Jason's wisdom of the day:

"You don't need glasses to eat soup."

Even the guy who can't think said something!

“A teacher opens the door, but you must enter yourself.” – Chinese Proverb

Who is there? It’s a teacher, and a student. The teacher’s role is to present learning modules structured towards personal enhancement. A seeker should take initiative to explore and embody the module for all it is worth. It is insufficient to merely acknowledge an opportunity; to make it meaningful it is necessary to dive right in.





A cultured person must recognize and seize opportunities for growth. Without growth, the mind becomes at first a fortress and later a dungeon of seclusion. If there is no motivation to pass through a doorway of knowledge, that doorway may as well be a moat of raging lava separating this fortress from the rest of the world.
The world is rich with lessons and stories and passions of many kinds. To turn away from these things is to miss out on life itself.
Life has many doors, leading to rooms of wonder and delight. These rooms often lead to bridges which in turn lead to even more doors. If the doors are open, it may be interesting to explore what lies on the other side. Knock, knock!
~JAS

Theatre Review

Back by popular demand, the ensemble performance class revisited Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a play combining Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. I have reviewed this lovely performance before, but here are the highlights from the redux:

• The pace, while tight and seamless, was borderline breathless this time around.
• The repeated scenes bothered me in the last production--in this one they seemed to fit. And the banquet scene as recap also worked well.
• Bonzuko's own Jas nailed the last very gentle "scented rushes" speeches with enjoyment of the poetry and rhythm of the "boat."
• Kudos to Jessica E. who was in class rehearsing Seuss all morning then went straight to this (very similar) show directly after.
• Many of the actors used too much volume, rendering the complex language incomprehensible.
• Big Scott was on today! His Old Oyster and his Mock Turtle were highlights of today's show!
• Humpty Dumpty and the Jabberwocky were both still some of the coolest physical images I've seen.
• The White and Red Knights' fight and falling were also highlights once again. Jas as the White Knight mimed his awkward armor very well. Martial artists and stage combatants take note of Justin's giant dive roll and Jas' beautiful break falls.
• Tea Party scene once again stellar. Brian is a gifted physical comedian, though I missed the use of his rabbit ears illustrating the clock.
• Nice work on adding the Croquet Scene last-minute! It was seamless and well done. I noticed some of the lines were a bit off, but maybe that was just because I knew how last-minute it was. So much fun to hear Linda's red-faced scream, "Off with his head!"
• Brian's flamingo was one of the funniest moments of the afternoon, especially seeing Kris as a tree attempting to fend him off.

Nice work, everyone--it was as delightful this time as it was last! ~Jenn

Alice in Wonderland

This YouTube clip surfaced once in Children's Lit---during the Student Presentation, one student was taken by this and shared it with the class. This week was Alice in Wonderland week again in Children's Lit, as well as rehearsal week for the cast of Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast. I guess this amazing piece of literature is weighing on my mind, this creative music video in particular. Enjoy, lovely lurkers. ~Jenn

Event info: Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast
What: a theatrical piece based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by last semester's Theatre Ensemble class
When: Sat., May 2, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Where: ARTS 271 on the Auraria Campus
$: none. Canned food donation requested.

Image is Arthur Rackham's interpretation of the Caucus Race. Jenn pirated it from somewhere or other.

Geared up For Spring

The holidays are over, and the new academic cycle is beginning at the Bonzuko home office. Jas is settling in to a new workout schedule, and looking forward to some Hospitality classes as well as getting some requirements out of the way. Jenn is already doing her DU online classes and is looking forward to another Metro spring! Here are some of the more interesting things coming up within the next few months:

• New and improved Villains, Monsters and Foes class Jenn's teaching at DU to their Liberal Studies grads
• Jas taking Wine Appreciation at MSCD
• New Stage Movement Class at MSCD, almost chock-full!
• RMTA 2009
• Stage Combat Club now a cross-school endeavor
• and who knows what homebrew and martial arts projects will be enjoyed

Image from the Clownlympics performance, Stage Movement Spring 2006. Kris and Chris.

