family, my staff, Mr. Silva and Mr. Van Over (for Premier Martial Arts), and my students for supporting and understanding me (and even supporting me when you don’t understand me). I love the acrostic for TEAM: Together Everyone Accomplishes Miracles. Get ready for more miracles in the life of AGPMA. Our team has witnessed a few miracles (or answered prayers) that have helped us get here. To name a few…I’ll start with Premier Martial Arts, the transition to our new curriculum, and the colleges that have brought our staff to a new level of performance. Ashley, my daughter, and Jonathan, my new son-in-law, have graduated from college, gotten married, and joined the team to help lead the way in my absence. My key people, Master Falco and Mr. McHenry, have been loyal and persistent in their pursuit of perfecting our new Premier Martial Arts curriculum and business systems. Thanks also goes out to my Master Instructor, World Champion Ishmael Robles (who I hear taught an awesome sparring class for us last Monday night). I don’t ever want to take this man for granted…he is definitely a “pocket of greatness” and, without his inspiration, none of this would be possible.
We all have the opportunity to care for, to influence, and to set an example for others. I appreciate everyone who has taken time to care for and encourage me. Thanks to Mr. Gene Wofford who gave me the Traveler’s Devotional Bible that has given me daily inspiration. You are such an awesome guy and a blessing in my life. Pastor Larry Garza, thank you for your prayers and for passing on your Thailand experience and Godly wisdom as I prepared for this trip. A special thanks to those who generously donated to make this mission a reality (you know who you are!). Mr. Dill sent me the following reminder: “The Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are saved.” I’m happy to say that by daily putting on the Armor of God, I was able to remain safe from temptation and safe from harm. Mr. Dill, Thank you sir! Thanks to Leslie Johnson for sending me the “Valentine to the Lord” which was a reminder of what true love is really about (Leslie, I didn’t just like it, I loved it!). Thank you to everyone who sent me encouraging emails. I had a very small dose of what our soldiers go through when they are away from their family and their country. I have a whole new respect for you, Major Jose Aguilar, and your soldiers in Iraq. May God be with you and keep you safe. I could go on thanking all the people who have encouraged me and who have made this possible, but (as it is 3:00am and I need to jump in the shower before my ride gets here) I will stop there and assure you that God has delivered on His promises and provided for me beyond what I could have imagined.
In Jeremiah 29:11, God says that he has a plan and a purpose for you – plans to prosper you and give you success, plans to give you a hope and a future. Isn’t that exciting? He is unfolding his plan and purpose for AGPMA one day at a time. I invite you to pray with me for the next step in my “Great Grandmaster Adventure.” I will let you know where I will be going as soon as I receive the final confirmation from above. In the meantime, I will work to be a “pocket of greatness” wherever I am. I am looking forward to some time at home to share and fellowship with everyone at AGPMA! Thank you all for your prayers and support!!
God’s Love & Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. I got the following scripture from my Traveler’s Devotional Bible. It is an exert from 2 Timothy 3:10-4:2 (NLT).
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. And so I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ Jesus: Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.”
P.S.S. For those of you who have some extra time…I wanted to pass on this (belated) “Valentines to the Lord” that Leslie sent me. It says so much of what I would like to express to you.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Lord!"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12.30-31
The Great Commandment - we’ve done studies on it; we’ve heard sermons on it; it’s ingrained in the collective conscience of Christians from early on. As we smile and nod, we can recite it, swear by it and even settle theological disputes with it. But with a few notable exceptions, we don’t do it.
Love. Love with all you have. Love with all you are. Love passionately and fully. Love without hesitation or fear. Invest it all and love with abandon. Start with God. In the end, this is all that will matter.
Children love like this, with innocence and honesty, and as they grow up, adults, other children, and life itself work in tandem to steal their willingness to love. The thief comes to kill and to destroy… We build up barriers and place restrictions. We lower our expectations. We fail and fall short. We protect ourselves. We tell ourselves that it’s too late, there’s no hope, and we are too tired. We are full of pride, and we are consumed by fear. Day by day, year by year, we love less.
