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Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists My First PAWMA Camp - 1991 (And Why You Should Join Me at Camp this Year) by Paula Smith Editor’s Note: I love “first camp” stories (and hope you do, too) and encourage everyone interested to write theirs. Hard and Soft, Paula submitted hers with this note, “I don’t know if this is what you had in mind, but it’s what I felt like writing.” Paula mentions below a memorable class and demonstration by Michelle Dwyer. Come to Camp this Labor Day Working Together, weekend and experience Michelle yourself. For information on this year’s camp, see page 4. Become Complete. My recollection of going a non-profit corporation to my first PAWMA Camp Vol. 32 No. 3 Summer 2009 in 1991 is similar to what you may have heard from your parents, “I walked to Inside This Newsletter school uphill both ways in My First PAWMA Camp................... 1 the snow.” So, when I hear Association Update ............................ 2 excuses such as “An hour’s Film on PAWMA and Camp ............ 3 drive is too far,” “I only go to It’s Time for Camp .......................... 4 camps in my own style,” or The Kata of Healing ........................ 7 “I’m busy that weekend,” I Film about Keiko Fukuda Sensei ...... 9 sometimes want to burst into Sunny Graff in Hall of Fame ............ 9 laughter. Paula Smith (right) tries push hands for the first time. Camp Registration Form ............... 11 I have lived in Salt Lake Master Su Zifang at FEMA ............ 12 City (UT) since 1987. I have always had to plan, pay travel expenses, and take time off work Push Hands Camp ........................ 12 for trips. The journey to my first PAWMA Camp in 1991 started on a trip to Minneapolis (MN) around the winter of 1988 - 89. I went in the Amazon Bookstore Cooperative, a feminist bookstore unconnected to the online bookseller. There, covered in dust under a pile of something else, I found a stack of a women’s martial arts newsletters called “Fighting PAWMA‘s Mission Women’s News.” Since I had started training in Taekwon Do in Denver in 1985, I bought all the past issues and immediately subscribed. The publication changed hands, the issues Uniting and empowering became intermittent, but a couple of issues mentioned a women’s martial arts camp in California and listed a P.O. Box for PAWMA. a diverse community of I mailed a request for information to PAWMA. No one wrote back. I found a telephone number, but it had been disconnected. I contacted the organizers of Special women and girls in the Training [the annual training weekend for the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation martial arts. (NWMAF)], and got a newer phone number for PAWMA. I left a message on the answer- ing machine, but no one called. I persisted for several years and eventually someone called Continued on page 6 ➤ Pacific Association 2 of Women Martial Artists BOARD OF DIRECTORS Association Update Officers President: Keldyn West, Redwood City, CA PRESIDEnt‘S MESSAGE Vice President: Susannah MacKaye, Oakland, CA Secretary: Kristen Pfendler, Vancouver, WA Dear PAWMA members, Treasurer: Marie Jackson, Eugene, OR I first learned about PAWMA from the bulletin board at Seven Star Women’s Kung Fu in Seattle, WA, when I dropped in for a Members-at-Large Michelle McVadon (Elder Counsel), Seattle, WA class while on a business trip in 1991. A year or two later I went Aarin Burch, Oakland, CA to my first training camp. There I met a woman who found Joanne Factor, Seattle, WA out about camp when the only other woman in her school Elaine Powell-Ascroft, Portland, OR came into the dressing room, showed her a flyer, and whispered, Keta Tom, Corvallis, OR “Look what I found in the trash.” Contrary to her teacher’s fears, attending camp actually gave her the energy and support COMMITTEE/CONTACT that she needed to continue in her preparation for her black belt test. Recently, I got a call from someone who had found a Website Coordinator: Joanne Factor, Keldyn West postcard tucked in a magazine at a mixed martial arts event in Website Technical Support: Lori Berkowitz Sacramento. Last year’s youngest student attended because her father found our website Membership Coordinator: Joanne Factor when he was stationed in the south waiting to be deployed overseas. He immediately wrote Newsletter Liaison: Sue Leary to his wife to sign up their daughter. I would like to believe our work in modernizing the website and the new postcard REGIONAL REPS marketing plan has helped to move us forward. I would still like to encourage everyone to keep up the good work in spreading the word about camp and about PAWMA and help Canada keep the organization growing strong. Your enthusiasm and word of mouth endorsement is Bowen Island, BC: Jan Parker the power behind our success. 