Happy New Year!

Here's to a happy and fruitful 2009!!!!

~The Unbeatable Bonzuko Team

Theatre Review

This past semester, a group of 12 MSCD students took a class called Performance Ensemble. Their sole task in said class was to put together a play called "Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast" under the guidance of Dr. Marilyn "Cookie" Hetzel, professor extraordinaire and head of MSCD's Theatre Department.

The result of their semester of hard work was a lovely example of my favorite kind of theatre: what I call "coffee house" theatre or "storytelling" theatre. With only variously colored T-shirts, scarves, and a couple blocks and ladders, this group of talented young actors created the world of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I went to see them on Saturday and was wholly impressed. So much so, it made me jones for the Seuss show again...:)

Highlights from Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast:

• The use of scarves: totally going to steal that idea
• 9 actors forming the Caterpillar, 1 forming the hookah; all breathing and bubbling together
• Kris (with Brian's arms) as Humpty Dumpty; the whole wall tilts as he extends his hand to Alice ("It is most provoking...")
• Amazing transitions between scenes; actors forming not only all the characters but the backdrops with their bodies. Stage Movement students, take note!
• Bonzuko's own Jas as the Hero, peering around the "tulgey wood" as behind him, 10 students swirl and form into a giant Jabberwock, which he then defeats with a "snicker-snack." Melissa as its head dies with much Jurassic-Park-esque screaming. The children (and Loren beside me) in the audience are in awe
• Brilliant tea party scene with Melissa doing a Disney-like dormouse hilariously; Erica as a cross-eyed paranoid Mad Hatter; and the brilliant Brian as the March Hare. Brian's use of his scarf to form ears, which then express what's happening in the scene, was stellar
• Talking about falls? The Red and White Knights both had some fabulous falls, as well as a hilarious fight scene. Their "horses" are precious. Jas as the White Knight does more break falling than anyone ever should on that hard stage floor. "Plenty of practice..."
• Jas finds the perfect balance of being a narrator on stage: not upstaging the action, but making his voice clearly heard, also tackling the complex Carrollian language very well
• Kudos to Brian, who, in the midst of personal loss, put on a great performance using his immense physical comedy talents

Really good job, kids. Know that that group of five little boys in the audience were not only mesmerized, but were reproducing the Tweedledum/Tweedledee dances in the hallway afterwards. You have done your work well. :) ~Jenn

Theatre Review

The 2008 Directing Projects at MSCD always astonish with the array and high caliber of talent that students can possess. I attended one of the two-night event, and I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed. I'm not just saying that to be nice and supportive of my current and former students (and my husband). I mean it--I laughed. Really!

Highlights of the 2008 MSCD Directing Projects Part One of Two (The "Director's Dozen"):

• Packed audience with much joyful loving energy--the ideal audience for a theatre actor
• "Getting it Back"--big red bags symbolizing love hauled onstage
• Lovely tango dancing between two of my former movement students
• "Downtown"--Jose, Katie O., and Brady were brilliant as snooty literati with a twist ending so fantastically orchestrated I can't write about it in this blog
• Some great naturalistic comedy by former student Rob and another student named Dan whom I was very impressed by: it's hard to not finish sentences when you're acting. It's also hard to really listen
• "18 Holes"--current student Andreas directed, current student Scott and Bonzuko's own Jas acted in a 10-minute play that went through 18 holes of golf. Great freeze-frames and fantastic physical comedy timing as well as tender moments

Good job, guys! ~Jenn

Certifications

Since our inception of the Genki Kai back in '97 I've been pondering the issue of credentials. Who gives 'em, who should give 'em, why they're given, etc. Before studying in the Genki Kai's club-like atmostphere, I studied with Stage Combat teachers that were campus space-scavengers just like I am now. Before that, there was a children's theatre troupe that practiced outside, and of course, my mom's creative movement classes in various studios in Boulder. All of these people were legitimate, talented experts that I was happy to take direction from, and the lessons from whom I still use in my current movement classes.

