Black belt Challenges An Orange Belt To Spar (circa 2004)

     Over the years there has been several challenges from outside (not part of our style or school) martial artists to test their skills against our karate students. Although these challenges are rare in occurance, they still do happen from time to time including the latest as soon as 2017.   When these occasions arise,  we take caution in ensuring that everything is safely handled.  Usually the challenge is a kumite or sparring challenge.

    The setting is the summer of 2004 and the dojo classes were barely a year into existence in the basement of the YMCA two levels below ground.  In the fall of 2003, after the newspaper article previously mentioned, a father and son started training with Sensei Green.  The son who started at age nine was around age nine and a half when this challenge was initiated by a commercialized martial arts school black belt that was 11.  She, yes she was very confident that she could defeat our student, Cameron, in a sparring match.

    When the father and son started training, they quickly advanced to their yellow belt.  When they earned their yellow, they went on and earned their next belt which was orange four months later. The father and son duo had a good amount of semi-private lessons while training with Green. The father trained with the son and they would spar together and regularly.  The father, who is a former Marine of 15 years would often work hard to build his son's confidence up and did a great job at keeping him humble but, also very disciplined in his martial arts studies.

    Green was training Cameron in the summer camp along with the other 120 children in martial arts at the YMCA camp.  Cameron was a dedicated student who practiced diligently and the best he could.  This type of martial arts character is harder to find than you might imagine nowadays.  The challenge by the girl was unexpected at the time because Green didn't think anything of it and had not idea any of the children had any martial arts training.

     What followed was the "challenge" transaction with Green. The eleven year old girl comes up to Green after a class and asks "Can I spar Cameron?" She was targeting the best child student we had at the time thinking that she could take him on, no problem. Green quickly replied "Don't ask me, ask Cameron!"  The girl then turned to Cameron who was standing near by and she said "Cameron, do you want to spar?"  Cameron quipped "Sure" while shrugging his shoulders as it didn't seem to bother Cameron at all. Green told both of them that they would spar tomorrow as class was already over.  Green turned to the girl and explained the rules to the girl, who was a Tae Kwon Do practitioner for 3 years versus our student of nine months of Karate.  She quickly disregarded what Green was telling her as not all that important.  Green told them both that they would both spar tomorrow and to bring their sparring gear.

     As the next day approached, Green eagerly awaited for what was going to transpire and felt good that Cameron would be able to do well in this situation due to all the training Green had poured into him and his dad.  Both students arrived for the regularly scheduled class of karate training.  At nearly the end of the class, Green had both students gear up (independently) while finishing out the regular training session with the rest of the kids.  Green went ahead and explain the differences within the rules between Karate and Tae Kwon Do kumite/sparring.

     The girl was dismissive of Green's explanation of the rules and asked "Can we just get started?"  Green then quickly replied "Sure."  Green made sure both competitors had their mouthpieces and other necessary protective gear for maximum safety.  Twenty five campers of the "Y" were on the outside perimeter of the mat as a traditional karate kumite match would occur.  Green lined up the students in their respective places and said "Rei"  Both students bowed in their own style of martial art.  Then Green, said with a commanding voice "Hijime" (Go or Start) then both students took one step back and then engaged into the kumite match.

     The girl tried 35 consecutive attempts to make contact with Cameron in any legal target areas.  She punched and kicked and was unsuccessful on landing any move on Cameron.  Cameron was blocking every technique that was being thrown at him.  This transpired over 30 seconds or so.

     Green stopped the match due to Cameron's lack of offensive retaliation and counter measures.  Green yelled "Yame" (Stop) and sliced the air downward with his right hand as a karate referee would do while in a front stance (semi deep stance with the front knee bent and back leg locked out.)  He turned to Cameron and commanded "Cameron, how come you are not punching and kicking back?"  Cameron replied "Sensei, because she is a girl."  Green then ordered "Cameron, would you just spar her!"  Cameron then acknowledged by saying "Oss." (Oss mean's yes sir.) 

