HIS Karate-Do

Let’s face it, one of the major legacies that one leaves behind after one is gone is…our offspring and their descendants. If you can pass on anything to them besides your DNA, you have the chance of beginning or continuing what, over time, becomes a real family tradition. One obstacle to continuing old family traditions in America is that the very process of immigration into the U.S. often meant that various traditions were lost or cut off in the huge move to this country. This is especially true when one considers the language barrier between our grandparents from the “old country” and the third, fourth, and later generations. The fact that our first generation (Issei) Japanese/Okinawan forebears came from a culture that didn’t talk much, coupled with our Nisei parents becoming “Americanized” within one generation, and the flow of information and tradition naturally trickles down to nothing. I can’t tell you how many hours I have questioned my dad about our family history over the years, and how many times he’s said, “I don’t really know, my parents didn’t say much and I never thought to ask.” I’ve mentioned before that the one tradition my dad passed down to me [...]

We are all fortunate in that we get to train in a great area, the Momilani Suburb of Pearl City. Today, PC is considered a nice, central area that’s not so far from town, close to many stores, restaurants, theaters, schools, parks and all the amenities families desire. My wife and I have been residents of another great suburb, Mililani, for over thirty years, but we both grew up in PC and consider it our original home neighborhood. My family moved to PC in 1960, into the brand new tract homes of what was Phase I of Momilani – the rec center where we train at, is actually part of the Phase II development of Momilani, which came up in the late sixties. My wife’s family actually moved to and older part of PC around 1954, when the area below Highlands Intermediate School was constructed. So while we’ve been Mililanians since the late 70’s, we still regard PC as our old stomping grounds – and what changes there have been! In 1960, the “big” shopping center was the old Foodland (still there!) with ShopRite Drugstore located where the FoodCourt is today. Zippy’s sits where our favorite burger place (Scotty’s) used [...]

One of the things I enjoy about being the sensei is, every once in a while, I get to give out promotions. We have a ministry that’s full of good, humble members – from the youngest children to the most mature adults. As they quietly (and very self-conciously) receive their certificate and belt, I can always sense that feeling of joy and accomplishment they experience in accepting their promotion. Needless to say, it’s a nice moment. But I don’t want them to believe that they’ve arrived at a destination or reached some finish line. On the contrary, they have just arrived at…a new start line. Yes, the promotion means that the examining black belts and sensei believe that the student deserves the chance to prove themselves at the next level. So, the new blue or green or purple or brown or black belt has just become the most novice/beginner/rookie version of whatever rank they’ve been awarded. From that point on, whether they know it or not, each time they train, they are demonstrating to others that they deserve to wear their rank. For those karateka who do realize this important fact, each one is always training hard to prove it [...]