Master Ben Collins
1.  Age:  30
2.  marital status: newlywed (as of December 30, 2008)
3.  kids: no kids, but two dogs
4.  Number of years training with Shaolin-Do:
20 (should be 24 if I had started when my dad tried to teach me, but I wasn't interested then.
5.  Any training in martial arts prior to Shaolin-Do (if so please describe type, time-line, etc...)
none
6.  Any defining moments in your training? Revelations, decisions, etc... (please explain)
Master Leonard's Friday night, "anything can happen" class and my Iron hand class.  The Friday night class revolutionized my practice of Shaolin-Do from a hobby to a lifestyle.  As a 1st degree black belt, he started us over from white belt and took two years standardizing our forms, teaching us proper technique, and the value of practicing hard.  The iron hand class has taught me nothing is impossible if you attack it as a series of steps.  And lots of pain management.  For anyone who has started iron hand, 30 reps with a 30 lbs bar seems impossible.  We now roll 1000 reps with a 90 lbs bar!
 
7.  What do you like the most about your training? The least?
Almost everything.  Dragon sweeps and pushups (because of a bad shoulder)
 
8.  Which animal has been your favorite so far and why? (Kung Fu fighting style, that is)
Love the tiger, love the white crane, love the Hua system, love Pa Kua, love Chen Tai Chi...  I love it all!
 
9.  Which belt level really started influencing the way you felt about kung fu or t'ai chi and can you explain how?
2nd or 3rd black is when I really started to appreciate the internal aspects of Shaolin-Do.  I learned Tai Chi and Pa Kua fairly young (12-13) and it took a couple of more years for me to see the value in it.  To this day, Classical Pa Kua is one of my all-time favorite forms.
 
10.  Do you have a favorite weapon and why?
Chain whip (because it's hard and most people can't do it), spear, broadsword.
 
11.  Do you have a favorite kata (open hand or weapon) and why?
Yes, but if I told you I would have to kill you.  In other words, I can't say.
 
12.  Do you have a funny kung fu story? Something you did or saw in a class, seminar, tournament or demo that you want to tell us?
Too many to mention.  My classmates are like brothers (and sisters) to me and we have a great time every class.  One of the scariest moments was when Elder Master Leonard and I were doing a Tai Chi applications demonstration in Austin.  We had finished one of the applications and as we started the next one, I could see it in his eyes that he had forgotten where we were.  That meant we were going to improvise (very bad for me).  In his defense, we had switched the order and some of the actual applications from what we did the night before the demo.  Never do this!
 
13.  Do you have any favorite people to spar with and if so, why?
Yes!  Master Tony Gray.  His defense and sense of timing are exceptional.  If it works on him, it will work on almost anyone.  If you make a mistake, it will cost you (severely).
 
13.1.  Which is your favorite I Ching Ching exercise?
Anything but the body press off the ground.  I never could do that one.
 
14.  Do you have any other hobbies and what are they...tell us about that.
Love spending time with my wife and our dogs, hiking, playing fetch, and just being outside in general.  I took up golf a couple of years ago, but I can't drive the ball straight to save my life.  I also am the webmaster for the Sin The Karate School (www.sinthe.com) and the SDA (www.shaolin-do.com).
 
15.  What's something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I'm left-handed and that I'm my own worst/hardest critic.  My father, Herman Collins, is also a 6th degree black belt and just won a battle with tongue cancer.
 
16.  What is your favorite food?
Chinese food (go figure!).
 
17.  What is your least favorite food?
Sushi
18.  Do you play any musical instruments and if so, what are they?
I have no musical ability, whatsoever.  I tried playing viola in elementary school, but mercifully that only lasted for 2 (long) years.
 
19.  Do you have a favorite actor/actress? singer/group? movie or movie genre?
Not really.

5 More Specific Questions for Master Ben

1.  So newlyweds eh? What surprises you the most about married life? Is your wife a martial artist too?


Nothing really surprises me about married life.  We've known each other for years and even traveled to China together on the 2005 China Trip.  And yes, my wife is also a martial artist.  In fact she is a 3rd Degree Black Belt under Master Leonard and practices iron hand training as well.  Nothing says true love like rolling each others shins!
 

