I held my 2008 Disciple Retreat again at my home in Dover, NH this year during the weekend of 09/26. It's been a tough year economically for everyone, and so we saved on gas, lodging, and out to dinner for Friday night. Besides, that gave us more time to work since there was no travel involved. Instead of the retreat starting at noon with lunch, we were able to begin with breakfast early Friday morning.

Almost everyone was able to make it for a Thursday night workout. After that, we all went up to Applebee's here in Dover for some food and backgammon. It was an opportunity for some of our local students to meet Sandan Carl Parker who had flown in from Albuquerque, NM for the retreat.

Advanced group session at The Governor's Inn, Rochester, NH for Saturday night's closing dinner. Left to right - 3rd Degree Black Belt Sandan James Nancarrow of the Northwood School of Self Defense, Northwood, NH, 2nd Degree Black Belt Nidan Scott Williams of the Red Leaf Karate Club, North Berwick, ME, 4th Degree Black Belt Yondan Russ Jones of the Sachem Self Defense School, Laconia, NH, 9th Degree Black Belt Grandmaster Peter Rose of the Rose School of Karate, Dover, NH, 3rd Degree Black Belt Sandan Tim House of the Tai Chien Dojo, Portsmouth, NH, 2nd Degree Black Belt Rick Downs from Kittery, ME, and 3rd Degree Black Belt Sandan Carl Parker of the Mountain View Martial Arts, Rio Rancho, NM.

We worked straight through Friday until early evening, only pausing for about twenty minutes to eat delivered subs for lunch. We broke around 5:30 for some snacks and backgammon, which got pretty rowdy as everyone unwound from the intensity of the day's session. For dinner Friday, we cooked in; it was a marvelous spaghetti and garlic bread feed.

Though I ended the day's session about 11:00pm so everyone could get home at a reasonable time, I kept Yondan Russ Jones up until around 1:30am. I'm sure he was very appreciative of that as he had a pretty bad cold, which he generously gifted to me and I missed a couple of days work the following week. Thank you for that, Yondan, and I will certainly keep that in mind during this next year of your Master's level exam preparations...

Saturday, everyone reported on site early, and all participated in fixing some terrific omelets for breakfast. As I took some individule time with some of the disciples, I had Yondan Jones work through some Tai Chi exercises and forms work with the others. I had wanted to get some time in to work on Rose Crane with everyone, but wasn't able to get to it; just too many other things on the agenda. We had subs delivered early so as to save room for our dinner out later that evening to the The Governor's Inn.

Linda from the Inn had a private room all set up for us, and we just camped out there until we closed the place down after hours of great conversation, wine, and spectacular meals. We had arrived early in the evening, and took over the lounge with speed backgammon games for dinner bragging rights. It was a great time, despite the rather heavy rain that was drenching everything outside.

Though it was late when we got back to my home, I had a final short session before cutting everyone loose. Well, everone except Sandan Carl Parker who I kept up until - well, I think it was around 2:00am but I'm not sure. I let Yondan Jones alone this time - he was also staying at my house so he wouldn't have to make the long commute back to Laconia each day. Though I did consider...

Sunday, we were back at it early and I wrapped things up at noon so everyone could get back home and take care of their normal lives. Sandan Parker and I continued right on, though, as his flight didn't leave until Monday afternoon. We went shopping and I fixed terragon pork chops for dinner. We had a great bottle of Merlot that he had brought with him, and ended the night just relaxing.

Unfortunately, the first set of pictures I took and didn't realize the shutter setting lock had slipped to portrait so all of the pictures are blurry. Duh...

Yondan Russ Jones and Sandan Tim House set the pace for some basics during Thursday nights workout.

Some drills.

And some interactive combination work.

Applebees Thursday night. Table 1: Grandmaster Rose, Sandan Tim House, Nidan Rick Downs, and Scott from Yondan Jones club.

Table 2: Harry from the Rose School, Yondan Jones, Steve from the Rose School, Sandan Carl Parker, and Brian from the Rose School.

Nidan Rick Downs, Sandan Carl Parker, Sandan Tim House, Sandan James Nancarrow, and Nidan Scott Williams early Friday morning getting ready for the start of the retreat - after we get our coffee going!

Yondan Russ Jones arrives for the Friday morning session.

Grandmaster Rose has his coffee and is ready.

