Episode 60 - Soke-Dai David Nemeroff
Soke-Dai David Nemeroff
Soke-Dai David Nemeroff - Episode 60
Everything you do in life, from tying your shoes to one punch or a kick, or whatever it is you're doing, you should do it with 100% of your spirit, because it may be the last time you're allowed to do it.
Soke-Dai David Nemeroff
whistlekick sparring boot
Here we are, it's episode 60 and we're joined by Soke-Dai David Nemeroff. He's a diverse martial artist with 10 black belts and quite a few related interests. As a school owner, instructor, author, event promoter, Soke-Dai Nemeroff comes to us today to share his stories, and we get some great ones.If you've wondered about the different perspectives martial artists have after training in different martial arts, you may find this episode interesting. Soke-Dai Nemeroff is primarily an Aikido practitioner, and that certainly comes through in his stories and his view of life and the martial arts. We talk about his time in Japan, challenges and even some of the ways he gives back.
As we always try to do, we're bringing you another episode with some wonderful stories that we hope keeps you entertained and inspired.Today's featured product - whistlekick Original Sparring Boots
Show Notes
Actor - Donnie YenMovie - The Karate Kid (1984)Book - Aikido and the Dynamic SphereDuring the show we mentioned the episode we offered with Rabbi G, who also uses martial arts principles when working with chronically ill children. That was Episode 42.Soke-Dai's dojo, Aikido Masters, on the web karatelehighvalley.com and FacebookThe training camp that Soke-Dai Nemeroff mentioned is online here. You can also see some great video of the location and sign up to attend.The instructor certifications that he mentioned are here.The book, Modern Masters of the Martial Arts is available here. (not finished as of 2/2016)Kids Karate Project & Camelot for Children are two organizations Soke-Dai mentioned during the show.
Show Transcript
You can read the transcript below or download here
What's happening everybody? It's episode 60 of whistlekick martial arts radio, the only place to hear the best stories from the best martial artist like today's guest Soke Dai David Nemeroff. I'm the founder here whistlekick, but most listeners know me best is the host. My name is Jeremy Lesniak. Whistlekick, if you don't know, makes the world's best sparring gear as well as great apparel and accessories offer practitioners of traditional martial arts. I'd like to welcome the new listeners and thank all of our returning fans. If you're not familiar with our products you should check out everything we make like our killer boots. If you're tired of sleeping on the floor with your boots or you just want the most durable and breathable sparring boot you can get, we've got you covered. You can check out our boots and the rest what we offer at whistlekick.com. If you want to listen to other podcast episodes or see the show notes, those are at whistlekickmartialartsradio.com. And while you're over there, go ahead and sign up for newsletter. We offer exclusive content to subscribers and it's the only place to find out about upcoming guest for the show. Now let's move on to the episode. It's episode 60 and I'm talking to Soke Dai David Nemeroff, an aikido practitioner who is also a school, author, instructor, and much more. Soke Dai Nemeroff does as most of our guests do and really opens up. I came away from this episode feeling truly inspired about my martial arts training and I hope you do too. So here we go.Soke Dai Nemeroff, welcome to whistlekick martial arts radio.
David Nemeroff:
Thank you very much.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It’s a pleasure to have you here and I'm looking forward to learning more about you and I'm sure the listeners are also looking forward. I think you are our first practitioner like you that we had on the show. I'm doing a mental check, so that's cool. Not that we, we get real big on dividing people up by style or anything but we try to rounded out so, it's great to have you on the show
David Nemeroff:
An honor to be here.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Good. Awesome. So let's go back, let's get started the way we get started with all of our guests, how did you get started in the martial arts?
David Nemeroff:
Well I kind of had to you know, main factors that got me started in the martial arts, one was my cousin who was into martial arts [00:02:34.23] in the martial arts and eventually became one of my teachers. He used to take me into his basement you know, this is when we're very, very young and he would try and basically use me as a throwing dummy and test out his moves on me. You know who I had no experience and so you know, he would ask me to attack him and then and then you know, he would test things out, as part of his training. And then he started to say why don't you try some things and why don’t you pursues martial arts where I was located at that time. So that was one impetus. And then the other one was I had a friend who after religion class we would, he would go to the aikido dojo and he kept saying for a long time, why don’t you come in and try class and eventually one day I did and I’ve been going ever since.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So what was it in those early days that appeal to you?
