Steve Muhammad 8-28-22

Okay.

Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Oh, that's good. It's so good to see you.

Good to see you too, my brother.

So we. Oh, we're getting ready to move to a lovely new house. Next time you're out here, I will. Wherever you are, I will pick you up and take you to that. Bring you to our house for dinner.

Oh, yes, sir. I ain't mad at you. Oh, great.

Wonderful. Fantastic. You know, well, first of all, you were telling me about how nice it felt to be honored in that particular way. And, you know, I like these videos. I'm recording this. I'd like for these videos to be. To exist forever for future generations of students. So anything that you wanted to say? I'm being a little bit more precise and formal in speech than just if we're just hanging out, talking to each other. Because I definitely want to get your feelings about having been honored and, you know, the messages that you would like to. To offer future generations of bkf.

You know, in the time that I've been in the martial science for, I would say 60 plus years, 64 plus years, really, I have never been honored that way. And being in the martial science for that length of time, I've been given hall of fame honor in seven, six, seven, eight different times. But it was different at the International because that's where I started.

Amen.

In the International office. And the way that I was treated for the International wasn't something that I brought up at the International Mission this time. But the feelings of not being treated as I was in the past really made me feel good. And some of the people that I had associated with and the fought, they came up to me and was talking to me about the good old days and how I treated them. They thought it was unfair. You know, I never said that. You didn't speak up, but I did have a wonderful time there. And I'm going back next year to assist him the way you want. And hopefully I can get a seminar and I would be better at teaching the seminars. And I.

Well, you had a packed room. Everybody loved you. That's wonderful, man. It was great doing over and under, you know, with. With a whole room full of people. I feel that that's just a great feeling. Just remembering going up and down the floor, drilling over and under.

Very few people can teaching their science do that kind of thing where they can march up and down the floor, turn around and go back. We started that back in BKF years ago. We went to other karate schools. He said they don't move, they just do a technique and stay there, and then they start all over. Technique. But when you're marching up and down the floor, you can repeat the same movements, but there's a difference in each time that you make that movement, you get better, better and better. And moving towards an opponent and how you think about how you move against him is how you go in the fight.

Yes, sir. I think that there's also the realization that in sophisticated movement, it's not the pose, it's not the end point, it's the transition between poses, the transition between techniques. So by drilling over and under, whether it's a back knuckle over or ridge hand over and under, or whatever it is you're really working on, how do you hit him and then move into position to be able to hit him again and then move into position to hit him again? That, that, that transition, when you put those three movements together and you had us drill them as if they were just one movement, that's very sophisticated. I mean, that's hugely sophisticated. Man. I just. I love that to death. That's the signature of the BKF as far as I'm concerned.

Oh, yes, sir. As I continued, I found out that I could counter in between movements. And that was something different because when I moved at before, I moved beginning with what was in my mind. But now the brain is saying in between, I can throw a front hand and a backhand, then check with that back hand rather than punch with it, and follow up with a second hand and continue to move without stopping, but a hesitation in between, not stopping. But I found that to be true in movement. So making those movements will give you other ways and other ideas as to how to overcome whatever is in front of you.

Beautiful. Just beautiful. Brilliant. I mean, really, that that single innovation on your part.

Is.

Should secure your place in history.

And even with the new movements, the talking movements, I was working this weekend because my wife was gone, and I had a lot of time by myself here in the house, and I was making movements, and I was finding that I was coming up with better ways to actually attack and counter movements, not defense, but the counter movements on the way. And I was seeing what I was doing, but I was also seeing an imaginary poem in front of me, kind of my movements that I was doing, because that's what I would have done.

Yes.

Let me tell you. I was gripping his backside.

Well, I can't wait to, you know, after we've moved. One of the first things that I want to do is plan to come out there so we can talk about these things and you can show me what it is that you're talking about. You can teach me and guide me. I'm very eager for that. I also wanted you to know that I was very honored that you invited me to sit at your table, at your personal table with your family. That meant a lot to me, sir.

Oh, yes, sir. We were waiting for you to come in to the building. We thought you were going to have your lovely queen with you so we can meet her and cut a period. But when you came in, I would have. Somebody saw you or did you come? I can't remember.

