I'd Rather Be Training

I have had people asking me about why no martial arts posts for such a long time.
Frankly, I just get tired of posting. In the time it takes to write up a lengthy blog post,
I could have been training. Life is all about choices and priorities.
These days I would rather be doing something physical than talking/writing about it.
Still running, lifting weights and training to my hearts content-living the dream.

I will spend a few minutes on this short post-
The martial arts training over the last several months has been fantastic!
We have a great thing going on with our research group. We keep adding new people, last week there were 10 of us working out as a group. Good Training and sharing ideas in a research group creates
an extremely positive energy that is contagious.
 It's like the good old days, especially when Hanshi Steve Stark is teaching our Tuesday night class. I keep telling the younger members of our group that this is as close as they will ever get to training with Taika Oyata. It's beginning to sink in as they try and imitate what Mr. Stark has been teaching or answer his questions about particular kata motions and what they mean. It makes me laugh, that deer in the headlights look,exactly like I used to have when trying to duplicate what Mr. Oyata was teaching or answer his questions.

Our group has been working on many different things-most importantly we now have a
finished, completely fixed up version of Shi Ho Happo No Te, as taught directly to Mr. Stark by Taika Oyata.This is by far the most detailed, powerful version I have ever seen.
I have been working on this quite a bit, polishing it. It has become my newest martial arts obsession.

We also have been working on different drills, footwork and hand technique, as bridges between other drills and exercises.. Some of these are exercises we have created that tie into previously
 existing exercises, some stand alone and cover very specific concepts. It's all very interesting and fills some gaps between exercises/concepts as a teaching methodology.
For instance, imagine a drill  somewhere between Exercise 2 and the original Spiderweb, that ties it all together-this is just an idea of what it could be.  I am not going to explain any of them  or post pictures or videos.Why would I? You do the work, put the time in and figure it out for yourself.
It's fairly easy to figure these things out, it just takes 32 years of  constant martial arts training to see it all, put it all together.

 The question I ask myself and the people I am training with -"Are your martial arts evolving"?
Are they? They better be-If not, you are either not training enough  or not training with the right people-you  may not  be putting enough thought into what you are doing, what it means, applications.
There are many layers to every kata, drill/exercise and technical application. This Art has many subtleties, nuances that are easily overlooked without a deep understanding of body mechanics, hand and foot motion. It takes constant practice and years of dedicated training to truly understand these things, where they become second nature-you do them without conscious thought, they are part of you.

If you do the same thing over and over, without questioning why or looking for ways to do it better, you are standing still.If you are not training at least 2-3 days a week, you are standing still.
Stand still long enough and everyone else will catch up to you or pass you by.
It's painfully obvious in training sessions who has been working on their martial arts and who hasn't.

P.S.
Don't make excuses- I have heard them all and still keep hearing them.
I could write "The Karate Training Excuse Book" , multiple pages of all the reasons people constantly miss training sessions, no longer take the time to train,  why they quit, who hurt their feelings-why they are butthurt and sad, how they are planning to train again, eventually...............(yawn)
" If it is important to you, you will make the time "( quote by Mike Anderson)

Don't tell me how good you were 5, 10, 20 years ago, I don't care about that either.
Show me how good you are right now or please don't talk to me about martial arts.

Here is a picture of myself and Taika Oyata when I received my 7th Degree Scroll in Oyata Shin Shu Ho Ryu. That is all the inspiration I will ever need to continue my training.

I think about my teacher and his martial arts every day. I work on my martial arts every day, that is how and why they are evolving.

Dr. Alex Shigo- The Tree Guru

"Trying to treat what you do not understand is the same as trying to start a Rolls Royce by hitting it with a sledgehammer" Dr. Alex Shigo🌳



Dr. Alex L. Shigo
May 8th, 1930
October 6th, 2006

This has been a long time coming, should have written this years ago!
For those living outside the Tree World,  who may not have not heard of him, Dr. Alex Shigo was
(and still is) the Arborist's Guru, the father of Modern Arboriculture. He was the rock star of the tree world for many years. A Biologist and Plant Pathologist,  he was  also  Chief Scientist with the US Forest Service.
He established the theory of CODIT- Compartmentalization Of Decay in Trees.
His research is highly published and he traveled the globe, lecturing and studying trees,
sharing his concepts with the world. His books are fascinating, a culmination of his years of research.

