Bob White Martial Arts | 10th degree Black Belt in American Kenpo | Author of the book "Life in Session"

Jose Flores  0:06  
Hello, everyone. Welcome to the we're kicking it! The podcast where I get the privilege to talk to the legends and words of the martial arts world. Today, I am joined by American campus on 10th degree black belt, Senior Master and author of life in session, the Senior Master Bob white story, Bob white himself, Mr. White, how are you, sir?

Bob White  0:29  
I'm doing great. Thank you.

Jose Flores  0:30  
So, but the book Honestly, I didn't know about it. Where can one get your book? Well,

Bob White  0:37  
we have books here at the studio, but also it's on Amazon, and you can get it through our website.

Jose Flores  0:44  
Oh, okay. So it is on Amazon to just look at it. And again, that's let me look it up here again. That's the Senior Master Bob bite story, correct life and session life in session. All right, I think. And again, thank you. Thank you so much, sir, for having me. Thank you for being here. I truly appreciate this.

Bob White  1:03  
Oh, good. I'm looking forward to it.

Jose Flores  1:05  
So I'm really quickly how old were you when you started martial art. I

Bob White  1:08  
was 14. I had a high school teacher that was teaching karate Shotokan Karate at a local Athletic Club. So I went over there and enrolled with my father. And we got started. And it was something I really enjoyed. But I was playing baseball and football at the same time. So I didn't go to camp all which is my current style, of course, until 1966 when I was about 16.

Jose Flores  1:33  
Whoa, okay, so they you managed to get your black belt in your periods?

Bob White  1:39  
No, I didn't. I didn't know I was just coming up through the ranks. And I Well, I wasn't studying consistently because of my other athletic involvement. But I loved it. And I wanted to keep on doing it. And then they opened up, I'd like to say, Ed Parker opened up and I was wanting to study with him, but honestly, I didn't even know who he was at the time. But I went over there and I watched a couple of guys freestyling. And that's what I wanted to do. Well, okay, so

Jose Flores  2:07  
you didn't even know who Mr. Parker was at Parker. He just showed up one day and saw it was just from convenience. That's, that's pretty awesome. And, and so you you signed up? And you obviously you don't know who he was. Tell me more about that coming up in the ranks with him. How was he was he Well, he was bigger

Bob White  2:28  
than life at the time. You know, it really he had a lot of schools. So this was in his headquarter school, he was up in Pasadena. But we had a guy there by the name of Fred Brewster, who's still very close to me, and very good man. But he was running the school along with Bob Perry. And whenever Ed Parker would come around, it was like, we were cleaning the school, you know, we're getting it all ready for him. And he just was, and was an is somebody that somebody had so much respect for?

Jose Flores  3:00  
Yeah, I mean, I, honestly when I, when you do your seminars, you guys talk about him, and I'm truly in shock. I wish I would have met him. I mean, from what you guys said he was an incredible person.

Bob White  3:12  
Yeah, he was that, you know, column then does and brings up a great point that he said he was at the internationals in 1989, and was gonna walk up and introduce himself to Mr. Parker. And he said, I don't want to bother my way till next year. And there wasn't a next year, he died in 1990. So call and never had a chance to meet him. And so the lesson is, get your hand out there who walk up and introduce yourself, and you'll find, you get that opportunity that you don't want to miss.

Jose Flores  3:45  
Yeah, so do you ever get instructed by him? A lot?

Bob White  3:49  
You know, I was talking earlier, we had a Monday morning management meeting, where we would go up and we'd learn how to teach, how to talk to people how to show people around the school, how to answer information calls when people call and it was a great education that's allowed me to do this as a career for well over 50 years. But I owe so much to him for providing that information and education. So yeah, he also tested me for various belts all the way up, and including my black belt in my black belt test was September 11 1971. So when the big tragedy happened with the bombing, it would have been my 30 year anniversary, and we had a big party plan, but we called it off of course, because it was such a terrible time. But this year, it'll be 50 years since I tested why I started. I started teaching in 68 full time and really never had another career. This is what I do for a living and what I have done for a living since that time, and I just feel very fortunate. It's something I love. I don't tire I was tired or You're about retirement, but I really don't think that's gonna take place.

Jose Flores  5:03  
Yeah. So the you always knew you wanted to be an instructor because obviously now you're affecting so many people. So how did that come about where you said, I'll be an instructor, you know?

