Wow, how time flies, it’s June and once again, it’s summer…my daughter and daughter-in-law, along with the grandkids are on summer vacation. So are many of our younger members…and, of course, the ahem, older members are enjoying that “Endless Summer” known as retirement, haha. This month also marks sixteen years since we started this particular club – sixteen years, can you imagine? Yet, Sensei’s Peter, Wayne and I, all feel the rejuvenation of youth once we put on our capes…..er, our gi’s, even though we’re all on Medicare these days👴.  When you think about it, in another sixteen years, (with the exception of Sensei Trish), all of your sensei’s will be in our eighties!! I wonder if our magical gi’s will still be able to rejuvenate us then? Doesn’t matter, I’m sure that before we become too decrepit, we’ll have passed on our teaching duties to some of our younger members to share with others who are eager to learn the art. Remember, each time you come to class and diligently train, it’s not just for today nor just for you; it’s really for tomorrow and for others…in the event you are ever called upon to share your knowledge with others, you want to be well-equipped and ready to do so.

On the topic of becoming a sensei – none of us ever had that as a personal goal. Our goals were very modest; simply to learn as much about Shotokan Karate-Do and to become as proficient as possible. As it happened, each of us were initially called upon to lead dojos by outside circumstances (Sensei Wayne was asked to establish/open dojos on the mainland, Sensei Peter inherited a dojo when the sensei left, and I was asked (“hounded”) by a group of my airmen to start a dojo to teach them karate). Each of us “fell” into teaching and have spent the better part of the last 40+ years doing so. Over the years, family or work matters have led to intermittent pauses in our training/teaching, but we all returned to the dojo when time permitted (my last “break” from karate was some 30 years ago). I’m quite sure that both Sensei Peter and Sensei Wayne would agree that our greatest value lies, not in what we have personally achieved in knowledge or technique. Our greatest value to the art, lies in what we have been able to share with students such as yourselves. Although I hope that one of you takes our place in front of the class one day, my real prayer is that each of you gains some lasting benefit from the art that always stays with you, long after our training days together have turned into pleasant old memories.