Why Karate?
Why not?!… Honestly though, ’cause it’s really the only thing that I’m truly passionate about. Of course I enjoy other things and activities, but nothing really compares to the love I have for the art. And with that passion, I decided at a young age that I wanted to own a Karate school. So I went to college to prepare myself for what I am doing today. And yet sometimes I feel like I’m still unprepared, but from what I hear everyone else taking a leap-of-faith like me does too.
I’ve been training for over 16 years, and feel that my knowledge of Wado-Ryu and martial arts in general can finally be passed on to others by me - as that is the nature of the martial arts. Yes, I’ve been teaching for awhile, but a teacher that knows how to teach may not know what the meaning behind what they are teaching. Usually that comes with time - no substitutions. And knowing the meaning behind the material you are teaching is essential in being a credible teacher. That’s when kids say “I had a teacher when I was 10 that always said [blank]… now I know what he meant.” I could have opened a school a lot sooner, but I believe I may have missed a few things and not be as mature. Even more important, I probably wouldn’t have a college degree, which is helping me throughout the business process.
So why Karate?… now. It has always been apart of me. A way of life. Without Karate in my life, I would probably be lost and unbalanced. It has played such a major role in my life that I feel others should experience the same. Add my passion of teaching others and this is why I am still training. I see it as a journey, with no serious ending. A teacher never really stops teaching, and a student never really stops learning. We all fit in both categories, and it is my duty to pass on the art for others to benefit.