Bob White  5:16  
Well, that to me, I had a choice. I was playing college baseball, and I had a tryout with the California angels. I think at that time, they were the California Angels of Anaheim. So they've gone through a bunch of, but I went up to try out a bit Sawtelle field at UCLA. And it was rained out, which never rains in California, but it rained that weekend. And then the next weekend, I fought in a tournament, and I end up getting a broken leg. And then yeah, I was supposed to come back in two weeks, but the broken leg took over. And but right at that time, they really needed teachers, because karate was really becoming popular. You know, we had the kung fu series, and there started to be some Bruce Lee, who had been at the internationals and 6465. That's how he was introduced the American public. And karate became more and more popular. So we're getting people that enrolling, like crazy. So that was great for me, because it opened up a spot for teachers. So I had my leg in a cast, but I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. So I was teaching classes with a cow Stein, you know, the guy just didn't want to not having that chance. So that's how I got started. And I've been fortunate to be able to do it since then opened my own school in 1972. And we've had a school ever sent. We've been at this location now for 42 years. Well,

Jose Flores  6:45  
so this wasn't your first go here.

Bob White  6:47  
No, my first goal is in Garden Grove. And we just had an immediate success. And when I say this, it's not to brag, I'm just telling you the truth. But we immediately became very well known in our community, because we were winning a lot of tournaments. And a lot of my students I recruited from my high school who were they were all athletes, they were all baseball players and football players. Guys like Dave Brock, who is an eighth degree along with Colin vandusen. week from last night, I'll have my third eighth degree, one of the guys here, Jim mcclurg. So there'll be three eights, calling Dave Brock and Jim Winkler. So we immediately got this reputation, and our school just started growing, and we'd go to tournaments, and we were pretty much dominant. And that got us started. And in reality, if you if I tested in 71, which I did open my own school, and in 72, under normal situations, I would be ill prepared to run a business with only one year experience. But because of the education I got from Mr. Parker, and the fact that we had a really good school, we had some great people, you know, when I teach karate, I always remember right off the bat, I remember the coaches that I had, and other sports, and what coaches made an impact on me. And I wanted to be that type of coach. And it was always somebody who took a personal interest in my progress. So I've tried to do that with my students. In fact, I haven't tried to do it. I do that with all of my students, I have a personal interest in them. And they know that there's an old saying about nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care. And that sounds kind of corny, but it is really been one of our vehicles for success throughout the years, is that people know that we're involved in them, not just from a business standpoint, but we're involved in them getting better and martial arts. Whoa,

Jose Flores  8:52  
that's like, that's, that's awesome. I like what you just said. And I mean, honestly, I'm here just in awe and marrying your stories. And so it's kind of going to take me to the next question, because I'm still processing everything. But take it back a little bit to Mr. Mr. Parker and American Campbell. Because for the listener for the listeners that don't know, he was the founder of American kempo. Correct, correct. Yeah. So do

Bob White  9:18  
you know when he started, certainly, you started in Hawaii. And he started with William Chow. And he came over here. He was Mormon in Hawaii and went to Brigham Young in Utah. And he started a karate program there. And there's some people that are still part of his lineage in Utah. Some really good martial artists there. But then he moved to Pasadena and from Pasadena. He started the international karate championships in 1964. And it became the biggest tournament in the world. And many people's careers including Chuck Norris, and Bruce Lee, were launched at that tournament. Oh,

Jose Flores  9:59  
so he He was a very big sparring person, he was a big, he loved to spar.

Bob White  10:05  
Well, a lot of people. He was just, as I mentioned, kind of larger than why he was so cute, make charismatic. He had the type of personality where he could talk to the Hawaiians over there and their language Pidgin. And then it could also talk to presidents of countries. And he was very big in Chile, and he worked with their dictator, Pinochet. And it was he just had this education, that at that time, nobody had that combination of highly skilled, very innovative, very structured, and at the same time, had the education to carry him. So it was pretty remarkable. And it was so good for us, because he created a curriculum that was and is fantastic for taking a new student up through the ranks.

Jose Flores  10:58  
Yeah. And every, again, because it's American camp when I know this, I'm familiar with it as Mr. Mendez in common is Jose say you're familiar with it, you don't know. Yeah, each rank as yellow, I believe has 12. I believe. We have 10 techniques, Angelica 10. And then after that, it just keeps gradually progressing more and more.

