Senshido Team member Wesley Deriquito Interview

A great intro to Montreal Canadian International Team member Wesley Deriquito, a fantastic instructor with heart and passion.

News, updates & upcoming UK seminar

From left to right: San Francicso Bay Area Team member Ted W., Montreal Team members Wesley Deriquito, Kenny Ramsahai, Rich and Nanaimo British Columbia Jeff "The Libman" Liboiron

Rich will be teaching his successful Walk The Talk Seminar for the first time ever in the UK, AT our place Unit 2C Little London rd in Sheffield this coming November Sunday 15th 2009.

This seminar delves deeper into enhancing perception time, decreasing reaction time, dealing with & managing powerful emotions and the adrenal stress condition phase, enhanced (auditory and visual) awareness, Senshido’s Emotional Invocation Drill, the complete Opportunity Drill and much more.

The seminar will be 12-5pm and cost £50, Rich is staying with us all week, so anyone needing or interested in private lessons, this can be arranged (evenings only).

Please contact us for more details or bookings at info@kapapsheffield.co.uk or call 07732 744188 for more info.

Thank you and hope to see you there.

Craig & Debbie Welsh

We'd also like to welcome 2 new additions to the Senshido International Team, Jeff "Libman" Liboiron & Ted W. Two amazing human beings full of heart and passion.

Soon to join the Senshido Team as well will be Germany's Norbert Mataush who's been working with our Belgium Team.

Richard Dimitri is now officially residing in Heliopolis, Egypt with a working contract for a private security company and has also opened up a 3x per week, monthly group class training sessions which he will be running with his assistant Amir Latif while still globe trotting spreading the Senshido Movement worldwide.

Richard Dimitri and Senshido International Headquarters new telephone number: 514-312-5713, all other information, website, email etc. are the same as before.

The first Senshido International Charity Event which occured in 8 countries/9 cities was a success, with many lives changed and over $11,000 (equivalent to US currency) collected for charities and families stricken by poverty. Though we were aiming for much more, it was our first one and we, with your help, are aiming to do better next year. A huge thank to all who particpated and donated to help us help others.

An Excellent Documentary: The Union.

An eye opening and very revealing documentary on the truth behind Marijuana.  Break the myths, break the propaganda, educate yourselves and above all.... Enjoy:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9077214414651731007&ei=qUqwSrCsJYjwlQfz6eS_Ag&q=%22The+Union%2C+the+business+of+getting+high%22&hl=en#

Help us help a friend...

Hi, my name is Jennifer.

I have made a film on OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is a low budget film but well made. I need funds to have the post editing done so I can present it to the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation as well as to organize a screening of the film for family, friends and hopefully influential persons working in the field of OCD. My goal is to make available this film to treatment centers, psychologists and whoever could benefit from it. I would be very grateful for any financial help that you could give me. If my limit is not achieved, the money is refunded to those who contributed.

Yours truly, Jennifer

http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2009-09-03.0213178230

UK Sheffield England Senshido Intl. Walk the Talk Seminar Nov. 2009!

Rich will be at our place Unit 2C Little London rd Sheffield this coming November Sunday 15th 2009.

The seminar will be 12-5pm and cost £50, Rich is staying with us all week, so anyone needing a private lesson , this can be arranged ( evenings only ).

Rich will be teaching his successful Walk The Talk Seminar for the first time ever in the UK! This seminar delves deeper into enhancing perception time, decreasing reaction time, dealing with & managing powerful emotions and the adrenal stress condition phase, enhanced (auditory and visual) awareness, Senshido’s Emotional Invocation Drill, the complete Opportunity Drill and much more.

Please contact us for more details or bookings at info@kapapsheffield.co.uk or call 07732 744188 if you need moe infoThanks and details will be on our website.

Thanks

Craig, Deb and Cala.x

The true ripple effects of Love & Selflessness...

(The villagers/Tsunami Victims standing on their new platform)

(Sophie building away at the platform for the Tsunami victims of Thailand)

(Tania helping the villagers build the platform as Cyrille supervises.)