David Nemeroff:
Well, I tell you you know when I was growing up, I was a very shy introverted child where you know I didn't have a lot of that self-esteem and when I saw what you know these people are doing, it was so impressive that I said you know, I want to learn how to do this and so that really was a motivator for me.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Awesome. So let's move forward a little bit, you've been training for quite a few years and I'm sure you've got stories. Everybody that's been training it seems even a few years has some pretty incredible stories as martial artist stories are just something that seem to happen we do some crazy stuff. So, why don't you tell us your best martial arts story?
David Nemeroff:
There's so many I did fill up the show just with different stories that I’ve had over the years, but I would say one story that kind of important to me is when I went to Japan. We did a little bit of sightseeing along with our training and we went up to the samurai village up in the mountains and I want to say [00:05:04.21] but don't quote me on that but it was absolutely beautiful and inspiring to be up where ancient samurai once trained and it just kind of made a connection for me with the martial arts and Japan that I hadn't had before. And don’t get me wrong, I always connect it with the martial arts. It's always been a passion of mine since a young child but, going there for me was just amazing and that was kind of an inspiration for me to do my weekend warrior camp which is what we do is, we go up to the Catskill Mountains and is beautiful like three-tier waterfall and we do training you know, I try and emulate what the samurai must've done and we do training outside and you know, different weapons and do meditation in the water and you know, I try and re-create the experience as best as I can for the participants of the event. But yeah, being up at that village, it was just amazing for me.
Jeremy Lesniak:
That sounds pretty powerful to actually be in a space where samurai, did you say live and trained or just trained or?
David Nemeroff:
They must've lived up there also and it was pretty high up in the mountains there. You know, it was just beautiful I mean just the architecture and just the energy that was there it was just phenomenal.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Sounds like kind of that stereotypical scene we think of medieval or ancient Japan and the people living in the mountains and training. I can imagine if it's in the mountains there's probably some amazing view...
David Nemeroff:
Oh it's gorgeous it was absolutely beautiful.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Plenty of opportunities to take that almost cliché but still incredible image of someone practicing on a post or a rock with the setting sun behind them or the rising sun behind them. That's what I'm picturing as you're telling that, sounds pretty impressive.
David Nemeroff:
That was a lot like what it was. So yeah it was just incredible. [00:07:37.09]
Jeremy Lesniak:
So, tell us a little bit about this weekend warrior camp that you do, that you're reenacting or kinda simulating some of that training.
David Nemeroff:
Sure. So I'm trying to immerse all the participants in the experience and we start off in the morning after breakfast, you know we start off with meditation and what we'll is we'll go to this waterfall and you can actually see him on the website, you can see video of this waterfall is beautiful. And so what we do the hike up it's about 1/2 mile hike and up this mountain and then didn't get to this water fall and so we do meditation, we do qi gong or [00:08:16.16] in the waterfall and the energy there is just phenomenal. And you know what being immersed in nature it's just a really great experience, so we'll do that, we'll do meditation up there. Then what we'll do is we'll do some sort of weapons training. This year coming up we're gonna be doing the sword and were also going to be doing some stick fighting. And so we'll be doing that up on the on the cliffs of this waterfall and then what we do is we break, we have a lunch and and then what we do is go back and there is a campground they give us this really cool area, secluded and it's wrapped around by like trees so you're like in [00:09:09.14] with the nature all around you and then we'll do throwing techniques, we'll do grappling techniques and we'll do that for a couple hours and so it's pretty rigorous and the guys and ladies are fairly tired and then we'll go swimming and then we'll have a dinner and then after dinner we do some more training and then we'll do some nighttime meditation to close out the day. So we do several hours of training throughout the day it's not just like you know, one hour and done. You know, you get a vigorous workout and there's a lot of information that I share in many different styles so that you know people can experience you know the many different arts of Japan and Okinawa.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Sounds great to me not just the setting but he notes that kind of vibe of being around people, training all day and multiple disciplines sounds like a lot of fun.
David Nemeroff:
Yeah and what's nice also is a lot of people that go develop a friendship and camaraderie that they don't have with others that don't go this event. I find that there's a real brotherhood that develops with the people to go to this event and any reminisce about stories of things that happen at the event and we actually have like do photo album for people that go to the event. They can buy a photo album of different training sessions that we do.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So you know people really seem to like it a lot.
David Nemeroff:
Yeah I’ve been part of a number of experiences like what you're describing over the years and there's definitely something to be said for taking yourself out of your typical training space, those four walls that you're used and whether it's people you train with all the time or people that your complete strangers with, there are a lot of bonds and a lot of different perspective that comes from training in a different space. So ,I'd like to encourage anyone is listening know if you have the opportunity to get out to a weekend seminar or even you know if your instructor just, if it's warm out take your students down the park down to the beach something like that because there's a lot that comes out of that different environment. Would you agree?
