I am reading You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh. It has similar ideas. I think you will like reading it.

@brodyhocking20, Thich Nhat Hanh is truly one of the best when it comes to conveying the art of mindfulness. He cuts through the trappings and gets right to heart of the matter.

That happens probably to lots of people. Just because the person can fight doesn’t mean they should fight. People who insult other people are not confident in themselves. They are trying to look good in front of their friends. It takes the smarter wiser person to walk away. The book Zen In The Martial Arts has excellent lessons in this.

Good lesson. As we get older and mature in our thinking we (hopefully) find it easier to walk away from this stuff. We have too much to lose!

@elan, Teaching is going to make you a much better martial artist. And, like you have alluded to, you will continue to learn a lot about yourself. I have seen you take notes on the topics you plan to cover. We know that your heart is in the right place.

These are great ideas about kindness and empathy. It only takes a little act of kindness towards to anyone to make their day brighter.

I can certainly remember recess at Alta Vista Elementary School in Auburn. It was a good day if I didn’t get picked last for kickball. So, I accept your challenge.

@eclark, This one really hits home. I had a rough time in elementary school. My latter years were particularly rough as I wasn’t particular athletic and I wasn’t into most sports like other kids my age. It actually wasn’t until I moved to Auburn that the bullying stopped and I met an awesome group of friends. As a martial arts teacher, I often see that version of myself in our youngest students. It’s a good reminder that a space like the dojo and their karate training might be their one safe place where they are treated with respect and kindness and are picked first.

Congratulations Lucas! I’m very sorry I couldn’t make it to your test. However, the few times we sparred showed me you were well-prepared for the test. You’re energy and enthusiasm are inspiring and will serve you well in Isshinryu as well as in life.

Well done. That was an amazing test. I am so glad I was there to participate and experience it.

@lucas-g, You showed great technique and spirit in your test. You’re right, that test wasn’t easy. If it were easy, anyone would do it, and we don’t want just anyone getting a black-belt in our dojo. This one was most definitely earned. Welcome to the club.