I was fortunate to have attended  a few of Dr. Shigo's workshops. I was even more fortunate
to have had the opportunity to meet with him privately, once for after dinner drinks and some incredible conversation with this brilliant man.
 I drank beer, he sipped wine, he talked and I listened. I had a list of
questions folded in my pocket, but never did get to the list, I had made it to the top of the mountain,
listening to the guru himself-the list and the questions no longer mattered. I was trying to absorb every detail of what he was telling me. The first thing he told me was this- "I do not have all the answers, nobody does". I knew I had met a truly honest man. He went on to say that
I would discover those answers on my own, over time.(He was correct)
His belief was that you had to understand trees as a system. Once you understood how the system worked, understood the processes, you would arrive at your own answers.
He was and still is my  personal guru-his wisdom and brilliant theories changed how Arborists around the world think about and care for trees.

Normally I would caution someone about putting people on a pedestal.
Sometimes we meet our heroes, people we look up to and are disappointed when we find
they are just  just like us- mere mortals. This was not the case with Dr. Shigo, he never disappointed.
He challenged me-asking me if I was satisfied with 70-80% or was I willing to try to be the best, always searching for answers, was I willing to change my way of thinking about trees and accept new information, new theories?
But Shigo was different-everything was simplified with him-it was one of his brilliant qualities.
Define your terms, know your subject, simple diagrams, make things clear, brief and practical.
He felt that to be a good Arborist, you had to get out in the field, get your hands dirty and really study trees up close and personal, there was no other way.

I asked him to autograph a copy of his book-Modern Arboriculture. He signed it and he also wrote me a personal note inside. More importantly, what he wrote was the key to understanding everything about trees-it is one of my most cherished possessions, because of what he wrote.
(I'm not going to tell you) It forever changed how I would think about Arboriculture.

He told me he did not have all the answers, but I believe he did.
What he wrote in my book changed my entire way of thinking.
He had the most important answer-the key to it all.

I have a theory if anyone would like to hear it.  Anyone?
The great teachers lead  you down the  path, or towards the top of the mountain.
These  teachers are your guides, but you must arrive at your own destination, having completed the journey on your own. They are helping you make the journey, but the journey is yours, a process in itself. You discover your own truths, your own enlightenment along the way.I know I did.
Thank you Dr. Shigo!

Positivity

pos·i·tiv·i·ty

ˌpäzəˈtivədē/

noun

noun: positivity the practice of being or tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude.

"pupils draw power from the positivity of their teachers"

I will always hold to the belief that I am one of the luckiest people on the planet.

Not because I am immensely wealthy, devastatingly handsome or incredibly intelligent.

Fortune smiles on us all in different ways- I have a job/career I truly enjoy, a lovely wife,

a strong and intelligent son to carry on my name and some very good friends.

My family has been blessed in many ways- with good health, a comfortable lifestyle and a nice home filled with laughter/life. All of these things make me a fortunate man.

I have led a rather interesting life-the ups, downs, highs and lows have provided me

with  good perspective. Over time, the high points made me realize how easy it is to fall, the lows reminded me that only hard work and perseverance would elevate me again.

The most worthwhile personal endeavor I ever undertook was martial arts training.

One of the reasons I consider myself among  the luckiest people on the planet was

the opportunity to train as a personal student of Taika Seiyu Oyata.

Some of his best lessons weren't about martial arts, they were about life.

If I learned anything from him, it was never give up, never stop trying, never stop learning.

He was forever thinking about his martial arts, changing things, showing us new concepts or the evolution of a previous concept-it was maddening at times-frustrating. He forced you to step up, to keep up or you would quickly fall behind. (as in life)

When I was struggling to learn something, he would say"you can do this, I learned this,
you can learn this" or my personal favorite"Do it-no choice". Who could argue with that logic? 

I admired my teacher for many different reasons. One was his ability to make fun of all of us, collectively and also individually, one at a time-you never knew when it was your turn.

It was very, very funny once you got used to it. There was no malice-it was all in good fun/humor, nobody was safe and nothing was off limits. He made fun of everything and everybody-I know this was a quality that was a never ending source of amusement to me and probably bound me to my teacher the most.

 My teacher was very serious about who he trained as a student. There was an expectation
that you would show up on time, give 100%  in class and then practice what he was showing you.
There was also an expectation that you would follow his moral code-you were a representative

of his name, his family art-don't do anything that would take anything away from his reputation.

This kept me on the straight and narrow path-I never wanted to be that guy-the one that badly embarrassed his teacher.

The most important lessons I learned from my teacher were right before my son was born.