No, what happened is that I came in after you'd gone in. I told them that I was with your party, and I think they. They thought that you'd already been seated, and they said they'd come out and get. And get me later. I assume that they just kind of thought that. That you. That your party was already defined or something. You know, I just. So I was okay with that. It's like, okay, well, you know, seat me whenever. And then brother Brian Hudley, I guess it was, came out and said that CJO had asked. Had asked for me. And I, like I said, very, very honored. You had a room full of your championship advanced students there, and you invited me to sit at your table. And I. That really warms. That really warms my heart, sir. Thank you. That was quite an honor. Hello? I can't hear you. Are you speaking into your phone? Steve? I cannot. I cannot hear you. Hello?

Hello?

Yeah, Sister Connie, I think that. I think C.J.O. has his microphone off on the computer screen, and his telephone seems to be muted. I cannot hear you. Let me. Let me call you back. Hello?

Yes. Okay.

Okay. There you are. Anyway, I was just saying that I was very honored to be asked to sit at your table, and thank you so much. I. I'm so. It was so wonderful being there when you were being elevated, when you. When people were, like, were acknowledging all that you've contributed. That was. That was a wonderful moment.

Oh, yes, sir. And I want to say. I started to say when I got up there to speak that all those names that you called out, they were champions from the BKM because Dave Brock called out about nine different names. We had. We had a lot more than nine. They just weren't there.

Right.

But that was a great honor to hear them call their names out.

Yeah. But Alvin Prater was there, and Lateef was, you know, Brother Abdul Latif was there, and just, you know, God, so Many were there. Rabbit, Goodman and on and on. Oh, it was wonderful.

Oh, yes, sir.

Those were good days, sir.

And they were talking about champions from the black Karate.

Yes, sir.

Not else. But they were talking about us. That was wonderful.

Well, of all of Kimpo, we were the fighters.

Yes, sir. I kept saying. What was I saying? That's. That's my fighter. That's my. Yeah, saying something. I can't remember.

It's my student.

That's right. That's my student.

That's right. So it's, you know, you are that rarity in that you can not only do it, but you can teach it. And your students were able to go out and prove it. So that's, that's wonderful.

I think that we should be as the dkl, they show the honor, respect that they have for bkf because Dave Brock said every time the Internationals came about and they got to a championship fight, you were going to meet a BKL fighter up there somewhere, you know, to be able to fight. And that was true. That's major in the martial science. We did that for close to how many years? About 30 years? Yeah, close to about 30 years that we did that. We had champions up there during that time. No other party organization in the history, as far as we know, has ever done that.

I'm not surprised. As I've told you, at one time, 7 out of 10 of the top fighters in California, Nevada and Arizona were all bkf. When I was working at Karate Illustrated, I took a look at their list of champions in the California, Nevada, Arizona, tri state area. I said, wait a minute, I know him. I know him. You were, you're, you're exceptional, sir. So it's like, what an honor.

International was international. They had people there from South Africa. They had people there from Korea, they had people from Japan. They were international. We were whipping their butts too. It wasn't like it was just local, it was international.

That's wonderful. That's. What, what do you think are the, are the most important lessons? If you were going to talk to a young karate competitor, maybe somebody who is just beginning or somebody who is just getting started, what are the most important things for them to focus on?

Karate is not just the science for fighting, it is actually a science for life. Because you can take that information from the science of fighting and take it into everyday life. It motivates you in every aspect of your life to be able to be a champion in whatever direction you're going, even if it's becoming an engineer. You take martial arts with that, as you're taking also doing engineering, you will find that, that martial art, the way it is set up and if the language is proper according to the teacher and how you teach, that's a big thing also is how the teacher teach you that it's just not a way of fighting, it is a way of life. That you can carry this with you into every aspect of your life. No matter what it is, it will teach you to motivate yourself to go at it. 100, you know, and very few sciences actually do that. And then the science in which you have it doesn't go into every category of your life. So the martial science does. Because when you, like when you're a boxer, when you're a boxer, you have a certain mindset, you don't want to lose, and that don't want to lose can carry into every aspect of your life. Because I get ready to do something. My father told me, he said, man, everything you try, you go at it 100%, don't you? You know, I got that on my father and my grandfather. At the time, I didn't know how to answer him. But you do, you do it too, dad, you know, you do it too, Grandpa. But I didn't know how to say that at the time. But that is something that they gave to me. And they gave it to me in such a way where it was actually part of my life. And so is the martial science. It is part of your life because it gives you ways and energy to actually overcome whatever is in front of you. That's why I said that you can evolve into perfection with whatever you do. And I tried to do that, even though I didn't have the martial arts science yet. But I got something from my father in Christ, grandfather, that helped me in that direction. But the Marshall Science showed me a way that was a way in which I can't say I, I don't know how to say it was better than my father and, and grandfather because they started me on that path and I took that same path that they gave to me and took it into the martial science that whatever you give to me, whatever you tell me you want me to do, I'm going to become great at it. Not just good, I'm going to become great at it. And then once I learn, not only am I going to become great, I'm going to evolve into perfection with whatever you present to me.

