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Sidique “The Rhino” Furet Releases the Fury

This is a little piece that was written on one of my students after placing in his first BJJ tournament.

Sidique “The Rhino” Furet Releases the Fury at the Copa Nova Jiu Jitsu Championships

Saturday, May 14th, 2011, martial arts student, Sidique Furet, single handedly represented Aqabah Karate at the 2011 Copa Nova Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships held at Brair Wood High School in Asburn, Virginia. This was his very first competition, but he handled himself like a seasoned competitor.

Sidique, who is known as The Rhino, is 13 years old and a member of the Adult Men’s class and one of Aqabah Karate’s up-and-coming grappling prodigies. He is dedicated and focused on developing himself into a strong martial artist. “His passion to train and compete is unique and inspiring. He loves to be on the mats and continues to push himself to get better and better. He always wants to fight the bigger and better guys so that he can get better, as well. He is not afraid and is very humble when it comes to his training. He is a great asset to Aqabah Karate and one of our brightest future stars,” says Aqabah Karate instructor, Hernán Guadalupe, who conducts the Thursday Adult Men’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class.

Sidique competed in the Teens Gi White Belt Cruiser Weight division where he faced some very skilled and tough opponents. He fought hard during his first match, but came up short and lost by triangle submission. However, he brushed off the loss and came back during his second match to dominate his opponent and scored a big take down. He then controlled the entire match, transitioning from position to position, completely neutralizing his opponent’s game plan and finally sunk in a deep guillotine choke that forced the tap out submission. His victory earned him the bronze metal.

Big things await this young wonder, so be on the look out for his next run for a spot on the podium insha’Allah

Nerves are part of growth

Being nervous is a part of growth and development. All it means is that you are taking the necessary steps and strides outside of the box to become a better you.

If it is normal, then you are doing the same thing over again and what you will get is the same results.

Experience nervousness! It's a indication that you are experiencing growth!

14 Attitude Requirements to Master Martial Arts - Summary!!!!

As I continue to practice and train in martial arts, I realize more and more that not only is hard work a factor, but more importantly the right attitude towards working hard. People can work hard, but lack the positive attitude and drive that will catapult them from being mediocre to out-of-this-world-super-star-status, insha’Allah.

With that said, let me present to you the “Fourteen Attitude Requirements to Master Martial Arts”.

I have learned these 14 requirements through my study of Tang Soo Do. However, they are not limited to this specific style, but any style in which you wish to train. I believe there is benefit in these points and I hope that you, the reader, agree with me. I have listed here the 14 requirements; however, I have expounded upon each point in previous posts.

1.The purpose of training is to improve your mental and physical state.

2. Take a serious approach.

3. Exert full effort.

4. Maintain a regular and consistent routine.

5. Practice the basic techniques all the time.

6. Regularly space practice sessions.

7. Always listen and follow the directions of instructors and seniors.

8. Do not be overly ambitious.

9. Frequently evaluate your personal achievements.

10. Always follow a routine training schedule.

11. Review and practice learned techniques frequently.

12. When learning a new technique, thoroughly learn the theory, approach, and philosophy as well.

13. When you begin to feel idle, remember someone is working harder than you at that moment.

14. Cleanliness is required throughout training. Keep yourself and your surroundings clean.

Attitude adjustment: Fourteen Attitude Requirements to Master Martial Arts (#10 to #14)

10. Always follow a routine training schedule.

This point refers to having a system of training. If you work on doing squats and lunges for 10 years and that is all you do, you will have the strongest legs in the world, but will be weak in other areas such as your arms, back, abs, etc. So follow a routine that will address your overall needs and maximize your results.

11. Review and practice learned techniques frequently.

If we don’t review then we tend to forget. This is a general rule that applies to many things, not only training. So always review and refresh your memory by repeating techniques you have previously learned. One of the best ways that I have learned to review is to teach. They say “teaching is like learning twice“, and I can’t stress enough how true that is.

12. When learning a new technique, thoroughly learn the theory, approach, and philosophy, as well.

Take the time to learn a technique in its totality before moving onto another one. Learn its application, its variations, its meaning, its history, etc. This will make you appreciate the art so much more and give you a deeper understanding rather than a superficial understanding.