He took me aside and said I always needed to be a positive role model for my son, that little eyes and ears were always watching and listening to everything you did, everything you said.

I was grateful then for this guidance, I still am.

He then went on to say"Most important lesson in life-man's words and actions must match,

easy to talk big, hardest thing is to do what you say will do-this man's character"

I have never forgotten his words. Of all the lessons I learned and tests I took in front of my teacher,this was the lifelong test, the most important test I am determined to pass.

A  man could go  his whole life and never get this type of advice.

This is just one example that reflects the mentoring role of my teacher, sharing his positive outlook, his wisdom/life experience.Was this his greatest lesson/test for me? I think so.

The lesson for today is: Positivity

Negativity is everywhere-don't accept it, don't buy into it.You have to question the motives and wisdom of people who are constantly talking bad about other people, whether it's martial arts or life in general-everyone has their own agenda. Just remember-it's only their opinion! 

I choose to keep things in my life positive and to associate with like minded people.
It seems to be working very well for me.

 Peace!

Trees of Loose Park by Brad Hatfield

The company I work for and help manage has been awarded our second
contract for pruning trees at Jacob L. Loose Park/Arboretum in Kansas
City Missouri. This is an invitation only bid to care for some rare and historic
trees. This is the second time VanBooven Tree Care has received this prestigious
contract. I have written the proposals that have landed our company these jobs and
believe I have successfully articulated why our company is best suited
to care for these trees.We have certainly proved it with our pruning abilities.

As an Arborist, it doesn't get much better than this. Arborists take pride in their work
and every pruning job is your signature-what you leave behind, the finished
product, is your own very unique signature.
The opportunity to prune rare and historic trees in a public park/arboretum is
the icing on the cake. We  treat these trees with all the respect they deserve.
Every one of these tees is different,  each one is a unique work of nature.

Loose Park is an iconic 75- acre jewel of the city, a beacon of green grass and lush foliage,
inviting passerby to come stroll through the park and take in the sights or to simply
stop by and rest in the shade of mighty Oaks. If you haven't ever been there or visited
in awhile, you should. It is a rare and wondrous thing to behold in the city.
I have always compared this park to Central Park in New York, a place to come
to get away from the noise and congestion, a place to unwind and feel the grass
under your feet.

Here are a few pictures of my favorite trees.

Pictured below is on of many Northern Red Oaks in the Oak Grove, located on the West side of the park. This particular tree is one of my favorite Northern Red Oaks in the park.

Pictured below is a large, old Chinese Chestnut. These trees are fairly rare in our area, I only know of a few others of this age and size. I love the shape and spread of this particular tree. I pruned this tree myself in 2012, it was like restoring Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel-you have this masterpiece in front of you-you are just cleaning it up, a caretaker of sorts, helping it along for the next generation to appreciate.

Pictured below is one of my favorite Sugar Maple trees, displaying Fall color in the morning light.

Pictured below is one of the larger Sawtooth Oaks in the park. I had to get in the picture, another of my favorite trees. I like the fact that they have retained many of the cool, low limbs-perfect for kids to climb on or easy access up into the tree for 50 year old Arborists. I am compelled to climb up into
these trees every time I am in this park.

Here is  wide shot of the same Sawtooth Oak from the East side, without my mug in the photo.

 Pictured below- a few of the Oaks in the Oak Grove

Pictured below are two giant Tuliptree, old survivors just outside of the Oak Grove.
It is unusual to see Tulip trees this large in our area-being a soft wooded species, most of them don't make it due to our extreme wind and ice storms-large, old soft -wooded trees are an anomaly in Kansas City.These trees are covered in tulip-like flowers in late Spring/early Summer.

Pictured below is a shot of one of the larger Bald cypress trees in the park,
from the inside of the canopy.
.

 Pictured below is a shot of the Bald cypress grove, close to the lagoon.

 Giant Horse chestnut on East side of park, close to tennis courts is pictured below-
This is a cool old tree, another of my favorites!

Pictured below is an English Oak we pruned in 2012-this picture was taken after pruning was completed. This magnificent tree was one of the largest English Oaks in Kansas City.
In the late Summer of 2012 we had a terrible drought, this Oak ultimately did not survive it, it died out a year later.
I went looking for it to get a picture of the tree fully leafed out and saw the spot where it used to be.
It's like losing an old friend- you tend to get deeply invested in the well being of these trees.

Pictured below is a Willow Oak-these are a  true Southern Oak and are evergreen in the deep South.
Fairly rare in our area, I only know of a few others around town. This is a really interesting looking Oak.