(From left to right: Cyrille Richard, Semer, Sophie, May & Tania Garby helping the Thailand Tsunami Victims in 2004)

My name is Tania Garby, and here's a little story for you to smile at! In 1986, I dated a guy named Richard Dimitri who happened to be my first ever boyfriend; I was 15. We lost touch for 23 years and he found me again on facebook last year which made us reconnect this past July in Jasper & stronger than ever. Rich is the reason why I'm here today writing, as he brings out the best in me and makes me grow at a rate I didn't think existed. I told Rich the story you're about to read and he insisted I write it down...when I say "insisted", I mean it! :)

December 2004, the Tsunami hit a big part of Thailand leaving thousands of people homeless with lost lives of loved ones. Before it created this chaos, my friend Sophie and I were planning a Thai dinner for the Jasper community in Alberta, looking to give the proceeds to a charity. Then, the Tsunami hit a big part of the Khao Lak coast in Thailand, not too far from Phuket. We decided that the money we’d raise would go towards the victims of the Tsunami.

When the word was out, Treks and travel (local travel agency) generously donated a ticket for us to go to Thailand so we can bring the proceeds ourselves and directly help people in need. (We shared the costs of the other ticket.) We manage to raise $3500 that one evening with donations and proceeds from the dinner. The whole $3500 was to be spent in helping the ones in need.Our goal was to make a difference in at least one family.

At first, not knowing where to start, we made sure the monks had clean water to wash and drink for a while. Then, we asked Pong, the guy that owned the guest house where we stayed at, if he knew anyone in major need of help. Pong witnessed the Tsunami, saving many lives. His heart is made of gold; everyday, he was looking for ways to help someone; we couldn’t have done this much of a difference without him! A man named Semer and his wife were people he knew for a long time. Semer was one of the few vendors selling eggs and chicken at the market. His wife had a little stand of “Pa loe” (5 spice steamed pork). They had savings but kept them in their bungalow, like most people do in Thailand; then the Tsunami hit leaving them empty handed in every way.

They had debts towards the chicken farmer and the egg farmer. We asked what would Semer do if he had money, he replied that he would pay his debts first, of course; then he would build platforms under their house. The government had provided them with temporary housing; a very basic room made of tin sheets on pillars with just enough room underneath to stand up. Since the ground was clay, and the monsoon was just around the corner, building platforms was a priority. These would allow them to cook and hang out with friends and neighbors while staying dry.

First, we went with Semer and his wife to both farmers and paid their debts. His wife was often crying of joy and disbelief. We also bought Semer’s wife new dentures, as hers were cracked and she couldn’t eat properly. We then built platforms with Pong’s help, knowledge and generosity; he’s an angel himself! We met a carpenter that was volunteering for the Mercy foundation and gathered a few of the Thai people from the little “village” to help us help them.

Lunches were brought out in the morning, since money was no longer an option and the government wasn’t providing enough food for everyone.

After we returned to Canada, I met someone that had just come back from Thailand; as I was browsing through his pictures, I saw the same platforms we had built but somewhere I didn’t recognize. Happily of the ripple effect, I exclaimed how cool it was that they continued what we had started. “It’s you!” he said with a big smile on his face. He then informed me that once we had left, some volunteers continued building platforms throughout the entire village, that was extending down a little hill. The story then states that a generous man came along and bought fridges for each family! I wasn’t there to witness it, but if this is true, good on him!

To see there are many of us out there that reach out to help someone gives me hope and makes me wanna be an even better person. Through actions, the intention is to make this world a better place...thanks Rich! You’ve had a huge impact on my life to this day, and I believe you always will!

Again, thank you love!
Tania

A time for Change...

For those that have been following our work pre 2005, you’ve probably noticed a bit of a shift in Senshido’s approach and philosophy over the last 4 or so years. Senshido has shifted from being what has come to be known as a Reality Based Self Defense System (RBSD, a term that I and many others feel is redundant but understand the need to differentiate in the industry from the Traditional Martial Arts, TMA, and Mixed Martial Arts, MMA) to also becoming a world wide Movement for Peace and Unity.

