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Discovering the Bear Warrior..
Trent Kuma Warner
"As you advance in
your Musha-Shugyo (Warrior Pilgrimage), allow yourself to transcend the
concepts and principles of warrior training, instead focus on the
warrior journey and the lessons embodied in that journey." -- Kuma
This is a quote from my Bear Bushido Training Manual. I am
often asked via email and in person for details about my warrior
training and martial arts background. I have been asked such questions
as;
Let me begin by formally introducing myself. My given name is Trent
Warner, but many of my friends and associates call me kuma,
which
is actually a nickname.
Kuma
is
Japanese for Bear. This nickname was given to me by a very
good friend of mine, Michael J. Ceballos. I was exploring and studying
various forms of warrior training with him at the time.
I once asked Kaicho Ceballos why he chose this nickname for me. His
response? My physical presence, gentle demeanor in rest, aggressive
power in attack and my fascination with the bear.
Throughout my life I've had several variations of the word bear
as a nickname. Ever since I was a very young boy, I have had a
fascination and admiration of bears. Some may say the Bear is my animal
warrior spirit. It is actually a very good way to understand my
personality and demeanor.
When I began to
use the internet back in the mid to late 1990's. I often used
'kumason", "kuma-san" and sometimes 'kuma' as my profile nickname on
many forums, bulletin boards and such. In later years I switched and
began using 'bear warrior' as my profile name.
It was much easier than always explaining what kuma meant. To this day,
I often use a signature that reads like this;
The Bear Warrior
Trent 'kuma' Warner
I wanted to explain this here to give all an understanding
into the what, why and what-for of my use of names that include and/or
mean "bear".
Since much of the warrior training presented in this website was honed
and forged through hard training, intense research and trials of
combat. The remaining information presented below is to give you
insight into my Warrior Journey thus far..
The Beginning of My Warrior Training
Journey
My warrior journey began at birth. I was born on a US
Air Force base in Utah. So from the beginning of life, I have
had a sense of honor and discipline. My passion for the warrior journey
really began to blossom in mid 1970's and along the way I have come in
contact with various warrior arts
and martial fighting styles.
As a young boy I was an avid comic book reader, as were many young boys
of this era, but I also enjoyed camping in the woods, tracking,
hunting, scouting and fishing.
I can remember watching a martial arts demo, when I was around 7, at a
local college with my Dad. I cannot be absolutely certain of the style,
but I was impressed and wanted to learn how to do that!
But my parents struggled to keep our house hold together, so there was
no money for this sort of extra activity. Destiny had me covered
though. My parents would, from time to time, take in missionaries
giving them a place to stay between assignments.
One such missionary was also a practitioner of the martial arts and
during his stay he began to train me. I was hooked for life, my passion
for warrior martial arts training was birthed.
Over the next years of my life I trained with several different
warriors and in many different arts. This was due, in part, to the fact
that we moved around. In order to pay for my warrior training, I would
often do odd jobs. This not only helped to form my work and training
ethic, it also help to birth my entrepreneurial spirit, starting me on
the path of a business warrior.
When I was around 11 or 12, we moved to Broken Arrow, OK. I developed a
friendship with a native american from a close by community and as a
result, I was introduced to many aspects of their warrior culture and
warrior traditions. It was an experience that would greatly shape my
future warrior journey and passions.
When I
was in 9th grade we moved to Naples Florida. My Grandparents had
retired there and had several rental properties. During the first part
of the 80's, Naples was a small, but growing, coastal community.
The house we lived in had several miles of dense woods directly behind
it. During this time in my life, I was able to develop and hone many of
my warrior survival skills and embarked on my warrior fitness training
journey.
Through out High school and into college, I continued my pursuit of
different self defense concepts, warrior arts, martial art styles and
warrior fitness training.
It was during the 1980's that I gained my passion for martial
arts movies. I loved the saturday afternoon kung fu theater,
watching re-runs of the kung-fu series and watching martial arts movies
at the cinema or on VHS.