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh definitely I think you know the environment can be limiting and especially because when were [00:11:41.14] in reality where were not in the dojo, were outside you know were walking the streets or you know we're out in nature. So it kind of is closer to reality I think, plus just the fresh air and the energy of the environment can play a role in your training. So, I think it is important to explore outside of the dojo wall sometimes. Now you've mentioned energy quite a few times and obviously that's something that threads through the martial arts but not everyone is conscious of it or articulates it, does that play a role in your training and what you teach?
David Nemeroff:
Oh definitely. You know the second kanji of aikido is qi which is internal energy. And you know it's nothing magical and mystical, you know you can be kind of like a bio energy, bio electricity and they've actually you know proven this with devices that you are able to measure you know this energy that's in all of us. And so yeah that internal energy that cultivation as part of aikido, it's he foundational concept but it's something that takes years and years to cultivate. You know, I’ve heard a lot of people talk about it but not a ton of people has dedicated a lot of their training to it. And you know, it's a shame because there are people out there that take it to places that it's kind of ridiculous and you know you people, I don't know if you've seen but I'm sure many of my better listeners I have seen the YouTube video of a guy you like waves his hand and the guys go flying you know that's kind of ridiculous. You know, you're not like Superman but it is something that can support your overall wellness, it can definitely improve your power of your technique whether be a striker [00:13:51.17] as well as your mental state. So, I think that there's a lot to key training that maybe is lost to some of the westerners that practice the very Eastern philosophy and tool that's incorporated into training. I think if you look at some, a lot of the masters of old that were really truly masters, all of them knew about about key cultivation. Because as you get older your muscle atrophy and so you need to use something else to support it. So key is something that you know that can be cultivated to help support your body and your mind when as you get older.
Jeremy Lesniak:
That's a great point. And of course yeah there certainly are people to take it to a place that I think most of us would be quite skeptical there are couple names that I won't mention, you're welcome to, that you know some well-known martial artist that at least over the last few years have been on the bad end of some ridicule for some of the things they've put out publicly with video and with teachings that unfortunately it... The rest of the world seems to doubt everything around energy when this is what they're seeing.
David Nemeroff:
Of course when you see nonsense then you get that kind of response. A lot of time will the people that really know things they don't publicize it, they just kinda keep it to themselves because of the nonsense that people are putting out that claim to know things don't really know what they're doing. So yeah it's kind of something that's personal I think and something that should be taken seriously when if you can find a qualified instructor that actually know what they’re doing.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I completely agree. So let's step into a parallel universe for minute and not one where energy balls allow us to throw people across the room without touch but a little more realistic one. But one where you never started martial arts. What do you think your life would look like you know if everything else stayed the same except you never start training.
David Nemeroff:
Well I mean that will be a sad life I’ll tell you that. I think that the martial arts is such an influence for me, it's hard for me to say. But I think that I probably would've gone down the road of being an acupuncturist if martial arts were out of the picture totally. I am actually licensed massage therapist and I specialize in something called craniosacral therapy. So I enjoy the healing aspect of things as much as the combat aspect of things, I think the different sides of the same coin and they it’s just understanding the human condition. And so understanding acupuncture you know is fascinating to me and so I think maybe that would've been the route that I would've taken if I didn't go with martial arts.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Interesting. There's a contingent within the firearms defense world that feels that everyone that carries a firearm should be instructed and proficient in assisting someone that's received a gunshot wound sort of that you know if you have the ability to do harm but also have the ability to help and you seem to have that same dichotomy there, the martial background but also you know the healing through massage therapy and in such. Is that something that did you do consciously?