2005 Was a defining and monumentally significant year for both Senshido and I. My world as I knew it then, had collapsed from under me (much of course to my doing). I was to undergo tremendous change within a 4-year period…. I went through 2 divorces, 1 marriage, 2 heartbreaks, a few backstabs, loss of 2 homes, 2 lawsuits, an intense rekindling, 6 moves, the sale of the Senshido School itself, a shedding of an old skin & soul and a final move coming up in October leaving North America for an indefinite period of time. Quite a bit for a 92-month period…

Through out these trials & tribulations, something else happened… I also began to change, to see the world from an entirely differing perspective; I let go of the egocentricities and began focusing on the collective-centricities. I began seeing the bigger picture. I started to understand that humanity, is not a mass of individuals but a collective… and through that shift, Senshido began to change with me. I saw life as a singular energetic entity and not a vast sea of individual lives, species and races… but one single, driving energy lead by love.

Senshido the RBSD system is now and has always been really, the vehicle we (our International Team) use to reach people. It has also become, as stated at the end of the first paragraph, a worldwide movement for peace and unity, for tolerance and acceptance and ultimately for the message of love. Love, the moving and driving force that should be guiding us all…

And so Senshido’s International Team is growing and is comprised of those who teach and spread the Senshido way of life through the RBSD/Martial arts industry and those that spread Senshido’s Movement of Peace & Unity through their own every day chosen vocations, not having anything to do with the combative aspects that has brought us worldwide fame. Senshido has expanded much beyond the RBSD/martial arts realm today.

I began to understand that our worst enemies are a very huge and indeed, identifiable part of us. The Ego. The ego is also, unfortunately the primary driving force in most first world societies today. The ego is responsible for pride, racism, jealousy, insecurity, fear, hatred, anger, stress, pain, individualism, selfishness etc. The higher self however, is responsible for love, unity, coexistence, compassion etc. the higher self knows no fear, as it understands its place in the grand scheme of life.

And as ego is the primary motivational drive of all confrontations, Senshido began addressing the individual’s own emotional state (fear, stress, anger, hatred) as the springboard of defense for anyone harbouring any or all of these ego based emotions should be more concerned about the damage they are causing themselves and their loved ones be it directly or indirectly, it will always be worst than anything any “bad guy” or criminal will ever do to us. The simple understanding on a higher level of this concept alone is empowering enough to change one’s entire life for the better.

Going from the perspective of Self Defense for Self Development, Senshido and I yet continued to evolve… our testimonials went from thank you for the skills that helped survive a violent confrontation to thank you for changing my and my family’s lives. This set me off on a new direction again. I wanted to reach people way beyond the Shredder, way beyond the psychological or behavioural self defense arsenals… though these are still the foundational source of our vehicle in reaching the masses as we have a worldwide audience through DVDs, magazines, the internet and our International seminars.

I wanted to start a revolution, a peaceful one… this, after much ‘va et vient’ with my team and a select group of trusted friends and family, turned into us wanting to continue an Evolution as opposed to starting a revolution. An Evolution started long ago and lead by people like Jesus Christ, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Bono, Lady Diana, Martin Luther King etc. We all live in this world, someone once said to me, you are either moving towards love or away from it... by every word, every action, every intention.

And more we began to do… a legacy project had already begun, I just needed to define it and focus on the ripple effects of it all. This is because legacy work is different from other good, solid and valid work. If you want to create something that will provide tremendous value to others and outlast your own life, you have to be able to clearly answer the question, “How will this really help humanity?” For most of us, asking this question can be difficult because it may cause us to realize just how little we do that has only insignificant long-term importance. It may reinforce that burning feeling we all have in our guts that we try to quell through various means but never succeed, and that is because it is greater than you and I.

Guess what happens when you make something greater than yourself… You re-awaken into life. You re-connect to this amazing source of energy that was always previously available to us only we had no idea how to achieve it… Work for collective liberation, because everyone's liberation is tied to each other's. If we are going to be free, we all need to be free… not a city, not a country, but the whole damn planet.

Hope, I realized, as I wrote to a good friend of mine on Facebook, resides in each and everyone of us... but as long as we all simply wait for the other to take action, nothing ever gets done... this is why people must unite worldwide and begin living the changes they want to see, becoming those changes regardless of adversity or perceived threat from the status quo... and Senshido International would like to offer a platform, a venue, a way for those like minded to unite and spread that message as there is power in numbers and as Pink Floyd prophetically sang on their “Wall” album in their song “Hey You”… “Together we stand, divided we fall.” And not as a nation, not separate from any other human being, but internationally… standing together world wide for the greater good of humanity.

