Episode 22 - Sensei Katie Murphy
Sensei Katie Murphy - Episode 22
If I could get through those three-hour, hardcore karate classes or those five-hour testing weekends...then I can get through anything.
Katie Murphy
I first met Sensei Katie Murphy at the 2015 Super Summer Seminars in Herkimer, NY. I met a lot of tremendous martial artists that weekend and made some good friends, that's for sure. There was something about Sensei Murphy that stuck with me, though.Katie Murphy is the real deal; a kind person, an exceptional martial artist and a gifted teacher. I took away a lot from my time in her seminar that weekend and I knew I had to reach out to her to be on the show. Fortunately, she agreed and we had a great time recording this episode. Sensei Murphy offers an inspiring martial arts tale that is full of candor and complexity. Many listeners will surely relate to things that she says about her time training, including such challenges as dealing with boredom in the martial arts. I hope you enjoy this episode.~jeremy
Show Notes
Actor: Jackie ChanMovies: Blade, Gladiator, Only the StrongBooks: The Karate Dojo, Shotokan Myths, Artist of LifeKatie Murphy Facebook Page
Show Transcript
You can read the transcript below or download here.Jeremy Lesniak:Hello everyone and thanks for your time today you're listening to episode 22 of whistlekick Martial Arts Radio. The only place to hear the best stories from the best martial artist. I'm your host Jeremy Lesniak and I'm also the founder of whistlekick, makers of the best sparring gear on the planet, as well as some exciting apparel and accessories for traditional martial artists. You can learn more about our products like our universal face shields at whistlekick.com and you can learn more about the podcast including all of our past episodes, show notes for this one and a whole lot more all for free over at whistlekickmartialartsradio.com. And while you're on our website don't forget to sign up for our newsletter full of info discounts and useful martial arts content and if you're an Android user you can check out our Android app on the google play store. Just search for whistlekick, it's an easy way to stay connected with the show and now for a review of the week. Remember we read an iTunes review every week and if we read yours you just email us at info@whistlekick.com and we'll send you out a free prize pack with a shirt and some other cool stuff and this week's review comes to us from Dominic R. and Dominic says "I have not subscribed to a lot of podcasts as I don't have a lot of free time to listen to them. This podcast however, is so great that it is one of the main things that I look forward to every week. It has opened my eyes to the bigger picture of the martial arts and the stories are simply amazing keep up the good work." Thank you for sending that in Dominic it really means a lot to us to hear those reviews. And now to this week's episode on this episode we're joined by Sensei Katie Murphy from Upstate New York. Sensei Murphy is a dynamic martial artist that I met at a summer event a few weeks ago. She grew up training in Gōjū-ryū karate but has spent some time in other martial arts both traditional and modern. Sensei Murphy speaks openly about some challenging times in her life and how her martial arts training helped her through them it's a great episode and I hope you enjoy it. And so, Sensei Murphy welcome to Whistlekick Martial Arts Radio.Katie Murphy:Oh, thank you so much for having me. Truly an honor.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah well cool. This'll be fun.Katie Murphy:Yeah.Jeremy Lesniak:We'll have a good time. So, I got to know you a little bit at super summer seminars last month in Herkimer and had the chance to train with you and was, was honestly blown away with with your skill but more so you're the way you you taught. But that ends my knowledge of you.Katie Murphy:Okay.Jeremy Lesniak:So, why don't you tell us and in those listening how you got started in the martial arts? How old were you? Where were you? Why all that?Katie Murphy:Sure, uh well I got started for two reasons. One my older brother did it and you know anything he did I had to do and secondly it came right after time my mother had signed me up for ballet lessons and I did that for a few years. When I was really young and I come to find out I'm tone deaf and I can't really follow music so well and the instructor, the ballet teacher wanted to keep me back or move me to a more remedial beginner ballet group after I'd been there a few years so I wouldn't be with my friends anymore. And that was enough to say I'm not doing this anymore. I'm gonna do karate like Christopher Dawson of course my brother. And so, I was about 11 when I started you talked to some people in my organization they'll claim they knew me from when I was like knee high but I really didn't start that young I was 11. So, I started in Goju karate and I did that solidly for about 20 years and that was my only style coming up as a young child up through the ranks that's where I earned my black belt from and it wasn't until maybe 15 years or so into that when I made, after I've been training black belt for a while I that I began to journey out and double in a few other things and it quite honestly really was until about 3 years ago that I've sort of taken up with other styles and Goju was still there and I still pop in to Goju Dojo from time to time for a class but I'm currently training in that anymore.Jeremy Lesniak:What are you training now?Katie Murphy:Oh, right now, I'm at an awesome karate school of Fighting Spirit Karate where I moved to about a year ago and they, they do a wonderful program there. They have the karate program and it's called Christian-based Karate which my Japanese background just loved. And the hardcore style of Kyokushin really appealed to me as I also did Krav Maga for a while. But also, they have a Judo class once a week and a BJJ class once a week. So now I'm kind of dabbling in all of that and just enjoying it.Jeremy Lesniak:Nice.Katie Murphy:It's a little.Jeremy Lesniak:You get to play in different circles.Katie Murphy:Exactly and I think that has really kept me interested and especially the Judo I find it very challenging it's different its new its, its aggressive, its throwing, its falling, it's hard and something I've never really did before and so on. I'm enjoying the challenge of that.Jeremy Lesniak:It's interesting the, the subject of feeling inspired or maybe getting a little bored or tired of something you've done for so long as something that we don't talk about as martial artists that you know if you're, if you're bored in class it's your own fault or something like that. That's always kind of in the attitude and what's been interesting as this show has grown as we've had more listeners come on. People are starting to come to me and saying oh you know I'd really like to train with that guy and in these conversations, are happening so it's really interesting that you're putting it out there that it was time sounds like it was time for a change for you.Katie Murphy:Absolutely and I put it out there before. I got bored and various points throughout the journey