Now, when you take dance classes, you don't get credentials unless you later get your degree in dance. Being a member of a theatre company, even one that practices in parks, is its own credential, resume-worthy. At a school or college, you end up with a diploma or a degree, also a credential in itself.

I've noticed the combat arts are different. For some reason, a martial arts practice just doesn't seem as publicly "legit" without some kind of belt system. And I've been getting more and more questions lately from Stage Combat enthusiasts about certification, where they can get it and how. My telling them that they can put this college course on their resume just doesn't seem to have the same impact in their minds as a certificate. Why?

At the Genki Kai, we had our own belt system which Jason developed based on an old Japanese model of the 36 Ninpo essentials. As of now, our Bonzuko Movement Arts certificates in Stage Combat are in their infancy--those who took the summer Advanced class got one commemorating their successful completion of Advanced Unarmed and Taihenjutsu. I don't give a certificate out for the college course. I'm not sure why I don't, nor if there is any conflict between earning college credit and getting a Bonzuko certificate.

Having been a part of the formation of the Genki Kai's belt rank system, I realize that any belt system or certification is made up by someone. It's just whether that someone is known publicly as an expert or as a bozo. Really, that's it. Anyone can go buy a black belt online. But it comes down to this: my Oreo belt from the Genki Kai is just as legitimate a martial arts credential as my To Shin Do black belt will be. Why? Because in each case, I received the belt from an expert in the arts, one that has done his homework, has many years of experience, and himself puts his art into practice every day. Sure, Stephen Hayes is just a bit more famous and experienced than Jason Boughn, but both organizations are high quality, the men in charge of them good martial artists, and I'm proud to have a belt from both. Would anyone say the Genki Kai doesn't give out a "legit" black belt? I don't think so.

So why then is the SAFD the only organization to be considered "legit" to give out records of education for the arts of Stage Combat? Why would students of mine want to go pay lots of cash to get SAFD certified if I can give them the same education and resume-worthy experience (and even a certificate), just not with an SAFD stamp? I was this close to contacting Geoffe K. and asking what it would take to get me on the SAFD teacher-certification track, and then I had to stop myself. Why did I decide to step off that track in the first place, ten years ago, when I was being groomed for being Geoffe's wing-man and more? Why did SAFD reps act funny when approached about submitting back-cover quotes for my book? Am I really less an expert than the SAFD higher-ups? (the answer: no!) :)

It seems that what we have here is a monopoly. This is something you don't get in the martial arts because there are so many schools around, so many different martial arts to choose from. The SAFD was the first organization to, well, organize in the U.S. and actually formulate a curriculum that could be consistent. So there aren't many different schools for stage combat--they're all SAFD centered. Bonzuko Movement Arts even uses some SAFD techniques and drills (I was first trained by them, after all), but we also use our martial arts expertise to formulate our curriculum. We should be able to function just great in the same world together, and any student should be just as happy to get a Bonzuko certificate as a SAFD one. Likewise, any director should be just as impressed to see a Bonzuko certificate on an actor's resume as a SAFD one. Right now, there's only one difference between the two.

The one difference is: the public eye. That's the kicker, isn't it. That's why more people might recognize my TSD black belt over my Genki Kai one. That's why my students are asking me about SAFD certifications. So I guess the answer really is: publicity. All we need to do is sell more of my books, do more Bonuko Movement Arts classes all the time, and get this blog viral! :)

I'd like to hear what you all think of this--take a second and post responses, as this is on my mind a lot lately and I think lots of cool stuff can be done once we figure out how to continue.

~Jenn

The Answer is: Lightsabers!

Since many of you have already guessed what this product is, we'll supply the answer.

