Dear dojo family,

My turn to shift into a more independent life of self- and world- exploration has inevitably arrived, as I head off to Western Washington University this Fall! When a sempai makes this change, the dojo follows into its own transition of changing roles and uncertainity as to how the leadership positions in the dojo will be filled. After the sempais who I held in esteem – Chris, Brad, Brian, Shirin, Katrina, and Justin – and my leadership peers – Kate, Bria, Tim, and others – suddenly had all physically “moved on,” I was left feeling rather panicked under the pressure of living up to their influence in attempt to carry on the responsibilities they left behind.
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That dull cliché is true: it is better to give than to receive. As a million stories tell us — from A Christmas Carol to Finding Forrester — the act of giving, especially, when there’s no parade or photo-op, is how we own a part of something. By own, I don’t mean return-it-to-Costco-if-you’re-disappointed own. I mean that you have an emotional stake in something or someone. The following are a few examples of USA Karate volunteers who have provided significant, but mostly under-the-radar, contributions:

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Jon is like the annoying kid in the front row who raises his hand to answer all the teacher’s questions. Except in this case, Jon is always raising his hand to volunteer for the unpaid dirty work — the metaphorical toilet cleaning — at the dojo. Who will be responsible for getting the dojo cleaned? Jon: I will. Who will rent a truck and bring and return chairs, tables, and so forth for the tournament? Jon: I will. Who will help my son with a emergency roadside service? Jon: I will. You know Jon will get some bread from The Little Red Hen.

Jon’s employer has transferred him to Honolulu. He will return here for a few days, once a month, to do some work and see his family. Denise, Emily, and Sarah will be staying around Edmonds for a time to be determined. Emily goes off to Western next fall. Denise is in grad school but, luckily, there’s a branch of her school in Honolulu if she needs to make a change. Sarah has been looking forward to increased leadership at the dojo, but might have to miss that. Seventy-five percent of the Hies train at USA Karate, and all have close friends here. Some good fortune, but mostly sad news for the Hies. All sad news for the rest of us.

I recommend that everyone join me in my chosen response: I plan to remain in the first stage of grief — denial — forever, or until Jon returns, whichever comes first.

There becomes a time in every young grasshopper’s life when they must pursue their education. For me, that time has come. This fall I will be making the colossal jump into a college atmosphere. As such, I have pondered how karate will fit into my new life away from home.
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Thanks to Emily, Jon, and Shihan for their comments on the last post.

Shihan Joni has always been very safety conscious regarding transportation to official TKO Karate events. Nothing would be a bigger cosmic insult than getting injured on the way to a self-defense event, whether it be traveling to Grants Pass, Oregon, or to the dojo in Shoreline. This post is dedicated to those younger drivers who, for the first time, are driving to Grants Pass on their own. It’s not that I think that younger drivers are necessarily less capable, it’s that I think they’re less set in their ways, that is, more open to learning.

If it’s not obvious, let me state that these posts are my opinions. Shihan states her opinions in her comments.
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Thanks to Pete, Peggy, Emily, Jon, and Shihan for breaking a bottle of champagne over the comment section. 

At the age of 34, I watched a PBS TV special on Aikido, and it was love at first sight. I was astounded and drawn by its graceful dance-like movements. I crafted a careful plan to overcome my anxiety over entering a martial arts dojo for the first time. I would fall in love, move from the Bay Area to Seattle, get married (yes, it did happen in that order), have a couple of children, and drag my family members with me to the dojo. My plan worked perfectly, and took just 14 years to execute. 

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During the last dozen years, I’ve been regularly punched, kicked, thrown to the ground, and had my arms folded into pretzels. Good times. How do I account for the fact that the nicest people I’ve met in the last couple of decades spend their evenings in dojos devoted to martial (literally, “warlike”) arts? It can’t be opposite day every day. I think that people enter martial arts dojos for physical conditioning and self-defense, but stay for a couple of other reasons.

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