Finals week is coming up so that means hitting the books and studding a bunch. I have 7 classes and the only one I don’t have a final in is P.E. so that means I have to do 6 finals, how fun. I think the scariest one that I am facing is my physics final. This final sums up all …
Lucas Grant: Week 6
I got to witness Dirk and David’s black belt test which was both very interesting and terrifying all at the same time. It was amazing to see all of the support the dojo brought to help out Dirk and David, even people from other dojos coming in to support them. The dojo was probably the most packed I’ve even seen, …
Week 56 – Final Dirk Herfurth
Being a Black Belt – What does that mean to me? It is difficult to explain to someone who has not practiced a martial art. Some of my family and friends will be with me at the dojo to support me during my test and I appreciate that a lot. They all know what the theory of the test entails, …
Week 56 – Final – David Brezinski
What it means to be a black belt (…should I pass!) Setting a goal and sticking to it! No quitting, no excuses! In my very early days at the beginning of my training sensei made a comment about putting a picture of a black belt on the refrigerator as a reminder of the goal. It really comes down to not …
Week 55 – Dirk Herfurth
As the New Year begins, I find myself reflecting on the past year and all that it has brought me. It’s been a long journey filled with hard work, dedication, and perseverance, but it has all been worth it. The past year has been filled with countless hours of training, sweat, sore muscles, and aching joints. However, I lost a …
Week 55 – David Brezinski
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Timely and poignant, isn’t it? Next week we celebrate and honor an amazing man whose legacy, his memory, is a critical part of our collective history. The struggle he confronted head-on, the perseverance he demonstrated and actioned in his non-violent protests of injustices and …
Week 54 – David Brezinski
Depleted energy levels? Eat, sleep and drink! There are times in the day when I just feel “meh.” Normally early afternoon, my energy level seem to drop a bit. Doing some pushups will often help, but sometimes increases the feeling of fatigue & low-energy. I have often resorted to coffee (caffeine) as a quick pick me up and it does, …
Week 53 – David Brezinski
A New Year of New Challenges & Opportunities Hard to believe, it’s 2023! Looking back at ’22, it was most certainly a challenging year, my black belt training and work to meet requirements top of list. Yet, this has culminated in positive growth; mentally, spiritually and physically. As we enter ’23, I am eager to transition into my next phase …
Week 52 – David Brezinski
Support and encouragement makes a huge difference! Over the past year I have shared with friends, family and co-workers some details about my personal goal of achieving Shodan (1st degree black belt). I shared because of my own excitement and also to foster a network of people that could help to hold me accountable by checking in, like “how are …
Week 51 – David Brezinski
Meditation in micro-doses One of our Black Belt requirements is 15 minutes of daily meditation. Finding or making a contiguous 15 minutes of time with family, job (and early AM calls), karate class & training and other personal obligations has and continues to be a challenge for me. Of course, one must be disciplined and practice through repetition as to …