The eight-month hiatus has ended; I have recommitted myself to my blog. Featuring at least a patch per week from my ever-growing collection, I will continue to document the stories from my travels and experiences (and as always sincerely appreciate my loyal readership).
Today I am highlighting a relatively new addition to my collection. Most of my patches are safely tucked away in a 10-year-old Ziploc bag. This one, however, is proudly sewn on the breast of my karate gi. In November of last year, I decided to take up a new hobby, and of all options available to me in the Boston area, I chose to take a chance with Shaolin Kempo Karate. After nearly six months of training, I can honestly say that I have found a new passion.
Three nights a week, I drive a little over a mile from my apartment to Craig's Kempo Karate Academy in Watertown, Massachusetts. The adult class ranges from an intimate 4-5 students to around 12-13 students. My karate mates range from their teenage years to their fifties, and the belt ranks range from white to third degree black belt. Renshi Craig teaches us new skills in each session -- I've learned kicks, punches, blocks and counterstrikes, fighting combinations, club techniques, forms, and weapon techniques. Occasionally, we'll get our chances to spar in the ring with our classmates, and we have recently begun to learn grappling techniques, or ground fighting. In March, my friend Michael and I went through an extremely rigorous test, and we each advanced to the next belt rank (this post today is proudly coming from a newly achieved yellow belt)!
Aside from the new skills I have developed and am continuing to improve upon, I have really enjoyed meeting the wonderful people who work at and take classes at the dojo. I always look forward to going to class, seeing my karate friends, and learning new material.
I'll end this post with the words that we often recite before beginning our karate training -- our school creed:
I will develop myself in a positive manner and will avoid anything that could reduce my mental growth or physical health. I will develop self-discipline in order to bring out the best in myself and others. I will use what I learn in class constructively and defensively, to help myself and fellow man, never to be abusive or offensive. I will develop black belt excellence by achieving modesty, courtesy, integrity, self control, perseverance and an indomitable spirit.
Nice, tightly stitched patch. Looks like this is from a really good patch supplier. (I'm guessing from Taiwan?) Great graphics, and I really like the "Mind, Body, Spirit" through the middle.
The blogger writes well about her experience with the karate school. I call it a school because it sounds like much more than simply a business for profit. Sounds like a business that exudes considerable honor; thus, "school" or "academy" is a more fitting moniker.
Full disclosure: I know the blogger personally and am very pleased that she is taking up this karate stuff. I know nothing about karate, but I am glad that she is learning self defense; glad that this karate is contributing to her greater fitness; glad that she is hanging with good people and making more and more friends far away from her home; glad that she is learning the honor that is inherent in the school creed.
I'm giving the patch a very solid rating of 8 based on its tight stitching, great graphics, and overall composition. (Can't give a 9 or 10 because that is reserved for the greatest of patches. See, for example, The Natchez Trace patch.)
Additional: As a kid, I was completely enamored with the television show "Kung Fu," and I recommend to the blogger that she Netflix the series from beginnning to end. A very different kind of good-guy western.
Posted by: Tony Davis | 05/20/2013 at 12:00 AM