For some reason it has been a while since I have written to my blog, perhaps because I have been spread to thin lately, busy with other responsibilities and goals in life, like raising a family, career obligations, and lastly, scrambling like mad to finish my book regarding our martial style art while at the same time deciphering the codes, and keys GM Art Gonzalez left me with. However, I feel the moment is now right to set aside a little time to discuss something that has been on my mind lately. Some of you may know that our family recently lost our family dog and protector, her beloved Princess Fiona, she was 9 years of age and died unexpectedly, we were always told by our family vet that she was the epidemy of good health for a Doberman, so we had expected her to outlive our last Dobi of 13 years who was rattled with every ailment known to not just this breed but to all other dog breeds as well. Her unexpected passing rocked our family to its core and for me, her sudden passing once again made me fear death, a feeling I had not had since I was a youngster. I was struck with the thought, that I am on borrowed time and pondered how much time would I still needed to ensure that my kids could function in life on their own after my passing and if our art and the art of GM Gonzalez could be carried on by my students based on every lesson, I have provided them. While I always recognized that we are all on borrowed time, this is the first time this idea of borrowed time was put right in front of my face to truly see the ugly truth in this statement.
The sad reality is that I still have much to teach my kids about life and my students about our art, I have just begun to teach my kids life skills and I have only scratched the surface of our art; yet more than ever I fill the need to pass these lessons on to my students as quickly as possible and I live with the fear that I will run out of time. So, this blog is for my students, when I am hard one you, it is because I love each and everyone of you, it comes from a place of love, I want each of you to be better than me and have a deeper understand of the art than I do. When I have you drill something repeatedly until nauseum, it’s because I want you to truly understand the technique and commit it to muscle memory. I also want you armed with knowledge and skill to protect yourself and your loved ones from harm.
Please understand that I have a deep appreciation and love for our art and only want it to be represented in a way that would make GM Art proud. DeCuerdas Diestro Fighting Systems is an art developed to induce injury and even death, if need be, to your opponent, thus the responsibility to ensure you understand it lies solely on my shoulders. I also feel as if I need to share as much as I can, and as quickly as possible to you and to other practitioners who studied under GM Art but who may have not received the lessons that I received or have forgotten the lessons GM Art once taught us. Fortunately for me and for them, I documented nearly everything I could, this is why whenever a search is done on social media for GM Art much of the content you will find comes from me, this is not to brag it is simply the fact that I am sharing what he left me with the world, I am not sure who else has as much archival information as I do, but I will continue to get my material out there.
My expectations of what I expect from my students comes not only from the responsibility I have to ensure our art endures but also from a place where I want my students to not only be good martial artists but great martial artists who can defend themselves in any situation and with or without the use of weapons. Death will one day come calling for all of us and when it comes for me, I want to smile at him and say my work is done here death, please lead me to my ancestors, past friends, and former pets beyond the Golden Arches of heaven.
With much love and respect,
Maestro Mike Cardenas
The sad reality is that I still have much to teach my kids about life and my students about our art, I have just begun to teach my kids life skills and I have only scratched the surface of our art; yet more than ever I fill the need to pass these lessons on to my students as quickly as possible and I live with the fear that I will run out of time. So, this blog is for my students, when I am hard one you, it is because I love each and everyone of you, it comes from a place of love, I want each of you to be better than me and have a deeper understand of the art than I do. When I have you drill something repeatedly until nauseum, it’s because I want you to truly understand the technique and commit it to muscle memory. I also want you armed with knowledge and skill to protect yourself and your loved ones from harm.
Please understand that I have a deep appreciation and love for our art and only want it to be represented in a way that would make GM Art proud. DeCuerdas Diestro Fighting Systems is an art developed to induce injury and even death, if need be, to your opponent, thus the responsibility to ensure you understand it lies solely on my shoulders. I also feel as if I need to share as much as I can, and as quickly as possible to you and to other practitioners who studied under GM Art but who may have not received the lessons that I received or have forgotten the lessons GM Art once taught us. Fortunately for me and for them, I documented nearly everything I could, this is why whenever a search is done on social media for GM Art much of the content you will find comes from me, this is not to brag it is simply the fact that I am sharing what he left me with the world, I am not sure who else has as much archival information as I do, but I will continue to get my material out there.
My expectations of what I expect from my students comes not only from the responsibility I have to ensure our art endures but also from a place where I want my students to not only be good martial artists but great martial artists who can defend themselves in any situation and with or without the use of weapons. Death will one day come calling for all of us and when it comes for me, I want to smile at him and say my work is done here death, please lead me to my ancestors, past friends, and former pets beyond the Golden Arches of heaven.
With much love and respect,
Maestro Mike Cardenas
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