In summary, my warrior journey began at birth and continues on to this
day. A few years back I wrote and article explaining my thoughts on 'What it is to be a
Warrior'. As my Warrior journey evolves so will the Martial Art
Warrior Training Hall. Thank you for sharing this journey with me!
Forming My
Warrior-Street-Combat-Self Defense Concepts
Growing up we often moved around and always being the new kid
in school wasn't easy. It would often lend the bullies of the school to
use you to make a point. So, I quickly had to learn how to defend
myself without drawing to much undo attention. Thus my street combat
self defense training path began to take shape.
In the late 1980's, I attended Tech School in Tampa, Florida earning an
AS Degree in Computer/Electronic Engineering of Technology. I currently
work as a certified Service Engineering Technician. This technical
background allows me to effectively evaluate current and future self
defense technologies.
After college I moved back to Naples Florida and spent several years
training with my warrior brother Iron Tiger. We later meet up again in
Orlando, Florida, together we forge and formed our warrior street combat
self defense concepts and tactics.
This co-creation was birthed from intense warrior street combat
training and through the evaluation of effective personal self defense
tactics. The interactions of these two warrior brothers laid the
foundation for the Warrior Code
of the Tiger and the Bear.
The Warrior Street Combat Self Defense Society
was created in the spirit of these fused concepts. It is a warrior
society dedicated to the discussion of Street Combat Self Defense
tactics, along with the concepts and skills needed for a warrior to
survive in today's world.
In 1990's, I experienced and trained in Goshin-Jitsu and was involved
in the personal security industry. I draws much of my personal security
and self defense training concepts from these experiences, in which I
served;
as a security officer
on an executive protection detail
and as Head of Security for a major attraction in Orlando,
Florida
Over the years I have had the opportunity to train several Women in
Self Defense and personal protection. This is a subject that has been
very close to my heart as such I have spent great amounts of time
evaluating, examining and training with various self
defense weapons.
Since many Female self defense students have either been attacked or
feared attack, it has been very important for me to develop and
evaluate programs that fit each women's personal situation.
Training, education and experience have helped to provide me an
understanding and insight to the most important aspects of any given Self Defense
program.
My Warrior Martial Arts
Training Background
For over 30 years, I've studied, investigated and experienced various
forms of warrior training, throughout these years, I have attended and
trained in several different..
Martial Arts Schools
Self Defense Styles
Street Combat Systems
Warrior Fitness Programs
Warrior Arts
Over the years, I have developed a fascination with various weapon
training
arts and have come to enjoy it almost as much as my hand
to hand combat training. As such, I have explored and investigated a
host of martial
arts weapon disciplines.
During down times, when I had no formal training, I would evaluate,
examine, modify and test the various techniques I experienced in these
differing fighting styles.
In the late 1980's, I studied Tae Kwon Do at Yun Ho Martial Arts Academy, then in the early
1990's trained in Wado Ryu under Sensei
Jack
Morris. During this time, I also trained in western boxing and
investigate new forms of my warrior strength training concepts.
Little did I realize that my diverse warrior journey was laying the
foundation of an Eclectic Hybrid Mixture of my personal Martial Arts,
warrior and fitness
training. It was my time spent training with Kaicho Michael J.
Ceballos of Tamanegi Do Martial Arts that help me build upon this
foundation and form Okii Kuma Ryu.
During the mid 1990's, while investigating the concepts of Tamanegi
Budo, I became a member of the Tamanegi
Do
Martial Arts Association and assisted Kaicho Ceballos in
teaching his Karate Clubs and YMCA classes.
During my time with Kaicho Ceballos, I served as a referee and coach
for AAU Karate
Tournaments and was one of the principle referees in the 1st
annual Inner City Games hosted by Arnold
Swartzenhager in Orlando, FL.