604/947-0888, [email protected] I get something from camp that I get nowhere else. It is from being among women California who are passionate about and excel at the martial arts and who are happy to share what Berkeley, CA: Jude Fox they have learned. Just watching the annual demo can change your whole world view. And 510/525-2963, [email protected] there is always that one person who extends a small kindness or a teaching that has a big Santa Rosa, CA: Ceylan Crow impact on my life. 707/578-5889, [email protected] The economy is putting a strain on everything around us. This year’s theme, Roots of Community…Seeds of Change is living up to its motto. A small number of members CONTACT INFO have volunteered hundred of hours in marketing, research and promotion. Many individu- als have contributed to the scholarship fund making it possible for more women to attend For general information about PAWMA or to camp this year. Some instructors are declining payment for their teaching and some are contact anyone above: refusing travel costs. Our instructor’s instructors would be proud to see how their influence Website: www.pawma.org is still in motion as we continue to promote their power, their chi, their compassion and Email address: [email protected] their focus through our helping our members, our communities and our world through Mailing address: P.O. Box 23157 the strength of our martial arts lineages. These are our roots and this is what we draw on, Seattle, WA 98102 especially in insecure times. Contact Person: Keldyn West I encourage you all to remember all the positive things you have brought home from previous camps and to do what you can to attend camp this year. Scholarships are still avail- able as of this writing. There are a limited number of tent sites available which can enable you to attend for a reduced rate. This year for the first time we have the Discussion Forum on the website that you can use to form or find a car pool to get to camp. That one act of kindness, that one lesson that is passed on to you may be the thing that will change your life. I hope to see you at camp for a wonderful weekend of friendship and training Warm regards, Keldyn West, President PAWMA News 3 Help Campers Feel Welcome See It First at Camp: “Under One Sky,” A Film The Hospitality Committee is new this year. It came out of requests and suggestions during Made about PAWMA our Passion Table discussions at last year’s camp. Marty Springer is heading up this com- mittee and is looking for volunteers who will help everyone feel welcome at camp. This is Camp especially good for first timers who can be introduced to long time members and instruc- tors, making sure they have a friendly table to sit at during meals, and in general making “Under One Sky” was filmed on location sure no one feels isolated or unwelcomed. If you are interested in helping out on this com- in 1998 at Camp Elphinstone in Gibson’s, mittee, contact Marty ([email protected]). BC at the first PAWMA Camp held in Canada. The filmmakers are excited to Scholarship Fund and Raffle show the 25-minute film at Camp this September, reconnect with the women in This year’s economy is tough and next year will probably be the same. Your contributions the film, and provide “long overdue” copies are so important in assisting women who would not otherwise be able to afford Camp. to those who pre-ordered. Contribute to the Scholarship Fund through online donations or wait until camp to pur- The film’s synopsis says, “‘Under One chase raffle tickets as part of our annual fundraiser. Sky’ is a film unlike any martial arts film Marty Springer, Scholarship Raffle Coordinator thinks you will be delighted with this you have ever seen. In some ways it turns year’s prizes and is thrilled at the way it is coming together. If you would like to make dona- the whole genre on its head as it explores tions for the raffle, they can include mementos from your club, specialties proudly represent- the physical and spiritual nature of an ing your region or state, martial arts items or anything you yourself would like to win at a extraordinary range of martial arts when raffle. Please contact Marty ([email protected]) to give her an idea of what you they are practiced by women… As you will be donating to the raffle and so that we can be sure to include you in the list of thank watch women from all over North America you’s in the Camp book.

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