13. When you begin to feel idle, remember someone is working harder than you at that moment.

Many times during our training we will start to feel extremely lazy. You can be the champion of the world and it would still be the case, I don’t care who you are. We are all humans and we are easily disenchanted and unmotivated. During these stages we have to constantly remind ourselves of our goals to get over this hump. We should remember when we are feeling stagnant that there is always someone else who wants it more and is working harder than you, especially if you are a competitor.

14. Cleanliness is required throughout training. Keep yourself and your surroundings clean.

Finally, we have to make sure we maintain a clean lifestyle to compliment health. In reality, these two go hand in hand. Cleanliness helps to prevent any infections and disease from hindering our training, insha’Allah. This means clipping your nails, showering, keeping a clean uniform and training area, as well as keeping a pure heart and mind.


Kyo Sa Nim, Hernan Guadalupe is a 1st degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do under David Sgro and Muhib Rahman and a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Royce Gracie and Jeremy Lafreniere and an instructor at Aqabah Karate Academy.

Attitude adjustment: Fourteen Attitude Requirements to Master Martial Arts (#7, #8, and #9)

7. Always listen and follow the directions of instructors and seniors.

We all need guidance throughout our training. No one will truly succeed in martial arts through self-teaching, to be honest. You can use videos, books, websites or other resources as supplements to your training, but in the end you always need a teacher. Once you have a teacher, start to open not only your ears, but your mind and hearts to their instructions. They are instructors for a reason so give them the respect they deserve and listen and follow their advice and directions. Keep the ego at home and step on the mats with humility, ready to learn and benefit.

8. Do not be overly ambitious.

This is probably one of the biggest struggles students go through at the early stages in their training, and sometimes as advanced students. Many people have superb talent and are able to learn and apply techniques after seeing it just once, but that does not make you a master of the art or an expert of the technique. It just means you pick things up quicker than others, but realize your place in your training and humble yourself. Even if you have been recognized as an outstanding student, it does not give you any superiority or authority over your classmates because it may be that they are better than you in other areas. Even if you are a White Belt and you can beat up a Black Belt, don’t think you now deserve a Black Belt. A serious portion of training is learning patience and modesty as you travel the path. If you can understand this concept, then you will prosper in your martial arts training.

9. Frequently evaluate your personal achievements.

There will be many times that we feel we are stuck on a level in our training. We will feel like we are not progressing anymore and as if we have reached our utmost limits. When we are feeling this way, we need to evaluate our personal achievements and realize how far we have made it. Believe it or not, everyday you are on the mats you are progressing even if the color of your belt remains the same for months or even years. Don’t feel discouraged; realize you have accomplished so much by just training alone. It is a feat not everyone embarks on.

To be continued...

Attitude adjustment: Fourteen Attitude Requirements to Master Martial Arts (#4, #5, and #6)

4. Maintain a regular and consistent routine.

Don’t be a seasonal martial artist; meaning that when the season is right and the planets align is when you hit the mats. You will notice that you will go nowhere fast, as they say. Maintain a consistent workout and training schedule, even if it means twice or three times a week. No one says you have to be in the gym or studio every day, twice a day. We are not aiming to be meat-heads (no offense to gym junkies), but training does not mean it’s your life. Training should be a part of your life and you will see overall results by being consistent. If you want to make it your career, as a personal trainer or professional fighter, perhaps, then obviously it doesn’t apply to you. I am referring to the nine-to-five-ers who work for a living. All you need is to be consistent.

5. Practice the basic techniques all the time.

Throughout your training you will frequently hear the phrase “Stick to the basics, stick to the basics.” I constantly remind my students to focus on the basics. Too many times you have white belts looking at higher belts and immediately they want to try the tornado round-kicks, 540s, armbars, or triangles without really grounding themselves with the basics. I cannot stress enough how valuable the basics will be to your training, so constantly return to your roots and “stick to the basics”.

6. Regularly space practice sessions.

This refers to giving your body a chance to recover. People, in general, want to see results immediately. If they don’t see the results the same day they start training they begin to get frustrated so they do more and more without realizing the body needs time to rest and recover. The body is a machine and training or working out is upgrading your vehicle from a factory-model to a customized hot-rod, for example. It takes time to reach your desired goals so take it easy and space out your training to give your mind and body a chance to adjust to the upgrades and give you the strength to get to the next level.

To be continued...

Attitude adjustment: Fourteen Attitude Requirements to Master Martial Arts (#2 and #3)

2.Take a serious approach.