2. Does being left handed seem to cause you any problems learning or performing the forms?


I used to think being left-handed was a curse, but now I'm convinced it is a blessing.  Because I'm forced to learn all the katas, especially the weapons, right-handed, it is quite easy for me to switch sides.  How many people do you know that can do the 9-section chain whip in either hand?
 

3.  As a dog lover, do you utilize your training when training your dogs? (I mean more the internal aspects, not the external here!)


Not really.  I wish I could have the same patience with my dogs that I have with my students and classmates!
 


4.  When rolling the bar, do you focus on the activity, the pain or a small island paradise somewhere?


I wish I could say that I go off to a happy place and ignore the pain, which I try to do, but I've discovered there or no heavy iron bars in my happy place.  If I'm at home, I usually have the TV on, or listen to my iPod while I roll (insert rock and ROLL or heavy metal jokes here).  If I'm in class, everyone is usually talking to distract each other from the pain.

 


5.  I asked your dad this of you, so I'll ask you now. Do you call your dad Master outside of class? : )
 Part two of this question though, Joe and I feel that the couple who spars together, stays together! What would you like to say about your relationship with your dad and how Shaolin-Do has effected it?

No, he'll always be my dad.  Although, I do call him "Master Dad" at the gym as a joke.  Studying the martial arts with my dad has been the greatest!  It has definitely brought us closer together, especially after I graduated high school and moved out of the house.  It's always been that one constant that we will always have together.

"The family that kicks together sticks together"

I don't mind sparring my dad but I hate sparring my wife.  I generally don't mind sparring women, but I'm terrified of slipping and actually hitting her.  And no, I'm not scared of what she'll do to me when we get home. 


Master Herman Collins
Name:
1. Age: 57
2. marital status: married
3. kids: 1
4. Number of years training with Shaolin-Do: 33
5. Any training in martial arts prior to Shaolin-Do (if so please describe type, time-line,
etc...): I took Judo at the Y in Louisville for about six months while in High School.
6. Any defining moments in your training? Revelations, decisions, etc... (please explain):
I'm still waiting for enlightenment.
7. What do you like the most about your training? Kata! The least? ab workouts!
8. Which animal has been your favorite so far and why? (Kung Fu fighting style, that is):
No real favorite. I like them all.
9. Which belt level really started influencing the way you felt about kung fu or t'ai chi
and can you explain how? Each level has taught me how little I really know.
10. Do you have a favorite weapon and why? I like the bo staff, I guess because it's the
basis of all long weapons.
11. Do you have a favorite kata (open hand or weapon) and why? Usually whichever one
I've learned most recently is my favorite.
12. Do you have a funny kung fu story? Something you did or saw in a class, seminar,
tournament or demo that you want to tell us? As a Brown belt I was practicing nun-chuck
spins with the class, in the old (un-air-conditioned) Southland dojo. They slipped out of
my sweaty hand and went flying across the room. They hit the glass front of Master Sin's
big display case, which didn't break, but made a very loud noise. Everybody stopped and
looked at me, the one without any nun-chucks. Master Sin looked at the case, then looked
at me, then burst out laughing.
'Ha ha ha! I bet you glad that no broke!" I quietly got my
weapon and rejoined the class.
13. Do you have any favorite people to spar with and if so, why? I like to spar with
Master Ben.
Which is your favorite I Ching Ching exercise? The very first one.
14. Do you have any other hobbies and what are they...tell us about that. I love to travel
and see new things.
15. What's something that people might be surprised to learn about you? I can't think of
anything; I'm pretty open.
16. What is your favorite food? Chocolate anything.
17. What is your least favorite food? Boiled Okra.
18. Do you play any musical instruments and if so, what are they? I've tried to learn
guitar and piano, but I have no musical talent.
19. Do you have a favorite actor/actress? singer/group? movie or movie genre? No, I like
a lot of different musical groups and actors.