May 2016
Our 31st Benefit Tournament, April 24th, though a smaller event than past years, was a success. We started on time and ended early, which gave a number of the people remaining time to meet us for pizza before driving home. Award winners are posted at the dojo, but everyone who attended is to be congratulated for supporting the event, the American Lung Association in memory of Hanshi Duessel and the high school’s sports program. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped. The event would not have run smoothly without all the people who pitched in.
“The Importance of Trust” – Nido R. Qubein Trust is the most valuable gift we can render to anyone. We trust people, not machines or corporations, and trust must be built one person at a time—in business, relationships, and life. An essential way to build trust is to stay in touch with people. So come up with a plan. Write or call three different people—a client, family member, or friend—at least once a day. That simple step lets them know they’re on your mind—and also that you are on their minds.
This thought by Nido is important in today’s world with the emphasis shifting from a friendly letter and phone call to a text message. Don’t lose site of the necessity for personal contact. Talk face to face as much as possible. Disagreements and misunderstandings enter any relationship, but don’t let such obstacles torpedo the trust you’ve built up. Focus on fixing the problem and forget about fixing the blame. One method to keep your relationships stable is to make a list of people with whom you’ve had a conflict. Once a year, approach these people and try to resolve the problem. Most people will respect you for doing that.
I have learned that in life the people who hold a grudge or wrongly judge people, are the people who suffer – not the person who has wronged us. LET GO AND MAKE YOUR LIFE MORE POSITIVE AND PRODUCTIVE. The same goes for our life’s journey. The more people we know and the smoother our relations with them, the greater our chances of finding true happiness.
“No Surrender” – BJ Gallagher When you believe in yourself, in your personal potential, in your own future, you have no choice—surrender is not an option. There’s nothing to do but continue. Sometimes you want to give up, but you can’t—something deep inside you won’t let you. No white flags, no bailing out, no throwing in the towel for you. You have to keep going; you must carry on; you just take the next step…and the next…and the next…
A few days ago I had a few moments before teaching at Warren County College to look at a book, FINISH STRONG by Dan Green. Below are a few thought paraphrased from what I read.
Finish Strong – to me, two words that more clearly define a call to action than any other two words in the English language. I challenge you to find two words that more absolutely define a performance objective. The words “finish strong” are pervasively used in our culture, and they are a perfect example of how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. When you combine “Finish” with “Strong” you create a powerful platform for action. It’s not uncommon for these words to flow from the mouths of athletes as they describe their goal in pre and post event interviews. The media uses these words to describe the performance of everything from the stock market to stock car racing. And lastly, for as long as man has documented history, the spirit of these words has existed. The words Finish Strong have become a driving force in my (his in the book) life. For more than ten years, they have been my personal mantra for achieving excellence in – life, sport, and business. I have personally embraced the finish strong mindset in all aspects of my life. And, when faced with a challenge or adversity, I remind myself… Regardless of what came before or of what has yet to come, what matters most right now is how I choose to respond to the challenge before me. Will I lie down or will I fight? The choice is mine and I choose to FINISH STRONG. From this attitude, I have created a personal level of accountability for everything I do. I don’t always get the result I want. But in the times that I have had to lean on my commitment, I always felt a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing that I gave it all I had.
Each of the segments from the writings of others in this newsletter tie so well with our traditional karate training and the philosophy of the instructors within this dojo.
DOJO PHILOSOPHY
My goal is to instruct each student in the traditional art of Isshin-ryu Karate, keeping the spirit of True – Authentic – training alive, striving to be an example for the martial arts’ community. I aspire to motivate each student to strive to improve each day, by developing positive character values and A BEGINNER’S MIND.
As the student is guided through the levels of understanding, he or she will develop the strength physically and mentally to accept the challenges of karate and life, developing and demonstrating positive influences upon others by the character that will become a part of his or her daily life. Spiritual and emotional growth will become possible as the student develops the mental and physical tools to resist the adverse challenges of the world.
As we move forward in the 21st Century, I will strive to instill in each student the desire to keep the dreams of Master Tatsuo Shimabuku and Master William H. Duessel alive — that karate will again become the “One Heart Way”, working to make each student ONE with his or her body, mind, family, society and spirit.
In karate and in life we must work to develop trust in our abilities, develop trust that we are capable of improvement and then work to gain the trust of those around us. Then others will be better able to trust us. We must develop the attitude that in our practice and performance we must create the mindset where surrender or quitting is not an option. We must train with the intensity of purpose so that if we ever need to use our skills to protect ourselves or others, the capabilities will be ready for use. We cannot train in a manner that more effort will be needed, which will be discovered too late in a real confrontation. The challenge is made . . . now the decision to continue and improve is yours.
Congratulations to Neil Singh for promotion to Senior Yellow Belt.