when I was training in Goju it was about the time I was in second year third year of college early 20s. I was really getting bored of it was the same class I was already need on and you know how it goes with karate you start with a group of 20 white belts and you know there was 15 of them that make it to green and then 10 that make purple and five make brown and three of them make black and then maybe one of them makes it to need on and so I found I was coming it was the same workout. I was then helping the white belts learn karate but I didn't feel myself growing and I was getting bored of it and I was at that age where my friends were out doing fun things and I was having a tough time with it and it was one of my competition coaches my mentor who said to me you have to do something with it. You can't look at martial arts as you just go to class why if you really want to become an instructor well then that's a great opportunity you're working with under belts but he competed and he said get into competition. It'll give you a purpose for a while to keep training. I didn't feel at 20 or 21 I was old enough to be an instructor I didn't feel like I had enough skill level I didn't feel the confidence to be able to teach. I'd certainly didn't know anything as a need on and I started competing, went to a few competitions and was like wow, you know okay I have a lot to work on my first few competitions were not great. And it was awesome to come back to class and just because we're doing stands through up and down the Dojo that wasn't boring now. Now I had a purpose make the stands to sharp, make them straighter, make a more solid get a little bit deeper because it was my, the whole point was to get better for competition.Jeremy Lesniak:You had a goal.Katie Murphy:Yeah.Jeremy Lesniak:You suddenly you, you, your karate was no longer just fitness or better for the sake of being better but you had a target.Katie Murphy:Yes. Yeah, and that carried me for a good, good long time and about halfway through the competition or just as I was starting to escalate in my level of competition I, that was when I began to go train with different people or at different Dojos to really begin to take it to that next level but now I've kind of just recently retired from the competition and I'm beginning to see a different piece of it and that's this now element of it is tried to become more well-rounded try to learn a lot of different things. Begin to make all those connections to put them all together.Jeremy Lesniak:Do you miss competition?Katie Murphy:No.Jeremy Lesniak:Why not?Katie Murphy:Everyone says oh, you know you'll be back, you'll be back, you'll miss it. It towards the last year it became not fun for me. I enjoyed it very much and the whole experience is just something I think very few people get the opportunity to have. And I started of local did little local events and then did more regional I did the crane circuit for a few years and then I did Nazca and I did some of the world circuits and the travel was fantastic initially going to all these different places. Seeing all these different countries, meeting lots of really amazing people. But then, it's very very expensive and very very few people get the opportunity to be sponsored and I was sponsored for a little bit but just my registration costs and my uniforms and maybe my weapons not the airline tickets not the hotel.Jeremy Lesniak:The bulk ofKatie Murphy:Exactly very few people get that kind of luxury nowadays and you know I'm a high school teacher so there was a lot of weekends where I jet out of school right on Friday afternoon rush down to the airport get on a plane and you know hope to get there in time for Friday night events. Compete all day Saturday, fly home first thing Sunday morning spend the day traveling all that and then it's back to work Monday and I never had like weekends to just relax and catch up. So, the traveling got stressful and the expense got stressful it began to be I had to win, I had to win, had to win the money otherwise I couldn't afford to do the next event and I kept pushing myself and pushing myself. And that and that's when I lost the enjoyment of it to stop to becoming fun when it became a job or a chore and so um I know I really am enjoying having weekends to go to the beach or you know just hang out.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah yeah those, I remember what weekends were like but now we're at tournaments a lot of weekends now so I completely sympathize it's you know I did it all through my my teenage years and now I'm back at it. So, it's interesting how things come full circle.Katie Murphy:Yeah and I've done a few local events and I probably will. You know continue to do some of the very small local ones here or there, but you know and I just started doing some training with the young students at the karate school I’m at now. To see if some of them are interested in perhaps putting together a little mini tournament team and just going to some local events. You know, they're too young to travel but know if that's five weekends a year I’m happy. You know that, that's fantastic it's it beats like the 30 to 40 weekends a year that you were traveling so I just.Jeremy Lesniak:Absolutely, so you've you've been in the arts quite a long time and I'm sure that you've got a lot of stories just from your travel and your competition but I'd like you to think about all the stories that you have and pick one. Your, your best martial arts story to tell us.Katie Murphy:Wow that is tough. There's guess you're right there's a lot there's a lot of those funny stories or those kinds of stories of all this time this thing happened with that thing happened but I think my best martial arts story is my very first super summers event six years ago and it definitely a, it opened my mind to like wow this is something I could get into. Besides competition could come, I don't have time to train Kali I don't have time to train in Kung Fu I don't have instructors near me who do that sort of thing. Ah, but if I come to two, three, four of these types of events, all year I can take those classes and then I've gained a little added a little bit but I think, more importantly from getting out of that was I met my husband there. And so, to me that's kind of the best martial arts story I found someone who had similar interests and similar goals and was as passionate about it as I was and you know, I found that special someone we keep going on this journey. Now kind of doing different things but still doing it together.Jeremy Lesniak:And that that's great and I remember you know of course that was announced at the weekend this year at super summer seminars.Katie Murphy:Yes, yes.Jeremy Lesniak:So, you've kind of given a kind of glossed over, what you put it out there this is your story so I want you to dig a little bit deeper. How did you meet him? Were you partnered up? and and any you know you were guys, You guys were smacking each other around? or How did this happen?Katie Murphy:Oh, actually we didn't take a seminar until the very last one on Sunday and it's some kind of funny Dave says, David is his name said he noticed me, Saturday night at the