As C.S. Lewis once observed, "Our passions are not too strong; they are too weak. We are far too easily pleased." We expect little of life, and we get it. We give little to life, and life gives little in return. In Jesus Christ, God has given us life, and His Spirit is poured out in our hearts in order that we may live, live fully and abundantly. We were not created for lives of meaningless consumption or mundane mediocrity. We were created to love and to be loved, starting with God.
Why is the ‘starting with God’ a repeated qualification? Because in this life, sin will hurt and near-destroy the heart’s capacity for love, either from within or without. However, if our love rests first in our Father, never do we love that the Spirit cannot triumph and restore. Love is from God, and no love is lost in Him; no love is ever rejected or humiliated or broken. If we are truly to love, we must learn to love in and through Christ, whose love is infinite and everlasting, a vast ocean of love that heals and restores and gives life.
Theologians and pastors go to great lengths to separate out various Greek expressions of love - eros, philos, and agape. While each of these are assigned to different types of relationships, they are just distinctions in the same theme - on living with passion and investing in others with abandon. The word Jesus uses here is agape - sacrificial, self-giving love for the good of the other. That sounds so costly, so negative and unappealing. Yet, that is exactly the point: give it all, give it without reserve, and give it readily. The Cross certainly was hell, but it was nothing by comparison to the Resurrection! Whatever the cost, however great the pain, never sell the resurrection short. Go for the resurrection - the abundance of life and love in Jesus Christ.
Somewhere along the line in Christianity, we began to postpone living until after death. The good stuff comes when we die. No doubt, we see dimly as in a mirror, but we do see if we look. While our resurrection is not complete in this life, loving is the means by which we start living the resurrection now. Jesus didn’t say "When you get to heaven, love then." No, the command is to love now, love with our all, and love indiscriminately. If it lives and breathes, love it.
Sin has made us by nature a cautious, fearful people. We prefer the security of slavery in Egypt to the life of freedom in the Promised Land. When we choose caution over passion, we limit life. St. Irenaeus understood that, "The glory of God is a fully alive human being." The glory of God is a fully alive human being - what fantastic meaning human life is given! God does not want us to be less; He wants us to be more! But every time we step back, every time we protect ourselves, every time we withhold love, we close a window on the glory of God.
This week is Valentine’s with all its sappy romance and sentimentalism, and in our society, a little perversion is sure to be thrown in the mix. So it goes. Sin is always the case with human nature; it’s what we do. Just smile, and then love. Love with all you have. Love with all you are. Love passionately and fully. Love without hesitation or fear. Invest it all and love with abandon. Start with God.
www.algarza.com
I hope you enjoyed the first two updates on my “Great Grandmaster Adventure.” If you didn’t receive them and would like to, please contact Kim or Ashley (by replying to this email) to request them.
Like the saying goes, “I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news.” First, the GOOD news…this will be my last update from Thailand as I am now getting ready to head home. Now, the BAD news…if you’re busy, you might want to read this one in a few sittings because it’s going to be a looong one! By the time you get this letter, I will (hopefully) be safe at home with my family. In 30 years of being together, I have never missed my wife as much as I do right now (not to mention my kiddos). I am looking forward to seeing them and I can’t wait to teach my staff and my students all the lessons that I have learned in Thailand.
It’s Monday night around 11:00pm (Thailand time) and I’m sitting down to write my final overview of my Thailand adventure. I just can’t help but start with praising my Lord and Savior. I pray that I can convey to you the provisions and the mercy He’s given me and express to you what an awesome God we serve. It is so rewarding to be on his team!
I will leave Fairtex tomorrow morning at 4:00am to catch my return flight scheduled for 6:40am on Tuesday, February 20. I am scheduled to arrive at home in Houston, approximately 23+ hours later, at 4:40pm on Tuesday, February 20 (figure out the math on that one)!