Some may look at this and think or feel, too big a goal, impossible… why even bother? Or I have no time to contribute, no money to contribute… etc… but I have seen the changes, I have felt the ripple effect of our movement and the lives that it has already saved, empowered and enriched from the simplest of acts…

It takes little time and requires no money at all… it is the difference between living in our egos (how will this affect, effect, benefit me) as opposed to living in our higher selves (how will my actions affect, effect, benefit humanity, even in what I may perceive as the tiniest of ways…) as even the smallest, tiniest of things that may seem trivial to one, can enhance, enrich or even save another human beings life.

Acts any where in between such as those selflessly done by the people of our Good Deeds thread http://senshido.savi.ca/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3129, which in turn saved a life and gave many others a renewed faith in humanity causing them to go out and commit selfless acts; or on a grander scale such as my soul-mate’s Tania Garby and her friend Sophie’s when they raised $3500 for the Tsunami victims of Thailand and flew there personally themselves to help a family rebuild their lives, in turn creating a ripple effect that affected the entire village giving them hope and belief in the human race. People from all over the world got together to lend a helping hand out of the goodness of their hearts without wanting anything in return.

And so our short term goals are to spread awareness and as mentioned earlier, join with like minded people world wide, get them to actively help us spread the good word... we do this through our actions, we lead by the front and by example and we also appreciate the fact the we are far from perfect, that we have and will make mistakes along the way.

We’re not delusional about this, we only want to be a part of the chain of people that have come before us (Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Lennon, Lady Diana, Martin Luther King Jr. to name a few) to make a difference and create a monumentally loud enough noise world wide about it so that it attracts like mindedness and the ripple effect just spreads...

We’re not looking for free money or investors or to make a profit on this, as a matter of fact, 10% of all Senshido materials sold go into personally helping a less fortunate family in need struck by medical and financial problems... we’re looking for simple things like the spreading of our Good Deeds thread on our forum that has saved a life, our International charity event, etc. these are contagious things... we're the first to have tagged "Self Defense for Self Development" in the RBSD field and already I've seen someone begin "Personal Protection for Personal Development"... it spreads and that's a good thing when a good thing spreads... we want people to “rip off” our ideas... we want people to selflessly spread good... we just want to unify them under one umbrella and give them a sense of "togetherness" world wide as there is strength in numbers and people feel more empowered when they know they are fighting for a positive cause that is also internationally followed....

So if this resonates with you, if you would like to help us spread our movement, simply join our forum, facebook page and blog, help spread our message and know that 10% of any purchase you or anyone makes through Senshido International goes directly into helping a family in need. Help us network regardless of where you are in the world… share your stories with us, with others, spread your love as a little always goes a long way with the right intention and energy behind it.

And so I am still in transition with all of this, I am still developing this ideology more and more as days, weeks and months go by and everyday there is a new revelation, every day I discover or rediscover something that shifts my focus and evolves the direction in which I and Senshido are going… I understand this maybe and is definitely frustrating to some, but this makes it also quite revealing… and so I thank you for your patience during this transition, I Thank you all for reading and understanding, I offer my apologies to those that disagree or maybe disappointed in this new direction, however, this is much bigger than you and I. ;`)

Most sincerely,
Rich

For Carla - One of Senshido's Fighting Angels.

From Left to right: Trigs & Carla, Les, Adam and Ville 2004

Carla & Trigs, Helen, Rich, Deb and Alain (Spiff) 2004

Adam, Ville, Les, Helen, Alain, Rich, Trigs & Carla

I have been trying to find the time to sit down and write an article or two for our blog and have struggled to get around to it or think of something that maybe of interest or inspiring for others to read. When I do finally decide on a topic I tend to write it and then re-write it about 15 times which usually takes a week or two before I am happy for it to be read by others. Although I have to admit that I am never totally satisfied with the end product and know I could of done better. I suppose it is the perfectionist in me.

