Challenges & Opportunities I honestly do not feel like writing a blog entry today. I do not feel like I have a lot to say or share. But, as to not fall behind on my black-belt requirements (well, except for sparring), here I am. This morning I ran a 5k to celebrate a friends birthday. […]

Zen in the Martial Arts – By Joe Hyams Reading ‘Zen In The Martial Arts’ there are many things that wholly resonate with me and my experiences thus far as an aspiring black-belt candidate and martial artist that is very much a work in progress. Whether it be “Emptying my cup” or “Seizing the Moment” […]

Broken Hand…but resolute spirit! Sparring! A hook punch to Dirk-san’s right hip bone and one broken metacarpal. It happened so quickly just three weeks ago. “The time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself.” (The Code of Karate – Isshinryu, #6) About 1-minute into our 3rd or 4th two-minute sparring round, I saw the […]

Mind without mind – Mushin Over the years of my training and the special code of karate class I attended last Friday, Sensei Oliver has shared the meaning and its relevance to developing as a student of Isshinryu. While I can understand this conceptually, actually achieving this mental state of “no mind” is much more […]

“Pain and pleasure like light and darkness, succeed each other.” – Lawrence Stone Sunday sparring and accepting the pain. It is what it is! As Ike-san, Dirk-san and myself took turns sparring, my final round for the day was an attempt on my part to get in a step-in right fist hook punch on Dirk-san. […]

“A true friend doesn’t have guts; they beat you up and later plead with you to beat them back.”― Michael Bassey Johnson Today I am going to write about friendship and camaraderie. I believe both of these are interwoven and for me they have been a significant part of my karate training (and black belt) […]

War, conflict and the anxiety it causes. As I sit here and write this post, terrible things are happening in Ukraine as Russian forces continue to battle their way into taking control of this country and people who like us, the majority just want to live their lives and be free from tyranny and autocratic […]

1000 mile journey..some on the slopes Some may wonder what alpine (downhill) skiing may have to do with my black belt training. I think there are many relatable aspects to the experience of skiing; the physical parts, the spiritual parts and the essence of being at some level of risk but seeking to find balance […]

If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit – Anonymous After 5 rounds of sparring this morning with Dirk-san I feel sore & tired, but also a deep sense of satisfaction knowing I am actively working and progressing on my black-belt objectives. This past week has been an active one (like most weeks); I […]

Spring into Action! “Nothing Happens Until You Move!” Hard to believe we are only in mid-February, and yet Spring is very much upon us! I am a bit conflicted as I love snow skiing and the winter months when it rains here in the valley and snows in the mountains, but there is most certainly […]