And you know what else you do? You teach other people how to be great. So it isn't just about you being Great. Or you evolving into perfection. But you have held that space of excellence for all of us for 50 years. That's. I. It's hard for me to even understand how you can be so strong. I mean, you are arguably the strongest human being I have ever known. And I think you got that from your. Your grandfather, who got it because what he had been through burned away all the bullshit. There was nothing left but a core of I will survive. I will protect my family. I will find some way to have joy in an unfair world. And you taught us to be strong. I remember you used to say to us while we were working, while we're doing push ups and sit ups, you were saying, if you can do this, if you can do karate, you can learn math. If you can learn karate, you can learn history, you can do anything. If you can do this, you can learn anything. And I remember how you gave that to us, how you hammered that into us while we were sweating and tired and driving. And that has stayed with me my entire life, sir.

Oh, yes, sir. I remember saying those words to the students because we needed that kind of. Yes, you know, we. Not me, but we needed that.

Yes, sir. And, you know, I look at you have a lot of wonderful, excellent, badass fighters. And when I think about what I can contribute that is on the level of that kind of championship mindset. And I've told you that anything to do with Tai chi, I can teach. The combative applications of Tai chi strike me as being a lot like Salat pinchox. A lot. So I can. I can graft those things on there, you know, honestly, in talking to people about how these things fit. But also I know a lot about success, a lot about how to organize your mind and heart and efforts to create the world that you want and to evolve yourself so those. Those skills to the degree that you enjoy, the way I speak to your students about how to take these movements and this focus and put it in other parts of your life, that is another thing that I would be, you know, if there's some way for me to contribute to the bkf, that that is just, that's yours. I mean, anything, any, anytime I could, I could possibly do that, that would be a way of repaying in some tiny, tiny little way what you've given me, sir. So it would be my pleasure.

Steve. I'd be honored. As much as you can get out here, I would be greatly appreciated.

Yeah, well, you know, we can do that, and we can also. We can also do these videos and we can have an Easy. We can have some way for people to access them so that you are still controlling the content, you know, the. The basic movement ideas and the basic philosophical ideas of the system. And you're. You're laying down your pedagogy, your. Your way of teaching and your way of seeing all this for future generations so that people all over the country can access you. So every time we have these conversations, this is part of what I want. And yes, I will come out and speak to your personal students there. But also, I think that that a website or you can have links on your Facebook page. Every time we do one of these, I can give you the link to put on your Facebook page. We could. You could make me a co admin or talk to me about who's administering your Facebook page, and I can send those links so that everybody can hear these conversations.

We're trying to set something up similar what you were saying. But, Steve, I would be honored if you. Come on.

Yes, yes, yes. 100, 100%. I would be totally honored to do that. If you're charging a fee, all that money goes to the bkf. If you want to do it for free, that's fine. But when you asked me to sit at your table, when you've promoted me in the way that you have, my only question is, how can I serve? What can I do? Because I know what you're trying to do is you're putting together your generals, you're moving us around like pieces on the board. And you want to know from my point of view. You want to know who understood what you were doing there. Well, I understand that. And my ego is not connected to this at all. I'm overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude. All I want to know is, what can I do to help? That's right. That's exactly right. So my thought is that. That one of the things we do is every week we have one of these conversations. We put the links for the conversation on the BKF Facebook page right there, and it's done. You know, it's. It's that way. Everybody gets to get it, and your material is out there. I've got a bunch of these conversations, and we can just start linking them on. On the Facebook group. Facebook is a perfectly good place for people to meet. It's very easy to use. If you're not doing it, tell me who it is. Is. Is. Sister Rita is doing that for you. And I can communicate with her. If Dr. Hudley is doing it, I can communicate with him. All I want you to do is to have these conversations and share your wisdom and that beautiful smile of yours. And we will preserve the BKF to the absolute best of our ability. And God can't ask us for more than doing the best we can do.

