What I'm Reading

Seen at The Alamo

Some of you have seen my "T-shirt seen at The Alamo" posts on Facebook. I post some of what I see people wearing, most of which are a laugh. However, being a Ranger on the 4-midnight shift, I see a lot of other things I don't post and I'd like to tell you about one.
Last night between 11 and midnight, I was up front, in front of the Alamo church. I saw a man and his wife, he was about my age. He stood before the Travis letter, took off his hat, knelt and bowed his head in prayer. When he was done, he stood at attention and saluted and walked off with his wife. I thanked him and he said "they" deserved it.
Not 30 minutes later a group of four, about 30 yrs old or so, who obviously had been drinking, stood on the same spot. One of the ladies started dancing. A jerky dance you'd see in a club. I approached them and said it was considered disrespectful to do such a thing on the grounds where so many had died. I did not tell her to stop. I was asking her to think.
One of the men said "He's serious", as if I was kidding.
Her answer was that she had ancestors who died there on both sides of the battle. I asked why she would do that, dance where they died.
Her answer - "Freedom".
I just shook my head. Another Ranger said "Freedom requires responsibility."
I wonder what her relatives would say about her actions. Would they agree with it as a type of celebration of their lives or would her dancing in that manner have been frowned on?
I think she knew she was wrong and, like so many do when they are caught in the wrong, she made up an excuse as to why she did it.
They left and even wished us a good evening.
I just don't see how her actions would be justified. You'd have had to seen how she danced and they context of the rest of their actions to conclude it was not a tribute to them, it was just thoughtless.
I don't see myself dancing at the place where a relative died. Our culture does not do that and I don't think hers does either. She said she was a local. I think she'd know better.

I've Been Thinking

I have had people on my mind for some time now. Maybe it's because I'm in my 60s and we start feeling more mortal when others we've known and loved have passed. Pass on this if you want. I feel a need to mention their names and maybe what part they played in my life.
Michael John Sanders - I consider Mike my first real Kenpo teacher. He lost his life in a motorcycle accident in the late 70s at the age of 37. Like a brother to me.
                                                       

Ed Parker - fatal heart attack at age 59. I was his student for 11 years. Like a dad to me.

Robert Ray (Michael William Wallace) - a student of mine for 20 years. A "Brother from another mother" as he said. Killed in a stupid accident, run over crossing the street.
                                             
Francis Rene - a fellow Huk lineage student. What a great guy, always smiling, made you laugh. Pancreatic cancer got him. He visited a priest, rabbi and a Taoist monk before he died, saying he wanted all his bases covered.

Francis in center

SiBok Tom Kelly - one of the seniors in our system. I met him at the Internationals. One heck of a man.
                                       
                                                  .
Frank Triolo - the Best Man at my wedding. Airline captain, lawyer, accountant, musician, black belt in two systems. Always had my back. Pancreatic got him, too.
                                              
Rick Stone - passed at 90, 4 time cancer survivor. WW II veteran, served in the British SAS. Friend and advisor. Got his black at 73 - oldest person to make it in the system.
Frank Trejo - what a character. He was a huge influence on my Kenpo. I met him at Pasadena in 1977 and when I started under Mr. Parker directly in 1979, Frank was there to help me. We became good friends. His last years were rough, with diabetes, amputation, and sight loss.
                                          
John McSweeney - I met him in Chicago and re-introduced him to Ed Parker. I moved to Florida and he and his wife moved there, not far from my studio. He used to stop in to talk. As Frank Triolo said of him, "What's not to like about an Irish storyteller?"

McSweeney in camo

Rich Kozik - I met him when he was 16 and he'd later tell me I was a substitute for for his late father. I knew him all his adult life and watched him go from that kid to being an Illinois State Police Lieutenant. Cancer got him, too.

Paul MacMurray and Steve Broadbent - two of Graham Lelliott's black belts I had known for years. Paul had cancer and Steve, a brain tumor. Time with them was well-spent.

Paul in the center

Broadie on the right

I have other black belts I have outlived - Ken Miller, Jory Carson, Ed Barr.
I lost my mom and all my aunts and uncles. Dad is still alive and I'm grateful for that.
I try to keep up with my friends and students who are dealing with medical issues and the list is long.
They are on my mind, even if I am not so good about keeping in touch.
Peter G., Rebecca K, Sam B, Graham L, Marty S, Eddie C, Bob W, Ron C, Felix I, and the rest - I keep you in mind.
As for me, I'm in good shape. People have "killed" me from time to time and have wished me a swift recovery from other things.
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

More Alamo stuff

This is inside the Long Barrack patio, on the south wall. It memorializes Clara Driscoll, of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She was an heiress who put up the money to purchase the land and Long Barrack building. If she had not, it was to be sold, demolished and replaced by a park and hotel. We would not have the building in which so many Texans made their last stand at The Alamo. She was greatly assisted in the effort by Adina DeZavala who, in my mind, does not get nearly the credit she deserves. Plaques were placed later to make up for that, to a degree. 

 This is on the outside of the south wall, along Crockett St. The back gardens, or arbor as we call it, were constructed in the 1930s as part of President Roosevelt's WPA, the Works Project Administration, which provided jobs for so many to help get us out of the Depression.

Volunteers in Airport Policing (VAP)

A few weeks ago there was an appreciation luncheon for us here in San Antonio. We volunteer for the airport police, doing a variety of things to make the airport experience more pleasant and safer for the public. Here's the 2019 class.

Texas Spirit Camp

Brian Duffy up in Austin held his annual camp and asked me to come up to teach. Here are some pics.

 With Andy Guzman, a Trejo black belt I've know for thirty years.

Brian Duffy took the time to make special certificates for those of us who instructed. 

 This is Mikie Rowe, one of the pioneers of sport karate for women.

New article posted

The Sept. 2019 article is up on my website, www.kenpotv.com. Title is "You Don't Teach the Basics?"
Monthly articles posted and access to the archive of hundreds of items is available at www.kenpotv.com for $29/yr.

More Alamo Markers

These three markers are difficult to find. They are on the patio at Alamo Hall, back in the arbor. They indicate the corners of the house that once stood there and belonged to a post- Civil War mayor of San Antonio. They are where the back wall of the house, to the Northwest, at the kitchen would have been. 

 Below are photos of some remains of the west wall of the mission, at the Southwest corner. Look for a triangular concrete structure when you go down the stairs to the Riverwalk.

This is out front by the Long Barrack.

This is also across the street, near the stairs mentioned above. It is the site where the defenders had the 18 pound cannon. The home had been filled with dirt to support the weight of the cannon. It is alos the house where Toribio Losoya, an Alamo Defender, was born and would lose his life years later.

I wear this every day

Family stuff

Grandson was here three days and made considerable progress in his drawing skills.

What I'm Reading

Re-reading, actually.