Happy 2023 Everyone!

Wow, 2023 marks twenty-two years since we started the HISKarate-Do Karate Foundation! Somehow, placing on our gi’s and practicing karate at the Momilani Community Center, time may seem to stand still. Yet, outside of the dojo; in the world, in Hawaii, and in our own personal lives, time keeps on ticking and change keeps on happening. Much like how we measure progress and growth for the students (and instructors) in the dojo, we should all be striving to better ourselves and those around us in our daily lives. It is also important to savor and appreciate every moment that we are blessed to enjoy with family and friends. In that context, I thought about how much had changed in my own family since we created HISKF. I dug through old photos and was able to find one taken of the Nakamoto Family as we were, back around when the club started in 2001 and we just took one earlier this week. Today, some twenty-two years later, it’s no surprise that our family has grown. Where once, there was one household, now there are three. Comparing the two photos, I could hear my Dad solemnly proclaiming, “Time…waits for no man.” So trite, and yet so true, haha.

I recall a saying in church from many years ago about the value of a past-present-future perspective that went something like, “Take the lessons from the past and apply these to the realities of the present. Then, carefully align the rear sights (past) with the front sights (present), in aiming towards a brighter future.” I believe that this principle applies to karate (always train with a purpose, don’t just do mindless exercise) and useful in life. Sometimes it’s difficult just to make it through another busy week. Just living day-to-day, without objectives and goals, one could end up arriving at an unexpected or unwanted destination in the future.

I do realize that despite all of our planning and anticipation, things often don’t go as hoped for and that one must always be ready to readjust and retry, or even redirect one’s efforts. Ironically, most of the important and good things in my life did not occur in the way I had planned, haha. There is a greater hand at work in each of our lives – but we do need to do our part. So let us all work and focus on making for a wonderful year!

(Our first practice for 2023 will be on Monday, January 2nd – a great way to start off the new year.)

Here’s wishing all of you a healthy and most prosperous year in 2023!