Master Replicas makes the sweetest line of lightsabers you will ever wield. No, they don't telescope, but the light effect does. So that's pretty close. Though the instructions say not to fight with them, they actually make that clashing sound when they make contact with each other, so...hey, if you use good stage combat technique they are quite sturdy. The Unbeatable Bonzuko Team has fought stage-combat-wise with them in the vasty hombu living room and they are good as new.

On the Bonzuko Hombu wall hang four of these beauties: the lightsabers belonging to Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker (ep. IV), and two Yoda ones. The Yoda ones are arguably even cooler, as they are short. Jenn has even used the Luke one in her right hand and a Yoda one in her left, a-la Rapier & Dagger.

Which ones are next on our list? Mace Windu of course (hello, purple), the two-sided Darth Maul, and Obi-Wan's from ep. III. They also make Han Solo's blaster.

These coolest swords you'll ever own run around $100 each, sometimes more, sometimes on sale for less. We suggest going to Amazon.com and scoping out deals. Those available this summer should start saving pennies in the jar now, as this summer's Advanced Stage Combat class will be all about lightsaber technique. Yes, geeks, they make that noise when you whoosh them around, too. And the turn-on, turn-off noises, too. ~Unbeatable Bonzuko Team

Pictured above: Jenn, Jas, and John as Jedi.

Stage Combat Club News

Enough people at MSCD continue to be interested in the fine arts of fake fighting. Many of them composed my little informal bands of performers that helped me immensely with my two booksigning events in Boulder last year. The Advanced Class you can read about on this blog was also a product of said interest.

After having waited to hear from the official officers of the MSCD Stage Combat Club, I decided to go ahead and make a meeting time that worked for me and see who showed. Unfortunately, our President, Wee Katie, has an opposite schedule to mine. Maybe she can be in charge of meetings on a day I'm not there. We'll have to see about that. ANYway,

The four gentlemen that came by are psyched and ready to start playing Tuesdays, 11:45-12:30 this semester, and are already looking forward to this summer's Advanced class as well. Now let's gather our folks, have an election, and get some fund-raising started. I want to start looking at plans for RMTA.

So for those interested: You have to be a MSCD student, and have to be free to play with us Tuesdays (for now--there may be more meetings later). You don't have to have any Stage Combat experience or you can be a professional, or anything in between. Once we get our official stuff going, there'll be a due of $5 per semester. Cheap!

MSCD Stage Combat Club news and posts will appear here on the Bonzuko blog, so anyone in it or interested in it should visit here often.

~Jenn

Number Nine...Number Nine...

No, I'm not going to tell a long, sickly-sweet story about how we met and fell in love and it was all flowers and happiness. Though it was happiness. More Legos than flowers. And pirates. And trapezes and the Renaissance Faire. Coffee or Chai?

The Unbeatable Bonzuko Team (that would be Jason and Jenn) celebrates their 9th wedding anniversary today. And no, it doesn't feel like it's been that long. It feels like yesterday, and an eternity. See? I'm already sounding like a slow-dance song from the '80s. Instead, here's a highlight reel (from Jenn's brain) of that fateful week back in 1999.