     Green had the students get back to their starting line and then yelled "Hijime!"  Both students did their adjustments of each others distance and then Cameron saw an opening.  Cameron went towards her and unleashed upon her many extremely quick punching and kicking combinations in rapid fire that he return all of her amount of actions in a fraction of the time it took her to perform them.  In the matter of only 6-8 seconds, Cameron had overwhelmed her to the point to where she said "Stop, stop, stop" 3 times in about 2 seconds.  She had put her arms up in a non-martial arts way as if she had no training at all.  Her reaction was her turning her head and being completely defenseless in defending herself.  Green recognized this lack of defend compounded by her verbal cues and Green belted out "Yame!"

     The room was quiet for a moment until one child said "Tae Kwon Do sucks"  Green quickly asserted "Do not say that!"  However, the evidence was now shown, that with the variables at hand, the challenger felt foolish for even thinking of asserting such a challenge in a traditional karate school.  She was extremely embarrassed and rightfully so. One would wonder where this now, 25 year old woman is now in her life.  Did her life take a much more positive turn from this learning experience or did she just sum this up as Cameron getting lucky that he caught her not on her best day.  Hopefully the first assumption is what occurred.

     This story, which is a non-fictional story, has been told several times in the Green's Karate dojo as a way to have students understand several circumstances and situations to learn from.

     One, do not ever go to a martial arts school and challenge anyone to spar.  You not only make yourself look bad but also your martial arts school.  Two, do not under estimate anyone, ever, in what they are capable of doing.  Three, show good manners even when someone is foolish in their endeavors.  Four, always think that there is someone better.  This keeps you humble and this will help you in the long run in life.  Five, always show respect one another and never think you are better than anyone else.

     This is not the last time students of Green's Karate students have been challenged.  The next  challenge happened only one year later between another black belt who was a 3rd degree black belt versus a Green belt. (Green belt is half way to black belt.)  This particular story will be told but will have to be told at another time.  In case you are wondering,  yes, this black belt was from the same martial arts school in this story and no they were not from a school named Cobra Kai, but close enough. The latest challenge was less than one year ago and yes, from the same martial arts school, again.  However, the challenger, who is also a 3rd degree black belt didn't spar our best students, and the circumstances mentioned very briefly above didn't go down the same way as the story that we will tell. In fact, he is to come back to face our best students one day.

The overall outcomes in our 20 year history, we have never lost a challenge and don't ever intend to.  Lastly,  when a challenger does come again, Sensei Green prefers to tell them "We have been waiting for you!"  This always invokes an interesting response.

Cameron eventually grew up and became a Marine, just like his father.  Thank you Cameron for your dedication in karate. You made us proud!  You were incredible then as well as now!  Thank You for your service!  There are several more stories about Cameron's karate adventures and we will share those at a later date.

First Newspaper Article in Chattanooga About Green's Karate

     When Green arrived to Chattanooga, the date was September 10, 2002.  He had already had a lot of experience teaching karate in Alaska (more on that story, at a later date) and had 7,000 classes under his belt, pun intended.  Green didn't immediately open his karate school but instead had spent time in the Army as a helicopter mechanic and crew chief.  After being honorably discharged from the Army, he started his life over.  The Army had shipped Green's 4,000 lbs of equipment to Chattanooga and when it arrived, Green put it all in storage.

     Green first stayed with his oldest brother who was married and just had a child.  It was a rough few months.  Then another brother of Green decided with Green to move in together to a house in Ooltewah.  Green then got a regular serving job and worked at the local Logan's restaurant at night and worked with his brother in the day (brother he moved into house with) as a laborer doing construction.

     Green had tried to get his school going on February 11, 2003 but hit a snag.  This story of what happened is shared in the blog "Sabotaged In The Beginning." This blog has not been released yet.
Once Green overcame that situation, he moved onto the downtown YMCA.

     Green had an appointment with the Downtown YMCA. He had a meeting with one of the administrators about the possibilities of having a class at the location.  Once Green mentioned that he had some experience with working with those with special needs, automatically the administrator wanted Green to start right away.  Green's Karate school started sometime in April 2003.