Pictured below is a shameless plug for our company-our bucket truck in the Oak grove.
We are nearly finished pruning in this part of the park.It has been a genuine pleasure to care for these trees. I will post more pictures of interesting trees as the work continues. Stop by Loose Park and enjoy these trees.

Shin Shu Kan Karate & Kobudo-Seminar with Hanshi Steve Stark

 

 Shin Shu Kan-Ryukyu Kempo Karate & Kobudo:

Presents an Open Invitation Seminar with Hanshi Steve Stark

Saturday, October 1st, from 11:00a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

 $50.00 per person

The Shin Shu Kan Dojo is located at 12003 South Strang Line Road

Olathe, Kansas 66062

*Northwest of the AMC Multi-Plex Theaters

Don't miss this rare opportunity to train one-on-one with a senior student of Taika Seiyu Oyata!
About Hanshi Stark:
Hanshi Stark began training in Ryukyu Kempo karate in 1970.
He was a personal  student of Taika Oyata from 1977 to 2010.
Senior student of Taika Oyata.

Hanshi Stark is the author of : Quest-The Ancient Way, a story of his life experiences with Taika Oyata

I've Been Busy (Just Keep Training)

                          

 Goshin Jitsu-Okinawa Kempo Kobudo

This is the new logo I designed for our research group.

*Warning-This blog deals with the truth, it may be too much for some people.

I've been busy!  Have had several people inquire as to why no new martial arts blog posts lately.
You already have the short answer. Here comes the long, drawn out explanation and subsequent
sermon.I have  been very busy with martial arts training,  lifting weights and  running-it's been nice, very productive.Focusing on getting into very good shape and health.
Not spending much time online these days,  I highly recommend it to everyone.
I have been doing martial arts training 3-4 days a week, 2-3 hours per session.
Martial arts are a significant part of my life and always will be.

I am also working on another book-have about 50 really good, finished pages. This one will take

some time, the last one took 10 months.It may be a few years before I have the book I want.

I do not consider myself a writer, but I have a lot of ideas and information to share from my
point of view. I'm not in a hurry-it will be done when I am satisfied.
The last book was something I wanted to do for fun-for family and close, personal friends.
I had a friend publish a limited number of copies.(Some say it was the Greatest Book Ever Written)
(some say it wasn't)
The new book will be sold commercially.

This blog has been great for me and judging from the number of personal emails I receive, there are
a lot of people who can relate to these blog posts.It's hard to believe I am approaching 8,000 hits,
 from all over the world -split almost evenly between the martial arts and tree care posts.

I am trying to be very particular about how I spend my time, keeping things in my life positive.
Negativity is everywhere, negative people, negative opinions and ideas-don't let it affect you.
There are always a lot of people living in the past-that's all they have in their lives, they can't let go, it's very sad.I can and I have- the past is prologue, let it go people. Move past it, get on with your life.
Or better yet, let it continue to bother you forever, gnaw at you, let it eat you up inside, drag all that hate, jealousy - all that emotional baggage  around for the rest of your life.

 I have made a choice to spend as much time as
possible training in the martial arts of  Mr. Oyata-I owe it to him and myself to continue the journey.
I am still trying to live up to whatever potential he saw in me, but on my terms.
My journey will not be yours, that's the way it should be. You live your life, I'll live mine.
I don't concern myself or worry about what anyone else is doing, it doesn't affect me in any way.
We all view martial arts differently, perhaps that is a good thing, or maybe that's why martial artists don't get along in large groups for extended periods of time.Everybody wants or is looking for different things.
For me it's a  very personal journey with some good friends/training partners.

Our martial arts research group (Goshin Jitsu) has been busy-
Aside from everything else we do, here are a few of the newer things we are working on-

 Mike Yoch, one of my training partners, has finished creating some beautiful Hickory and Oak
nunchaku. They are some of the nicest, tapered, octagonal nunchaku I have ever seen.
We have been  working on an advanced nunchaku kata taught  by Jon Dilley.This is a very
detailed, intricate kata.I haven't always been a big fan of nunchaku until Jon shared this particular form with us.(You should see it, it's very nice) I have not seen anyone else with the timing, footwork and detailed fix-ups Jon's kata has. Jon also has some excellent kama fix-ups, lots of subtle motion-incredible detail,
great timing,speed and power-it's very good.