• Swords presented together as an engagement present. We lived back in the house on Aurora then. Martial arts classes in the park under the storms.
• Roommates cheerfully toting cases (yes, plural) of Beamish stout, jugs of Brendan's irish cream and Jameson's whiskey. Heard of the Irish Car Bomb cocktail? We discover it makes a good breakfast drink.
• Either that Tuesday or Thursday went to Sushi Zanmai with all friends, local and otherwise. What ensued was the LARGEST boat of sushi anyone has ever seen. They play "Happy Birthday" for people who go there to celebrate-- a Japanese guy playing an electric mini-sax. We had what he called a "wedding song." It was odd. We tavern-cheered until the wait staff began to smile nervously. The tea room next to us joined in.
• Wednesday was the bachelor/bachelorette party. It was combined: we're freethinking that way. R. Bryan Meeks and Leah D'abate made an elaborate treasure map. Everyone dressed in pirate garb and split up into two crews: Jason's and Jenn's. We went out into wild Wednesday Boulder and did all the things on the map. Cryptic things we could interpret how we wanted. Highlight for Jenn: in response to the request "Obtain a blessing from a public servant" Jenn drunkenly walks up to a police officer in his car, explains her mission. He slowly gets out of the car, looks at her pirate crew sidelong, takes her hand, and haltingly wishes happiness and joy on her forever.
• Night before the wedding our friends haul us up to the mountain and engage in a hand-fasting ceremony. That was for them.
• Extremely windy wedding ceremony with a drumming minister, a forgetful photographer, and many crows overhead. Oh, this was at Flagstaff amphitheatre. Awesome view. Jenn's bridesmaids freeze to death, and Jenn is nearly carried away on a cloud of tulle.
• Trnasitional sushi at Zanmai, sporting newly-gifted crystal mala, we see the bridal suite @ Boulderado. Very burgundy and Victorian.
• Reception at Boulderado. Much red wine and not a drop on the dress. Drunken relatives and friends. I think Kristin caught the bouquet. Jesse DJs and ends the night with the closing "yub-yub" song from Jedi. Many relatives end up down in the Catacombs.

That's Jenn's fragmented memories. Drink a bottle of pirate rum or a car-bomb in honor of us today, and remember it if you were there! ~Jenn

The pictures above are what we both looked like when we first met. We did the dagger-throw trick at RenFaire and the rest is history. Pictured are: Jason in his Renfaire gear in '97, Jenn in rehearsal at Frequent Flyers Dance Co., also in '97. Ah, they grow up so fast...

Wii Would Like to Play

We in the Bonzuko household love our elegant, geek-themed, brain-expanding-yet-addictive toys. In an earlier post, we expounded on the virtues of...oh that's right, we haven't told you what that toy is that you want. Oh yes, you want it.

But now, listen up kids, our latest healthy addiction is the Wii Fit game. Once you log in your BMI and play some very odd balance games, you can't wait to sully that pristine white plastic surface of the board with your feet again.

I'd encourage everyone to have this very awesome addition to and motivator for your exercise regime, but it looks as though Wii systems are insanely hard to get (let alone expensive) and the game itself is even harder. Oh well, we'll have to have a Bonzuko Fitness (and then homebrew?) party sometime soon I suppose.

Jenn's Favorite Wii Fit games: most yoga is fun; that one where you're in a penguin suit and catching fish; the put-the-ball-in-the-hole game; Rhythmic Boxing, and...well most of them are fun. What's yours?

~Jenn

Eye Caramba!

Where the eyes go, the mind follows.

So stretch your eyes. Gently look in all <10> directions, holding each gaze at least four seconds.

This is at least as important as stretching your other muscles, if you use your eyes daily.
~Jason

Ham and Bear Snack

Hamembert (Ham and Bear) Snack

A ham steak (nice thick cut, good quality, approx. one pound)
A small wheel of Camembert cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place ham steak into shallow baking pan. Whisk honey, cayenne, bourbon for the glaze. Pour half over ham steak and place in oven until sizzling and singed on edges.

Flip ham steak, coat with other half of glaze and broil at 500 degrees F until sizzling and singed on edges.

While cooking second side of ham steak, heat heavy cream until near boiling. Lower temperature to simmer, add Camembert and yolk, whisk briskly for 90 seconds. Remove from heat until ham is finished.

Drizzle Camembert sauce over the ham and serve.

Add other cool stuff to your liking, Kojack. Maybe green onion slices or mango wedges. Let me know if you are stuck.
~Jason

Have a nice Trip! See ya next Fall!

Why does one relocate position?

Consider a throwing technique from the martial arts ... most devastating.

When thrown, a person's physical space is taken. Relocation is involuntary and receptive. Recovery is possible if one is properly trained or intuitively responsive. If not, one is vulnerable to major injury or total devastation.