demonstrations I came in with my crew and I came and I sat down in the auditorium and watch the demonstration. So, now he saw me and wanting to make it a point to introduce himself to me and afterwards everyone was gathered in the lobby talking and he saw that I was talking to someone he knew and then someone was a person I had partnered with in class and we were just talking martial arts and he was asking me about Krav Maga. How I got into it and Dave saw that opportunity to come up and talk. And so, we just started chatting Saturday night I didn't think too much of it just, oh no would have got a great guy really nice well-spoken, well-rounded knows a lot about martial arts. And but then, all day on Sunday at the seminars I kept seeing him like over on the bench or over on the bleachers or on the outskirts or watching a seminar I was taken and so he finally took the last seminar on Sunday which was a focus network and you know Super Summers events it's lots and lots of training and by the last one on Sunday you are just exhausted and so David planned on skipping that one and go you're going to go shower and pack up and relax cause he was just done and then he saw that I jumped in and did that seminar and he's like, aha, alright this is my chance.Jeremy Lesniak:So, he took that opportunity and he jumped into train.Katie Murphy:Exactly and uh you know we Facebook friends’ at right afterwards and started talking and tried to figure out how to meet up to train together and then it started off his meeting up to train and lead from there.Jeremy Lesniak:Did you know? did you know it sounds like he knew he had an idea.Katie Murphy:Oh.Jeremy Lesniak:Really on did you know?Katie Murphy:No, I didn't I just thought oh no he wants to meet up and train, oh that that's nice okay. Didn't think the thing of it until he was like, uh cause I it's a good story because we lived five hours apart. So, we used to get together every other weekend go to different Dojos to train and meet up at seminars meet up at tournaments. Things like that, but you know he said after like that first time he's like no, I, I didn't drive five hours train. Go five hours to train with you. Oh, okay.Jeremy Lesniak:Well that that is a great story and I think for a lot of us in the martial arts that's and I know plenty of people that met their partners through the martial arts and I think for a lot of the rest of us that's the story that we want to have. So, I think that's great and I really appreciate you sharing it with us.Katie Murphy:Thank you.Jeremy Lesniak:So now I want you to think a little bit differently as to your time in the martial arts and its influence on you how has the martial arts shaped you. You did have I mean not a full life but you know a good chunk of your life prior to the martial arts. You know certainly those formative years and as I just think about how you changed or how you imagined that you changed, as a martial artist.Katie Murphy:Well that's a great question and that was it's a tough one. I think for me to answer in the way that I've always done it so and since I've done it since I was 11 don't really know too much before I was 11 what was going on. I went to school that was about it, so having, having it be my whole life so we spend something that's there trying to see how perhaps change me it's always kind of tough because it's not something I started later on but in reflection you know I think it's always been some form of exercise it's always kept me active. So, I think that's in some ways it's made my life perhaps different than if I've never done it there's I can't recall a time where I wasn't two, three even four nights a week. Doing some kind of training I just always have I was never one of those never had a long period of time my life right. It's at home and watch TV every night and I have lots of friends who how do you watch the show watch that show actually I don't really know. I go to the karate Dojo like three times, a week on him sit home and watch TV. I now and it wasn't until like the birth of Netflix that I finally caught up on something sister but I think even just in general the training. As I reflect back on it I think the core concepts I've gotten out of martial arts, you know that discipline the idea of being prompt being on time courtesy respect, self-respect and the values that martial arts promotes has helped me and I think my professional life and in just being a good person. It's kind of those values are instilled in me and I think toughness of mind there have been you know there's always challenges. When you're a teenager, when you're in your 20s when you go into college and yeah, you're working 80 hours a week taking lots of classes doing homework and that self-discipline that toughness knows sit down and write that paper. No, you have to go to work stop complaining stop whining about just do it. You know just dig deep, they'll take a deep breath until you grow and I eat those sort of, for lack of a better word, those sort of things or what I've gotten out of martial arts and if I could try to imagine my life if I never did that. If I never started with that first karate class I don't know that I would have those now.Jeremy Lesniak:You wouldn't happen from ballet?Katie Murphy:No definitely. Well, I don't think I would have stuck with ballet.Jeremy Lesniak:Right that's what.Katie Murphy:I was gonna get kicked out of the school.Jeremy Lesniak:Maybe you would have found him in, Lacrosse.Katie Murphy:And possibly.Jeremy Lesniak:Soccer.Katie Murphy:Yeah, I did play soccer, club soccer, I did swim but those were those are secondary. That was like you know you kind of did that a little bit here and there for fun.Jeremy Lesniak:Yep.Katie Murphy:So.Jeremy Lesniak:All right.Katie Murphy:Ah.Jeremy Lesniak:So now I'd like you to think about a rough point in your life. Something on the low end that your martial arts training was able to help you move past or overcome.Katie Murphy:Oh sure, uh-huh you know it's interesting you try to think of a low point in your life and just when you think you've nailed it. You'll realize that that really wasn't so bad people other people have it worse. So, you know I, I think the toughest point in my life was about 18 to 22 and it was because I, I grew up in a very poor Irish family lots of children so I moved out of my parents’ house when I was 18. And you know had to work and go to school and pay for everything myself and it definitely wasn't easy you know ramen noodle soup like this is a gourmet meal.Jeremy Lesniak:That's right.Katie Murphy:And you know that was really hard and if I had to go back and live that stable I figure now I don't think I could do it. Working so many different jobs and you'll make a minimum wage and try to go to school while you were doing all of that it. Uh you know I think one of the things that ran through my mind when it really seemed like it was tough and I just couldn't do this anymore was if I could get through those three-hour hardcore karate classes or those five-hour testing weekends and those tough workouts where now since it's got you a push up position for 30 minutes and you can't move and yeah sweat stripping off your face. You're just