Quite often you have people who come to your studio and their approach is totally incorrect. They walk in thinking it’s a game or a physical education class and, more times than not, end up quitting. It wasn’t the fact that they weren’t physically capable, rather their commitment was lacking. So when training, always take a serious approach and work to be the best you can for yourself, no one else matters.

3.Exert full effort.

This point goes hand-in-hand with point two. I am a firm believer that if you are going to do anything then you must do it right and give it 110%. This does not only apply in your training, but in life as well.

To be continued...


Picture: UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St. Pierre, is considered the hardest working MMA fighter in the world as well as possibly the best pound-for-pound fighter. His work ethic and dedication to training is what makes him a living legend in the sport of MMA. A true martial artist in all aspects.

Attitude adjustment: Fourteen Attitude Requirements to Master Martial Arts (#1)

By Hernán Guadalupe

As I continue to practice and train in martial arts, I realize more and more that not only is hard work a factor, but more importantly the right attitude towards working hard. People can work hard, but lack the positive attitude and drive that will catapult them from being mediocre to out-of-this-world-super-star-status, insha’Allah. Talent is also important, but not a main feature of being a solid martial artist. Yes, it does help, but in the end, as Master Lloyd Irvin has so eloquently said, “Hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work hard”; and included in this is the right frame of mind.

With that said, let me present to you the “Fourteen Attitude Requirements to Master Martial Arts”. I have learned these 14 requirements through my study of Tang Soo Do. However, they are not limited to this specific style, but any style in which you wish to train. I believe there is benefit in these points and I hope that you, the reader, agree with me.

1.The purpose of training is to improve your mental and physical state.

It shouldn’t be about defeating an opponent, kicking someone’s backside, or being able to walk around with your chest puffed out knowing you pack skills to take down a group of ninjas (just kidding). Rather, training should be an internal desire to protect and maintain your mental and physical state. Mentally, training keeps you grounded. It gives you a reason to focus and something to look forward to. Likewise, it gives the practitioner a sense of confidence and self-control that other sports or activities do not provide. Physically, training gives you the venue to get into shape and keep your body in the condition it is supposed to be. We live in a world where the obesity rate is at an all time high in adults and children. Most people are not active and the effects of this are manifesting themselves more and more in the form of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and the list goes on. This is the reason why we should train; to improve our own selves and lead healthy, strong, positive lives.

To be continued...

The Unanswered Call: The importance of self defense

By Hernan Guadalupe

Based on “Stranger Dangers” a report by NBC Today Show

The other day I watched a very shocking and disturbing video of an investigative report on the reaction of people if they witnessed a child being attacked and harassed by a stranger.

Before I saw it, my initial reaction was that people would automatically inquire or call the authorities, but much to my surprise that was not the case. The investigative team did a study to answer the question, “If you saw a child being kidnapped, would you help?” You would not believe how people reacted. A young actress was asked to pretend that she was being kidnapped while the undercover security guard, who was part of the investigative reporting crew, snatched and pulled her across the street yelling to her to keep quiet and go with him. The girl frantically yelled and pleaded for help, but no one answered her call.

People simply walked by as if nothing was happening. Some would look at the situation, but did nothing, not even phone for help. When asked why they didn’t intervene they said that they assumed that someone else would.

This is a frightening situation we are living in if this is the case. Can you imagine your child or teenager walking the street alone, coming home from school, and some stranger tries to harass or kidnap them? Imagine your child crying and screaming for help, but no one answers? As a parent, this is an alarming and serious situation. It makes me want to shelter my child from the illnesses of the world so much more. Although this is the ideal situation, we all know that it is not reality and one day they will have to walk alone, but as parents we can give them the tools they need to make sure they overcome any situation (Allah willing).

This leads to my main point which is the importance of teaching your children self defense. I don’t mean teaching them how to do front flips and leaping from building to building pumping side kicks, after all that only works in Hollywood. What I mean is teaching your children simple and effective techniques that can make the difference between life and possibly death (May Allah protect us).

The unfortunate reality is that we live in a crazy world and we have to take the necessary steps to be prepared for matters like this one. Encouraging our children to partake in self defense classes or martial arts classes will not only give your children the confidence they need, but also useful techniques to defend themselves from predators.

