Solara Speaks

Giants and Leprechauns, Bruce Lee, The Bermuda Triangle and Into the 60's

By Solara Key

This past summer after auditioning for "The Next Martial Art Superstar," mom and I were sitting in the lobby of the beautiful Sheraton Hotel smack dab in the middle of Universal Studios in Hollywood, while dad was off talking to everybody in the hotel. We were waiting to see if I were one of those chosen for the show. I think I was going through every emotion there was in my being to go through. All of a sudden, a giant of a man walked in and sat down with us. I had seen him at the World Black Belt Trade Show, but I didn't know who he was or anything about him. He introduced himself as Bart Vale. He began to tell us about his trip to Russia to fight, and how nervous someone had made him about the KGB before he left. We began to laugh, and it was one of those laughs that make your "innards" sore! Next,he told us about fighting with a Japanese man, and how he was "taken down" by him. I don't know how long we sat there laughing and talking, but I had such a good time I forgot the reason I was sitting there in the first place!

Who is Bart Vale? To name a few, he is an author, kick boxer, former football player, bouncer, cofounder of "Shootfighting,"international shootfighting champion, and my friend. Years ago, while Mr. Vale was giving a karate demonstration, Japanese martial artist, Masami "Sami" Soranaka spotted him and asked if he would be interested in coming to train at his new gym. He agreed. After being matched up with a Japanese opponent that he thought would be an "easy win", he soon found himself on the opposite end of victory. His Japanese opponent quickly took him down. Wanting to find out how he was taken down by a much smaller opponent, he later accepted an invitation to train in Japan.

Out of his training in Japan, came the birth of "Shootfighting," a combination of Muay Thai, wrestling, and martial arts. Mr. Vale named it Shootfighting, to describe a fighting system he had learned from cofounders, Masami Soranaka and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. I would suggest reading his book, "Shootfighting: The Ultimate Fighting System." He tells about this very funny story, and also gives step-by-step instructions. It is two thumbs up! Here is a giant telling us of his defeats and fears. And, here I was, just 13 years old, feeling fearful of being defeated by someone better than I for the part.

Sometimes lessons come from people you least expect. This time the lesson came from a giant who I had just met. Thank you, Mr. Bart Vale. It seems when I am not meeting giants, I am catching little people. When I was in first grade, our teacher put bags in the floor to catch Leprechauns on St. Patrick's Day. Then, she made us take off our shoes and socks, and painted all of our fingernails and toenails green. Leprechauns are cobblers by trade, so I just knew that I came home with one of those Leprechauns in my shoe. When I got home that day, there was a pot of gold waiting on my bed for me. I was right! Now every March 17, my ears start to turn into Leprechauns! Watch out what you wish for and leave in the floor! Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all.

Lots of funny lessons come from my parents. Mom is scared of dying bored! She is even more scared of living bored. She can come up with more unusual things to do. My dad doesn't mind...as long as we give him plenty of warning so he can either use his road atlas, get a "click and save" special, or build up Hilton honors! One year dad said to mom, "what do you want to do for your birthday this year?" Big mistake. "I want to go see Bruce Lee," she says without hesitation! "Let's see," says dad, "Bruce Lee is in the spirit world, are you saying..." "Yes, I want to see Bruce Lee, you know, where he is laid to rest!

And, while we are there, we might as well go visit your mother in Alaska and see the Snow Dogs!" says mom. This was a good one! His hair began to stick out on the sides of his head, as he jumped from his recliner and began to pace. Mom always gives him a way of looking at things like it makes sense. "Well think about it Kendall, after all, Alaska is in your work territory," she reminds him (he travels many states for his company.) Now we have gone from Bruce Lee, to how economically sound a trip to Alaska will be because it is in his territory. You know what? We went! And it was great! And when we looked at pictures of Mr. Lee's gravestone, my mother's and my reflection was on each side of his picture!

Mom has always wanted to go to the Bermuda Triangle. When my brother was in high school he had a friend whose father investigated the Bermuda Triangle incidents. They invited her to come to Bermuda, and she stored it in her memory banks until I was 5. My brother is 25 years older than I. Now, all of a sudden, "WE" had to go to Bermuda! It so happened that dad won a trip to.....you guessed it....THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE for getting his numbers in at work. Weeks before we left, mom had to have emergency oral surgery. I wanted to stay with a friend while she was having surgery. After much debate, she finally agreed to let me go. When she got home, there was a message on the recorder that my friend had slammed my hand in the door and they rushed me to the emergency room. They thought all the bones in my hand were broken. Off she and my grandmother went, to the emergency room to get me. (Dad had already left to go to the pharmacy to get mom's prescription filled.) Now, I am suppose to lie down with an ice pack (my bones were not broken, however they were severely bruised) and mom was to lie down with an ice pack on her face, but when we returned home, there were hundreds of bees in our den.

My dad went crazy and started swatting them. Of course, Heidi, our Boston Terrier, then stepped on a bee, getting the stinger in her paw. Her paw began to swell, and the vet said to come to the emergency room and he would give her a shot of benedryl. A few days later, after mom picked me up from school, (Heidi and I were "buddy buckled" in the van seat) a flat bed wrecker ran a red light and hit us head on. "IT'S THE ROTTEN CURSE OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE" dad kept chanting. Finally, the day comes to go to "that place," and because of tornadoes, we missed our plane. "IT'S AN OMEN" yells dad. "Kendall, I am going to the Bermuda Triangle if I have to walk!" sachets mom. You know what? We went! And it was great! It's kind of fun having a mom that grew up in the 50's and 60's because I get to experience a lot of recycled stuff; Motown (60's music,) juke boxes, poodle skirts, bobbie sox, muscle cars, lava lamps, you name it. A friend of hers that she grew up with comes here to visit on his way to Florida. He has muscle cars that he takes on a trailer to shows.

One day he says, "Solara, why don't you and your mom come to Michigan when your dad has a business trip there, and I will take you drag racing like your mother and I used to do." Here we go again, the ole "business trip" routine. "O.K." I energetically chimed in. The next thing I knew, I was strapped into a 1963 Pontiac, flying down Michigan Avenue. My eyes got as big as saucers, and I said, "don't they have speed limits in Michigan?" "This is drag racing, Solara, only there is no other car to race with." he says. I may be as country as cornbread, but my drag racing days are over. We continued our trip to Northern Michigan to the Grand Hotel (that is where the movie, "Somewhere In Time" was made) on Mackinaw Island, the Mackinaw Bridge, the Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, and the sand dunes. It was great!

Upon reading the articles on the World Black Belt web site, I came across the following:

"WorldBlackBelt K.O. Fitness Recovery Water Knock your thirst out cold with K.O. Fitness Recovery Water. It's NOT just water... It's Water With An Attitude. Natural spring water loaded with multiple colloidal minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper,and zinc. Negatively charged plant-derived minerals for high absorption."

I know that our bodies are composed mainly of water, so I started to investigate. That led me to a book mom has by Masaru Emoto called, "The Hidden Messages in Water." I urge you to take a look at this book. It will change the way you think about water, and it will also make you think about your thought processes. For those of you who do not like to read, pick up the book and look at pages 5-36. 'Nuff said.

All of you need to read the Junior World Black Belt article about the Action Movie Workshop that is being held this spring. We have so many opportunities through World Black Belt. Just keep reading the events listed on the web site. Don't miss out on an opportunity this great!

I'd love to talk to you. Join in on the Discussion Forum, or email me: solarakey@worldblackbelt.com Till next time.....this is Solara signing off.

Solara

This has been a Youth E-Zine Article.