trying to mind over matter then you know I can get through anything. There were definitely times in that four-year period where I didn't have enough to eat. Where I would go to the soccer fields at night I him and grab all the bottles and cans and hope I made enough to get 4 dollars if I had 4 dollars I can get a loaf of bread and peanut butter and that was peanut butter sandwiches for next three days and I was set. You know and of course way too proud to call home to mom and dad and say, okay you guys were right, that shouldn't move out yes.Jeremy Lesniak:Right.Katie Murphy:No, I was never doing that. So, I think that idea that, that toughness of mine coming back to that just nope you know you're gonna you're gonna get more hours next week you just got to make it through this week and you're going to get paid in three days just and being able to accept no you can't go out buy anything that you want. You have to if to save your money you have to be humble. You have to get through it and you will get there one day. You just got to keep working at school and once you graduate you'll get that real job you just got to keep going and I think that was that idea that toughness of mind helped me through that four-year period.Jeremy Lesniak:It's something that comes up a lot in in this question on this show and I think in general when martial artists talk to each other about what did they get out of the martial arts and that mental toughness that perseverance whatever you want to call it is something that's really forefront for a lot of people and here you're the first person to all to answer this question with less elevates a specific example. You know the and not certainly not taking anything away from past guests we've had people that have said you know the the loss of a relative or something more acute like that and here you're talking about a phase of your life. Something that I think most people would not make make it through that for years in that state. You know that that continued state of not having it out.Katie Murphy:Yeah and I, I know it's I don't want to say it's like hearing Sensei's voice in my head because I don't know if that was the case but you know when times are tough like that I've definitely seen it happened to other people where you know you turn to drugs you turn to alcohol you turn to may be a self-destructive means. And that just never it was tough I didn't have enough why was I gonna waste it on something else waste money on something else but it was always that idea of no I'm an athlete now on the martial artist. You know, you, you just don't do that and I think it was that some of that must have been instilled in me it was never really a conscious thought. Oh no, since they were mad at me if he finds out it was never that it was just fair no. He had a very famous saying in class there's no shunting there's no crying in karate there's no shunting and if he thought you were doing 20 sit ups and he thought you did 19. You know who his side you 20 more. I'd say there's no shunting in karate at it use to me there's no something in life. No don't know whine about it you don't cut corners you just do it.Jeremy Lesniak:Very well said. Thank you, thank you for sharing that, that's, that's some heavy stuff and and not something that everyone would be comfortable sharing publicly so I thank you for that. There's I think there's some certainly some inspirational points in there and some teachable moments and I hope people listening take that to heart maybe even rewind and listen to that part again. So, I'd like you to think about all the various instructors that you've had over the years and, and take them out of the mix to answer this question.Katie Murphy:Sure.Jeremy Lesniak:Who's been the most influential person in your martial arts upbringing?Katie Murphy:Most influential, but not my direct right. No Sensei, yeah, um there's a few. I'm trying to rush through this isn't right.Jeremy Lesniak:You can give us a couple of, if narrowing it down to warm is too hard.Katie Murphy:I'd say first of all. Uh, Chris Salmon, Master Chris Salmon he was never my direct instructor in karate. He was a higher ranking black belt that showed up from time to time. I was part of a Goju network, ten twelve different schools and every once in a while, a couple schools who get together or you know five or six of us would do big promotion together. It'd be hundreds of people there and he was the black belt everyone referred to as you know he's the company's the competitor he's on this team he's on that team and and that wasn't you know very well heard of in the Goju organization. So, he looked up to him as like wow no he competes and he was the one who got me into competition and we give me some advice about competing where's start with the look for and how to get better every time I saw him give me a tip on this give me a tip on that. And if I hadn't seen him, if I hadn't heard of him all back in those younger days of all those Goju workouts the idea that you could compete all over the country or all over the world and the idea that now somebody from how a little small school could do that. I don't that idea would never have come to me and all of his little advice and help throughout the years kept me going, kept me competing has been doing it. I think, uh you know obviously Dave my husband but before he was my husband was very influential in terms of Jiu-Jitsu. I did not have a fondness for Jiu-Jitsu when I was coming up through the Goju new ranks. I had tried it a little bit we had instructors in class sometimes we'd do a little Jiu-Jitsu mostly stand up staff wrist locks and armbars and things like that from a stand-up position and it was tough for me and I was definitely at a stage 2 I wasn't technical. You know when I was a teenager I wanted a spar, I wanted to fight punch hard block hard. I didn't want to spend my classes standing there focusing on the technical aspect of a technique. So, I didn't enjoy it now when I met him he saw no, I'm big into Jiu-Jitsu it's my thing and I was like oh, oh, oh.Jeremy Lesniak:It’s almost over right there. Isn't it?Katie Murphy:Oh, you do karate too, okay that's great. Ah we talked and he said no you've gotta calm go try class it's not like that. So, I went they went is Dojo and I took a class and you know he's amazing instructor and I was comfortable and everything I did I got right and I did right and it was a very different perspective that I got on Jiu-Jitsu and now I love it. Now it's easy, now it's, it's not so challenging for me and that really opened my eyes to a whole new world of the finer points. The different things you can do now you already know how to punch hard a block hard, okay let's find a different path. Let's look down a different avenue of ways to approach martial arts and that was big deal for me.Jeremy Lesniak:Was it his teaching style? or was it your motivation?Katie Murphy:His teaching styles. I think the instructors in the Goju network that I had were very very technical and they were amazing. Don't take this the wrong way or hope the listeners don't take it the wrong way. They were very amazing they were fantastic at what they did but they were perfectionists. Wristlock