It is with great sadness that I have made myself find the time to sit at my desk and write this about a good friend that as I type has been given only days to live. I do not have the luxury of constantly re-writing it as I hope she gets to have it read to her before her time comes to an end on this planet or in the form she now holds.

I suppose life is the same, we get one shot at it and hopefully we make a difference or at least have a life worth remembering and at the very least we hope to be remembered by family and friends once we have gone. Carla please know I, the other Senshido Team members and your family and friends will always remember you and will keep you alive in our minds and hearts. Know that I will always be there for your family Trig and the your beautiful children and when asked about you I will share and remind them of all the fun times and laughs we shared. Obviously a lot of people on the Blog may not have had the opportunity to meet Carla and I’d like to share a few memories……….

I remember the first time I saw Carla, we had just finished teaching a Shredder seminar at the Tokei dojo in London when amongst the 65plus sweaty men faces appeared this gorgeous looking, long legged blonde with a smile on her face. She seemed to be looking for someone and stupidly I thought she had seen the seminar and was so impressed she now wanted to talk to one of the instructors about taking classes. Turns out to my surprise that she already was in training, her partner was Trig one of our UK team members.

As usual after seminars a group of us tend to go out to a restaurant for some food, a good chat and usually some great laughs. On this occasion I happened to sit opposite Trig and next to Carla, her easy going nature made her very approachable and immediately we were chatting as if we had known each other for years. In fact the same can be said for Trig when I met him the year earlier, he managed to attend our seminar last minute but as soon as we met on the day we instantly clicked and I’m glad that I have been able to call Carla and Trig good friends from our first meeting. Their likeable nature was possibly one reason why they were so perfect for each other.

The next time we all met up I got the chance to meet Carla and Trigs two little children. Gorgeous looking little kids, they obviously took after their mother ! I remember Kyle telling jokes as we all stood round laughing and then Rich chasing him round the group of us as kids do, entertaining themselves. That same evening we all went to the London Eye and took a ride on it. As our carriage reached the top there was a flyby and two aeroplanes dropped poppys all over the River Thames and in the process covered our carriage. I still have the photo taken at the end of these rides and it is possibly one of the few I have of us all together. That night I spent the best £8.00 of my life by purchasing a copy, little did I know it then.

The following time was at a tattoo studio in London. Turns out seven of the Senshido team all decided to get inked and we all met at the studio and proceeded to discuss what we wanted to get done only to be told by the artists they couldn’t fit all of us in at the same time! The Canadians won and they got inked while the rest of us tried to entertain ourselves in true Senshido fashion by discussing piercings in the more private area with the shop assistants and wincing at the size of some of them on display.

Something that is so typical of Carla was when she called me to get directions to my house. I started to do the usual, turn left here, turn right there, when you get to there you have gone too far, etc type directions only to get an ear bashing how she can read a bloody map!!!!!!!

Or the time she made me in the middle of a busy cafe do an impression of the first time we brought Rich over to the UK, walked him round the tourist sites all day then put him on an underground train and watched the heat and motion of the carriage make him fall asleep while he fought to stay awake! Lol.

Unfortunately the last time I got to speak to Carla was only last year – August 2008. I was about to board a plane to Las Vegas and I couldn’t get her off the phone as whenever we met up or spoke we always caught up and ended up laughing out loud. This is how I will always remember her, she brought joy and happiness to mine and others lives by just being…… CARLA! My only regret is that we had made plans to meet up again and unfortunately she got ill not long after my return.

When Rich and I stayed in Suffolk and taught seminars with Trig, Carla would be the only woman on the mats training alongside the guys. I had the…..what shall I say, Pleasure? Opportunity? Misfortune!! To drill with Carla and that woman could shred!!! Oh man, forget her old man this woman can take care of herself!!

I know Carla had decided to go into the police force so she could help battered and abused women. I’m not sure if she had managed to start her training, but I know the women of the UK would certainly have been a lot safer with female officers like Carla patrolling and looking out for them.

The new Senshido dvd series will now be dedicated to Carla and her memory and I am privileged and honored to be taking part in the filming of these later in the year.

So anyone that believes in God, know that when Carla stands by his/her side God will be in safe hands as this Angel is one tough women you would want on your side in any battle.