     The next question asked to Green by the administrator would have a big change of the outcome of Green's financial future. The question was "Do you want to put on payroll or do you want to do this on your own?" Green chose the latter and started moving in the equipment to the very bottom floor of the Y, into a room that is about 800 square feet.  This location was two levels below ground and there were no windows.  Right above the dojo is the women's locker room.  Green would later learn this because of a leaky roof, drainage from the showers and one of the maintenance workers told him of this.

Green came to the agreement that he would receive a huge discount on the rent as long as he taught the Y's summer camp students for free.  This would include teaching 80 children (In 2003), 5 days a week, 3 hours per day in classes of about 20 children in each class for the summer or three months.  Some of the participants were special needs and Green taught them in their own class with plenty of camp counselors assisting.  This class was called the "Sunshine Class."

Green was restricted to only be able to teach his own classes to 3 days per week, in the beginning, as a sort of probationary period.  After a couple of months getting going, Green was allowed to open up his schedule to whenever he wanted to teach classes.

The camp classes and the dojo was a huge success from the beginning.  Advertising for these classes was allowed on the main floor of the "Y."  A small table with flyers and a guest register made it possible for Green to be able to sign people up. There was not a phone for Green however although all of the "Y" had wired in a phone system to go throughout the "Y."  The concept of having a cell phone for business was not common at all.

Green went to the local Sam's Club where cell phones were being sold and he was able to get a cell phone set up with about 800 minutes.  When he came back to the Y with his new flip cell phone, people were shocked that he had a cell for business purposes. There was actual people that thought this was strange. Also, the business phone number was changed recently to 423-405-DOJO (3656) as the new business number while the old business number was in existence up until a few months ago.

Word spread of a karate teacher that could teach people with special needs, karate, to the point the local news paper (The Times Free Press) wanted to conduct an interview.  Green remembers this day very clearly as something that has never happened since it occurred was when an assistant to the writer was walking with Green in the "Y" to the room where he taught classes.  While Green and the assistant were walking, the assistant stopped Green from walking any further towards the dojo and stopped at the top of the last stairwell before descending to the location of the dojo.  She turned to Green and said "Can you REALLY teach people with special needs?"  Green then reassured the assistant that he could.  They continued to walk down to the empty dojo while waiting for the class to come in.

The special needs students filed into the room with the camp counselors in tow and Green started the class.  Green then did what he always has done and started teaching the children in the class as he normally would.  Here is the article of that inspiration day:

 Connecting with Karate: Children with Autism "Seem" To Thrive in Karate Classes

"Karate can be therapy for children with autism" said Green age 25

Green had stumbled upon his "Karate Wise Therapy" at the young age of 25.  Fast forward 15 years and what Green said 15 years ago is simply an understatement.  Green knows that his traditional karate program "is" a therapy for children with autism and other needs. Green now has it perfected down to a science, literally.  Maybe Green was one of the first in the world to discover the amazing benefits of martial arts to those with special needs?  In those 15 years, Green who is now 40, has students that have made U.S. Karate history 15 times in only a 10 year span. (More on this in a later blog!)  

Green found his calling at a very young age and often deflects his success back onto his students because without them, he wouldn't be able to do what he does for them.  There are so many therapeutic aspects to people with special needs.  Green is one of the foremost experts in the world on this topic.  Keep reading "this" blog and you will discover and understand "why" Green is one of the leading experts in teaching those with special needs, karate. 

Although Green specializes with those with special needs, this doesn't mean he does not teach those without special needs.  In fact, the ratio that Green prefers to teach in is a 70/30 ratio.  If 70% do not have special needs and 30% do then, the students with needs will have an appropriate model to view and copy from.  If the ratio is 50/50, then he has to teach one group faster than another and this makes teaching difficult.

Being pigeonholed is something that Green has tried to not allow happen. He has worked with hundreds (if not already in the thousands) with special needs, so therefore this is what has happened.  And you know what, this isn't a bad thing. This actually could be one of the best things for Green's Karate and for the rest of the world.  To have someone to truly understand the mind, body and spirit of those with special needs and how to unlock their potential is exactly what the world needs right now! 

Here is one way to look at this, If Sensei Green and his instructors can build people up with special needs to a point where many cannot tell they "do not" have noticeable signs of their special needs. Then, what can they (Green's Karate) do for those that do not have any special needs?

