Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying a great break and is ready to kick 2019 into high gear.
Gradings
2018 was a great year. Several of our students pushed hard through the Fall, culminating in a couple of very strong gradings, November 30th, and two weeks later on December 14th. Gradings are always inspiring.
We train to be in shape: stronger, faster, more flexible, and to be able to kick butt. Day-to-day, this is what it takes, and we put in the time. Gradings though, show us the bar. They illustrate where we were, where we are today, and when you watch others test, gradings give us a glimpse of what we can achieve. I've upped my training since these last two gradings.
Seminars
Students in the adult class have enjoyed opportunities to broaden their training through access to a number of great seminars through 2018, including karate seminars with Hanshi McCarthy, Hanshi Montalvo, as well as with Senseis Paul and Michelle Enfield. Additionally, there have been weapons seminars in Jodo and Iaido with international instructors.
On a personal note
Hopefully everyone has set their goals for 2019. I like using this time to reflect on the past year, on what worked and what went sideways. Personally, I am pleased with most of my goals for '18, particularly my ongoing training in White Crane with Hanshi Legacy, and work in Koryu Uchinadi. For fitness goals, I also set a new personal best on the bench press, and raced my first 50 km Ultramarathon. That said, I fell short on a few of my goals. Distractions, life, injuries (I've got some beautiful ultrasound images), and a variety of excuses have hit me sideways. These setbacks will be reevaluated and reset for 2019. After all, we aren't measured by the times we fall down, but how we pick ourselves back up.
Overall, I couldn't be prouder of our organization and our students. Set your goals for 2019. Keep training. I look forward to classes kicking back into gear next week!
PS. This karate video came across my feed not too long ago. It's a little cheesy, but when many Canadians view karate as only for kids, I like this video's message.