David Nemeroff:
Yeah. You know, I really thought about you know what I want to do and so I believe that you know it's important to understand you know about helping injury and him and if you can hurt someone you should know how to help them. You know, it's about being balanced I think, if all your focus on is hurting and injuring or I think it's it's limiting you know and I’ll tell you this that through my massage therapy education, I have understood, I’ve had anatomy and physiology training and so I actually understand my martial arts better through my massage therapy training. I understand how joint manipulation works, how musculature works, and so you know it just makes my technique that much more effective because I can apply that knowledge but the vice versa you know I’ve had students that have have got injury during training and I’ve been able to help them on the spot because as a teacher you know you want make sure that your students have longevity and are feeling good so that they can continue training and they're not incapacitated in a long-term and taken out of the dojo. So, you know when I when I see one of my students that are injured you know I try and help them when I can. You know, I'm not a physician so you know my scope is limited in that respect but you know within the confines of massage therapy I can definitely help them and I have helped them so I think that it's important to understand both sides of the coin.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Absolutely. And I think that if there were more massage therapist practicing near and even in dojos I think you might do very well. I don't know about you or and listeners I don't know about you personally but I know I like getting massage after a particularly hard work out. What better place to have it than at the training school
David Nemeroff:
Oh definitely and you know I think that the more your body is in good physical condition, the better thing to be able to perform on the mat and so I think that actually getting massages should be something that all martial artists should do at some point. You know, I think on a regular basis once a month, twice a month if not more depending on your physical condition. But you know, if your muscles are pliable you're going to get less injury. So it makes total sense to have that as part of your training regimen plus, it feels great.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It does feel great and its certainly something that's part of my recovery process. I get massage a few times a month but one of the things that might be worth sharing if there people out there that don't receive massage, I don't have the same anatomy and physiology experience that you do I'm certainly not a licensed massage therapist but I’ve learned a lot about my body just by having massage done by having a skilled therapist digging into you know something that hurts and trying to figure okay why does that hurt what cause I mean sometimes you know that sometimes you don't.
David Nemeroff:
Sure I think it gets you more in tune with your body. Like you have said, you learned to feel wow, I didn't know I was feeling that way or I didn’t know I was feeling that way or I did not have that pain until she started digging you know or he started digging. And so yeah I agree with you, I think that it teaches you more about your body, it teaches you to be more in tune, so I think that it's therapeutic definitely.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Totally so now we get to step back into the real world one where you have trained and you know it we don’t have to forget any of your experience, let's kinda go to the other end of the spectrum, we talked about a lot of positives. I'd like you to think about a low point something challenging or difficult in your life and tell us about that and how your martial arts training or your experience, allow you to move past it?
David Nemeroff:
Well, one of them that that sticks out in my mind is I actually tore ligaments off my bone in my wrist and I mean is actually completely detached and so I needed a wrist reconstruction surgery and so that was for me devastating because my life I did my hands you know [00:23:09.22] what I do. As a martial artist, the full-time martial artist you your hands so important. So you know when I went to the surgeon they tell him she told me she said you know you need to find a new career she told me flat she said you need to find something else to do because you not do martial arts again like this and that so that was that was difficult to hear. However though, I strongly believe that when there's a will, there's a way you know. I've seen people in wheelchairs do martial arts, I’ve seen people with extremities missing do martial arts and so you know if it wasn't for the perseverance that martial arts teaches you, I may have given up and just didn't like the doctor says I should do it so I'm not doing, I'm giving up. But one thing that I’ve always learned is that you don't give up and you know, if you give up the fight then you're done and so this is no different. So, I I did a lot of therapy and I had the ligaments reattached. They had a cadaver ligament put in and they attached it and I actually had metal spikes going through my wrist at one point to attach it. And so what I did during that time is I just did training with one hand and my feet and and I just hone those skills until my wrist was functional and you know with my understanding of essential oils and homeopathic and things like that, I was able to get to a place where now I’m, I have full use of my wrist. So you know I'm back training and you know, the surgery happened years ago but if it wasn't for the martial arts and teaching me about the commitment and perseverance of sticking with something even when things aren't easy you know I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today. So that's that's how martial arts help me get out of a low point.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah. That's pretty heavy stuff there now I just want to go back to kind of a specific and certainly not the highlighted story but you said that you have ligaments from a cadaver.
David Nemeroff:
Yeah
Jeremy Lesniak:
That's that's pretty cool. I mean I have never heard of it that, that's fascinated. What's that like having I mean really a piece from somebody else inside your body?
David Nemeroff:
I mean, honestly, I haven't thought much about it I mean it such a small piece honestly. I mean it's kinda cool I guess but I really haven't like thought much about it because I don't want to dwell on the surgery, I don't want to dwell on the negatives. I want you to move forward and so I just kind of try and put it in [00:26:16.29] as best I can. I acknowledge it, I respect that but yeah I mean the body is an amazing thing and you know you know. The fact that it can feel like that is just phenomenal and you know what medical science can do to help you heal now it is pretty amazing.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah. Without a doubt. And the other thing that kinda strikes me about the way you told that story is the diffusion of Eastern and Western approaches I mean the surgery to repair but then also the assistance that you did that I don't know what is at risk to hundred percent usable now?
