I have not posted much on this forum,
however I read it most every day. I have
enjoyed many of your posts and I thought I
would add my two cents by putting in a heart
felt plug for the man who heads up this
forum, Scott Sonnon.
I have been in the fighting arts for 25 odd
years, having trained in American Kenpo,
Charging White Crane Kung Fu, American
Boxing and Kick Boxing as well as close
quarter combat. Reflecting on all the men
that have contributed to my knowledge over
the many years, I must say that, I have
never enjoyed a class more than the ones I
have been in with Scott over the last 2
months.
I remembered that two things were at the
nucleus of my prior training, Competition
and Technique. In the Karate and Kung Fu
styles I studied, The obtaining of
techniques and the mastery of those
techniques against one minded stimulus was
the main goal and measuring stick. In the
competition studies, of Boxing and Kick
Boxing, individual mastery of the basic
physical elements and the development of
attitude and mind set were paramount. The
ultimate goal in competition studies is one
of individual accomplishment during
competition.
Now, I don't believe there's anything wrong
with any of the goals previously mentioned,
nor is this a comparison of styles. It's
more of an evaluation of the journey, rather
than the destination. To me, the Ross
Journey and specifically, the Ross journey
with Scott as the tour guide, is in one
word "Fun". I can't remember the last time
I gave a class or was a student in a class
that was as fun as those that I have
participated in over the last 2 months.
Remember now, by fun I don't mean
frivolous.
Remember back to your barn yard football
days (I say barn yard, because its PA and we
have a lot of farm fields, hey what can I
say). I know I never enjoyed football in
my High School, Military, College or Simi-
Pro days like the ones I spent together
with friends, messing around. I also feel that most of, if not all of my skills
were developed during those fun times, where
you learnt, through joyful experimentation
with not only the skills of the game, but
with your own physical strengths and
limitations. I was free to be the athlete I
dreamt I could be, rather than the cookie
cutter image my football coach thought I
was or should be.
Scott develops an environment where each
member is not myopic or selfish in their
goals. They're not out solely for their own
development, but are interested in, and due
to the structure of the class, concentrically responsible for the
development of their peers. What could be
better than spending time around good
people, participating in training sessions
that teach new ideas and concepts, but more
importantly free you to regain those
individual traits that make You, YOU.
If you get an opportunity to work with this
man grab it. He's not only THE best coach
I have ever work with, he is one of the most
selfless people I have met in the martial
environment.
Thanks Scott.
Soon as he takes his act on the road.....
Better than Mike or Shawn? Tough act to follow!