you must do it like this the thumb must go here the fingers must go here and if your thumb was off by a little bit we're doing it wrong.Jeremy Lesniak:Even if it works?Katie Murphy:Yeah or it was difficult and for Dave there was two elements to it number one, pain is bonus so if you're putting a wrist lock on someone you know the point of his philosophy the point of the wrist lock is to lock the joint. If the person also feels paying with a joint lock, well then that's great but the goal is to lock the joint if they don't feel pain but the joint is locked and they can't use it you've accomplished them goal. And that was a big deal because Jiu-Jitsu practitioners these my experience have some flexibility and their wrists and her elbows shoulders they can go a little bit beyond what someone who's never taken a Jiu-Jitsu class can do and so maybe they don't always feel the pain. So, I kept saying no that doesn't hurt it's not working and I that was part of why I was turned off to Jiu-Jitsu so a, it was Dave you know just saying just lock the joint don't worry about if they can't feel pain lock the joint. And number two was just the class, it was encouragement it was his his being a teacher it was no that was great you did a good job and I came out of the class and along with everyone else of know that that was good I a I learned something. I actually did it right come to find out I actually had some of the techniques from all those years and that they do work and being told no you're doing a good job no this is great and finding out that Jiu-Jitsu was more than just standing up and doing wrist locks to each other. If there's a whole field of it, there's ground worker stand up work there's takedowns it uh. It was a lot of fun.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah and then be and I've done some, some grappling with people that I really enjoyed training with and others that maybe, maybe not so much and it reminds me often and I'm sure you have this to people come to you and say I want to do martial arts what's style should I train in and my recommendation I’ll turn kind of turn it back on them and I’ll say, don't look so much for the style look for the right instructor for you because the right instructor can teach you with any it doesn't matter what the style is you're gonna get what you want.Katie Murphy:Yeah.Jeremy Lesniak:Out of it and you know that's a great example of you, to you getting a complete 180, in a style that you know you wouldn't have given a second look at.Katie Murphy:Oh God, forget second look. I would have spoken out against it.Jeremy Lesniak:Condemning.Katie Murphy:No Jiu-Jitsu No. Bad, had yes right now I, I love it the instructor a makes a big deal I said for any class, any style. It's an interesting perspective I picked up from Krav Maga. So, I started training in Krav about six years ago under Chris and Chris Salmon and one of the interesting pieces of it's a very structured system. I wouldn't necessarily call it a martial art it's a self-defense system in a way but just because you reach top rank doesn't make you an automatic teacher. It you have to actually go through instructor training and there's three to six series of instructor phases that you have to complete before you can begin being an instructor and they teach you how to teach and how to teach different levels and so I think having a good instructor makes all the difference in the world and just because somebody makes black belt in a karate style doesn't make them a good teacher. And I see a lot of schools that forget that, they sort of funnel their black belts right into instructor ship when maybe they would be happier just showing up the train and working out and sweating and having a good time.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah, not everybody is a good teacher.Katie Murphy:Right.Jeremy Lesniak:And I think there's something to be learned from teaching I, I know I had my own school for two years and I learned more in that two years than any other two years probably any other four-year period of my martial arts training. But I have friends that absolutely hate teaching, they do it because they know it's part of their education but are they ever going to have a school probably not.Katie Murphy:Yeah, I mean that point myself I'm not, interested in opening my own school I had the opportunity to run my own program for a while and I did just like you for about two years before I closed it down it was when my sensei find they were tired. We were at a town community center town hall and we met there two nights a week for karate and he was having some injuries and some issues and decided to sort of hand the class over to me and I ran it for two years. And just like you I learned a lot from teaching and most importantly I learned that I wasn't ready to teach yet. I did not feel I had enough knowledge, had enough background had enough confidence in everything that I did to run a program and it's and that was a couple years back and it's only now. That I'm starting to say hey you know, okay I think I got it now. I think I can do something now but as a high school teacher is my full-time job. I don't see myself opening up the school or anything like that. It would, it would be too much.Jeremy Lesniak:Oh, certainly I certainly understand that and that was the main reason that my school shutdown was I was focused on my day job and by the end of the day there just wasn't enough of me to give to my students and I wasn't gonna half-ass it.Katie Murphy:Yeah.Jeremy Lesniak:But didn't that, didn't feel right to them but, yeah yeah there's, there's some there's some good stuff in there you know that the circle sort of training, teaching and then exposing what you don't know. And coming back around and reworking that I think there's some, some good value in there and it sounds like you've tapped into that a little bit that's cool.Katie Murphy:Yeah, it's, I think for me, it's finding out what it is I want to teach. There was someone that I met at Super Summers a few years back who gave me, it gave me some insight into martial arts and he said there's three aspects to martial arts. There's the art you want to study the art, the culture that background that history the beauty of the style the system we want to study and its completeness and that's the art piece. There's the sport piece now you're training in it strictly for sport competition kata point fighting or there's the self-defense, PS self-defense moves, self-defense for fighting, etc. and he said the worst mistake you can make is confuse them decide what your training in. Why you're training in that aspect? and or What it is that you want to do with your training and that will help you figure out how you want to teach? and for me I didn't know did I want to teach the art didn't want to teach the sport piece because that I knew very well or did I want to teach the self-defense and I hadn't owned that decision yet and I became very torn every night oddly to focus on competition, do we focus on self-defense, do we focus on there is it. Where am I going as instructor with this night after night after night and I couldn't own it yet. I didn't know what