Friday night Sandan Tim House showing one of the bottles of wine that he had brought for our planned home brew spaghetti dinner feed. Nidan Scott Williams, Sandan James Nancarrow, Sandan Carl Parker, and Yondan Russ Jones. It appears that Sandan Parker feels Yondan Jones needs a head shave, but he was asked not to as that knife was one of the set that he had just given to Grandmaster Rose who had commented, "Let's just use that for the meat balls, okay?"

Nidan Rick Downs and Nidan Scott Williams on clean up detail.

Sandan Carl Parker Saturday morning just before the start of the morning session. He is in need of coffee and waiting for the crew to arrive with the breakfast fixins.

The Saturday morning volunteer breakfast committee.

But first, the coffee...

Late Saturday afternoon for some predinner backgammon. And wouldn't you know it would be Sandan Tim House and Nidan Rick Downs clawing at each other first.

Sandan Carl Parker waiting for the others to arrive for the start of the Sunday morning session.

This next block of pictures were taken by Sandan House who had his shutter set correctly! Thank you, Sandan for capturing some great shots of our retreat, of which I'll just post a few. House caught me here between breaths, a rare event.

Yondan Russ Jones bearing up under the pressure.

Nidan Rick Downs with his customary coffee supply at the ready.

Yeah, sometimes I just crack myself up. Whether anyone else gets it or not is sometimes debatable, though.

Sandan Carl Parker.

Nidan Scott Williams doing his thing preparing the great Saturday morning breakfast we all had.

Sandan James Nancarrow taking care of the bacon for Saturday morning's breakfast.

At dinner Saturday night, I was presented with a 40 years in the martial arts plaque from all C&S Self Defense Association disciples. It is a truly magnificent tribute, and one which means more to me than anyone could imagine. My deepest thanks to all for your continued participation in our art. The following email that I sent out to everone expresses my feelings best, I think.

Disciples of the White Cobra, C&S Black Belts, and Rose School of Karate Students -

I wanted to wait until I had a good picture of the great gift I was presented with at my recent retreat before I wrote to my disciples and thanked you all for your kindness. My daughter Marissa took this picture, and as you can see it is a wonderful tribute that you have all honored me with. I wanted to share this with all of our black belts, and with my own club.

40 years is a long time, but then so is 5 years. I'm not 8 times better or more committed; just a lot older and have traveled the path and fought the demons more times. I am honored to have such a fine linage to look up to, and I thank you all for this. Without you, students and disciples, my 40 years would indeed be hollow and unfulfilled.

Master Rose

This next set of pictures was taken by Sandan Parker. They are in order starting here on Friday morning with breakfast coffee in the kitchen.

Amazing - we fast forward to Friday night to Nidan Williams getting a glass of wine in preparation for dinner.

Friday night's dinner wine was brought by Sandan House.

Smiling again? What's up with that?

Sandan House and Nidan Downs during Friday afternoon's discussion.

Yondan Jones enjoying the day despite being under the weather with a pretty bad cold.

Yondan Jones running the group through some Tai-Chi and Chi-Quong Saturday morning.

Yondan Jones running the group through some Tai-Chi and Chi-Quong Saturday morning.

Sandan Nancarrow and Yondan Jones Saturday evening in the lounge of The Governor's Inn working their differences out over the backgammon board.

Our great hostess, Linda, at The Governor's Inn for the second year trying to bear up under the pressure of our little gathering.

Nidan Downs and Nidan Williams going at it over the backgammon board in the lounge of The Governor's Inn before heading into dinner.

Sandan House and Nidan Downs at dinner Saturday night.

Linda took this great shot of us all at dinner. Left to right - 3rd Degree Black Belt Sandan James Nancarrow of the Northwood School of Self Defense, Northwood, NH, 2nd Degree Black Belt Nidan Scott Williams of the Red Leaf Karate Club, North Berwick, ME, 4th Degree Black Belt Yondan Russ Jones of the Sachem Self Defense School, Laconia, NH, 9th Degree Black Belt Grandmaster Peter Rose of the Rose School of Karate, Dover, NH, 3rd Degree Black Belt Sandan Tim House of the Tai Chien Dojo, Portsmouth, NH, 2nd Degree Black Belt Rick Downs from Kittery, ME, and 3rd Degree Black Belt Sandan Carl Parker of the Mountain View Martial Arts, Rio Rancho, NM.

Sandan Nancarrow, Nidan Williams, and Yondan Jones.

Another shot of me, Sandan House, and Nidan Downs at dinner.

Yondan Jones and me chatting during dinner Saturday night.