It is Week Four in Training .  Rick and I don our gis and head to the “dojo” to study karate.  They say karate is mental and spiritual training that teaches courtesy, cooperation and patience.  The necessary traits to help us function in society.  But like everything we do in life, the most fascinating part is the people you meet along the way. 

The senseis “our teachers” are incredibly talented and quick.  We are taught skills in punching, sparring, kick boxing and snap kicking.  Our senseis are riddled with tattoos on their arms and chests and you cannot help but stare in fascination and wonder. There is a tribal feel among black belts and a culture we are just beginning to understand.

We arrive and chant the Seibukai Dojo Kun (student creed) that we will practice good manners at all times, cultivate a peaceful and harmonious mind, remain humble and devote ourselves to improving our minds, bodies and spirit. After the creed is spoke,  the real work begins for us.  It is a demanding exercise in physical  and mental acuity.