A Super Samurai event is designed to help participants learn, grow and improve through intensive training sessions personally taught and mentored by Shihan Dana Abbott.
Dana Abbott describes in detail his Four-Stages of Accomplishment that outline the foundation of a Super Samurai event. He says, “The first thing I determine is how an individual/group follows instructions and completes the prescribed tasks throughout each and every stage”.
Stage One:
Abbott explains, “The goal of Stage One is to help improve how attendees present themselves so they are as professional as possible. During Stage One, each attendee receives a soft ActionFlex padded sword to use as a prop to begin building what we call their walk and talk task and verbal business card. During the time allotted for this section the attendees will duplicate what I demonstrate. They will practice the physical movements until it is set into muscle memory. I will assist them by offering adjustments, corrections and details on how to get into the correct posture, visually. When this visual section is accomplished they will transition into the verbal section where they are encouraged to verbalize, enunciate and speak about themselves in a professional manner. Attendees begin with the very basic about themselves, name and position, and then add to their verbal resume until they can effectively and professionally speak about themselves and their position in the company without hesitation. Upon completion of this stage the attendees will be able to present themselves in a professional manner even when other distractions and obstacles are thrown in their way. Again I will be assisting them and push them to succeed and to complete the task at hand so they can move to the Second Stage of the Super Samurai”.
Stage Two:
Dana Abbott continues, “Stage Two will help attendees follow instructions and begin to become better team players. In this stage I will demonstrate a set pattern of movements for the attendees to duplicate. Individually each attendee will practice and duplicate the prescribed patterns. During the process I will be continuously adjusting their movements until they can effectively go through the various techniques, as I fine-tune things until they become confident and can demonstrate without hesitation. When this individual section is completed the attendee will go into the team unity section where each attendee will apply their newly found skills with a partner.
This section will show if the attendee is performing the correct moves, using the right steps and angles, so their performance flows between partners. I will be adjusting and giving examples on how to effectively bring two or more different people together to work as one unit. If they accomplish the tasks of working as individuals and then as team players they will move on to Stage Three”.
Stage Three:
Abbott describes, “In company culture talent must pay attention to the job at hand and be able to interpret other’s actions. During Stage Three, I will be adjusting and correcting how attendees react to one another. This removes them from their “safe space” and thrusts them into scenarios where they will have to take action. Each team player is assessed on their abilities to use the resources they learned in Stage One and Stage Two, discipline, focus and determination, to willingly complete the difficult task at hand. Once again I will help adjust the attendees mindsets and focus, making suggestions and offering alternatives so they will succeed. During Stage Three attendees will begin to discover their own innate abilities and later they will be able to apply those abilities to their working environment. When the attendee realizes their potential and passes Stage Three they are ready to go on to the next, more difficult, tasks of Stage Four”.
Stage Four:
Shihan Dana Abbott explains, “Stage Four tests that the attendee can stand up under pressure, with the right mindset. The wood sword is again employed using the prescribed steps with angles and then honed further until the attendee’s focus becomes strong enough and disciplined enough to use a steel sword. During this process I continuously watch, adjust and make suggestions on how to execute the correct techniques with the best results. When the attendee can understand those suggestions and successfully act on the corrections they can then replace the ActionFlex sword with a steel sword. Now we have come to the last plateau every attendee has worked so hard to achieve, the ability to cut through mass with an authentic Japanese Samurai Sword. This is when discipline and focus become the most important factors of the Super Samurai. A disciplined mind can accomplish anything given the right attitude. This is where everything they have practiced and learned up to this point comes into play. How to be poised and postured correctly and adhere to the guidelines presented. This is a true test of their confidence and willingness to trust what they have learned and to proceed in a professional manner even in this stressful, but exhilarating situation.
When an attendee completes their Super Samurai, they will have gained confidence, discipline and focus. This will help improve every task they perform, increasing their worth and strengthen company culture”.