David Nemeroff:
I would say probably about 90-95% yeah 90-95%, I mean I have full use of it but you know, there's a little bit of sensitivity and restriction to it but I just [00:27:17.05] you know, I don't want to cry over and I just do what I can do and I respect my body and you know but it doesn't stop me. You know so, you know so, it's functioning enough for me to do I love and so I'm thankful.
Jeremy Lesniak:
That's great and then you know the piece I was kinda honing in on was the fact that they told you, you know that, you wouldn’t be able to do martial arts again and I'm assuming that what they meant was that wrist would never be strong enough and durable enough to do martial arts.
David Nemeroff:
Well they told me to find another career. They said something martial arts, you're getting older and you know, you're not gonna be able to do it, you're gonna hurt yourself that's what they told me, give up so I guess I'm not a good patient I didn't listen.
Jeremy Lesniak:
The statistics I mean, we'll go a little bit off topic for second but all the statistics, I might've said this on the show before, of cancer survivors is that does it survive in ordeal like that are the worst patients. They don't accept everything that the doctors say they do their own research they do their own treatments, like you did and they're the ones that make it through and it's a mindset.
David Nemeroff:
Actually, to touch in that point that, interesting that you brought that up, I actually work with a nonprofit organization that deals with cancer survivors and I teach them Chi gong which are Chinese energy methods and I have one student in particular who has been with me for a couple years and they told him when he started with me that he would have like a year to live. Six months to a year, this was six years ago and the only thing that he did differently which he attributes to his survival in the practice of energy cultivation of Chi gong and moving meditation and he'll tell you straight out that this is the only thing that I did differently and it made a profound impact on him and I see with other cancer survivor that work with me, you know and I'm not saying that I'm a cure for cancer, I'm not saying that by any means but there is definitely an improvement in in the overall quality of life with many of the students that practice it consistently and regularly. You know so you know, I think the many aspects of the martial arts can have profound impact on all aspects of life not just in the dojo and not just for self-defense situation.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Absolutely and longtime listeners will remember that we interviewed Rabbi G, the founder of the kids kicking cancer organization not sure if you're familiar with that. They're based out of the Detroit area and it's the same thing you're talking about but their focus is children with chronic illness.
David Nemeroff:
Well I do that actually I have something. I have the kids karate project which is kids with special needs, I actually developed a program which combines kempo and meditation and qi gong to help increase their overall energy levels for kids afflicted with with cancer. And also kids with family members who are afflicted with cancer and other special needs and so the cancer support community and [00:31:06.27] for children who are two nonprofit organizations have been implementing my program and they really have seen you know, great result and the kids really love it and you know they have more energy and learning focus and a way to empower these kids is always benefit.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah and hopefully once we finish up and give me some information on those groups so we can make sure we posted in your show notes cause I bet the listeners would be interested in finding out more. Cause it's such a powerful subject and something you know, I don't think there can be too many groups working with martial arts first off, listeners know my goal is that everyone in the world does martial arts at least for a little while and there certainly isn't a more deserving group of this education than a group such as someone suffering from illness to help mitigate their pain or to give them some focus and some sense of power in their lives again.
David Nemeroff:
Definitely,. Definitely.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So we'll get that stuff posted over on the website, potential new listeners that's whistlekickmartialartsradio.com. Now I’ve got your bio here I mean there's some good stuff going on in there, some big names you and I talked a little bit you had the opportunity to train with some pretty prominent people, a little bit of alliteration there. But if you had to think about the person who's most influential and let's take out your immediate instructors. I'll make you work a little bit for this question who would you say the most important person in your martial arts career has been?David Nemeroff:
That's so hard. You know, I’ll tell you I'm very thankful for the teacher that I have, I'm so thankful for them. I mean, I couldn't be where I am about them. However, if I had exclude them I would say that first and foremost my parents for allowing me and supporting me during my training as a child I mean because if it wasn't for them taking me every week to the dojo I wouldn’t have learned what I learned so definitely my parents are you know, played big role and I thank them for you know, for supporting enough to pay for classes for all the years. And then I would also say they the my martial arts brothers and sisters who train with me over the years and you know let me throw them and strike them and do all the fun techniques that I had learned. You know, without my classmates I would just be by myself. So you know the day help me be better so I thank all of them.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Great answer and certainly parents I think it's the most popular answer that question. Because most of us started when you were we were young so we needed that support from our parents. I can, my mom is right there for me absolutely. So let's talk about competition a little bit you got involved in the competitive side of martial arts?