In 1994, the Tamangi Do Martial Arts Association
officially recognized me as the Shorei of Okii Kuma Ryu and
issued me the Title of Okuden. During my time studying and
training with Kaicho Ceballos, I was able to train and earn rank
in many of the following styles;
Bojustu
Jojustu
Hojustu
kyujustu
Kobujutsu
Ashigari
Suiejutsu
Shinja Ryu
Goshin-jitsu
Okii Kuma Ryu
Escrima Ceballos Style
In the late 1990's, my Dad forward me the book "This is Aikido" by
Koichi Tohei. This was formerly my grandfathers book, it is the large
hardcover addition (12 by 8 ½ inches) and is illustrated with
around 1,000 photos and drawings.
Not only is this book a rare find, it contained notes from my late
Grandfather Ernest "Red" Warner. Every time I read and studied through
this book, I can feel his warrior spirit right there with me.
In 1998 the concept of Big
Bear Academy began to develop, a natural extension of Okii Kuma
Ryu, BBA has blossomed into the web presence you see today. In 1999, I
was appointed the President of the Atarashii
Budo Shu Kai.
In 2000, TDMAA honored me with the Title appointment of Tashi of
the Shinja Ryu. In recognition of the hard work and dedication to
the development of Okii Kuma Ryu, Kaicho Ceballos awarded me the Title
' Renshi of Okii Kuma Ryu '
In 2004 I attended a pressure point seminar in the Chicago area which
re-ignited my passion for applying this type of training to my warrior
journey. You can learn more about how my warrior martial arts pressure
point journey by reading "Pressure
Point Training - How I got Started"
Over the past several years I have been re-introduced to and trained in
both Modern Arnis via Master of Tapi-Tapi Ken Smith
and Walley Jay's Small-Circle JuJitsu through Master Will Higginbotham
In
December of 2006, Hanshi Ceballos came to my home for a week long live
in evaluation, observing my teaching, warrior training and family
interactions. I submitted the remaining testing requirements for rank
progression and was awarded my current rank of
Rokudan in Okii Kuma Ryu.
Becoming a Business Warrior and
Starting this Website..
Ok, by now you have some what of an idea of my warrior training journey
and the passion I have for each of my warrior training paths. I am
often asked how am I managing to create this website while working a
full time job and running a warrior business (teaching, training,
ect.).
The answer is simply SBI-
Site Build It. SBI is helping me turn my warrior passions into a
viable and reliable small business. SBI provides me with the tools,
knowledge, expertise and training needed to create, maintain and grow a
successful warrior business.
While, I do recieve a small commision if you join SBI through links on
this website, it does not impede the fact that SBI is an excellent
product and has greatly impacted my life.
I was recently asked "What does SBI mean to you in these uncertain
economic times?" It means the same thing it meant to me when I
first purchased it back in 2004.. FREEDOM. Here is my
answer to this some what loaded question..
Site Build It offers me the quintessential and fundamental
ability to create and forge my own destiny, outside of what the
Government's of the world do. It allows me to do it at my pace, Without
Prejudice and Without any loss or waiver of rights or privileges.
How does SBI equate with FREEDOM?
SBI
takes away the constraints of this small business warrior, allowing
me to compete on the global market place, to create a place where I can
share my passions, while helping others fulfill their warrior training
journey.
SBI gives me a feeling of certainty in these otherwise uncertain times,
not that I am guaranteed success, just that I am guaranteed the tools,
support and guidance to gain success.
It has been a long road, but even in these uncertain times SBI helps
guide me to the freedom and security I seek. Site Build It can help
you, just as it has me and many others. Don't take my word for it,
check it out for yourself..and if you have any questions, feel free to ask an
experienced SBI advisor.
Return to Martial Art
Warrior Training Hall Home Page
The Atarashii Budo Shu Kai is an organization dedicated to bringing like minded warriors together.
Join us at the Atarashii Budo Shu Kai and share your warrior journey!
Come Train with the Bear and
you may find the Tiger along the Way
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