Yes, sir, Brother Steve. We want the BKF to go on forever. We want our children's children's children to be able to speak on the beginning.

That's right. So I would say that one of the things you want to do is to get videos of people who can do really the basics really beautifully, the basic ideas really beautifully. Like, I know that Ray Dawes, for instance, you connect. Ray Dawes came and he, he's just, he's such a wonderful little fighter and his movement is excellent. He, he just studies you so much. So he's the kind of person who we could video doing basic movement and put it up there. You have, you know, your sons can do that movement and we can put it up there so we can preserve what is, what is the most important stuff, you know, in any, in any process. 20% of what you do get you 80% of the results. It's called the Pareto principle. I say that the 20% is your teaching about martial arts and life. You're. You're in the basic, your basic fighting science. Over and under in this, in the 12 inch fighting position and angles. We can preserve these things so that people can argue all they want to. But you have said this is the core of what the BKF is and it's preserved forever. I love that we're doing it right now. So, you know, but, but make sure you put up some videos of how do you do an over and under. Right, okay. So that, because in my mind. Get that down. And you're understanding a lot of what the BKF is and a lot of what the fighters did and do. So just those basics, that's wonderful. I love being a part of this, sir.

Oh, yes, sir. I'm so happy that brother Steve, that you're in my life to be able to help me.

Hell yes. You know, what are we, we're supposed to honor our teachers, sir. You're my father in this art, you know, it's as simple as that, you know? And you met my father in writing, Larry Niven. I. I love you guys forever. You gave me my life. You understand that. You made me who I am. And so I will honor you always. And want to know, how can I give others the gift that I have been given? It's as simple as that. I wanted to be in your lineage. And you were gracious and brought me in and wonderful. It's not. It's not like I don't feel like I earned it. That's not because you weren't going to give no rank away anybody. But I'm still. It's still one of the greatest honors of my life. So when someone honors me, my thought is that honor isn't about me. It's about service.

It is an honor to give you the rank of 10th degree, but it isn't something that you didn't earn. You earned it before you received it.

Amen. I know that there's a price for everything you want in life, and the price is always paid in advance. So it's, you know, and I just. So, like I said, these conversations every week, you know, and for you to know that in my own life, you know, Jason is doing fine. We're about moving to this new house. The first thing he wants is his heavy bag, you know, so we're figuring out where we're going to put that. And, you know, he just. He loves it.

He.

We're setting up his business. You know, Tananarive and I are working together every day to make our lives better and our communication better. You know, career things are going well. I feel strong and healthy. I mean, it's like, you know, okay, so I'm a 70 years old, and all I really notice is I've got to be more careful and thoughtful about working out and eating and resting. It's like, you know, that's your whole thing about, you know, whatever barriers are there, I'm going to find a way around it. I'm gonna find a way to get there. You know, it's like death is gonna have to drag me out. You know, I. I'm gonna fight every step of the way. Death better not drop his guard either.

Because it's like, we give that to our children. Yes, to physical fight. That's part of it, but that's not. We're talking about anything that you go after you fight for if it's right. And we want them to understand that that's okay. Fight for it if it's right.

Amen. Absolutely. Amen. Well, is there anything else that you would like to say to the student, to your students? Because we're. Because like I said, I will get this link. Who is the admin on your. On your Facebook site? Is it sister Rita? Does sister who controls your Facebook said the BKF site? Is it sister rita? Is it Dr. Hudley who. Who's in control of that So I can send them the links for them to post.

Connie, who's in control of Facebook?

Yeah, the Face, the BKF Facebook site. Who's in control of that?

She said. Well, really? Nobody, I guess.