David Nemeroff:
I actually haven't and that just never interested me. And I don't belittle anyone who wants to do competition, if that's your desire then I think that there are things that you can definitely learn from it, however though the idea of trophies and medals don't interest me. I do this for intrinsic reasons that you and I want you make myself better I will and and I don't need to, I don't feel, prove myself to anybody I'm satisfied with my training and and what the martial arts is done for me and so going to a competition doesn't have that appeal. Also there's always someone better than you and so you know if you go and you win, great but there could be someone you know around the corner that that's better than you. So you know, don't get a big ego you know I mean you see it all the time, if you look at the UFC how often do champions change? I mean they're always changing right and people who were on top suddenly get beat you know and then they're old news so is the only thing that your training for the trophy. But what happens when there's no more trophies then you've lost something. You know when you train to become better and perfect your knowledge, then I think you have longevity and I think you constantly strive to be better that way and you know so for me competition was never an interest.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah and I agree with absolutely everything you said of course listeners know, I'm a strong believer in competition for the people that it's right for but.
David Nemeroff:
It’s a sport that's okay. So again if people want to do it, there are things that you can benefit from by learning it, by participating. I just, for me, I don't, it doesn't interest me personally.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Sure and one of the beauties about the martial arts is that there are so many different aspects to it so many different ways that you can find your niche the thing that works for you that motivates you that that's okay. This isn't basketball. You know, if basketball is your life, you kind of need to play basketball, you need to play games against others starts. There aren’t too many people to just live in their driveway shooting free throws.
David Nemeroff:
Well but I mean, I work with others I have people attacking me every day you know and that's how I hone my skills is by people really trying to hit me and you know, with no pads on and if I get hit and if I get taken down, well then I have something to work on and that's the motivator. You know it's not that the skills of the people doing tournaments or any better or worse per se, it's just that you know what is the end purpose of doing what you're doing.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah I'm right there with you I agree. So I think you think about the people that you haven't had the opportunity to train with people that are alive or even people that are dead and if you could pick out one of those people to train with who would that be and why?
David Nemeroff:
Well I mean, that's interesting. I mean I think maybe Sokaku Takeda would be a person that would be fascinating for me and he's the perfect person for you listeners who don’t know, that taught Morihei Ueshiba the center of aikido. And he was kind of a ruthless combat person. You know, head of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu you know but he was well known for his combat prowess and you know just his overall technique and so that that would be really interesting to me definitely just to go back in time and train with him. You know if he cared to make a student like Morihei Ueshiba I mean gotta know something. So you know, I think that he would definitely be someone maybe even that Minamoto Musashi, the famous samurai or Morihei Ueshiba as an aikido person you know, I would have love to train with him as well. I mean there's so many great masters over the centuries that you know you can learn from them so it's hard to pick just one but if I had to you know, probably Sokaku Takeda would be one of the people.
Jeremy Lesniak:
That's okay this isn't or no right answers, you could pick a couple, we'll let you get away with that, that's fine. No worries and of course those are great answers and I know little bit about Takeda so yeah and anybody, as you said, anybody who had the opportunity to teach Osensei anybody had an influence on the man it pioneered aikido me and certainly must've been doing something amazing. So to train with him would be incredible. Now how about movie sorry are you at all movie guy?
David Nemeroff:
Sure, I like movies definitely.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Do you have a favorite martial arts movie or or you know we won't even be that restrictive maybe a couple of them.
David Nemeroff:
I'll tell you this. You know growing up in in the 70s and 80s you know the original karate kid it was one that you know I guess sticks out in my mind yet and that maybe I'm dating myself a little but yeah I mean there's something about that movie at the time that was just seemed better than the typical action movie. So, I would say that movie was probably one of my favorite martial arts movies you know, throughout my martial arts career and actually I had the opportunity to meet with Martin Cove, you know who is the Cobra Kai instructor. And he's actually such a nice down-to-earth guy, I mean he was he was so friendly and and humble you know which was really nice to see. So yeah I would say the original karate kid movie.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It's a fantastic movie and I was within the last month that happened to be on TV and I was flipping through and it was right near the beginning so I stopped and watched and it has been a couple years. It really holds up I mean the acting was never the reason any of us love that movie it was the authenticity of it I mean just that that kind of relationship, I think any of us that train have always wanted, some of us have been lucky enough to have a relationship with a martial arts instructor like Daniel and Mr. Miyagi.Definitely.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So Martin Cove didn't sweep your leg or
David Nemeroff:
He didn’t sweep my leg. No, he's a very nice guy.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I've heard that from a number of other people maybe we can get him on the show sometime, he's certainly someone I would like to talk to. How about actors you have any favorite martial arts actors?
