Written by One of the many requirements of the black belt test is to “seek out a master”. Basically what that means is I have to find a master (6th degree or higher) and conduct a mini interview. A few weeks ago Master Joe Lembke visited our dojo and gave a seminar. I thought this would be a great opportunity to get this requirement out of the way. I asked Sensei if I could interview Master Lembke before the seminar and he said yes!
During the interview Master Lembke brought in Sensei Carl Denny to answer some questions too. I asked multiple questions. One of which being “Do you have any tips for me to stay motivated during the black belt test/my karate journey?” This was the main question I wanted to ask them because in the past I have struggled with motivation. They both had similar answers and told me that If I feel like I’m losing motivation, I need to find the source of the problem. There is always a reason for losing motivation or feeling burnt out, so finding the source will help you eliminate it. This really stuck with me because I had never thought about it like that before.
Another question I asked them was “what have you gotten out of karate?”. Master Lembke told me that he had gotten a lot of discipline out of training in martial arts. I related to this a lot because I feel like I have gained a lot of discipline for karate as well.
Overall I had a really great experience interviewing Master Lembke and Sensei Denny. I also had a lot of fun during the seminar!
That sounds like an informative and helpful interview. It helps to get advice and insight from other senseis about their karate experiences. There is so much to learn from other teachers.