Okay. So I'm going to ask you to work that out. Make me an admin. Give me the power to post things on there, and that way I don't have to bother you anymore. So if you figure out, you know, somebody knows who's in control of that site. So I'll talk to Sister Connie and I'll talk to. I think that she knows. Not Sister Connie, Sister Rita, I think.

How do you want to talk to me? Where's color? We won't be on the phone.

Okay, well, we will have this conversation. Because what I want is then I can just start posting videos of you and the things that you want up there, and then once it's there, it's there forever. I mean, it's. It really is a good basic website, you know, and so we can. We can. You can start creating a curriculum there.

Oh, yes, sir, my friend. Yes, sir.

Okay. I can do that. So if it. I will keep bothering you about this until we can figure out who has control. Get them to give me admin, or let me talk to the admin, the administrator, so that we can. We can get things moving on that and we could get started immediately. As you know, I will reach out to. To Sister Rita and see whether or not she has any knowledge of what's in control there. Other than that, I got. Huh. Okay, Great, great, great. I'll hang on.

I love to be care so much.

I know you do so much into.

Us over the years that I wanted to go on forever. And we have to put the right people in place to make sure that it does continue and not have us to just talk about being in the B camp. Because the people that are in the B camp, they love it. They just don't know what to do with it.

Right. Well, you know, let me kind of be a spiritual guy, and I'm not interested in getting involved in the politics and stuff like this. I just want to offer wisdom to them. I will serve in any capacity that you want me to, but I'm perfectly happy to be, you know, advisor and whatnot in that way. Khalid, Is that him? Oh, okay. So listen, how. First of all, how are you doing, brother? I can't see you, but I can hear you. There you are. Yeah. So, brother, how are you doing, first of all?

I'm good. How are you doing?

I'm doing great. And one of the things I wanted to do was I've been creating these videos with your dad. I want to put him up on Facebook on the BKF page. I was wondering, do you know who controls that page?

I don't know. To be honest. I don't think the pages.

Is there any page? There is. Is CJo's page. Is there any active page at all? Okay, so I would be. I think that there'd be nothing wrong with posting these videos where he's talking about his philosophy and movement. So for. On his personal page. That's fine. That's fine. So who controls that page?

Me and him.

Okay, so if you would make me an admin on that page, that would be great. Or I could send you the links, you know, to. To post stuff on there. You and your dad work out what you wanted to do. I. I'm good with whatever it is that you want. I just want to be able to share this information. If the easiest thing is for me to be an administrator, that's great. But if you want to keep it with you and your dad, I totally understand. So you guys work that out and figure out what it is that you want there. And I've got a lot of valuable stuff that I've talked about with your dad that I think people would love to see on that page. So would you be okay with me being an admin on that page?

I mean, it's more so.

Okay. So, C. Joe, what do you think about that? You want to keep. You want to keep that kind of under tighter control, or would you mind me being an admin on that page? Just being able to post things?

Yes.

Fair enough. Well, then, Khalid, if you would go on that pay on his page and make me an admin, I can start posting links from these videos. So then we, you, your dad and I can talk about all the stuff that's most important to him, and we can get video of you doing some of these techniques and post so that nobody can argue anymore about what the. About what is foundational to the bkf. You guys say this is foundational, and we post it, we put it up there, and once it's there, it's there forever, you know? So if that sounds, you know, that is what I have proposed to your dad, and if he likes that idea, then we can move forward on that. Can you. Can you do that for me? That'd be fantastic. And I really appreciate it deeply, and I will respect the privilege and the trust that I'm being extended. I understand it's all about your family and what your father created in the bkf. This has nothing to do with my ego. Okay? All right. So listen, I got to. We got to move out. Move the house today, you know, we're moving on Wednesday. We fly to Chicago to. Nanarive and I are guests of honor at the World Science Fiction Convention. We're. We're being honored for what we've contributed to the field. And all I can say is I love you. Take care, K. I love you. And I'm always so happy to talk to you. It just. It makes my heart so happy, sir.

And I love you too, my brother. Your beautiful family.

My family is beautiful, isn't it? And your family is beautiful. We're both blessed. God has been good. Look at God. You take care of yourself, my friend. My father. My brother.

You too, my brother. One love.

One love.