Another example is if people with special needs could win in major/highly skilled traditional karate competitions against those that have no disabilities then, what does this say about those that have no disabilities?  What is their excuse for not being at their very best, nearly all the time?  Exactly, there is no excuse.  It could just simply be laziness.  Always remember that laziness is the habit of resting before you get tired!

Today, you will find more children than not, that are lazy, uncoordinated, entitled, uncaring and spoiled. Why are we doing this to the children of the future?  What point are we trying to make?
If people with special needs are able to great and wonderful things, then anyone can do great and wonderful things. It all comes down to if you want to pay the price.

In closing, more people than not, that have a disability, are more willing to go further, work harder, and have more resilience than people with no disabilities.  All you have to do is give them a chance, give them direction, some encouragement, and watch what they can do.  People with disabilities are amazing people once you "get to know them."   

Sensei Green's first students, Octavian and Andreas Mosesian!

     Before Sensei Green opened his first karate school on January 17, 1998, he was an instructor for another martial arts school.  This is where he met Octavian and Andreas Mosesian.  The two boys are brothers and not by birth, they were both adopted.  Octavian and his brother were born in Romania.  They were brought to the states by a wonderful family.

     Andreas was a typical little boy.  Full of energy and very focused on his training.  Octavian was not much different in that respect except for a couple of very important factors. Octavian was born with only one arm and one leg.  Green, who wasn't a Sensei at the time was told by his instructor to teach both boys and focus mainly on Octavian because he would need the individual attention due to him missing his right arm and most of his left leg.  Octavian was 6 and Andreas 7 when they started their martial arts training.  

Green remembers saying "Are you serious," he is missing an arm and a leg!  How do you expect me to teach him?"  His instructor said "Figure it out!"  Green then said "Okay, I will teach him!"  Fortunately, Green had a lot of patience with the little boy and would work with him, teaching him the kata and combinations to for him to earn his first belt. Octavian had prosthetic's for his missing arm and leg. 

Octavian, just hanging out! 

                                                                              Octavian, as cool as can be! 

Green did exactly what he was told and he taught Octavian all the way to his first belt, yellow.  His brother Andreas earned his yellow belt as well.  At this point in time, Green went off and opened a brand new martial arts school for his instructor in another city. Green lost contact with Octavian for the next 12 years until Octavian Googled his name and found that Green was talking about him being his first student this entire time. Green and Octavian as well as his brother Andreas haven't seen each

other since the spring of 1997. 

                                               

Octavian stands by a Lamborghini Gallardo! 

When Green finally spoke with Octavian and Andreas via email and Facebook, Green learned that Andreas had served in the U.S. Navy and then become a professional fire breather, and has impressed many with his A-M-A-Z-I-N-G abilities in the the art of fire breathing.  (Do Not Try This At Home Kids!)  He even successfully completed an amazing feat while the Guinness Book of World Records were present but they didn't see what he did would qualify in their record books but all the peers in his world did!  Maybe, one day, Guinness can come back to see Andreas perform his "world class" performance again to ensure that what he did was truly a feat that is for the record books.  Andreas continues to raise the bar in his profession and has and will inspire millions with his amazing talents. 

Thank you so much for your service Andreas!  We are so proud of you!  

 Here is Andreas wowing the crowds as only someone with his talent can! 

This is one of Green's favorite pictures of Andreas! 

Both boys, now men, went through high school and graduated. Octavian went off to college to further his education.  Octavian he has pushed the bar, like Andreas, to what is undeniably and equally inspiring.  Octavian earned his master degree in Political Science at the University of Dallas, Texas in 2016! Who would have knew a boy with only an arm and leg would accomplish this in his future?  Adversity is an understatement about what he had experienced.  He overcame so many obstacles!  

Way to go Octavian! You did it! 

This goes to show you never know how someone might end up and how you can be an influence on their life and vice versa.  Octavian and Andreas are two incredible men that have became both two incredibly different people in life but are both successful in their lives nonetheless.   Cheers to both of you for your grit, determination, perseverance, focus, and most of all being YOU! You are both an inspiration to the world!  

Octavian smiling as he should for what he has accomplished! 