Based on this report, we can’t expect anyone to lend a helping hand and therefore we should make it a priority to equip ourselves and our children to face the challenges of the real world. Don’t think that because a man is a man that a child cannot defend themselves against them. Size, age, and strength are factors, but so are leverage, timing, and technique. These are key tools that can give anyone the advantage to come out ahead in any given situation. So go ahead, give yourself and your child the tools they need to succeed.

Taken from Aqabah Karate's Newsletter - Jan-March 2011

Aqabah Karate's Quarterly Newsletter - Jan/March 2011 Edition

Check out our schools quarterly newsletter for the first quarter of 2011. I wrote two articles for this edition. The first was a recap of the awards ceremony we just had last weekend and the second was about the importance of self-defense. Check it out and let me know what you guys think! Happy ready!

Open publication - Free publishing - More aqabah karate

Lineage...

Due to the number of martial arts school and instructors in any given area, it is difficult to know who is qualified to teach, who were their teachers, is their training solid, etc. Many people are always looking to invest in a solid individual especially if investing means time and money. No one wants to train with someone who has no idea of what they are doing regardless of how many degrees that person has or how fancy his/her school may be.

It is because of this reason that I believe lineage is an important factor in one's training. Knowing who you are training with and who they trained under and so on and so forth is a vital aspect to growth as a martial artist.

I believe it is a source of...

1. Pride.
2. Confidence.
3. Honor.

You always want to surround yourself around individuals that will benefit you and help you in all facets of life, and your martial arts instructor(s) are no different.

Because of this, I decided to look into my own training and instructors and see how many links are there between myself and the original source and write down my history to date. It was a very interesting and fulfilling project that definitely gave me something to be proud about.

So here is my lineage in the (3) main styles I have practiced over the years and my current rank.


Tang Soo Do - 1st Degree Black Belt

Hwang Kee – Hyun Chul Hwang - Charles Ferraro - David Sgro – Muhib Rahman (3rd Degree) – Hernan Guadalupe

(Picture of Grandmaster Hwang Kee)

UPDATE: As per my discussion with Sah Bum Nim Muhib, I have a even more direct lineage. (Sweeeeet!!!)

Hwang Kee - Jae Chul Shin - Muhib Rahman (1st and 2nd Degree) - Hernan Guadalupe

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu - 1 Stripe Blue Belt

Mitsuyo “Count Koma” Maeda – Carlos Gracie – Helio Gracie – Royce Gracie – Jeremy Lafreniere – Jay Ferrari - Hernan Guadalupe

(Picture of Grandmaster Helio Gracie)

Fu Jow Pai - Sum Kup

Wong Bil Hong – Wong Moon Toy – Wai Hong Ng – Paul Vizzio – Hernan Guadalupe

(Picture of Grandmaster Wony Moon Toy. No picture of Grandmaster Wong Bil Hong available)








*Bold represents the original source of the art.

I really encourage everyone to take a few minutes and look into their lineage. It is a great way to familiarize yourself with the history of your training and your instructors' training.

If you don't know who your instructor trained under, then ask him. Ask him about the history and stories of his training and get to know where you are getting your information from.

For myself, seeing where I am in this history made me feel like I am part of a bigger and more meaningful journey and now I get to share this with my students as they move up the ranks.

So go ahead and see what your history looks like.

The belts don't make the Martial Artist!

This week is our Gup testing week (aka Belt Promotion week) at our Dojang. It started with the weekend Tiny Tigers and yesterday our brave and strong women endured a 2-hour test for their next rank.

After the test was over, some of our sisters posted on Aqabah's Fan Page how they felt they did. I am sure everyone was nervous and are worried about the results (my wife included since she also tested for her next gup).

Because of this, I wanted to share with everyone a few words about testing and belts in general. It is short and sweet...

"Remember the belt does not mean anything, it simply holds your pants up. The road to Black Belt is not represented by belt colors and stripes. It is represented by hard work and perseverance. Whether you passed or failed, that's not the point, the point is you continue to push forward. That makes a true martial artist!"

With that said, we are proud of each and everyone of you for embarking on this journey known as martial arts, few begin and even fewer complete the journey.

Remember you are defying the odds by simply having the energy and desire to attend classes and train.

Regardless of the outcome, everyone is AWESOME!!! There is no belt color that can measure awesomeness, not even Black Belt....

