Every year we have a Warrior's Way Full Instrutor's Camp. It's a time for us all to come together as brothers and sisters, to work and train on skills and material that we don't normally get to work on with students and for us to all work together to make the organization of Warrior's Way better for future Instructors.
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| Cory Roberston, Brandon Bennett, George Chaber, Don Deal, Chuck Giangreco, Kara Giangreco, Dylan Cathers, Chad Silvis, Carlos Castro, Harley Elmore (not pictured) at the historical Dagohoy Lodge. Master John LaCoste was shot and killed on this very porch. |
This year's Camp was held in Stockton, CA and we were honored to be the guests of Grand Master Tony Somera, Master Kirk McCune, Master Joel Juanitas and the Bahala Na organization.
Since Stockton is the home of the legendary Guro Dan Inosanto, it is ripe with locations and people that were a huge part of Guro Inosanto's life while he was growing up. As students of Guro Inosanto's, it only seems fitting to go back and visit the places he lived, worked, went to school, church, trained martial arts, etc. Of course I'm not from Stockton and didn't know anything about the city but GM Somera is a lifelong citizen of Stockton! He knows all the people, places and events that make it relevant to Filipino Martial Artists of today. Without him none of this would have been possible. His generosity of time and energy are amazing and a true testament of GME Leo Giron's great choice in choosing a successor. GM Somera believes in sharing not just GME Giron's art, but the history and culture of the Filipino Americans that lived and died in Stockton.
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| Great tasting Filipino food was one of the highlights of the weekend! CHICKEN FEET did not make the list of favorites however. |
During the three day camp Instructors took numerous field trips to visit the graves of "resting" Masters and Grand Masters of the Filipino Martial Arts, to leave flowers and pay our respects. Great teachers such as John LaCoste, Leo Giron, Angel Cabales, Gilbert Tenio and John Eliab and many many others all rest in Stockton. We also had the honor of paying our respects to the Inosanto family by visiting, paying respects and leaving flowers with Guro Inosanto's Mother and Father as well as his Grandfather Pepe Arca. These visits help the current generation of Instructors learn more of the men and women who brought them these arts. Help the to place pictures and stories with names and faces. They give more depth and understanding and often provide a much greater detail into the lives of these men than just the normal stories that float around.
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| Warrior's Way Instructors and Bahala Na members on the park bench where Guro Inosanto interviewed John LaCoste for his book "The Filipino Martial Arts". |
The camp was temendous success and as time passes these experiences will only become more valuable. As buildings are torn down, as people pass away, stories fade and memories of great men, amazing accomplishments and great friends become priceless. It was an honor to bring Warrior's Way International and Bahala Na together again as brothers and sisters, working toward the common goals of improving people's lives while preserving the art of those that came before us. May we all become as good examples of these lessons as our teachers were.
Bahala Na!
Guro Harley
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