When throwing, a person assumes the physical location of another person. Relocation is voluntary and invasive. It can be a strong strategic maneuver.

With proper form, one may be dominant and stable after executing a throw. Without training or when fueled by emotion, this attack is clumsy and easy to counter by a professional martial artist.

At Bonzuko we stress the importance of understanding ways of receiving and redirecting a fall of any kind. This is important from the earliest stages of martial arts training, and should be practiced on a daily basis and under various circumstances.

Age and physical condition will require adjustment to the intensity and methodology of this training. Yet there is no reason to consider this "advanced training." It is possible to adjust the level of training to accommodate.

Make no mistake: taking an unexpected fall of any kind is one of the most likely high-risk activities one may experience in everyday life.

There are times to roll, and times to simply receive a fall most safely. There are times when rolling to receive a throwing technique is absolutely inappropriate. Training must encompass all ways of dealing with this issue.

And yes, this applies to psychological falls, falling short of expectations, being "put down," and more.

So, have a nice trip! See ya next Fall.
~JAS

Freshman never again

The Freshman Wheat from 2008. Named for Jason's return to school last Fall, and consumed within a week, we hardly knew ye.

It was one of our first batches. We love the German style wheat any time of the year.

It was so excellent that we have formulated a base recipe from that run which has become the Bonzuko House specialty. The name does not remain the same, however. Jason is deep into year two at MSCD. This is the end of the innocence.

So, we give you ... Sophomore Wheat. Creamy and fizzy, powered by Saaz hops this time, and in very short supply. We ran out of bottles too early. The good news is that we saved the runover for gourmet sciences. And cooking with it is damn near as good as drinking it. Really.

As always, if you ty it please let us know what you think!
~Jason

Mind Your Melon

The Gal-Lager has been popped!

A nice lager character with ever-so-slight bitterness from the Saaz hops, kissed with a fruity finish from the addition of fresh watermelon during a tertiary fermentation.

We are glad to report that it is not too sweet, and the watermelon does not overpower the lager. Since it is real melon, there isn't that fake-fruit flavor like one gets from commercial brews.

It tastes like a smooth beer, accented with summer goodness.

This is a very limited release, but we plan to work it again in 2009. If you tried it, let us know what you think!
~Jason

Back to School

It was our first day back at school (well, Jenn's first day; Jason started Monday), and the future's so bright, we've gotta wear shades.

Stage Combat looks like a lark--Jenn will put updates here every so often (students should look at metroconnect for in-class info), and heck maybe a picture or two. So much looking forward to it, and we'll see what Jason says about the Ensemble Performance class after Friday.

Yes, the Stage Combat book is the required textbook for MSCD's Stage Combat Class. Yes, Jenn wrote it. Does she have a problem with that? Nope.

Every Day is Bike-to-Work Day

Bike to Work Day is today here in the Boulder-Denver area. Folks get free breakfast and swag for taking anything but a car to do their jobs and other tasks today. One day out of the year. Could you do it?

Bike-to-Work-Day is a kind of joke around the Bonzuko household. We live in Boulder, work and school in Denver, and do not even own a car. Jenn doesn't even have a license. People think we're insane every other day of the year, except today. We are green commuters, though--maybe it's our way of making up for our computers being on all day...

It's a big lifestyle change to not drive ever. All your travel takes more time. Way more time. You have to make sure you carry everything on you for your entire day. You have to be ready for anything the elements give you. And if you're Stage Combat and/or Martial Arts teachers like we are, you have big cumbersome burdens to carry. And you do end up walking every day.

That's why we're so fit, actually. Let's tally the health benefits, shall we? A walk of approximately 10-20 minutes a day. Fresh air and moving blood. Two fewer people in cars eevryday helps the planet. Cheaper health insurance for living in a healthy city. Calm serenity in letting the bus driver do the traffic negotiation. Meditation every day. Have I forgotten any?

Anyway, happy Bike-to-Work-Day.