I have never approached what I do, with respect to karate, as a business. Like many instructors, I've been around the block, competed in my share of tournaments, and had the opportunity to train with some exceptionally gifted martial artists.
As with other Yoshukai teachers, despite organizational ties and alliances, I want only to preserve the art and help foster future growth. We are a small style when compared to other Japanese and Okinawan karate systems, and should we fail as a collective group of teachers, so to will our art die.
I am not ashamed to say that I hold private classes in my garage/dojo. How many of us started in such meager settings? We have all the room we need with no overhead, so the need to "pay the bills" isn't there. All that remains is loyalty and a longing to better ourselves as karate-ka.
On December 2nd, 2017, we held our first black belt testing. Months before the event, I asked several senior karate-ka if they would attend as black belt board members, and we were blessed beyond measure to have so many quality artists share our mat with us!
Deb Ginn, sensei has been involved in Yoshukai Karate close to forty years. Since she is only forty-two years old, she has obviously been training since she was just old enough to walk. ;)
Her insight and feedback during testing were a special gift to my students.
Mike Jones, sensei is literally a life-long practitioner of Goju Ryu Karate, and a student of Nakamoto Kiichi, hanshi from Okinawa. His contribution to testing was fantastic and technique driven, most especially since he is unfamiliar with the Yoshukai system. He and his wife Amber drove from east central Indiana to be a part of our test panel.
Chris Nelson, sensei has trained in karate since the 1960's and came up through the Yoshukai ranks in the Mike Foster camp in Florida. He also trained under such notable karate-ka as Jack Swift and Mike Sadler--both exceptional karate-ka in their own right.
Randy Franks, sensei has been directly and indirectly involved in Yoshukai since the early 1980's having studied under Mike Sadler, sensei. He and his grandson Taylor, who studied with Rayburn Nichols, sensei in Birmingham, Alabama. They both provided wonderful and constructive advice to our students.
Jim Merris, sensei has been training in Chito-Ryu Karate since the 1980's. His easy going personality and sage advice was taken to heart by everyone at the testing. We were honored to have a representative of our parent style on site.
At the end of testing, Christine Watts was promoted to nidan and Shawnta Moore was promoted to shodan. I am very proud of what these two have accomplished and trust that they will continue to learn and teach our brand of Yoshukai Karate.
