Testimonial:

The following is a letter written by one of Sensei's students about their experience in Shotokan.

When I was in college I had a few professors who just had a knack to make me understand what they were teaching and want to do well in their class. They made me want to go to class, do all of the homework and all the other stuff that came along with it. They made me love the subject and always kept me interested in what was being taught. I always thought it was important to tell them how much of an impact that they had on me and on my interest in the subjects that they were teaching. I think it is important to tell people that you appreciate what they have done for you and how it has impacted your life, especially when it is positive. Everyone deserves a pat on the back, don’t they?

With that said, I just wanted you to know that you have had that kind of impact on my life with karate. Getting my 2nd degree has made me think about where I am and where I started in your class. I started out as this shy, uncoordinated person, who definitely did not think that she could do anything physical, let alone something like karate, and was just doing it to because my friend asked me to go with her. After the first few months of classes, however, something about the classes and the way you kept pushing me to just keep with it, made me want to go to class and to practice and to just stick with it. It hasn’t been easy, (as I have had to work my butt off over the past 4 years) but working towards the goal of my 1st degree and then my 2nd degree, I have been able to gain so many things both mentally and physically. I have become so much more self confident and have much more self esteem than when I first started 4 years ago. I am in much better shape than I would be if I just sat on the couch every night after work. I attribute all of this to the way you have taught me and the way you have pushed me to do things that I never in a million years thought that I could do, like coming in 2nd place in fighting in a tournament or performing all of my katas alone for my 2nd degree in front of a decent group of people. You have helped me grow as a person and have helped me open doors within that probably would have stayed closed had I not taken karate.

I think of it this way…….you may not have the busiest school, or be the best business person, but with your love and knowledge of karate, your patience, and the extraordinary way that you teach each of your students, you have been able to give/teach me things, both mental and physical, that I will be able to use and keep with me for my entire lifetime. In my mind that is what constitutes a master, a professor or whatever you want to call it. To me you are that person and I just wanted to say thanks for everything.