On Turning 30
Turning 30 is a big deal. But oddly enough when I woke up the morning of my birthday I still felt like I was still 13. When I was younger I lived in the Karate school and was always looking for ways to test myself. I remember climbing a mountain at the Camp Friend summer camp in Maine . My friend Zeek and I though it would be a good idea to test ourselves by hoping up the mountain from rock to rock. To make it harder we wore a 20lb weights vest and tied our feet together with a bandana. In retrospect it wasn’t the wisest or safest thing to do, but in the end we made it up the mountain. Somewhere between age 21-25 I lost touch with that Lavall. I was not training Karate, I was not challenging myself, and in a sense lost the essence of myself. Since I began training again I realized why I love Kyokushin Karate so much that I would invite my mother, fiancee and closest friends to train.
The Basics of Karate Are the Same Basics That Make You A Man
I realized that the basics of Karate are the same basics that make you a Good Man.
- Be rooted in your stance (choices, decisions) but still able to move and adapt
- Have compassion for others, nurture the under belts and those your are responsible so that you can help them to grow
- Don’t talk about it, do it. Your actions should lead the way not your voice.
- To never give up and always find away to overcome obstacles no matter how bleak a situation is
- Always push yourself to be a better person than you were yesterday physically, mentally and spiritually
- Put 100% into the things you do all the time or don’t do them
- Stay consistent to develop your skills
- Skills pay the bills. Keep learning new ones and developing the ones you have
I am responsible for his growth in Kyokushin Karate
I am responsible for his growth in Kyokushin
How I Celebrated: 30 1 min Fights
(Click the video below to watch some of the fights)
I turned 30 ,Thursday February 9th 2012. I decided that I wanted to do a 30 man Kumite (fight) to celebrate the 0cassion. That means I wanted to fight 30, 1 min rounds with everyone in the Dojo (Karate School). Since I drank myself silly celebrating my birthday from 21-29, I decided that this year had to be different. I have also rededicated my life to Kyokushin Karate and wanted to push myself. I lost a fight a while back because my opponent was good and I was out of shape, I then tested for my brown belt and was also out of shape. It was these two moments that made me decide to either quit or train for real. Since then I have created a solid 3 hour a day training regime, so fighting 30 1 minute rounds of varying intensities was the best way to test myself.
I wanted to find out:
- If my training was paying off because 30 minutes of anything is tiring, so 30 mins of fighting should be a good test
- Will I feel the same way about Kyokushin Karate when I was finished
- Test the waters because for Black Belt I have to fight 15-40 fight one and a half minute fights
Conclusion
My 30 man began after a grueling 45min work out. When it was done we we did about a hundred more punches and then sat in seiza to say our Dojo Kun (or Dojo Oath) which you can read below. During the Dojo Kun I was overcome with tears of joy. I realized that most of the people in the Dojo are literally my family or friends I have known for a very long time. I was happy to be able to do something I love and share the moment with them. I believe that everyone should learn how to protect themselves and walk on the path of self reflection that Karate is. So I am not only dedicated to finding myself through training, I am dedicated to encouraging my friends and loved ones to do the same. The 30 man Kumite taught me that I love Kyokushin Karate even more, that I should train harder because my training has paid off, and if I keep training my black belt test should be easy. Thanks again for the birthday well wishes and I hope you enjoyed this post and the video. Check out where I train here: Brooklyn Kyokushin Karate Brooklyn Kyokushin Karate.
Left:My fiancee, Middle: Me Right: My Mom
Dojo Kun
The Dojo Kun or Dojo Oath is a pact you make with yourself to strive to be a better person everyday. We recite it every class to remind ourselves why we study Karate.
We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm unshaking spirit.
We will pursue the true meaning of the Martial Way, so that in time, our senses may be alert.
With true vigour, we will seek to cultivate a spirit of self denial.
We will observe the rules of courtesy, respect our superiors, and refrain from violence.
We will follow our religious principles, and never forget the true virtue of humility.
We will look upwards to wisdom and strength, not seeking other desires.
For all our lives, through the discipline of karate, we will seek to fulfill the Kyokushin Way.
