MARTIALFORCE.COM
PRESENTS
AN INTERVIEW WITH
MASTER
ORLANDO CABRERA
JAN / 2011
“Once you start to train hard and honestly,
how you train is how you will react when it counts.”
Interview by Eddie Morales
Martialforce.com
Online Martial Arts Magazine
My name is Eddie Morales and welcome to Martialforce.com Online Martial Arts Magazine. I would like to introduce Martialforce.com readers to Master Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera is an east coast based Martial Artist with a solid foundation of dedicated training. His belief is that strong basics are the core of any endeavor and longevity solidifies from the building of a strong base. It is evident when watching him practice that he personifies his art. He has put in many years into the practice of Karate and has reaped the rewards of its discipline. We here at Martialforce.com hope you enjoy a look at the Man, Teacher and Martial Artist.
Martialforce.com: Where were you born and what area did you grow up in?
ORLANDO CABRERA: I was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. My parents migrated to the
Unites States when I was five years old. We moved to the Williamsburg
section of Brooklyn where I was raised.
Martialforce.com: What is your current occupation?
ORLANDO CABRERA: I am a New York City Police Detective, I have been employed by the city of NY for last 17 1/2 years has a Police Officer.
Martialforce.com:
When , where and why did you begin your Martial Arts
training?
ORLANDO CABRERA: My Martial Arts interest was sparked like many other people; I saw a Bruce Lee movie and I was hooked. My older brother Francisco Cabrera found and joined the Ying Yee Kwoon. I followed a few years later when my parents thought that I was older enough to start training. Ying Yee Kwoon was located at 305 Roebling St in Williamsburg Bklyn. The dojo was owned by my Sensei; Hanshi Tony Lau and one of his students Archie Rullan. Sensei Archie Rullan was teaching Yoshido Goju Ryu Karate-Do under the supervision of Hanshi Lau. My initial and subsequences training began under Sensei Rullan, but I later became a direct student of Hanshi Lau.
Martialforce.com:
Who has been your greatest influence throughout your life
in regards to Martial Arts or in general?
ORLANDO CABRERA: My greatest martial arts influence has been and still is my sensei. Since I was a little kid watching him perform in either karate or Kung Fu (Hung Gar) has always been a source of motivation. My parents have been and still are my greatest influence in my life. My parents instill in me a sense of right and wrong that I now try to instill in my children. My father led by example on how to be a father and husband to your family, he worked hard and provided for my brothers and sisters. My parents up bringing made my karate training very easy because my training at the dojo was just like my up bring at home. My sensei led by example.
GRAND MASTER ANTHONY LAU AND MASTER ORLANDO CABRERA
Martialforce.com:
Did you compete in Sport Karate tournaments and if so,
what changes for the good or worse have you witnessed?
ORLANDO CABRERA: In my early years of karate training I did compete in Sport Karate
Tournaments. I competed regularly throughout the New York and the tri-state
area. I enjoyed my years of competition because I forged some good
friendships throughout the years; which is something I am thankful for. But
the biggest difference that I see of today’s competition is that the level
of judging has really deteriorated to the point that the competitor has lost
a sense of real combat. Judges today award points to techniques that where
once considered weak or in affective. The promoters have allowed the
quality of karate to really suffer. The promoters used to pick the center
referee who used to be the highest rank martial artist. He /She would
command that ring and there decision was final. Points would only be
awarded for techniques that represent a lethal blow or at least incapacitate
your opponent if executed in a real life street encounter. Their decision
would be final and accepted by all. In today’s competition you have
inexperience judges and the result is what you have today; ineffective
techniques and a loss of martial art essence.
Martialforce.com: What in your experience defines a good Karate practitioner?
ORLANDO CABRERA: A good karate practitioner is that person who is dedicated to his art. They
are true to their art by always practicing and looking to improve their
skill. They adheres to the tradition of their art and looks to pass them
down.
Martialforce.com: What are the characteristics of a good instructor?
ORLANDO CABRERA: A good instructor is that person who can motivate their students to become not only a good karateka but a good human being. An instructor has to be that person who his or her students looks for when they need an example to follow. Whether it is assertiveness, kindness, humility, or understanding, that instructor must possess and be able to instill these characteristics unto their students. A good instructor must also possess the ability to teach, and pass down the system that he or she teaches. He /She must be able to produce students that will spread there art to the generation to follow, and must cultivate leaders. He/She must be truthful when teaching and not give a false sense of security to their students. Promote a student when that person reaches a certain level of understanding, not just because you want to have a certain number of students as black belts, or you want to satisfy the student’s parents.
Masters Jose Jordan and Orlando Cabrera
Grand Master Sam McGee and Orlando Cabrera
Martialforce.com: Are you currently teaching and if so, where?
ORLANDO CABRERA: Yes I teach at my Gokushin Dojo which is located at 1350 Herkimer Street Brooklyn NY 11233, ph# (347) 404-7900. At the dojo I offers Yoshido Goju Ryu Karate-Do for the enter family.
Martialforce.com: Does your teaching cover street defense or strictly sport?
