American Karate And Tae Kwon Do Org.
Old Friends
20/Jun/10
Went to the U.S. Karate Championships yesterday. It was a great time of seeing and catching up with old martial arts friends. Spend probably half an hour with my original instructor Allen Steen reflecting on the early days of Texas karate. He told me that Pat Burleson and I were probably the only instructors from the mid-sixties still actively teaching. He also said he was proud of me for continuing to give back to the community (he was speaking specifically about our upcoming Gospel Martial Arts Conference on July 17). I have to admit it made me feel good to know that Mr. Steen was aware of and proud of my efforts for the arts. He will always be the Father of Texas Karate, yes, but also MY father in karate. So happy father’s day to “Big Al” from your humble student.
I also saw many faces I had literally not seen in decades including Phyllis Evetts and Candy Simpson (two of the earliest women black belts). And I had the pleasure of sitting at a VIP table with Jack Hwang, one of the first Koreans to come to the shores of America to promote tae kwon do. In fact, I won the 1971 kata championship at Mr. Hwang’s All American Open Karate Champions in Oklahoma City.
So what does this mean to you? It shows how your training in the arts can and should be a family affair. I don’t mean that you train with your blood relatives, although that can be fulfilling, but that you become a family when you are part of a community or school that shares common goals and values. I pray that the AKATO is such a family and that decades from now, perhaps even when I am gone, that your memories of the “old days” of the 2000s will bring much satisfaction.
I also saw many faces I had literally not seen in decades including Phyllis Evetts and Candy Simpson (two of the earliest women black belts). And I had the pleasure of sitting at a VIP table with Jack Hwang, one of the first Koreans to come to the shores of America to promote tae kwon do. In fact, I won the 1971 kata championship at Mr. Hwang’s All American Open Karate Champions in Oklahoma City.
So what does this mean to you? It shows how your training in the arts can and should be a family affair. I don’t mean that you train with your blood relatives, although that can be fulfilling, but that you become a family when you are part of a community or school that shares common goals and values. I pray that the AKATO is such a family and that decades from now, perhaps even when I am gone, that your memories of the “old days” of the 2000s will bring much satisfaction.