HIS Karate-Do

Well, it’s a new year and one of the times of the season where one reflects on the past and sets one’s eyes on the future. We had a terrific holiday party a couple of weeks ago, thanks in large part, to the huge efforts of Sensei Trish, who planned and executed the whole event. Good food, games, prizes and treats were had by all…after all, the karate ministry isn’t merely about punching and kicking; it’s also about fellowship and enjoying the good things in life that we often take for granted. Talk about new, it was really good seeing the newest addition to the Nakasue family, Krislyn – and in a few years, a future karateka? It was also a time to realize how many new members have joined the ministry since our last party, a year ago. Let’s pray the 2009 brings more of the same and that we get to share our ministry with others. Talking about the old (haha), yesterday, we were graced by the presence of my old sensei, Ed Fujiwara, who graciously served as guest instructor. A great practice was had by all (“More down! Down, down, down!…”) Amazingly, Sensei Wayne also came for [...]

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is the first Sat training of the month, which means that everyone is invited to train for the two hours from 09:00-11:00 am. I’ll gear the training towards techniques/drills that everyone can do together as well as spend more time on kata. It also gives kohais from the first class a chance to train with their sempais from the second class. I have sometimes mentioned that the more time one can spend in practice, the better one gets (duh!). In the old days, we trained up to 5-7 times a week. Not only that, but the training was often 2-3 hours each. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out why this was good for us. Those who have been with the ministry from the beginning (like Sempai Rodney) can remember that during our first couple of years, everyone trained for two hours (no wonder they learned a lot), until the group got too large and the rank gaps got too broad and we had to split into two classes. The first Sat of the month, the kohais have the opportunity to put in an extra hour to learn a little more karate-do (exams [...]

I was talking with my dad recently (I take dad out for lunch once a week) about how only he, my uncle and aunt, remain from his generation of relatives that I grew up with. Of course, it’s a natural thing, and no one lives forever…however, as the members of a particular generation dwindle off to a precious few (dad will be 86 in January) of our kupuna, it becomes more evident that a special generation is leaving us by ones and twos. Dad and others who are 80+, belong to what Tom Brokaw called, “The Greatest Generation”, folks who had lived through the Depression, fought in World War II, helped fuel the economic/political/military giant that America was in the 1950’s and 1960’s, ushered in the Space Age, the Age of Television, and the Age of Computers, and so on. Most of us alive today, belong to the Baby Boomer generation, or possibly the Gen-Xer’s. We have inherited all the good they accomplished, mixed in with some of the not-so-good. My dad said that within a few more years, they’ll all be gone and, with them, I suppose, the passing of an age. In that light, I was a little [...]