Unfortunately we can’t win every battle and although Carla has put up a terrific fight she was up against it this time and it is one battle she won’t win. She should be happy that she brought two beautiful children into the world and has helped and touched so many people that her memory will live on. There is probably so much more that can be said about Carla, but I think it is at times like this that instead of making lists of what we hope to do in life like learn to fly a helicopter, learn a language, go traveling, gain a black belt in a martial art, learn to salsa, do a parachute jump, get married, start a family and then leaving it on your desk, in your draw or carrying it around in your pocket or wallet until it is creased, torn and faded take Nikes advice and………JUST DO IT!

Live your life and when it is nearing your end, hopefully you can look back and see that you are wealthy by the things you have done and achieved and the people whos lives you have touched rather than the materialistic stuff we all have to leave behind. Just like my friend Carla has done.

Missing you already Carla, but will never forget you, thank you for enriching my life with your charm, wit and sense of humour.

Best Wishes,
Your friend,
Adam

I would like to add to Adam's already touching post, great memories indeed Ad, thanks for posting this... I also remember when Carla pissed herself laughing at that pic of my head on the headless angel with the tiny penis taken in Rome... man did we laugh in your kitchen... I hope Carla and Trig are able to make peace with it... it's important for Carla to know and I am more than positive she does, just how much her life has affected those of us that met her and had the fortune and honor of spending that time with her as it enriched each of our lives.

Carla, Trigs & family; I am grateful, inspired and empowered by you and your family's strength in these darker times to grow & evolve from a place of light and love. my thoughts, prayers, and most positive of energies are with you and your children. Passing on is never easy but it is an inevitability for us all and we must all live as well as we can and enjoy and love and share as much as we can...

From the heart,

Rich

Changing the world through music...

Our bro 'Universible' from the Senshido forum shared this with us.... It doesn't matter how it's done, what vehicle is used, which road one takes as there are countless ways to reach each other... the description on the side of the video is very cool.

Enjoy and please cut and paste...

We need your help....

The first International Senshido Charity Event is coming up quick, September 26th is right around the corner and we would sincerely appreciate anyone and everyone's help in promoting this worldwide event for us. All the proceeds for this event will be given to local charities.

The Montreal, Canada Senshido Fundamentals of Personal Protection seminar on September 26th 2009 from 12 to 6pm income will be given to the Welcome Hall Mission/Mission Bon Accueil located in Montreal, Quebec(the Children's division) & will be held at Leriken Functional Fitness (formerly the Senshido school) at 680 St. Catherine Street west, 1st floor, Montreal, Quebec.

8 Countries/9 Cities participating and contact information for details, info and costs for each:

The Senshido International Team:

Montreal, Canada: Richard Dimitri - rdimitri[at]senshido.com

Tampere, Finland: Ville Kaivonen - Contact vka[at]sci.fi

Mexico City, Mexico: Ian Hodgkinson - vampiro[at]me.com

Sheffield, England: Craig and Debbie Welsh - info[at]kapapsheffield.co.uk & Adam Cooper - adamcooper123[at]hotmail.co.uk

Beirut, Lebanon: Georges Fahmy - info[at]senshido.net

Tucson Arizona, USA: Dominic Alexander - juslearnin1[at]hotmail.com, Tara Burke - patches9[at]gmail.com & Dusty Alexander - dustyalexander[at]gmail.com

Washington DC, USA: Glenn Wilson - goldeneyemartialarts[at]yahoo.com

Liege, Belgium: Rod Fiardi - rodolphe.fiardi[at]yahoo.fr or rodpersonalprotection[at]yahoo.fr

Aukland, New Zealand - Phil & Athena Thompson - admin[at]protectselfdefence.co.nz

We would most sincerely appreciate it if you could share this info on your blogs, facebook pages, forums, websites, etc. without spamming of course... every bit of help counts as we aim to collectively donate over $20,000 to local charities worldwide. If this event is successful, we shall be holding it annually and as our team grows, so will the donations to the charities and so will we be collectively helping thousands worldwide.

All charities have been checked so please don't use the excuse that charities never give the money where it is suppose to go, although this is widely true, it isn't of every charity and the ones specifically chosen by the team were chosen carefully and with good conscience.

Thanking you in advance for your help.