While in Thailand, I have had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with some interesting people. My friend and student Lisa Kurrass put me in touch with Mr. Prayoon Dhum, who lives in Bangkok and is involved with real estate and politics in the area, and Mr. Blair Duffy, an American who actually landed in Bangkok three days after I did to begin his new job in Thailand. Through these two gentlemen, I learned a little bit about the Thai culture, got to see some impressive landmarks in Bangkok, and was treated to some Thai hospitality. I will continue to pray for these men as they are doing God’s work in a place where there is much work to be done. As the proverb says…“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
I had the honor of learning from Master “Big Guy” and Muay Thai Champions Dum, Jeckell, and Abday (due to the language barrier, that’s the best that I can do on the names and spellings) and I will be incorporating their lessons in my teachings to my staff and my students. (By the way, I did make it through all the fruits of the spirit with my trainers!) As I mentioned before, in some respects, Muay Thai is a very simple and effective fighting system. I think that the simplicity comes from the fact that there are basically 2 kicks – a push kick and a round kick. So…if you can, just imagine working out for two hours twice a day for 20 days. How many round kicks do you think you could throw in approximately 80 hours of training? Well, that’s how many I threw during my three weeks in Thailand!
For my first foreign mission…”Mission Accomplished” is an understatement! God watched over me as I trained and gave me the strength to push my body to new levels. I return from Thailand in better physical condition (5 pounds lighter), a better Martial Artist, and a better person for having been in the presence of so many of God’s remarkable children (known as the Thais). As his representative, He opened doors for me to plant seeds of His love and peace wherever I was. Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles.” Their smiles are in their hearts and it radiates on their face as they serve you through and through. Falling in love with the Thais was easy! My final assessment of Fairtex is that it is a potential “pocket of greatness” in my book. I will be leaving a better person for being here. I am in prayer about the possibility of future Thailand visits as I desire to learn more from and contribute more to this “pocket of greatness.”
As I reflect back to a few years ago when God first put this adventure on my heart, I remember the obstacles, speed bumps, and what appeared to be road blocks which are too many to list in this letter. I have to give thanks to my Lord, my family, my staff, Mr. Silva and Mr. Van Over (for Premier Martial Arts), and my students for supporting and understanding me (and even supporting me when you don’t understand me). I love the acrostic for TEAM: Together Everyone Accomplishes Miracles. Get ready for more miracles in the life of AGPMA. Our team has witnessed a few miracles (or answered prayers) that have helped us get here. To name a few…I’ll start with Premier Martial Arts, the transition to our new curriculum, and the colleges that have brought our staff to a new level of performance. Ashley, my daughter, and Jonathan, my new son-in-law, have graduated from college, gotten married, and joined the team to help lead the way in my absence. My key people, Master Falco and Mr. McHenry, have been loyal and persistent in their pursuit of perfecting our new Premier Martial Arts curriculum and business systems. Thanks also goes out to my Master Instructor, World Champion Ishmael Robles (who I hear taught an awesome sparring class for us last Monday night). I don’t ever want to take this man for granted…he is definitely a “pocket of greatness” and, without his inspiration, none of this would be possible.
We all have the opportunity to care for, to influence, and to set an example for others. I appreciate everyone who has taken time to care for and encourage me. Thanks to Mr. Gene Wofford who gave me the Traveler’s Devotional Bible that has given me daily inspiration. You are such an awesome guy and a blessing in my life. Pastor Larry Garza, thank you for your prayers and for passing on your Thailand experience and Godly wisdom as I prepared for this trip. A special thanks to those who generously donated to make this mission a reality (you know who you are!). Mr. Dill sent me the following reminder: “The Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are saved.” I’m happy to say that by daily putting on the Armor of God, I was able to remain safe from temptation and safe from harm. Mr. Dill, Thank you sir! Thanks to Leslie Johnson for sending me the “Valentine to the Lord” which was a reminder of what true love is really about (Leslie, I didn’t just like it, I loved it!). Thank you to everyone who sent me encouraging emails. I had a very small dose of what our soldiers go through when they are away from their family and their country. I have a whole new respect for you, Major Jose Aguilar, and your soldiers in Iraq. May God be with you and keep you safe. I could go on thanking all the people who have encouraged me and who have made this possible, but (as it is 3:00am and I need to jump in the shower before my ride gets here) I will stop there and assure you that God has delivered on His promises and provided for me beyond what I could have imagined.
