30 years ago
- In High School
- Didn't know karate or any other martial arts existed. Didn't even know who Bruce Lee was.
- A friend invited me to the dojo and I've been there ever since
- In college
- Karate guy, pretty good competitor - ranked 2nd in Mississippi and 3rd in Louisiana. Specialties included reverse counterpunch and an incredibly sneaky arcing outside crescent kick.
- Beginning to get an idea of diminishing returns with modern karate (at least for me)
- Beginning to try out aikido, judo, and hapkido
- Graduating from college
- Soon to start my first dojo in Southwest MS.
- Met two major influences on my aikido and judo - Karl Geis and Mac McNease
- Back at college, teaching aikido and judo there
- newly married
- young children
- back teaching in Southwest MS
- after Katrina - moved the dojo to my home and started mokurendojo.com blog
- starting to work with my oldest son on some judo falling
- getting ready to switch organizations
- starting to travel to teach seminars
- About to graduate oldest son from kids' class to adult class
- Over the last 18 or so years or so I've had about a dozen of my students make it to black belt
- This summer I expect to promote my first sandan (3rd degree black belt) student in judo
- Need to get a new mat surface for the dojo - soon
- oldest son graduating High school - He should be shodan
- next 2 sons should be well into the adult class
- next 2 girls should be in the kids' class
- All my sons will be graduated from High School, oldest may be graduated from college!
- 3 sons should be black belt and older daughter should be approaching shodan
- Younger daughter should be getting ready to graduate into adult class
Want to discuss this blog post?
Come find me on Facebook at my Mokuren Dojo FB group
____________________
Patrick Parker
www.mokurendojo.com