Bob White  11:24  
Well, the way that we do things. And this is directly from from Mr. Parker, we, when I started, they didn't have yellow belt at all. In fact, many of my students never went through the yellow belt process. This came about probably in about mid 70s, late 70s, they created the yellow belt. I didn't really start doing it until the late 80s. So we just started with the orange belt card. Originally, there weren't names of the techniques, they were just grabs, like left hair grab, and that's clutching feathers, I love lapel grab, that's low income on them. But then he originally came out with a system for each belt, there was 32 techniques, like 32 techniques for orange 32, for purple 32, for blue 32. For green, then there was the green orange and the green orange. Were the greenbelt techniques, but then continuations of that are extensions of those techniques. He then went down to 24 techniques. And I think before he died, he was in the process of dropping it down to 16 techniques. And the The concept was eliminate so many techniques, but poor put more emphasis on your basics. And I really liked that idea doesn't mean that everybody really follow that a lot of people that allow 16 techniques, that's a vehicle for faster belt promotions. Yeah. But the way that the techniques work at our school, then I'm sure at Collin school is that the techniques and forms are all made up of ingredients, and the ingredients if the ingredients are solid, which are the basics. You could put them together and make not only a great meal, but a great self defense technique. Yeah, but the ingredients have to be good. If the ingredients aren't good. It doesn't matter what the recipe is the meal won't be any good. Yeah. So you have to get those solid solid techniques and basics so that you have become a much better martial artists. Oh, there's a big difference between being a martial artist and a partial artists. Martial Artists is when somebody just owns a little bit of the of the techniques or the maybe I don't like sparring. So no do that. somebody that wants the whole meal, then you better get your forms in basics, self defense techniques, and you better get the sparring. Yeah.

Jose Flores  13:57  
Oh, yeah, that's and I mean, like, as you said, Khan came up. I mean, he had us do it all as well, Mr. Minister, and there's no doubt he will Yeah. How about yourself? Do you have any preference between techniques formed, sparring yourself,

Bob White  14:11  
because the for the first honestly, the reason I learned the self defense techniques, because you had to learn them to get belts on division, all I wanted to do is spar. Yeah, that's that was my love and my interest. But as time has gone on, I've gotten a little more maturity. And I realize that you have to have balance. And you have to, if you do an inventory on your art, and I do still to this day, I think about what is it that I do really well. And where could I improve? Not that you can't improve on everything, but what needs the most improvement, and then I isolate that and work on the areas that need the most attention. I do that whether I'm playing tennis or as a husband or as a father, all those things you need to do it inventory and work on the areas that need the most attention.

Jose Flores  15:04  
Oh, man, that's, that's awesome. So let's, let's backtrack a little bit. You're competing. I know you went 73 and 74 undefeated.

Bob White  15:14  
While I was on the team. Yeah, it was defeated. Yeah, it was Mike stone. Well, I just talked to you last night for an hour and a half on our show. And Mike was the first international champion 64 and 65. And he put together this national competition, where the top teams in the country would come together to compete. And I was fortunate I was on the team that was undefeated for those years, we had a great team to wait on some real talented people

Jose Flores  15:45  
for hope. And from my understanding back then we didn't you guys didn't have the sparring gloves has

Bob White  15:52  
no interesting story. Because the first year that we bought Notepad, the second year, which I bought, from what 66 till 73, I think without Pat, but in the first give me the second national All Star team competition, Mike stone walks into the room, and all these the top fighters in the country are in the room. And he comes in with this big box, and he throws us the box, and then the box will look like a bunch of marshmallows. But they were white hand pads and foot pads. He goes there's full contact tonight, guys. And it was I mean, we went from point karate, which it was always full contact to the body, you just couldn't hit to the head with full contact because somebody start bleeding and then you'd get disqualified. So it was full contact to the body, but control to the head. But now it was full contact to the head. Yeah, so it was really good. And we had a great plan. Our plan was we bow in and punch the guy right in the mouth. And then the idea was that people would either get mad, or they would get afraid. And it gave us an edge because the enemy is emotion. Yeah. And if they they're not used to words, nobody wants to get used to getting hidden. But it was a great strategy. And we ended up winning.