David Nemeroff:
Not particularly. I have to say I like Donnie Yen who played Ip Man int the 2008 film. I kind of like the way that he portray the character and I like you know his focus and so that was a fun movie for me. But overall you know I don't have any favorite actors you know, there are actors that make good films and the same actors can make bad films and so you know, from film to film you know, they vary I guess.
Jeremy Lesniak:
They do they certainly do. We do Thursday if so which tends to be a little bit shorter and I'm finishing up our episode on Jackie Chan and just as I'm learning more about Jackie Chan, the numbers of terrible films he put out none of us even know about its mind-boggling something like 150 films he's got to his credit most of us know about a dozen of them. So Donnie Yen, and he's kind of the martial arts actor of the moment, isn’t he. He's gonna be in the next Star Wars movie and the Ip Man movies and just keeps turning out some great stuff.
David Nemeroff:
Yeah I like I like some of the films that he's done.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah. So let's talk about books. Now were gonna talk about your books in a second but before we go there you have a favorite book that you didn't write?
David Nemeroff:
I would have to say Aikido and dynamics [00:43:50.26] I think it's by Westbrook and Rady off the top my head I think that's the authors. But there's just something about that book and the philosophy behind it that I really enjoy. The techniques at the end of the book I actually you know, not that there are good techniques and everything I just, I don't even like really looked at the technique part but the philosophy and the writing about aikido in that book I think is a great book and that book is been around for very long time and I recommend it to all my students so I would say that book is probably in the top of my list.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Sounds like a good book and of course I’ll dig up the link to that finding authors everything and link that for everyone over at the show notes. But let's talk about your books now. I mean, the context in which we met was you know, we were both in Atlantic City and I had a gentleman pulled me aside and said you need to meet this guy and so I got dragged into a room you were shooting some promotional videos if I remember correctly?
David Nemeroff:
For photo shoot yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Photoshoot to promote this book that you've just released?
David Nemeroff:
Well it's not released yet, I'm actually its introduction. Now so basically this book is called modern masters of the martial arts and what is it’s a photographic encyclopedia of different styles and we have one master featured from you know from several different styles that will explain about your art, give a little insight and also you know demonstrate a technique in the book and you know and it’s gonna be a hardcover full-color really nice book and so were you know, we wanna have about 55 or more instructors featured in this book and so what we were doing was we were taking photos for the book you know so that they could be included and we're lucky enough to have such Masters as Stephen Hayes a famous ninjutsu person Michael DiPasquale Jr. We have a famous world champion sumo wrestler, so we have a good group of people and actually you know there are one or two spots available that were looking to fill still and once we fill them, then what we'll do is we'll continue with production you know the publisher will continue and should be out in soon after that. So yes that's all we we're doing, we we're working on this book and taking photos and we hired a great photographer his name is John Bells who does photos for the event as well but some of the photos that he took were just super. So thanks John if you're listening and yeah so that's what we are doing at the time.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh great. Now you mentioned there were a couple slots still after those particular styles that you're looking for a high-level master to fill?
David Nemeroff:
Well, we're open to considering any style as long as we don't have the style already included in the book. You know we accept applications to be included so, you know it we have good majority of the styles already ready but enough people can contact me and you know and send an application if they're interested and then will look at it and if we don't have that style and if their lineage and training is authentic then you know we'll be happy to include them.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh great and where can people go maybe there's a list of styles that you've already locked in that they could look at or If they want to get more information.
David Nemeroff:
Sure they can go to the book website which is mastersofthemartialarts.com and on that page, there's a button they can click to fill out the application to apply and so they just do that and then I’ll get back to them shortly and within a few days to let them know if we have that art already or we'd like to include them.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Great and of course was that book is released, let me know so we can update the show notes so if people are listening to this in the future you know right now it's February 10th of 2016 the book hasn't come out yet but you know in the near future it sound like it's going to be out and available so I will make sure we update the show notes to get people to all the different ways that they could order that book, take a look at it
David Nemeroff:
Appreciate it.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Whatever the different methods are. So tell us a little bit about what's keeping you motivated? What gets you to get up every day and train work on books and go to seminars and go to Japan and all that what, why do you keep doing this?