As this blog comes to a close, you can hopefully see that this journey of Green and his incredible students is just getting started.  Stay tuned for more inspiring stories!  Remember, you never how someone will turn out!  Hopefully you can be the positive light in the person's life that sparks (Andreas lol!) someone's fire inside them to help them pursue what they were meant to be. 

Green cannot wait for the day to come where he can finally be reunited to the very first two students he ever taught.  Maybe that day will come sooner rather than later.

     

How Green's Karate was started on January 17th 1998!

Nineteen years, eleven months and twenty days ago, Sensei Green went to the bank to see about getting a loan for his new business. He was told that he could not receive a loan because he didn’t have a business. Sensei Green then asked what would he have to do to receive a loan and the bank said they he would need to try to qualify for a signature loan. Sensei Green then responded “What’s that?” The banker official then said “It is like if you were going on vacation.” Sensei Green then replied “Well, I am on vacation then!” The bank official then said “Here you go!” Sensei Green took the $1,500.00 and purchased a sign for the road for $300, paid for the rental space ($718.00 to have class out of a gym 5 days a week, paid for an office space in the same building to sign people up ($200.00) and paid for insurance for the dojo which was a little over $200.00. In two weeks, he made $3,000.00.

Sensei Green then realized what being a entrepreneur was all about. It wasn't ever about money for Sensei Green however what he felt for the first time was freedom. Sensei Green went back to the bank, paid them off and the rest is history literally. Below is more of the story and the pictures to show the very beginning of the journey of Green's Karate (GK).

Without taking the financial risk, GK wouldn’t be known for whom we are today!

GK is a prominent martial arts school not only in the heart of Chattanooga, more so a more well known and recognized martial arts school "outside" of Chattanooga. Olympic Karate schools from New York to California to Florida and Chicago know of Sensei Green’s passion for teaching those with special needs and everyone else that is willing to learn.

One of the main ideas of GK was to teach those with special needs alongside those without needs. He has been teaching those with special needs for 20 years (as a footnote: Sensei Green taught before he opened GK) and has the first American with autism to ever win a medal in International Competition. This man, Ryan Rogers is also the first American with autism on the U.S. Karate Team. Rogers is on the U.S. Para Karate Team and is the first person from Chattanooga on the U.S. Karate Team!

People along the way inspired Green to do what he does and his unique upbringing was key to his ultimate success in the Olympic Karate world. You won’t find Sensei Green discussing this information with anyone in casual conversation. In only one month from today, the world is really going to know who Sensei Green is. On the 20th anniversary of GK, Sensei Green’s second book (Finding Karate, Amazon, 2013) Karate Wise will change the world and will teach people how to teach others with specials needs how to defend themselves. The reference manual, Karate Wise, has over one thousand pictures, fifty thousand words and is over three hundred pages. You will find "Karate Wise" on Amazon.com.

About the pictures: The patch was the original design of the Green’s Karate logo that Sensei Green designed on a students computer in 10 minutes. Since then, the logo has only had one change and was designed by Sensei Green’s multi-talented wife, Michelle Young. The empty gym room is the exact room that was leased for the amount mentioned above. The students picture were the original students to partake in GK's classes. You see a young Sensei Green teaching outdoor classes to a small group of students.

GK will not have classes on Wednesday, January 17th, 2018 and will instead have a celebration of success that has encapsulated many great memories, great performances in competition, the lives that have been saved through the self-defense techniques taught and in remembrance of the students that once trained and have moved onto the next life.

This celebration is dedicated to the passing of Darby Rouswell (29), Henry Babcock (22), Danny Cunningham (52), David Leach (15), Joesph Kershaw (39), Greg Kohn (44), Robbie Saxton (11), Warren Statts (17) and Josh Girves (17). Without these students in Sensei Green’s life, they wouldn’t have made the impact they did on him. May they all rest in peace.

Please come to the dojo from 4p.m. to 8p.m on Wednesday January 17, 2018 for our celebration. We will have a slideshow showing many pictures over the years! You are welcome to bring your own non-alcoholic drink. There will be some refreshments and horderves. Thank you for coming to this excellent time in history for Green’s Karate! See you there!