Dog Brothers Public Forum

Grateful for a fine day of training amongst nice people.

Grateful for a mentor to have taken the time this evening to communicate in an honest and open manner.

Felt terrible yesterday. Took today off from work and felt terrible for most of the day. I have a minor headache at this point, but I think I need to down some more water. Grateful to be feeling better.

Thanks for the good wishes from everyone. The tee-shirts are on their way. Pappy has set me up with sticks and training daggers. The class Thai pads and focus mitts are also set to arrive shortly. This is very exciting.

Starting on Tuesday, March 1st, I will be teaching regular weekly classes in my garage in Chino Hills. I will be teaching on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. My current schedule includes up to 32 hours a month of class time.

Professionally, I am a high school teacher. I'm about to earn my doctorate from the University of La Verne (a little private college in SoCal) and I am on to my next goal, which is to open up a commercial martial arts school. I am hoping to build enough students who would like to train with me regularly so that I can eventually transfer to a commercial facility with a student base all ready to follow me.

I start each evening off with an hour of Phase Class, the curriculum for which is composed of eight different martial arts; there is always a DBMA section. DBMA is one of the eight arts I would like my students to experience. Friday nights, I have budgeted a full hour of class time in my weekly schedule for DBMA. There is a DBMA section in all of my testing requirements. I am both a full Dog Brother and a Lakan Guro in the DB curriculum. If you would someday like to fight at a Gathering, I can help you with that. If you are only interested in the practitioner path, I can help you with that. If you would like to do both, I can help you with that. It is important to note that if you would like to learn DBMA, participating as a fighter (which is far out of the comfort zone of most people) and is not required. DBMA is one of the martial curriculums I require my students to explore; if you wish to take it further and fight, that is appreciated but not mandatory.

Your first night of training is always free, so you can come and train and get a feel for what I have to offer. I'll explain my fee structure after class if you want more info, and you could start the next evening I offer classes if you like. The people who start with me will lock in their rates if and when I do transfer to a commercial facility regardless of more hours offered or a more comprehensive schedule. My curriculum is written, and will stay the same from garage to commercial facility.

If you would like more info, please visit my website at: http://stoopsma.com

or e-mail me at bryan@stoopsma.com or give me a call at 909-606-4315

Grateful for a nice Valentine's Day with my wife.

Grateful to file some important paperwork in about 45 minutes.

Grateful to have decided upon the form that a project will take.

Grateful to be in a position to start trying to pin down a date and time for a major event in my life.

Grateful for my wonderful wife. She's celebrating a birthday today.

Grateful for security, and the questions that come with possabilities.

Grateful for  nice start to the the morning.

Grateful for good news that only makes me stumble because I have MORE options than I thought I did.

Grateful for a weekend full of renewal.

Grateful to be able to define a slow pace for the first half of the day.

Grateful for being in a metaphorical parking lot, in a metaphorical car, just a few steps away from a great ocean of possibility. I have a few things I still need to do: put on the break, verify I have all of my things, put on sunscreen, etc. What matters most is that the ocean is not all that far now.

I'm grateful that jcordova's daughter sounds like she's going to be okay.

(Sorry about that previous mispost jcordova and Stickgrappler. I misread to whom the recently ailing daughter belongs; I'm still grateful she's doing better.)

Grateful to have many good books to look forward to after completion of a current project that is frankly zapping my energy as far as all things intellectual.

Just to throw my encouragement in the mix gentlemen, my first fight at a Gathering was a couple years ago at age 56.

Howie - I'm sorry I wasn't there that day when you made "dog", but let me just say that you kick a$$.

Sleddog - I have enjoyed the fights I have had with you. You're an inspiration to keep on going as you have for so long now, and to maintain such a high level, not just remain an inspiration for being there.

Grateful to have put the wrapping up of a major undertaking exclusively back into my hands and the hands of a trusted advisor.

Grateful to be able to inspire some small measure of creativity in young people.

Grateful for uninterrupted momentum.

Grateful to get moving on something today.

Grateful for a MAJOR breakthrough in a longtime project.

Grateful to have been able to sleep in for just a bit this morning.