Here is another gem you guys can appreciate that will put things into perspective if my words failed to do so... ;-)


"Mental bearing (calmness), not skill, is the sign of a matured samurai. A Samurai therefore should neither be pompous nor arrogant." ~ Tsukahara Bokuden

and

"Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough knowledge, any man may become wise. It is the true warrior who can master both....and surpass the result." ~ Tien T'ai

Royce Gracie Seminar

I got to experience my first seminar with the legendary Royce Gracie this past Friday and Saturday.

For those who don't know who Royce Gracie is then allow me to share some amazing points about the man.

1. He is the son of one of the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Helio Gracie.

2. He is a 7th Degree Red and Black Belt.

3. He is one of the main reasons why so many people do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the world due to his dominance in the early MMA years.

4. He won the Ultimate Fighting Championships 1, 2, 4.

5. He is the 1st inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame.

6. He has the most submission wins in UFC history.

and the list goes on...

Now that you know a little more about Royce, imagine getting the chance to acquire some of his extensive knowledge of the art. Amazing is the the word that comes to mind and that is exactly how my experience was.

Friday: My wife and I attended the seminar at Capital's Takoma Park branch. The room was packed with familiar and unfamiliar faces. People traveled from Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, DC and other places to attend this seminar. It was awesome seeing so many blue, purple, and brown belts in one place. It was a haven for benefit of the art.

I also got to share this experience with two dear friends and fellow martial artists, Sensei Jamal Pender, fellow Aqabah Karate instructor, and Abdul-Malik Ahmad of al-Azhar Silat. Masha'Allah, there presence there made it that much better.

While we waited for the seminar to start, many of us did a little mingling, stretching, and warm ups. We were all eager to get start.

Royce got there a bit late due to his flight being delayed, but once he got changed, he immediately jumped into a technique. His attitude and teaching style reminded me of Rodrigo's seminar, exactly the same M.O.

We started with Side Mount to North/South and setting up a Bread-Cutter submission.

From this single position, he broke down positional control, transitions, and about 4 to 5 submissions.

We kept drilling and drilling, switching partners, practicing the moves on people of different weight-classes, skill levels and ranks. This was great cause it gives you an indication of who it will work on, how to transition properly, weight distribution due to weight variance, etc.

Towards the end, Royce put us in teams of four and we did "King of the Hill". Then he paired us up and had us spar with one had tied. This was probably the best part of the night. It just made us realize how much we are capable of and how much we're not. The handicap highlighted areas of weakness and strength.

By the end of the night the once cold studio felt like a sauna.

Coolest part of the night: I was rolling with my fellow training partner, Peter, and Royce comes up to me and asks me, "How long have you been training?". I said about 20 months now. He said to me, "How many stripes do you have?" I showed him my belt and he saw that I didn't have any. He says to me, "Put a stripe on your belt, congratulations." He shakes my hand and my jaw drops in disbelief.

WOOOOOOW! That was totally unexpected, but AWESOME!

Man I had the biggest Kool-Aid smile after that.

Soon after we took some group and individual pictures and then headed home.

Round 2: As if last night wasn't enough, I drove out to Alexandria for another session with Royce. This was my first time driving out to Capital in Alexandria so I was pretty stoked.

I got there and was super interested with the set up. The facility was state-of-the-art. I loved the reception area, the paraphernalia that hung on the walls, the locker rooms were off the hook, the mat space was HUGE, and the best part of it all was THE BIG *SS FAN (This is literally the brand of the ceiling fan).

The academy was packed from wall to wall with students and spectators. I thought Friday night was impressive, but Saturday, there was 3x the amount of people. White belts, Blue belts, Purple belts, Brown belts and of course ROYCE GRACIE!!!!!

Again the techniques were incredible. The simplicity behind what he taught fascinated me the most. I learned some fancy moves, but in the end its the basics that I love to learn the most. We drilled some hip throw set up, some grip fighting defense, sweeps, and submission from side control.

Again basics stuff, but effective.

I got the chance to roll, but it was the purple and brown belts that took up all the mat time today. It was great seeing them roll. You can see the years of experience in the way they moved, their control, their techniques. One can learn a lot from simply observing. Royce was walking around, watching and evaluating each one of them.

After all was said and done, many earned stripes and a few got their new ranks.

Another successful seminar with the legendary, Royce Gracie in the books. We ended with a group picture and headed home...can't wait 'til the next one.

Until then, I got my notes to review, type up, and drill....