I have finished an advanced version of Kunishi Sai-it takes all of the fix ups I learned from Mr. Oyata
and additional striking and covering motion I have added. It looks amazing and it flows.
Currently teaching it to several worthy people. (For free! Interesting  new concept in martial arts)
This is as close to the version I learned from Mr. Oyata that I will ever teach.
(you should see it, it's really nice)

Working on an advanced version of Uhugushuku sai- this one is very cool, takes the fix ups Taika
showed me and additional striking and covering, it's a lot of work but will be worth it when completely finished.(This one is a gem-fast and flowing,  it's amazing, guaranteed to make people's heads explode.)

Personally working on my fix ups to Manji Sai- this has been very interesting.Have not shared this yet.
We have made some subtle and not so subtle changes to the Naihanchi kata-hand motion, footwork, stances and body positions. I believe this is a progression/evolution that translates well into technical application.
Created a fighting Bo exercise, it is smooth, fast and effective-currently working on version #2.

Have an original fighting Tonbo exercise, working on a few extra details- it's very interesting.
Working on very specific tuite techniques, takedowns and pins,lots of different arm bars/rolls, neck strikes,    neck wraps/ takedowns  and lots of other striking techniques-my favorite!

Thanks to Hanshi Steve Stark and Renshi Mike Anderson, we are working on the most advanced version
of Shi Ho Happo no Te I have ever seen-taught personally to Mr. Stark from Taika Oyata.
The interesting thing about his version is how exact/refined  and powerful every motion is- Mr. Stark is an incredible martial artist, this kata done by him looks like  I always imagined it could/should.
I honestly believe that Mr. Oyata taught him this version and timing for a reason, the
foremost being he was probably  the one person who would take it and make it his own.
*I have seen  people doing this form over the years  with all the power, speed and finesse of a drunken, one-eyed chicken hopping around.(There are  some uninspiring versions out there).

I have become much more intent on working very specific kata, weapons and life protection techniques.
My firm belief is that too many people "dabble" in martial arts, they try to learn and know everything, all at one time. Or they just do what is easy or what comes easy to them, never working on things that take them out of their own comfort zone.I believe you have to embrace it all-the hard and soft, the things you like, the things that you don't-this will help make you a more complete martial artist.

Once you have been training for some years, my recommendation is to specialize-find the things that appeal to you most and those that you do well and pursue those things-perfect them. My current theory is to excel at several different  things- not try to learn everything under the sun.
How many things can a human being actually master in a lifetime?
It's easy to do 100 things in a mediocre fashion, anybody can do that. If I know 25 different kata, but they all look the same, there is no timing, power, precision, or particular understanding of my motion-what do  I really have?
Do you understand what you are doing? Have you done each particular form thousands of times?
If you do not  truly understand the kata-if you cannot pull martial arts techniques out of the kata, then
it is just  a  physical workout with some kicks and strikes thrown in.
 How I think about the individual motions, the body mechanics,
how I translate that as life protection techniques/how I think about that technique is equally important as the physical aspects of the kata.

I am working on my own version of my teacher's martial arts- kata done my way, weapons done my way and my own unique life protection techniques-they will not be like yours, nor should they be. Doesn't it seem that Mr. Oyata was training all of us  to do this? To figure it out, to go our own way, to develop things for ourselves,  martial arts that work for us. I stress this to the people I am training with. This has to work for you, it has to be part of you,  it doesn't matter how somebody else does it.


Feel free to train however you want to...........everybody is a critic and an expert these days, everybody knows more than you.
Me? I am still training, pushing myself. I always have and always will.
People will always talk smack-who cares what any of these mouth warriors have to say?
It's just a question of mind over matter-you don't mind them because they really don't matter. 
 How you deal with them is to just keep training, you are most likely better than them already, while they are busy worrying about everyone else and running their mouths, you are light years ahead of them in actual ability. Just keep training, you will always get out of this exactly what you put into it.

Martial arts is a marathon, not a sprint, a  lifelong synergy of mind and body.
The longer I do this martial art, the more subtle motion  I am aware of, the more I see and feel in everything I do. I am constantly adding to what I learned from Mr. Oyata, this is what we should all be doing to advance our martial arts.
My focus now is private martial arts-working with a few talented, committed individuals.
I have little interest in public martial arts-if you want to do that, I wish you luck and  success.

My teacher's karate is not necessarily for the masses, very few people are willing to dedicate themselves to this martial art-to put the time and energy into owning it, making it their own.

