So, you may know that I listen to a podcast titled WhistleKick Radio. The Host, Jeremy Lesniak interviews people for their stories in their studies of traditional martial arts. Yesterday, I listened to the interview with Sensei Buzz Durkin and it was fantastic. Sensei Buzz Durkin is a karate practitioner and instructor from New Hampshire. He’s well known as an author and authority on Uechi-Ryu karate.

I am sharing a quote from the podcast as it summarizes the way I want to teach the students I help in class.

I think it’s education. I think sometimes you can get caught up on the physical the technique the amba, the choke the take down the front kick the punch and that’s how I look upon all that stuff as the vehicle to develop great human qualities like patience like confidence like perseverance like belief in self. So we use our Okinawan curriculum our aid Kaja etc. to as the vehicle for the student to develop confidence to develop belief in oneself etc. and I don’t think enough teachers today relate the two if someone’s a better fighter than someone in your, is the best fighter in your Dojo for instance. Why is that. What’s that going to get them in life really. But yet everyone needs to have patience. Everyone needs to have confidence belief in themselves. Everyone needs to persevere to be successful and if the teacher can show how the physical curriculum that are teaching develops these traits and how their real value is not so much on the Dojo floor. The real value is how they’re used and applied in the real world. People will always come back the real world as we know can be a very negative place with so much negativity. A good martial arts schools full of positive vibrations positive people positive community and I think a lot of our students who have been coming for literally decades combat to just get the batteries recharged. There’s so much to drain you on the outside.You come in you have a workout with like minded people supportive people. People who are trying to make you get better as they get better then you’re better able after class to face those challenges in those life issues and those life issues stay with you whether you’re 14 40 or 64.