Solara Speaks
The Second Time Around...
By Solara Key

Donning our World Black Belt T-shirts, my parents and I excitedly trekked off to the Long Beach Convention Center for the 2nd Annual Black Belt Trade Show this summer. I had so much nervous energy, that it felt as if hundreds of caterpillars were in my stomach making the transition into butterflies! I get so excited when I am around other martial artist in a setting like this. And this year, I was getting to represent World Black Belt as Junior Correspondent! Little did I realize that this was just the beginning of one of the most incredible summers of my sometimes (no, most of the time,) crazy life.

The first person we came upon was Mr. George Alexander, a fellow Tennessean. His booth was awesome, with martial arts instructional DVD’s flashing upon a back drop, while hundreds more meticulously lined the table to be chosen from. My dad paid a visit to Mr. Alexander’s beautiful dojo, nestled in the woods and hills in Reliance, Tennessee upon our return home. I urge you, if you ever get the chance, visit Mr. Alexander’s dojo. You won’t be sorry.

After a brief conversation with Mr. Alexander, my eyes began to scan the large area of the convention center for the familiar black T-shirts, and my friends at World Black Belt. Business cards in hand, I meandered my way right to the World Black Belt booth. Mr. Roger Lacombe was there for his second time around, as well. I met newcomers, Mr. Ron Pohnel and his wife, Mrs. Charlanne Pohnel, who had recently joined the cast from Hawaii. Little did I know that later that day, Mr. Lacombe would interview me for a martial arts show, (keep checking the World Black Belt web site for this and other interviews,) and later that week, I would be at his dojo, training with Mr. Po and his wife. You see, Mr. Pohnel asked me if I would be interested in joining the World Black Belt Fighting Team. “Does a one-legged duck swim in a circle,” I thought to myself. Of course I want to be on the World Black Belt Fighting Team.

Michele “Mouse” Krasnoo Lax was there surrounded by fans wanting to talk and to get a closer glimpse. We all loved her dad, “Pops” Krasnoo, walking around with his orange-mango smoothies! I met Michael Bremner, the Director of the A. I. D. program for World Black Belt. What a great program this is, too. I met Bong Tumaru, the face behind the e-mails I receive about my articles. All of a sudden, there he is, bigger than life, my friend and mentor, Mr. Bob Wall. After a brief hug, and a "how are ya," people began to swarm him. “How does he do it?” I wondered. He stands there, smiling at everyone coming by to talk, and always makes time for everyone. After the first hour of being introduced to all the wonderful martial artists I did not know, I was rooting through the barrel of ice cold K.O. water and food bars trying to regain my composure.

Wen Huang, from the Sanbon Gear booth, came down to ask me if I would like to be a model for their T-shirts. How fun was that! I love those shirts. Check out their web site: www.sanbongear.com The ad will appear in the American Samurai Magazine.

Seeing that all this nervous excitement was building, mom made me take a break. Where did we go? To see the Bruce Lee exhibit, of course. Like that is going to make my butterflies go away. It was filled with Bruce Lee action figures, T-shirts, and brochures about the Bruce Lee Foundation, just to name a few. Pictures of Bruce, Linda, Brandon and Shannon Lee adorned the walls. On the table was a card, the sayings of which were originally written by Mr. Lee. I read about the days when he was not getting the work he wanted, and was struggling to feed his family. On one of his own business cards he wrote “WALK ON.” Caught up in a vortex of the Bruce Lee philosophy, I looked up to see beautiful Shannon standing by a picture of her father. “How does she ‘WALK ON’?” I thought. By now, my dad has joined us, (to make sure we are not buying everything at the Bruce Lee exhibit, I’m sure,) and we all walked over to talk to Shannon. She is so gracious and kind. Mom and Dad wanted to know when she was going to put a CD out. (For those of you who don’t know, Shannon has a beautiful voice and played Mama Cass Elliott in the Bruce Lee Story.) For now, she will press on in her roll as director of the Bruce Lee Foundation. For more information about the Bruce Lee Foundation, go to: www.bruceleefoundation.com. Outside the exhibit, was Linda Lee Cadwell. She is also a gracious and kind person, and fun to listen to when she is talking about her adventures of going to China with Bruce Lee when she was only 19 years old.

For now, it was back to the World Black Belt booth, rejoining my team, introducing myself, and getting more pictures taken with all the wonderful martial artists. My friends Mr. Bill Wallace, and Mr. Bart Vale stopped by and we caught up for only a few minutes. Now this is not the end of the story, only the beginning.

I have always wondered where the World Black Belt home is. I know it is just not a wonderful web site, connecting martial artists from all over the world. Mr. Wall sets a time for us to visit, and off we go to Tarzana. Upon entering the World Black Belt home, a picture of Mr. Chuck Norris greets us. We toured offices, board rooms, and the icing on the cake, the office of Mr. Wall. I have never seen an office with such beauty and grandeur, with a chilling poster of "Enter the Dragon" hanging in all of its glory. And, I have never had so much fun as I did that evening listening to Mr. Wall’s stories, trying out all of his health remedies, and listening to his fatherly advice. “Is this an action adventure movie star I am having so much fun with? “ I wondered. I think martial artists are some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet, whether they are in the movies, or just doing their martial arts thing. And, this still isn’t the end of the story.

A while back, Adam James had suggested that I might like to do the Action Movie Workshop (on the Junior World Black Belt section,) in Calabasas. Michele “Mouse” Krasnoo Lax would be one of the instructors, as well as Mr. Leo Fong. Thinking that would enhance my acting ambitions, off I go for a 5 day stint in Calabasas. Not only did I have great time, and learned a lot about movies, I got to know “Mouse” on a friendship basis. What a great person. After one of Mr. Fong’s sessions about movies, acting, martial arts, etc. I went up to introduce myself to him. “Oh, Solara, I have a script for you to appear in a made for television movie with me,” he says. Mom said that in the 18 years she has known my dad, that is the first time she has ever known him to be speechless! Now I have to tell you, I have had many rejections in my modeling/acting days, mainly because I was too young. When God shuts the door, HE opens a window. HE definitely opened a window for me when I met Mr. Fong. The movie is called, Charlie and Chan, and is about a 14 year old girl (me) who’s dad dies, leaving her in the care of best friend Charlie Wong (Mr. Fong.) That is all I am going to tell you! Go to www.leotfong.com and check out his newsletter. YIPPEEEEEE! I cannot wait!

O.K. so now I am home and I began my first year of high school. I love it. Even though it is still a little hard to come down from my summer, I know this is only the beginning. Besides, a lot of cool things happen here. I mean, my summer started out by going to my first Bharatanatyam Arangetram. My dear friend, Sonia Agarwal, graduated from high school. Before going to India to medical school, she gave a beautiful two hour performance of her native Indian dance. It was a very spiritual experience and featured elegant footwork patterns, and beautiful abstract movements of the body. She was (and still is) gorgeous. Afterwards, we all gathered together for yummy Indian cuisine. I have got the best friends in the world. How fun it is to be involved in cultures from all over the world. Now, it is back to my daily workout routine.

Don’t miss my article next month, “True Ghost Stories From Middle Tennessee.”

This is Solara signing off...write me at solarakey@worldblackbelt.com

This has been a Youth E-Zine Article.