I wanted my school today, now all my program today that was a tough call. I'm not even sure I'm there yet.Jeremy Lesniak:If you had to pick one now, if somebody put a sigh to your head.Katie Murphy:Said you have to decide you.Jeremy Lesniak:Said you have to pick one.Katie Murphy:I many would have to be self-defense. IJeremy Lesniak:To shit.Katie Murphy:Yes, it's and I don't know. Yeah, I think self-defense to me is just so critical and so important in today's society I feel everyone should know it everyone should be exposed to it children, elderly, everybody should have it and running a self-defense type school to me would feel like I would be giving back to society or giving back to help people but there is a whole other piece to it that art to it. There is another element of competition, I like the idea of perhaps helping the teenagers who are starting to get bored see competition as a way to stay in the martial arts. You know if all of their friends have soccer tournaments and lacrosse tournaments and competitive type events for the sports that they do. It's would help them, stay in it stay interested in it if they had competitive type events.Jeremy Lesniak:So right.Katie Murphy:It's all but, you know.Jeremy Lesniak:So, you've trained with a lot of different people and you've you know done some, some different arts certainly I mean we've talked about a few of them here but if you could train with any martial artist living or dead that you haven't. Who would that be? and then why would you want to train with them?Katie Murphy:Oh, very tough, uh I would have to say there'd be two. First,Jeremy Lesniak:I watch out you haveKatie Murphy:You here too. First, I would say children Miyagi. Miyagi was the founder of Nahate, he was the mastermind we're all others came from Yamaguchi trained under him and brought you know Goju kai to Japan. Others trained under him where Shotokan was found from the founder of Kyoko Shen trained under Miyagi so a lot of Miyagi's top students sort of branched off informed these more well Milton styles and if I could train him and tap the mind that influenced all of these other styles to me that would just be amazing. I would probably be blown away in a class 1 by him seminar or weekend or a couple years. It just to see what he had that influenced so many others and if I had a chance to train you know I would have to be Jackie Chan. I just love him, I love his movie, I love this he just seems like he would be so much fun and I mean, I hope that's the case of you never met him personally but I would love to take a seminar or take classes with him because I have this vision that it would just be a lot of fun I know he's yeah, the stuff he does in the movies, is stuff in the movies but still I think it'd be fun.Jeremy Lesniak:There's certainly a lot of skill in what he does I mean you can see it in his stunt scenes and his fight sequences that he does know what he's doing and there's a lot of core martial arts skill there you know just for me the thing that's always telling is the camera shot is the person's face in the shot and if it's not it's probably not that right but his face is in all his sequences.Katie Murphy:Yes, and he looks like he's having fun doing it. He's smiling.Jeremy Lesniak:He's always smiling,Katie Murphy:He's always made it. I think that's what draws me to that like then that would be so much fun to take a class with it. I thought he just has a blast.Jeremy Lesniak:Sure, rumble in the Bronx was that when that movie came out in what was that 1996.Katie Murphy:1996, 1995 something like that, yes.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah that was that was a pivotal moment for me because I realized because I grew up in a very traditional martial arts upbringing you know Kyokushinkai Karate and that was the first time I realized how I really realized how much broader the martial arts world was. So, it's cool those are gradients. I think I'll I think some some of our guests get really academic and they're afraid people are going to judge them on that question a lot.Katie Murphy:They have a little phrase.Jeremy Lesniak:Some their answersKatie Murphy:People are judging me that I didn't say Bruce Lee.Jeremy Lesniak:I, I you know, there we, we have ushered in a deeper conversation about Bruce Lee and if you listen to this week's episode with Victor Moore. There's about a 20-30-minute discussion between very Master Moore and I about his time with Bruce Lee.Katie Murphy:Oh, I'd love to, I'd love to check it out.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah yeah go back and listen to it listeners if you haven't checked that out it's interesting. There are you know they're the martial arts world people that were around in the 60s and 70s seem very once a evenly because I haven't taken a survey or anything but there are two very vocal camps about Bruce Lee's martial arts skill and that he was ahead of his time and others that say, he was just good you know he was certainly not great and he was a phenomenal actor and very little more. So at least a chunk of the listeners will not judge you for not saying Bruce Lee the other may judge you very harshly but we'll see based on the comments that come in here.Katie Murphy:That's okay.Jeremy Lesniak:Which leads us to our next couple questions do you have a favorite martial arts actor?Katie Murphy:Favorite martial arts actor well Jackie Chan, uh-huh and it's just it's fun to watch and I love all of his movies and I love that he does most of his almost all of his stunts. Uh I, it's interesting thinking about you know favorite movies favorite martial arts actors, uh I grew up without a television my parents my mom was very much my kids are not going to watch TV in granted I was you know an 80s and 90s child. She a very old-school Irish family because she had nine kids and we were not going to sit around in front of a TV so we didn't have one in our house. Went outside in the woods and motorbikes and you know based mayhem in the neighborhood but you know we I didn't grow up with the set movies of the 70s and 80s and even the early 90s until I you know became a teenager began going to friends’ houses to watch movies. So, some of those older movies and you're David laughs at me I was not introduced to the Bruce Lee movies. You don't like five or six years ago. I mean I knew he did them I've heard you know famous ones Enter the Dragon and such but never actually saw them. You know and some of these Jean Claude van Damme movies I didn't see those until I was in my mid-20s. So, uh yeah, but I remember seeing Wesley Snipes in, what was the long with the, the vampires, the blade was gonna say blade runner but that was a different movie you did.Jeremy Lesniak:Very differently.Katie Murphy:But yeah. Blade and I remember, wow, I like watching now that I've seen the Bruce Lee movies I really do enjoy them and I'd like ah the movies with IP Man.