Journey of Martial Arts

When thinking about a topic for my first blog I said, “what’s easier than talking about yourself?”  So here is some background about my journey of Martial Arts.

I started Karate at almost 7 years old.  It all started because of one movie…3 Ninjas.  I saw it in the theater and I was out in my backyard flipping around by days end.  We chose the Academy because I had a friend training here.  At 7 years old, my parents were mostly interested in my confidence being improved.  Little did they, or I, know it would turn into a future career.

I always joke that I remember very little about my childhood or growing up in the dojo (my wife will also tell you I sometimes make up memories that never actually happened).  As friends came and went over the years, I stuck with it.  Earning my Junior Black Belt at 13 and my Adult Black Belt at 16 were accomplishments that I will remember for my whole life.  After 4 years away at college, I was offered, and accepted, a full-time job at the Academy.

I guess I write about my journey to tell you that when you enroll a child, or begin training yourself, you never know where the path can lead or what you can learn along the way.  Hopefully, the experience provides some life lessons that you can carry throughout your life.  People sometimes ask me, “Have you ever had to use Karate?”  They mean of course, have I ever been in a fight and had to defend myself.  I politely tell them no but the real answer is that I use Karate every day of my life.  It’s there when I use my discipline to plan my tasks for the day.  It’s there when I use my confidence to talk to a parent about their child’s progress.  It’s there when I use my self control to work through difficult times.

I would love to hear what you think.  Feel free to comment about my story or leave thoughts about your own journey as a parent of a martial artist or yourself as a martial artist.  Keep an eye out for my next post.