Jose Flores  17:15  
Oh, man, that. That's awesome. So you just kept competing through all those years?

Bob White  17:22  
Yes, you fought a lot traveled and fight. And, you know, I, if I have a regret is that I didn't fight more. And the reason I was running the school and a typical thing. And again, we were talking about it last night, at my school and my students are fighting, I'm there. So I would get there at the tournament, like at eight o'clock in the morning, say at the internationals, the last time I fought, I thought at one o'clock at night in the morning, the next day, because you're there all day long with your students. And you're encouraging them and you're running from ring, you know, ring to ring. And then they call blackbelt teams like at 11. You know, so I mean, it just made for it was too much. But other guys would stay away and only get there in time to fight in Division. And fortunately, we still won, but it just became more than too long of a day. Yeah. What happens your family life suffers at because you're traveling and going to various tournaments. But I've had some great experience, you know, I thought in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it was the all star grand championships in Albuquerque. And some of the best guys were there. Chuck Norris was there and some bill Wallace and just some top people. So that was a great tournament. And then they used to have the C KC was the California karate championships. It was held in San Francisco. And it was every bit as big as the internationals at that time.

Jose Flores  18:57  
Oh, yeah. Okay, big event. And I guess, okay, that wasn't so International. It was I mean, I remember I participated in that one. And it was, I remember the first time it was like, Whoa, there's a lot of people. Yeah, yeah. And honestly, I didn't know the gravity of the situation. I didn't know who started it. And as I found out, I was like, oh, man, this is awesome. And I remember one year I saw you and Mr. Pet salon tree. There. And funnily enough, I was there for another convention. Oh, is that right? Yeah. But I was there and I saw you guys. I was like, I, I need a picture. I need a picture because Mr. pantalon tree I knew him from Big Bear when Mr. Khan vendors and used to take us sure and do seminars and I just remember I was his. That was his partner. He used to do everything on me, which was awesome. I mean, I don't know about you, but I always thought of it as a rite of passage. If they do something on you.

Bob White  19:57  
No doubt

Jose Flores  19:59  
it's Great. And I love that. So coming back to your to your teaching. You've been doing it since I'm sorry, how old it is 6868. And obviously, every time it's just something new, you always learn something new every day always. Yeah.

Bob White  20:19  
So do you have an H preference that you'd like to teach? Or do you like, teach them all the same? They all offer challenges, and they all offer rewards. You know, sometimes you don't know where your knowledge is coming from, you know, I was teaching a young man in Texas one time and he raised his hand and I go, yes, how may I help you? And he goes, Well, I'd like to say something. I go, okay. He goes, Well, you know that life begins when your comfort zone ends. I call let me go write that down. I like yeah, I still use he's just a young kid is I packed? I remember, his name is Logan Norris. He's one of Brian Duffy students, and Austin, Texas. But so if you don't know, you really don't know you I have a guy a couple years ago is 66 years old, got his black belt, and a remarkable accomplishment. So that's quite extremities from from the young, you know, all the way up. But it's all enjoyable. I was talking earlier, you know, you have to eliminate expectations, because expectations are resentment under construction. Yeah. But you also have to help somebody get to someplace they never knew they were capable of getting. And that's one of the fun parts of teaching. You know why it's called a coach, your coach, because a coach is something you can ride in? Well, it's our job to take a student from an existing state to a desired state. And you're the coach that's going to get them and move them there, then that's fine.

Jose Flores  21:49  
Yeah, that is fun. So yeah. And obviously, through the years, martial arts keeps evolving. Right? And you correct me if I'm wrong, however, back in, when you were training, things were a lot more strict, like you seen kung fu movies where you know, the instructors super strict. And if you're not in a horse stands that come over with a little stick and hit you in the back. Was it like that for you? When you were training in

Bob White  22:14  
some cases? But, you know, you learn? Yeah, there are things and instructors that I had on the way up that I learned some wonderful things from, but I also learned some things that I didn't want to be like that.

Jose Flores  22:27  
Yeah, you know,

Bob White  22:28  
there was a lot we used to get kicked in the stomach a lot. Just during training. There's There's no need for it. I don't really like the idea of an instructor hitting a student. Yeah, I just never how I think it's a betrayal of trust. You know, just like sparring with a student. Yeah. If I were to hurt one of my students when I was sparring, I would feel that I betrayed them.

