We had a great class Saturday and it was topped off by having one of my students pass her #1 test.  Now, this isn't an earth shattering event as I have had many students get to this point but in Pat's case, it is really significant.  Pat was one of my first students way back in the day when I was teaching cardio boxing at the Oakland Athletic Club.  Pat is one of those students who had life insert itself into her training.  Before she had the chance to test her #1's in Escrima, she met a man…

John Prine wrote a line that comes to me on days like today "the years just flow by like a broken down dam".  I stood in front of a tight framing crew 11 years ago and wept while I told them to high-tail it out of the city before they took out the bridges.  I was furious, still am.  And, I was heart broken.  I never felt so worthless in my life.  All the years of training and all I could do, like so many, was watch the events unfold on TV; hoping for the best, coming to grips with the…