A great time was had by all, and more importantly a great learning experience was entertained.

Anytime martial artists' are exposed to other arts and styles, they should be there to glean all they can from the experience. Professor Lansdale has not only encouraged, but dern near demanded that his students experience other arts first hand. The guys were not only there to instruct, but had the opportunity to attend some of the other seminars. Everyone of them came home with something added to their knowledge base, and of course with glowing words for GM Sullivan and his crew.

Asked how Professor did during his instructional period, Professor Coy simply stated '"Damn, he was on."

Not to toot our own horn, I asked GM Sullivan what he and the others thought of the Professors' instruction and he was gracious enough to tell me to get lost... Seriously, GM Sullivan was more than happy to lend us his thoughts.

GM Sullivan sent me a piece he had already written up for their newsletter which accomplished what I was looking for. The following is an excerpt from that article:

"The interesting thing about an organization like ours, in that we encourage our Blackbelts to explore other systems and arts, is that we very seldom need to go outside our own Association to find it, However, in some extraordinary instances we do, because we find something so rare that it hasn't been introduced to our people before and they haven't yet found it on their own. This was the case with Professor Joe Lansdale. I couldn't believe how many people at the seminar asked me, "Where did you find this guy?" At first I had to stop to think, because I've known Joe for so long but had never had the opportunity to spend any, in person, time with him to find out exactly what it was that he did in the martial arts.

It all started well over ten years ago, when Joe sent for our videos. He actually took a couple of tests and then decided to get the rest of what he needed from the videos themselves. This is something that we normally would frown upon but in his case, because of his background, we knew it would be no problem, plus the fact that he wasn't seeking rank from the IKCA.

Joe and I became very well acquainted through many phone conversations over the years and one, face to face, meeting when he was out on the West Coast for a book signing tour. You'll remember from previous issues of the Newsletter that Mr. Lansdale is one of the top selling and most prolific novelists in America today.

One thing that was ever present in our conversations was the question, "When can I get you to come to Texas to teach at one of our summer camps?" My answer was always the same. "I'll make it one of these days?" and the day finally came last October when I flew down there for a weekend and participated at the famous CAMP LANSDALE in Nacogdoches, Texas. It was a marriage made in Heaven. They enjoyed what I brought to them and I loved what I saw them doing and made it a priority to get Joe to one of our Seminars as soon as it was possible, which was this past July at the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas. Joe is a very busy man, as you can imagine, and we just got lucky as to timing. We also got even luckier because he was able to bring several of his top people with him to help out. And help they did. Our people got a lot of valuable individual attention.

It was fantastic. If you were there you know what I'm talking about. If you weren't, you missed the Karate Connection event of the year, or maybe the decade and we're sorry. We wish you could have been there. I'm not going to dwell on this because what's done is done. I just wish every Blackbelt in the Karate Connection could have been there with us, they would have come away enriched and enlightened.

Professor Joe R. Lansdale is one of a kind and so is his art."

Thank you GM Sullivan. The feeling is mutual!

CONGRATULATIONS SENSEI NORMA!!

By the time this newsletter gets circulated, Norma will be hitched and starting a new chapter in life with husband Daniel.

They will be making their home in the Houston area. Norma has promised to visit and train often, and we're going to hold her to that!

Here's to a long and happy life together Norma and Daniel!

RANK CAMP - AUGUST 26TH & 27TH

Our August rank camp proved to be another fruitful event with a lot of hands on instruction and a learning adventure. Those of you who have been to our rank camps before know that even though they are called a "rank camp", they are really a weekend designed to amp up the instruction on your current belt curriculum.

Those just starting on a new belt in the lower levels can conceivably find themselves half to three quarters of the way to advancing to another level. We have even had the rare individual prove material awareness to the point that they were advanced to the next level. So it can be done.

Those that are close to advancement in weekly classes usually advance rank and at the end of the camp are well into the next level.

With all of that said, this one was definitely a rank camp in every sense of the word. "Doc" Larry Laurich and "Chimp-Chimp" Adam Coats tested for their first degree black belts.

Anyone who has gone through a Shen Chuan black belt test can attest to the sheer brutality and borderline abuse placed on the body as well as the mind. Our black belt tests' are not for the faint of heart. This isn't a brag, but rather a stated fact. If you earn a Shen Chuan black belt, by golly, you EARNED it. Granted, they have eased a slight bit from the days of Professor Coy and Professor Eugene's, and even black belt test number two which saw the likes of Shihan Paul Britt, Shihan Billy Jack Worsham, Sensei Chad Curry and Sensei Ryan Dewitt beat each other mercilessly. We don't require the coroner to be on standby anymore. That's about all we are willing to compromise.

Larry and Adam came through the testing very well. We started them off a little early in Tuesday and Thursday's class in order to get the lower rank stuff out of the way. They looked great. As we told them, it was low rank material, but, they went head on and executed the sets like black belts doing yellow belt sets. As it should be.

Saturday morning was not so easy. They were thrown to the wolves early, and had to push it progressively harder throughout the day. If the Tylenol worked Saturday night, I'm sure they slept like rocks.

Sunday, although the last day of their testing, was not met with an ease. Right out of the gates it was a Shen Chuan free-for-all. But, for all of the pain and suffering the end of the day held the prize. The coveted advancement to Black Belt in the art of Shen Chuan.

Congratulations guys!! You most definitely earned it. Now the real learning begins!

Along with Larry and Adam, the following persons received an advance in rank:

Matt Partridge - Purple with Red Stripe

Clay Singleton - Yellow Stripe

Cassidy Jones - Yellow Stripe

Alvis Collins - Yellow Stripe

Keifer Collins - Yellow Stripe

All pictures taken during the certificate ceremony were lost due to a memory card failure. Sorry guys...

Luckily "Doc's" camera captured the two shown here.