Jose Flores  22:51  
And that is true.

Bob White  22:52  
Yeah, I think you could be demanding. And you could want them to perform at their highest level. And they're going to have the reality that part of their training is putting paint on vacation, and they're going to be heard at one time. But there's not by me, they're going to be expiring and they're going to get hit. But for me to hit my students, you know, they're not going to hit back. I mean, that's hard. That's but like being a bully, so I'm not interested in that. So that's stuff that I've seen throughout the year. And I still see, I see people teach in their classes. And they're laughing because they knocked the wind out of their student. And, you know, if I was a student, I wouldn't say, yeah, yeah, there's no real reason for that other than self glorification of the person doing the hitting.

Jose Flores  23:39  
Yeah, then that is true. And that's, that opened up my eyes a lot. I mean, I, honestly I'm, and I and I got this from jack Felton, and Tara, Tara van dusen. When I spotted them, they always they were my instructors, but at the same time, they always tap me and not to pain. But I knew where I got hit. Yes. And I, as soon as I was like, well, they're not hitting me hard. They're just tapping me. Yeah, I knew I wanted to be like that.

Bob White  24:12  
Yeah. Well, jack Felton if you want to spar with somebody fight with the best Yeah, because he's gonna have control. I just was showing earlier there's a picture out there have been a your Katie's, the best guy to spar with and he's a 64 year old full contact fighter. But if you're going to fight with somebody fight with somebody who has emotional and physical control of themselves, yeah. A lot of times when people are hitting hard is because they're scared or they're trying to make a point or look good at your expense.

Jose Flores  24:41  
Yeah, I don't want to be like that. No, and that's, that's when I came up. I was like, You know what, I want to be like that and till this date that if, for whatever reason, I do have to spar sooner. Why not? I make sure that I just tap Yeah, I don't go hard. I don't because like you said I have control over myself. Yeah, I know. There's no point in going hard. No, it's better you tab like our, our system is point sparring. So you can just tap and tap. And I know I could do everything I know I could go along and this person would there's no need to like

to, you know,

Bob White  25:18  
jack came in here first when he was three years old.

Jose Flores  25:21  
Really? Yeah. Yeah. You know,

Bob White  25:25  
they said when do you start karate? I don't think jack ever did not do karate. He's like my daughter's you know, he's they've been they were raised here at the studio. They've been doing it in their entire life.

Jose Flores  25:34  
Wow. So all your daughters are Blackhawks here? No,

Bob White  25:37  
I have six daughters and two of our black belts. Oh, okay. Yeah. All right, a couple of green belts. And then yeah. And your

Jose Flores  25:46  
wife sells a black belt under you. Right? Yeah,

Bob White  25:48  
she's honestly, not just because she's my wife. But I don't think that I've really had a student ever that's worked as hard as she has. She trained she just turned 64. But she works out every day or runs every day. When we we live about three miles from here. She'll run here to the studio to teach classes on Saturdays, and then run back home. I think good nods amazing to me that shows that discipline. Sometimes people will train sporadically for a particular event. She trains every day, and doesn't miss. So I have a lot of respect for her.

Jose Flores  26:26  
Yeah, that's, that's amazing. And so now I wanted to ask you this. I know there's a lot of techniques. However, is there one that you like to teach when they you go? Oh, I like this technique.

Bob White  26:41  
Well, I was asked that question in Ireland a couple years ago. And one of the they asked me what my favorite technique was. And it's calming the storm. I mean, the end the reason we had one of our black belts that was attacked at the beach was a guy came at him with a crowbar and there was they were like skinheads and there was like three of them. And he did the first move of calming the storm. He moved in, punch the guy in the face. And those all three guys jumped in. But it's what saved his life. I saw him in the hospital later that night, like a two in the morning. And he first thing he said to me is calming the storm saved my life.

Unknown Speaker  27:19  
No way.

Bob White  27:20  
So that's my favorite technique for that reason.

Jose Flores  27:24  
And oh, s forms go kata. Do you have any preference

Bob White  27:30  
as well like short three or three? Yeah, it's all grabs entirely against grabs. And and it's the first advanced form that puts self defense techniques in predetermined sequence. Before that, we call them dictionary form short one through long till. But from short three on all forms are things are self defense techniques. So I really like that.

