CULTURE
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Two with heart
Portland m artial arts center
branches out to serve the world
G ina D aggett
ou can feel the positive energy radiating
when you walk through the dix>r at O ne
with Heart, a martial arts, fitness and
wellness center in Southeast Portland.
Manifesting her own vision, founder and
owner Janesa Kruse, along with her partner,
Marian Van Leeuwen, have molded the busi
ness into a well-oiled wellness machine.
“We encourage healing through movement,”
says Kmse, who conceived O ne with Heart
more than 20 years ago. “Movement heals more
than just our bodies. Movement heals the spirit.
Movement creates balance. W hen people are
balanced, our community is balanced.”
If you’ve driven up Hawthorne Boulevard
before, no doubt you’ve seen O ne with Heart.
The vibrant dragon mural on the side of the
building— which, years ago, drew howlers
instead of martial arts enthusiasts— is hard to
miss. Si) are the steamy windows on a winter
night or the flow of people enjoying one of
many mind and body classes.
Y
Poekoelan Tjimindie Tulen Kung Fu
ou’ll have to stop by (or go online) to get a
comprehensive list of services and classes
O ne with Heart offers, as the list is long
and diverse. But if one program reflects the
namesake heart, it’s Poekoelan.
Kruse, who is a fifth-degree black belt,
began her training in 1981. “Poekoelan is a
beautiful art. Its beauty is felt when you see it.
It stirs up emotions. It has incredible energy,”
she says.
Poekoelan (pronounced Pixvkoo-lawn) is
the ability to move as fluidly on the ground as
when standing. This unique form of ground
fighting was brought to the U nited States in
1956 by Mas G<x?roe Agoeng Willy Wetzel.
W hile m editation and breathing are also
important parts of Poekoelan, it’s an
Indonesian martial art whose forms, sets and
movements are derived from four animals:
monkey, tiger, crane and snake.
“Pocktxdan has purpose,” says 51-year-old
Kruse. “It is compassionate, balanced action. It
is a very pure art and very close to its source."
Van Leeuwen began practicing Poekoelan
in 1985. W ith her second-degree black belt,
she explains that in Poekoelan “we use highly
versatile movements— on the ground and in
Y
the air. O ur movements are fluid
and effortless. We make very
fast, whip-style strikes."
Mind, body and weights
eyond Poekixdan, mind,
Kxly and weight training are
also important components
of O ne with Heart. W hile offer
ing classes in kickboxing, yang-
style tai chi, soaring crane chi
kung, tribal belly dancing and mat pilâtes, it also
has state-of-the-art weight training equipment.
With a team of certified personal trainers, One
with Heart aims to enhance the performance of
athletes in nontraditional sports. Additionally, the
center wants to enhance the lives of women by
promoting proper training, up-to-date health and
fitness information and a comfortable space.
B
Tulen Self Defense
nherent in many O ne with Heart programs is
self-defense. By creating an atmosphere of
mutual respect, Van Leeuwen says, “Women
bond and encourage each other in a supportive
environm ent.”
In the spirit of self-defense, the couple are
on the cusp of something big— they’re launch
ing their national nonprofit brainchild Tulen
Self Defense in the early part of 2004.
The vision is fueled by the desire to help
women and children lead safer lives. Dedicated to
social change, Kmse and Van Leeuwen hope to
provide their self-defense programs to as many
people as possible, “regardless of the background
and income level,” says Kmse, an Oregon native.
The scope of Tulen Self Defense is vast.
While not yet officially launched, it was fixind-
ed last July. “TSD provides original and compre
hensive self-defense programs across the country
to women and children from diverse back
grounds," says Kmse, noting that it is “really an
outgrowth of our practice of Poekcxdan and the
self-defense work we’ve been doing for 25 years.”
Teaching self-defense is nothing new to
either of these women. Since 1988, O ne with
Heart has been teaching women physical and
verbal skills to prevent assault. Programs at
O ne with Heart include Strike Back!, a two-
day course with a padded attacker, and Fear to
I
drive with Pride
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ADVENTURES
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Visit us online at:
www.reyreece.com
or schedule your appointment
503 256-3700
-
R EY R E E C E D E A L E R S H IP S
VOLKSWAGEN-MITSUBISHI-USED
122nd & East Burnside
www.reyreece.com
rrtC M T TO e m n i o f r r
Adventure Club for Women
Activities Include:
Hiking, Biking, Kayaking,
Volleyball, Snowshoeing.
and a lot more
BY PAIGE
by
Action, which is offered free four times a year.
The last session drew 76 women and girls.
“Learning physical skills is very important,”
says Kmse, “hut more important is the verbal
training." By teaching women to negotiate, de-
escalate and set boundaries, O ne with Heart has
already touched the lives of hundreds of women.
But, Kmse says with anticipation, "TSD will
bring this course to thousands of w om en....
Many former students report that they used their
self-defense skills to prevent attacks."
Empowering children
he couple, who met 18 years ago at a mar
tial arts conference in upstate New York,
are excited about upcoming Tulen
events. February will see a free teen self-
defense workshop “serving 100 girls,"
Van Leeuwen says.
O riginal
ly from
the
N etherlands,
Van Leeuwen,
46, moved to
Portland in 1992 and is
looking forward to an
upcoming workshop at the
Girls Initiative Network
national conference.
O ne with H eart also helps kids
with an anti-bullying class called
N o M eans No. "This program
uses a multidisciplinary
approach that involves
teachers, social workers
and police," explains Van g
Leeuwen. T he program is a |
success in the N etherlands.
T
A u to m o tiv e
M aintenance
& R epair
AT ITS BEST!
ALL FOREIGN & DOMESTIC AUTOMOBILES
QUALIFIED, HONEST, QUICK & FAIRLY PRICED
t appears there is no stopping Kruse and
Van Leeuwen. You can feel the excitem ent
and verve w hen you talk with them — how
they truly believe in their vision and love
their work. T hese dynam ic lesbians have
created an enlightened paradise in
Portland at O n e with H eart, one
th at continues to grow and blossom.
A nd very soon, in their work with
Tulen Self
Defense,
they’ll
bring
empowering
skills to the world com
munity. “We believe that everybody
needs self-defense,” Kruse says. “It is
like learning how to swim if you live in
a country with a lot of water.” J H
I
O ne with H eart is located at 4231 S.E.
Hawthorne Blvd. Contact the martial arts
and wellness center at 503-231-1999 or
uxtne. onewithheart. com.
•Find Portland free-lance writer GlNA
D aggett at www.ginadaggett.com.
M arian van Leeuwen
egon Camera
Everything Photographic
We have .) knowledgeaWe,
triemlK stillt helping you fimi
the right camera, binoculars,
or photographic accessories.
SATISFIED CUSTOMERS TELL THEIR FRIENDS
— THEY ALL COME BACK!
(references on file)
Call Nikki Becker, owner
East Bank Commerce Center
1001 SE Water Ste 220
503-233-4567
www missfitadventures com
“In A m sterdam , we have taught approxi
mately 3,000 inner-city kids over the past
couple years.”
Tulen Self Defense would take this program
to schools nationwide, teaching children to
handle (among other things) peer pressure,
bullying, dating violence, kidnapping and
assault by familiar adults.
AUTO-MARINE
4230 NE SUMNER ST.
503 - 282-0159
\ ‘family' owned and operated
business since 199“ .
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