David Nemeroff:
It's fun I love it. I think it's given me so much honestly and it influenced my life in so many different ways that I want more and you know, I think I always try and make myself better and that's what you know martial arts gives to me. But also I think it's important that I share this information with my students and I think that's another motivator for me is that you know, I want to be there and and share what I have and maybe give other people the opportunity to get the benefits that I did growing up. So, that's another big motivator for me and but I also think that I think giving up is kind of like a failure, I think, I don't want to accept failure and so I keep going. And I had imagine I’ll be doing this until I can't move anymore so yeah that's what keeps me going. And you know the idea of training every day, it's fun for me so I don't want to stop, I don't allow myself either me consideration of stopping.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It's great. Fun. I mean if it's not fun you're probably doing it wrong. Right?
David Nemeroff:
I mean, there are times when you know you're like oh my God it's it's grueling and exhausting but yeah it's all how you look at things. There is a term in Japanese called shoshin which it means beginner's mind and it's basically that everything you do in life from tying your shoes to a one punch or a kick or whatever it is you're doing you should do with 100% of your spirit because you know, it may be the last time you're allowed to do it again so do it you know with all of your heart. And so you know every time I go to the dojo, I try and have shoshin.
Jeremy Lesniak:
A great approach absolutely. So if people want to know more about you, tell us what what you have going on right now we talked about the book you know people are in your vicinity and want to come train or if this weekend warrior camp is open, I mean tell us about you and sell yourself. This is your commercial time.
David Nemeroff:
Okay. Well so I guess you know firstly there’s the retreat which is July 15-17 and people can check out more information on the website which is karatetrainingcamp.com and that has a video of last year's event tends testimonials and some pricing and things like that so people interested in coming and training we'd love to have you. And you know there's no ego we don't care what style or experience you have you know, everyone's in the martial arts community and so you know everyone's welcome. But if you have a good attitude then you should be there. So that's one thing I'm working on. Also myself and my teacher and Roddy Sheehan we have an instructor certification curriculum. And where if your black belt you can study these courses and we teach you different curricula which then you can implement at your own dojo and offer something new to your students which is always great for retention and motivation so we have a weapons curriculum, we have a ground fighting curricula, you have a weapon disarming curricula, and also you know like a [00:53:04.18] combat hand-to-hand curricula. So you can get certified in any one of these things and people can find out more about that at thatcombatcourses.com. So that [00:53:15.29] that I'm working on and we go around the country and give seminars at different people, schools, so if people are interested in seminars they can contact me directly at you know and would be happy to to come out to you and do something for you. Other projects that I'm working on, I’m actually co-authoring another book beside this masters in the martial arts book, I co-authored a book with Andrade Shihan on aikido [00:53:53.17] which is the aikido ground fighting and this is going to be published were hoping by the end of May and it's gonna have aikido ground fighting techniques and the name of the book is aikido's hidden ground fighting and they'll be a companion DVD that people can purchase as well and that's thru [00:54:17.25] media you know people can order the book though them and it'll eventually be on Amazon and Barnes & Noble that kind of thing. So I have a lot of my plate and besides teaching my classes every day.
Jeremy Lesniak:
You are a busy man but it sounds like you're doing a lot to give back and to share your knowledge and I applaud that I think it's wonderful I wish all martial artists of experience were working as hard as you to give back and to share their knowledge.
David Nemeroff:
I appreciate it.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So thank you. And just before we wrap up, any parting words of wisdom for everyone listening.
David Nemeroff:
Well I guess, always train hard. Don't make excuses and you know, when you train you know give it everything you have on that day also if you're looking for an instructor if you're new to the martial arts, find someone who has legitimate credentials that is a lot of people that make up their own techniques and makeup their own systems and you know you want someone who has real lineage , you know, I think that's important. You wouldn't go to a university that wasn't accredited so why leave something like your martial arts education to just anybody you know. But you know, do it. Do it and work hard and and you'll succeed. Never give up.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Thank you for listening to episode 60 of whistlekickmartialartsradio and thank you to Soke-Dai Nemeroff for your time and your stories. Head on over to whistlekickmartialartsradio.com for the show notes with links to the things we talked about today including Soke-Dai's book, his school, his instructor certification classes and a lot more. If you like the show please subscribe or download one of the apps you never miss out on a new episode. And if we could trouble you to leave us a review wherever you download your podcasts, we'd really appreciate that. Remember if we read your review on the air just email us and we'll get you a free pack of whistlekick stuff 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 over whistlekickmartialartsradio.com or if you just want to shoot us a message with a suggestion for a Thursday show topic or some other feedback, there's a place to do that on the website too. You can follow us on social media, we're on Facebook Twitter Pinterest and Instagram, all with the username whistlekick. And remember the products we make here whistlekick like our sparring boots and a whole lot more and those are at whistlekick.com. So, until next time, train hard, smile, and have a great day.