Jose Flores  27:54  
Yeah, all those. And I know I mean, under column and those and I'm a black belt under him. However, it took me probably till green or brown belt to realize that. Wait, these are on grabs? Yeah. So it's those little things that always surprised me. I'm like, wow, okay. Well, it never stops. Yeah,

Bob White  28:15  
that's how it is. Yeah, you learn new things about old material. And that's why it becomes fun. You know what the word domains and dojo? Oh, you got me there. Okay. It means the way when it's the way of constantly seeking improvement, and no matter if you've been studying 15 minutes, 50 months or 50 years, there's still so much to learn about martial art.

Jose Flores  28:37  
That is true. Oh, man. So can you give us a little bit of an eye? I'm interested sooner, but now better than ever. American kempo? What? It's a little bit of history on that or? I'm trying to trying to say Well, sure. Yeah.

Bob White  28:54  
Well, Ed Parker, based our whole system on logic. Now Ed Parker had a judo background before he started karate. But he we don't have that many Judo techniques. And the reason is, because in judo, you put both hands on the person's uniform and you're thrown and had Parker know, if you put both hands on your uniform, there's nothing protecting your base, or your groin. So that's why we have checks to my knowledge. The first system created with checks and a check as a move that prevents against intentional or unintentional movement. But most systems, especially where I came from the shoulder con, there are no checks. It's full chamber, your lead hand returns for opposite torque because it's all about power. But the defense suffers at Parker knew that your defense is always at its weakest point when you're thinking offense. When you turn into your opponent, like right here, I'm protected but if I open up to throw my rear hand, there's more target there. So what he did is he based the system on logic and we When we used to do this self defense technique, we would have about 10 of us up there in the morning, Monday morning management meetings. And then we would look for vulnerabilities. Or what ifs. What if the guy did does what and then we would work on improving the technique because Ed Parker was very, very much concerned on not only of course, logic, but on evolution. Now he really liked to see things change. And the biggest thing with American kempo karate, is that it's geared toward self defense. Yeah, even tournaments are a byproduct. And I think you can learn a lot from self defense techniques that help you in your fighting. But the primary price, our primary purpose, is to develop skills for confrontation with the idea that hopefully it'll never happen.

Jose Flores  30:52  
Yeah. And yeah, I mean, I've, honestly, I've never had to use my cell to vent on anyone. And so have you had to use this? Um, I have,

Bob White  31:03  
but not not in a row long time.

Unknown Speaker  31:05  
Oh, you know,

Bob White  31:06  
Ron Sanchez, you know who Yes, yes, Ron is retired Captain with the LAPD. And the night he got his black belt, we went out after the test. And we ended up in a big confrontation was about I don't know, as I get older, there's more of a minute. Yeah, you know how it goes, the older I get the tough right away. But there we were out numbered, I will say that, oh, we take away the machetes and the AK 40 sevens they had. But you know, it's happens. That doesn't happen very often. You know, thank God. Yeah. What Ron does so well, is he has a program and he has a book about pre flight indicators. And you can start to recognize things and then you know, it's fight or flight. And honestly, I'd prefer the flight to live better. Distance is your best friend. Somebody wanted to fight me in Huntington. I'd rather be in Costa Mesa. We want to get away from trouble if at all possible.

Jose Flores  32:07  
Yeah. I and I don't really know where I heard this from it could have been calling or could have been yourself. But I heard whenever you're teaching a self defense technique and or some, some form of self defense, I always tell your students first if the opportunity arises, runaway, created this doubt and runaway, don't think because you know martial art, you're going to get the upper hand because you don't know if this person has a friend or what they have with.

Bob White  32:37  
Yeah, and you don't know where it goes from. It can go really South very long, very fast. Yeah. And the idea is just de escalation. You know, there's some wonderful books out now, Peyton Quinn has written some great books, a guy by the name of Gavin de Becker has a book that most police departments when they put on self defense clinics really advocate reading that book, it's called the gift of fear. And fear is a gift. When you can recognize danger, and then escape from it. You know, human beings are the only animals that can see something dangerous, and stick around to see what happens. If it's a deer and there's a fire that deer is out of there. Yeah, and our wild animal they're gonna get out or and away from trouble. And we're not like that. A lot of times we want to be looky loos I guess they're called. Yeah. And then we get in the middle of it. So I think if you're really, as I mentioned earlier, there's martial artists and martial artists. I think real serious martial artists is going to want to expand their education. And there's so much that you could read that will do that.