ORLANDO CABRERA: This is a very good question. At my dojo we teach Yoshido Goju Ryu Karate-Do, as taught to me by Hanshi Tony Lau. It is a Martial Arts and not a sport. We teach our students GOJU which is a combative art. I do train my students for competition, but that is not our main focus as with many schools out there. There is a real difference when you train strictly for competition then when you train for self defense. Competition training calls for scoring a point with a limited amount of techniques and target which is acceptable for competition, while in self defense training there is no limit to what techniques is allowed and how much power or what is a permissible target. We teach and practice katas; and katas calls for attacks and counters to area that are considered off limits in a sport arena, but it is essential for real life encounters. I can not express this point more but Martial Art is not a sport, and that is my approach in my teaching.
Martialforce.com:
Can you name some of your toughest people that you have
competed against?
ORLANDO CABRERA: There have been many competitors that I have
matched up against or trained with for competition in kumite and kata, these
are but a few names; Billy Beason, Adriel Muniz, Jonas
Nunez, Reggie McGee, Dave Thomas, Dwayne McGee,
Cleveland Baxter, Jerry Fontanez, Shabazz Beecham,
Tony Mayo, Andrea Richardson, Billy Blanks, Kevin
Brewerton, Jose Jordan, Jose Nunez, all of my dojo
brothers and sisters,
Francisco Cabrera, Wilfredo
Cotto, Aida Arroyo, Victor Tavares, Annett Cotto-Otero,John Rullan,Ed
Bellinger, Alfred Hines, Charlie Merced, Nelson Melendez
and Freddy Lopez. Please realize that these are but some of the
names that come to mind, there are much more, and I am grateful that I have
competed against these individual because I was able to learn from all of
them during my competition years.
Martialforce.com:
What are your thoughts on the usefulness of Kata training
(Pre-arranged Movements)?
ORLANDO CABRERA: I believe that kata is one of the most important elements in karate
training. Katas are the encyclopedia of one style. Kata contains all the
techniques within your style and in order to pass down your style you must
practice and teach all the katas within your style. Human nature will only
allow us to practice what we like or what we are good at, but kata training
forces you to practice techniques that one made neglect, and if that happens
then each generation looses information. Kata practice is what separates
karate-do from lets say wrestling, or boxing. Kata training is how we keep
our tradition.
Martialforce.com: What are your thoughts on cross training in regards to weights, running or other systems of Martial Arts?
ORLANDO CABRERA: Martial Artist has always utilized weights or some kind of resistance training to help in their development of their art. Like weights; running has always been a key part in our conditioning in martial arts and is something that I encourage all my students to do. We believe that running and weight training is essence for all athletes. Training in other martial arts I will not say that one should not do it, but I think that learning one martial art is very difficult never mind attempting to learn multiple. I think that you can train with another person from a different art, and pick up elements from that art, but I believe that one needs to spend more time and dedication to one art in order to fully understand and be able to properly execute the techniques within your style.
Martialforce.com: Do you have any long or short-term goals in regards to Karate?
ORLANDO CABRERA: Yes my goal in karate is and has always been to spread Yoshido Goju Ryu to the masses. I want my all my students develop a sense of righteous and for them all to live as such. I want them to live by the code of Yoshi; which is in simple term to do the right thing. I just do not want to develop strong karateka, but productive human beings that will live by the code to do right by your fellow man, and pass on the these teaching.
Martialforce.com: In your opinion, what has been your greatest achievement in Karate or life in general?
ORLANDO CABRERA:
My greatest achievement has been my family. I have three
wonderful children Nelson, Apolonia and Orlando with my wife Lissette. My
children train with me at the dojo, so having my children on the dojo floor
is a blessing. Having my family together and seeing my children and
students develop into good karateka and happy productive young men and women
is a source of pride to me.
Martialforce.com: Do you study any form of Kobudo (weapons)?
ORLANDO CABRERA: I have been exposed to some kobudo training, but at this time in my training
I’m still developing my empty hand skills, but I look forward in undertaking
kokudo training in the near future.
Martialforce.com: Do you think that Martial Arts training is good for children
and if yes or no, why?
ORLANDO CABRERA: Yes I believe that Martial Arts training is good for
children. Martial Arts training can give children an alternative to the
streets. I know from my own experience I would spend hours in the dojo
every day, and this would keep me from spending that time in the streets.
It kept me focus and allowed me to release what ever anger issues I was
experiencing at the time. The more I learned the less I wanted to get into
fights, and I looked forward to see my dojo brothers and sisters. Martial
Arts instruction for children I believe should be offered in the public
school system, for all the reason that I mentioned.
Martialforce.com:
Do you have any words of encouragement for the person that is reading this
and considering joining a school but never arrives at a decision?
ORLANDO CABRERA: The first thing to know is that all martial arts have something to offer, so pick a school that feels good to you. A place that is inviting and the students are working hard when you visit. Do not get intimated because no one enters a school for the first time with martial arts knowledge, this mean we all had to take that first step and join our school for the first time; this is the only way to start the journey. Once you start to train hard and honestly, how you train is how you will react when it counts. Keep at it and challenge yourself and you will see the results in due time. And to quote Master Peter Urban “today is now.”
Martialforce.com: Thank you for accepting this interview and we here at Martialforce.com wish you the best in all your future endeavors.
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