🌺 Hawaiian Martial Arts Symposium 2025 – Day 3 Closing Day of the Symposium 🌺

Opportunities missed last day

The final day of the Hawaiian Martial Arts Symposium carried a mixture of excitement and bittersweet anticipation. Everyone knew our time together was drawing to a close, yet the energy in the hall remained electric.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we arrived late to the seminar and missed a significant portion of the morning’s training. I would like to extend my apologies to the instructors and participants for not being present from the beginning, as I know valuable lessons and insights were shared during that time.

Even so, upon entering, it was immediately inspiring to see young children practicing with remarkable dedication and ability. Their focus, discipline, and willingness to engage fully reminded us that martial arts transcends age—it is about cultivating awareness, resilience, and commitment, and that the next generation is already embracing these principles with vigor.

Session 1 – Professor Kumu Pedro Porem

The first session we were able to join was with Professor Kumu Pedro Porem, whose energy and clarity set the tone for the rest of the day. He began by guiding us through muscle memory exercises, emphasizing repetition until movement became instinctual. The drills focused on palming techniques integrated with counter strikes, helping students understand how defensive and offensive actions can merge seamlessly. Professor Porem highlighted the importance of timing, body alignment, and intent, reminding us that precision often outweighs brute force in effective application.

From there, the class transitioned into Kempo Karate kata, with Professor Porem breaking down each sequence to show practical applications. Stances, strikes, and blocks were analyzed not as rigid forms but as adaptable tools, each carrying potential for multiple applications depending on the context. He encouraged practitioners to approach kata as a living archive of martial wisdom, revealing that true understanding comes when one connects the form to real-world scenarios.

Throughout the session, Professor Porem stressed the connection between mind, body, and spirit, reminding us that mastery emerges not just from technical ability but from awareness, discipline, and intention. By the session’s conclusion, participants were moving with renewed focus and understanding, able to see how foundational drills could transform into dynamic, applicable techniques.

Session 2 – Professors Scott Merrill, Kumu Tim Harris, and Professor Hans Ingebretsen

The second session was an extraordinary collaborative effort. All three instructors—Kumu Scott Merrill, Kumu Tim Harris, and Professor Hans Ingebretsen—began together, introducing us to a series of palming drills. Practicing under three masters at once was powerful; their combined guidance created a strong foundation in structure, movement, and intention. It was a shared introduction that unified the participants, ensuring everyone was aligned before branching out into more specialized focuses.

Once the basics were established, the instructors split into their respective areas:

• Kumu Scott Merrill focused on destructive applications, showing how even a simple palm strike could become a decisive, powerful tool when delivered with intent. His portion emphasized commitment, controlled aggression, and understanding the potential impact of every movement.

  
  

  

• Kumu Tim Harris concentrated on refinement and precision, moving among students to correct stances, adjust body alignment, and clean up technique. His attention to detail helped practitioners maximize efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring that each strike and motion was executed with optimal mechanics.

  

• Professor Hans Ingebretsen guided the closing portion, expanding the palming drills into timing, adaptability, and flow. He demonstrated how foundational movements could evolve into broader tactical applications, encouraging students to think beyond the drill and apply the techniques dynamically.

  
  

The session’s structure—starting together, then branching into destruction, refinement, and expansion—provided a layered and immersive learning experience. By the end, we could see how a single technique could develop into multiple applications, adapted for a wide range of scenarios. The combination of unity and specialization gave the class depth, making it both challenging and highly rewarding.

Reflections: The End, a New Beginning

As the symposium drew to a close, there is a sense of unity and gratitude. Across three days, instructors and participants from diverse backgrounds and disciplines had come together to share knowledge, refine skill, and nurture community. Even though we missed part of the morning, the sessions we experienced were impactful and unforgettable.

Bowing out at the end of the day, I reflected on the phrase, “The End, a New Beginning.” While the event had concluded, the lessons, friendships, and inspiration we gained were not confined to the mats of Honolulu. They were seeds, ready to be carried forward into our own training, teaching, and daily lives. The end of the symposium marked the continuation of a journey, a reminder that martial arts is not just about techniques—it is about growth, resilience, and a lifelong commitment to self-improvement.

We left Honolulu with new skills, expanded perspectives, and a renewed sense of purpose, understanding that every ending in martial arts—every bow, every final kata—opens the door to a new beginning. The Hawaiian Martial Arts Symposium was a powerful reminder that the path never ends; it only continues, stronger and wiser, with every step we take.