In Jeremiah 29:11, God says that he has a plan and a purpose for you – plans to prosper you and give you success, plans to give you a hope and a future. Isn’t that exciting? He is unfolding his plan and purpose for AGPMA one day at a time. I invite you to pray with me for the next step in my “Great Grandmaster Adventure.” I will let you know where I will be going as soon as I receive the final confirmation from above. In the meantime, I will work to be a “pocket of greatness” wherever I am. I am looking forward to some time at home to share and fellowship with everyone at AGPMA! Thank you all for your prayers and support!!
God’s Love & Peace,
Al Garza
P.S. I got the following scripture from my Traveler’s Devotional Bible. It is an exert from 2 Timothy 3:10-4:2 (NLT).
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. And so I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ Jesus: Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.”
P.S.S. For those of you who have some extra time…I wanted to pass on this (belated) “Valentines to the Lord” that Leslie sent me. It says so much of what I would like to express to you.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Lord!"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12.30-31
The Great Commandment - we’ve done studies on it; we’ve heard sermons on it; it’s ingrained in the collective conscience of Christians from early on. As we smile and nod, we can recite it, swear by it and even settle theological disputes with it. But with a few notable exceptions, we don’t do it.
Love. Love with all you have. Love with all you are. Love passionately and fully. Love without hesitation or fear. Invest it all and love with abandon. Start with God. In the end, this is all that will matter.
Children love like this, with innocence and honesty, and as they grow up, adults, other children, and life itself work in tandem to steal their willingness to love. The thief comes to kill and to destroy… We build up barriers and place restrictions. We lower our expectations. We fail and fall short. We protect ourselves. We tell ourselves that it’s too late, there’s no hope, and we are too tired. We are full of pride, and we are consumed by fear. Day by day, year by year, we love less.
As C.S. Lewis once observed, "Our passions are not too strong; they are too weak. We are far too easily pleased." We expect little of life, and we get it. We give little to life, and life gives little in return. In Jesus Christ, God has given us life, and His Spirit is poured out in our hearts in order that we may live, live fully and abundantly. We were not created for lives of meaningless consumption or mundane mediocrity. We were created to love and to be loved, starting with God.
Why is the ‘starting with God’ a repeated qualification? Because in this life, sin will hurt and near-destroy the heart’s capacity for love, either from within or without. However, if our love rests first in our Father, never do we love that the Spirit cannot triumph and restore. Love is from God, and no love is lost in Him; no love is ever rejected or humiliated or broken. If we are truly to love, we must learn to love in and through Christ, whose love is infinite and everlasting, a vast ocean of love that heals and restores and gives life.
Theologians and pastors go to great lengths to separate out various Greek expressions of love - eros, philos, and agape. While each of these are assigned to different types of relationships, they are just distinctions in the same theme - on living with passion and investing in others with abandon. The word Jesus uses here is agape - sacrificial, self-giving love for the good of the other. That sounds so costly, so negative and unappealing. Yet, that is exactly the point: give it all, give it without reserve, and give it readily. The Cross certainly was hell, but it was nothing by comparison to the Resurrection! Whatever the cost, however great the pain, never sell the resurrection short. Go for the resurrection - the abundance of life and love in Jesus Christ.
Somewhere along the line in Christianity, we began to postpone living until after death. The good stuff comes when we die. No doubt, we see dimly as in a mirror, but we do see if we look. While our resurrection is not complete in this life, loving is the means by which we start living the resurrection now. Jesus didn’t say "When you get to heaven, love then." No, the command is to love now, love with our all, and love indiscriminately. If it lives and breathes, love it.
Sin has made us by nature a cautious, fearful people. We prefer the security of slavery in Egypt to the life of freedom in the Promised Land. When we choose caution over passion, we limit life. St. Irenaeus understood that, "The glory of God is a fully alive human being." The glory of God is a fully alive human being - what fantastic meaning human life is given! God does not want us to be less; He wants us to be more! But every time we step back, every time we protect ourselves, every time we withhold love, we close a window on the glory of God.
This week is Valentine’s with all its sappy romance and sentimentalism, and in our society, a little perversion is sure to be thrown in the mix. So it goes. Sin is always the case with human nature; it’s what we do. Just smile, and then love. Love with all you have. Love with all you are. Love passionately and fully. Love without hesitation or fear. Invest it all and love with abandon. Start with God.
www.algarza.com
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