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah those are crazy.Katie Murphy:So, but in terms of a favorite it would have to be Jackie Chan. I believe I've seen almost every single one of his movies and some are funny and some are serious but uhJeremy Lesniak:Some are better than others.Katie Murphy:Exactly, much better.Jeremy Lesniak:Some are good movies and some of them are hey Jackie Chan was in this.Katie Murphy:Yes.Jeremy Lesniak:So, you threw a couple movie titles out there do you have a favorite was you know, did you mention your favorite in that mix?Katie Murphy:Oh no and I don't know if this qualifies as a martial arts movie but I put it up there my top ultimate movie is Gladiator.Jeremy Lesniak:Okay.Katie Murphy:And that would be a movie when I first started competing not so much the last few years I didn't have time for but I'd watch it unlike a Thursday night or Friday night or watch the segment of it because it was just a little adrenaline watch. Watching near the fight scene and the tenacity and the fortitude that he portrayed and that movie. I just love that movie, it's my favorite movie, I watch it all the time if words on it.Jeremy Lesniak:It's certainly a movie. You know I don't know that anyone would define it as a a traditional martial arts film but there's certainly a lot of combat.Katie Murphy:Yes.Jeremy Lesniak:And there is certainly it's, it is you know maybe we could say it's the you know it's a in MMA movie not really in the sense of MMA as we think about it but yeah, it's you know it's gonna cut off on the off on the side there butKatie Murphy:On the suspect you know what I've included.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah hey why not this is, this is your episode you get to get to answer the questions however you want. What I think's impressive about that movie is, is how many people find it inspiring. Throughout that movie in it it's not just the fight scenes but just that entire journey through that movie and it's something that I hear discussed in business circles people saying that you know I mean Jerry Maguire is a typical movie that you know in the entrepreneurial circles. So, people talk about to say you know I find this movie very inspiring and it's one of my favorite movies but Gladiator is also one that comes up almost as much to say this movie gets me pumped up.Katie Murphy:Yeah.Jeremy Lesniak:And I go and I attack whatever I've got in front of me and is that, is that kind of why you like?Katie Murphy:Oh yeah it would get me pumped up to the day before a tournament I keep Friday night if I’m competing Saturday it being like kitchen floor just like amped up doing kata letting it all out and still be amped up by Saturday and it gets in tournament be all revved up and kind of envisioned we stepping into the ring and he's similar scenario just.Jeremy Lesniak:I, I can imagine you in your kitchen doing Kato with that going on a on a TV in the corner and I don't know if you have pets but in my mind, there's a cat watching you very, not sure what's happening but yeah, I can, I can get right behind what you're saying.Katie Murphy:Yeah, when I used to live in an apartment I've learned to close the shades.Jeremy Lesniak:And even just be like what? what, what is she doing yeah.Katie Murphy:Yes, yes and then, there is one movie. One martial arts movie I remember as a teenager and I loved it and I know now. Twenty years later I go oh god, I loved that movie but that was the Capoeira only the strong.Jeremy Lesniak:Only the strong yeah.Katie Murphy:And I haven't seen it in years but when I saw maybe 10 years ago. I went oh.Jeremy Lesniak:Oh, it's it's a terrible movie but I did, I did Capoeira for a couple years in college and absolutely loved it and at that point even martial artists didn't know what Capoeira was so the only examples I had to offer them were have you seen the way only the strong? No. Have you played Tekken 3?Katie Murphy:Okay.Jeremy Lesniak:There's it there's a couple of our character as a couple of them caught you know if you played Tekken and if the answer was no to both of those they would, I would just give him.Katie Murphy:Yeah alright this.Jeremy Lesniak:Cause they had I didn't.Katie Murphy:I remember the, maybe it was the second year or third year I was at Super Summers they had couple other guy there. And I took every one of his that's like, oh from that movie I have to do it and it was so much harder than it looked.Jeremy Lesniak:Absolutely.Katie Murphy:But beautiful people who can do itJeremy Lesniak:Yes.Katie Murphy:Amazing. I'm, I'm impressed by them.Jeremy Lesniak:It's a lot of fun.Katie Murphy:Yeah.Jeremy Lesniak:So, if you didn't grow up with TV I'm guessing you're a reader?Katie Murphy:Yes.Jeremy Lesniak:So how about martial arts books?Katie Murphy:Uh martial arts books my favorite, was the Karate Dojo by Peter Urban. If I could pick a favorite there's been, there's a couple of half of my shelf that I go back to you from time to time but this particular one it's a little short stories, little fables that he put together and during coming up through the ranks at the end of class we'd sit and say Zen for meditation and occasionally my son say pull out the book and you read a little excerpt from it. And a lot of those have stuck with me just some of those little fables and I like to go back through and read through them. I, my second would be Shotokan Myths by I hope I'm not mispronounce it's the name Kousaku Yokota. It highlighted or talked a lot about some of the ideas people have about Shotokan. And for example, Shotokan Kata, there's a lot of you know, you'll hear people get into philosophical arguments no there should be two key I snow for the key is no 36 and he explains it as in there are two there's always one. At your last move if you're coming forward before you turn around and the last movie when you're going back before you turn around to face and and that's where they are they signify the end of that sequence. And he, he said about writing the book from his point of view to dispel. Some of those arguments yeah, you're supposed to bow before you start the kata or do the cause of bow after your supposed to bow before about after there's a lot of different. Oh yeah those are those minor arguments that black belts have you know after class their discussions.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah.Katie Murphy:You know and you know white belt goes. What? but not to me is a very interesting book. So, to me it gave me that, that resource that citation I say no Shotokan Kata has two key eyes as cited by your Kata and his book Shotokan Myths.Jeremy Lesniak:Now you have footage.Katie Murphy:Exactly.Jeremy Lesniak:For life. Absolutely.Katie Murphy:And very recently someone from my Dojo shared with me Bruce Lee's artist of life. Written by Bruce Lee and John Little and I've just started reading who that's giving through that and the message I've taken away so far was his idea of being like water. Going with the flow taking the form or the shape that you need and I'm beginning to see that connection, as a way of connecting all the different styles there isn't one solid answer to a martial arts application. There's many possible ways and just like water can take many different paths down the hill, you know soaking martial arts there's a lot of connection that I'm making with that book I'm not through with it yet.Jeremy Lesniak:Very true, yeah, I’ll have to check in with you when you're done is that that's that