Jose Flores  33:45  
Yeah. And I mean, this is why I'm doing this because it's great. You have I'm in shock, everything you've been telling me. I'm still processing and awesome. I mean, I

Unknown Speaker  33:54  
love it.

Bob White  33:55  
Well, thank you. Yeah, yet. Fortunately, I've been able to stick around for the last 50 something years, but you know, you learn you move away from pain and toward pleasure. And for me, martial arts gives me great pleasure. I love it. And it's being able to help people and be in service. The happiest people I know, are people that are helping others. Whether it's a doctor or an attorney, my wife's a nurse, besides her karate, but it's been in service to others.

Jose Flores  34:22  
Yeah, that's. I saw a sign in the front and you can help me out with this. It's probably been a while. But it goes along the line where a child never think his parent if they quit, or some something along those lines.

Bob White  34:42  
Yeah. I never met an adult that was happy that they were allowed to quit as a child. Yes. And it's so true. Yeah. You know, a lot of times kids do not know what's best for them. And the idea is, encourage them and there's certain things you can do. To ensure that they stick with it. We have something we call a triad to success. And it's how parents, the student and the instructor work together as a team. And as a result, you get success stories, where the kids are able to go up through the ranks, but nobody's happy years after if they were allowed to quit.

Jose Flores  35:21  
Yeah, no. And, and the only reason I bring this up is because I don't know about you. But I've met throughout the throughout the year, so many parents that Oh, I'm a lead little Bobby A Little Billy, you know, take a break, no doubt, and I met parents are like, no, you're gonna stick with this. And you're going to stick with this until you reach the top. And of course, the blank was not the top and but at that point, they want to keep training. Correct. That point they love it, and they want to keep training. Yes. I, every student I met that started from young and they quit, or they took a break. Now that I seem a teenager. They tell me, I wish my I wish I would have never quit. Yeah, well, I

Bob White  35:58  
learned the hard way. My daughter, my daughter was I made her fight and tournament for one year. And when she was like 13, and she had a great years, you want a lot of trophies, and I go at the end of the year, I'll leave it up to you to see what you want to do. So she decided that she was going to quit. And it was lazy parenting on my part. Now, about 15 years later, she came back and got her black belt. And the first thing she said to me when she got her black belt, dad, why'd you ever let me quit fighting with her the whole time. So that's a story I share now with my parents and the parents of the students here to let them know, that's my experience. And the idea is you've got to do what's best for them, not what's easiest for you. Because it's not easy for tougher to bring these people in and argue that a friend of mine had a great suggestion is that every time you walk, you might have already done this. But every time it was time to go do karate their child would resist because he'd have he be taken away from his friend said what you could do is 30 minutes before it's time to leave. Have them do a chore you're in. Yeah. So now you're rescuing You know, you're not pulling them away. So that works.

Unknown Speaker  37:21  
Yeah, but

Bob White  37:22  
kids are you know, they're manipulative, and they're gonna want to take the easier softer way. But they don't know what's gonna be best for.

Jose Flores  37:29  
Yeah, and I've used that one. Plenty of time. Yeah. And just the they're playing the game or playing with their toys or their friends and go do some chores. And sure enough, they come at me. Oh, Jose, that weren't yelling. Yeah. Because they know they've had fun in karate. Just coming over and just standing there. Ready? And they have fun. Surely you need that little extra push? Yeah, why not? Oh, Mr. White. Thank you so much for this. I truly appreciate it. Great, Jose. Well, I

Bob White  38:05  
enjoyed it.

Jose Flores  38:06  
Thank you. And again, your book is called

Bob White  38:10  
the life in session, the bob white. The Senior Master Bob white store.

Jose Flores  38:15  
Yes. And you could find it on Amazon or on your website on our website. Yeah. And the website is bw khenpo.com. Yes. And I'm definitely going to purchase once today because I really want to take it offline. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you again for everything. I appreciate it. And have a rest day. Have a good day, sir.

Bob White  38:36  
Thank you very much. 

Jose Flores  38:37  
Thank you.