I was fortunate to learn from a martial arts master and two of his senior students.
I have been around and trained with some talented martial artists in an association-I have also been around some  people who  talked a good game, but in reality did not have the
 physical skill/technique to save their own lives if they had to.Why? because they never really pushed themselves-they only did just enough to get by, or did what was easy-they never pushed themselves or left their comfort zone.

Just having trained with Mr. Oyata does not make any of us great martial artists.
Our teacher was truly great, but we don't get to be great by default, just by having trained with him.
Nobody does-you can pretend if you want to, certainly feel free to entertain the illusion-there are
 people under the delusion that they are great martial artists  just because of their association with Mr. Oyata, not based on actual abilities or ever working really hard for many years.
Convincing ourselves we are great is the easy part.

 Ask yourself the following questions:
Are you  at a professional level in your martial arts?
Do you constantly practice and refine your kata? Do you push yourself in your training?
Are your life protection techniques still relevant? Do they work on everyone? 

My secret to life-Just keep training!

Bad day at work?-Train! And while training, picture yourself crushing  the people who pissed you off today.
Sick/low energy?-Train for 2 hours! Sweat it out crybaby!
Girlfriend/Wife issues?-Suck it up Nancy, all real women are feisty, they are a handful!
More Training!! Training will make you strong- like bull! Women can't resist you!
Are you Sad?  Lonely?-Quit being such a wussy! You are  sad and lonely because you are not training enough-Now Go Train!!!!!
Any Questions? No? Good, now Go Train!

Training in martial arts has raised me up when I was at my lowest-it has sustained me, carried me, nourished my body and mind. That original fire still burns deep inside-from the first time I met Mr. Oyata and began training until today- that burning desire to learn this, to be part of this and to make it mine.I am grateful every day of my life for my experiences with Mr. Oyata. After 30+ years, I 
am really coming to a deeper understanding of his wisdom, philosophy and his martial arts.
I will never stop training or thinking about the progression/ evolution of the martial arts of my teacher.

Thanks for stopping by-but before you go: I am having some great times with good people!
We have our own research group,working on our own martial arts, theories/ideas-it's nice.
I am doing well, training all the time, lifting weights and running-some call it paradise.
Currently living life to it's fullest and doing martial arts on my own terms-thanks for asking.

 I am posting a few pictures of my teacher,
the legendary martial artist Taika Seiyu Oyata.
Enjoy!

Real Okinawan Karate-by Brad Hatfield

I am currently training with Hanshi Steve Stark and his  top student Mike Anderson in Olathe, Kansas. I feel energized in our time together, working on life protection techniques, advanced kata and weapons training in a  welcoming atmosphere. Our martial arts research group continues to flourish with new ideas and skills, working  with like-minded people.

I do not give many endorsements, but in this case feel it is entirely necessary to endorse
Hanshi Stark and Mike Anderson's Olathe school. Their school,Shin Shu Kan, is one of the very few schools in Kansas City teaching real Okinawan karate, the way it was taught to Mr. Stark, by Taika Seiyu Oyata. There is a lot of imitation-there are quite a few posers around, but there is an extremely limited number of people who have the depth of knowledge and fighting technique that Mr. Stark has and teaches.

About Hanshi Stark:
Hanshi Stark began training in Ryukyu Kempo karate in 1970.
He was a personal  student of Taika Oyata from 1977 to 2010.
Senior student of Taika Oyata.

I have trained off and on with Steve Stark for 20+ years.It was my honor and privilege to train as his student and to  help him run classes at his school in Overland Park, Kansas. There are very few people in the United States with his skill and knowledge.
My personal opinion?
He is probably the most complete, most skilled martial artist to come out of Mr. Oyata's organization. I believe his intelligence, physical skill, explosive speed/power and understanding of Mr. Oyata's martial arts have given him superior life protection techniques that  put him at a level very few practitioners have attained.
Mike Anderson is the top student of Mr. Stark. Having trained with him at Mr. Oyata's Headquarters for several years, it is a genuine  pleasure to see the level of maturity and skill he has attained in martial arts.He is a highly qualified instructor who holds Godan ranking. (5th degree) I am truly proud to train with these gentleman and to  share in their unique views on Taika Seiyu Oyata's martial arts.

Anyone looking for real martial arts training, not never ending discussion, martial arts
theory or tippy tap training, but real life protection/fighting skills,
 should come check out Mike Anderson's school in Olathe, Kansas.
Shin Shu Kan is located at 12003 South Strang Line Road,
just Northwest of the AMC Multi-Plex Theaters. 913-636-9325