one that I’ve read so.Katie Murphy:A lot of good points in it.Jeremy Lesniak:Cool. So, what, what has you moving forward now? you know you seem like a goal-oriented person certainly are their martial arts goals that keep you training now?Katie Murphy:Oh yes. I am very goal-oriented I have to have a purpose and I think overarching now for the rest of life. I realized how important it is to just keep going, keep doing something. I don't want to I see a lot of people who we backtrack for a second there. I see a lot of people who get hurt get injured I'm studying in class when something happens you you blow out a new you have that surgery you're out a couple months and then don't come back I've seen what's happened to people who used to train, train for years no life changing event children moving different job and they kind of fall out of that routine of doing it fast forward 15 years the effect of and then try to come back the effect of time away from exercise. Time away from doing that kind of activity the challenges they have and will never get back to where they were. And for me I feel like I've reached a point where I don't want to lose this, I don't want to lose the cardio the flexibility, the skill and I know I just keep going in so I'm I'd never stopped. You know I feel if I stop it's going to be going in reverse. So that's an overarching idea have I small goals of very minor right now I'd like to be able to take Judo Falls without you know same eyes and gothic oh god I'm great the floor. Be nice to look like the way the pastor's do it they just fly through the air and slap that floor like it's marshmallows.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah.Katie Murphy:I'm still yeah, praying for dear life as I go through the air.Jeremy Lesniak:I've heard that changes that hasn't changed for me over the area.Katie Murphy:It hasn't for me yet but but that would be my goal I would you know andJeremy Lesniak:It's a good one.Katie Murphy:If I could, I could overcome that little hurdle of being afraid and it's not so much hitting the ground it's, it's the that moment of panic as your someone's putting upon sign on the idea up and over and you're that split second, you're in the air that know that discombobulation of your equilibrium. Freaks me out.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah.Katie Murphy:So those are my, my goals at this point eventually if it goes well I’d like to see I’d like to get involved with getting a little tournament team for the local events through our school to help keep some of the kids inspired. And we'll see where that effect that's what comes to fruition. What, that's where I am now you talk to me in five years and I've mastered the Judo throws I'm sure I will have another goal.Jeremy Lesniak:Okay well I'm gonna make note now five years I gotta call you back we're gonna see where you are we will follow.Katie Murphy:Sure.Jeremy Lesniak:So, is there anything that you want to promote? you know Facebook page or you don't sell books or videos or anything so.Katie Murphy:No.Jeremy Lesniak:Nothing that nothing to push their but anything that you want to and any resources you want to offer up to the people listening.Katie Murphy:Umm you know that unfortunately that's a, that's a tough one for me I've never been good at promoting myself. You know it was Dave who set up a Facebook page I do have Facebook. You do have an athlete page when I was competing.Jeremy Lesniak:Yes, I've already gonna link to that I've already seen that.Katie Murphy:Uh but even my own personal Facebook page I’m not the best at posting updates are things along those lines, uh you know it's this, it's a little fall back that I have I don't promote myself. I was never very good at doing that I did it for a little while when I was trying to get sponsored for a competition. Dave has been after me to write a book about competition and women in competing and I don't, I don't know that I would do it.Jeremy Lesniak:I think that's an itch that should should be written. I mean it's really easy to put something out there these days and if you do end up writing that book make sure you let me know and we can make sure our listeners hear about it.Katie Murphy:Sure, and yeah, I, if anything I'd like let listeners know if anyone's ever in the New Paltz area and wants to take a class.Jeremy Lesniak:Where's that?Katie Murphy:New Paltz New York.Jeremy Lesniak:Okay.Katie Murphy:Yeah if they ever want to come take a class I love having visitors pop in.Jeremy Lesniak:We'll make sure we link to the Dojo, in the show notes them look cool. Well let's wrap it up then you got any parting advice for people listening?Katie Murphy:Uh I think if I could leave with, you know one thing it would be keep going, keep training it doesn't matter if you're three nights a week two nights a week you can only get there one night you can get there every other Saturday it doesn't matter. If you can only get there every other Saturday that's two Saturdays a month feeds. Now 24 Saturdays a year after five years you've now. You still have something you can still get something just keep going, keep your foot in the door and don't look for the easy way out don't let excuses hold you back. If you have an injury or modification you need to make, make it don't say oh I can't do this dance because of my knee so I don't go to class anymore. No just don't do that stance go class.Jeremy Lesniak:Yeah.Katie Murphy:Know that that's right. I try to let those words not just be something I say I try to practice when I preach, laughing that's what I have.Jeremy Lesniak:That's and that's great and that's a wonderful place to end I really really appreciate you coming on and sharing with us you've been really open and that means a lot. I'm sure to well certainly to me but I'm sure also the listeners out there.Katie Murphy:Well thank you so much it's, it's an honor.Jeremy Lesniak:And thanks for listening to episode 22 of a Whistlekick Martial Arts Radio. Thank you to Sensei Murphy for coming on the show. If you like the show please subscribe so you never miss out in the future and if you could help us by leaving a five-star review wherever you download your podcast it would really make a difference. Those reviews help new listeners find the show and you might hear us read yours on the air. If we do go ahead and email us at info@whistlekick.com and you'll get a free prize pack including a shirt, water bottle, stickers and more and we'll even pay the shipping. You can check out the show notes with photos and links to everything we talked about today at whistlekickmartialartradio.com. While you're there, if you want to be a guest on the show or you know someone that would be a great interview please fill out the guest form and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you can keep up on all things whistlekick if you want to follow us on social media we're on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram all with the username whistlekick while you're at it check out the great stuff we have at whistlekick.com. Gear, shirts, pants and more and it's all made for martial artists by martial artists so until next time train hard, smile and have a great day.