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How running a dojo has changed my life.
I wasn’t always into Karate. As a young boy I never dreamed of running my own Dojo. I was a dreamer though like many of my friends. I had great plans as a child to run my own business and be my own boss though. This has never changed. But as many entrepreneurs know, it isn’t easy.
I started training in Isshin-Ryu Karate in 1987 in my home town Mission B.C. Canada. I joined the dojo due to necessity. I had to deal with a bully and didn’t have the courage or knowledge to do so. By the time I was 12 years old I was a Junior Shodan (junior black belt due to under age) and started helping my Sensei as a full teacher. By the time I was 16 years old I was teaching at 2 dojo, my hometown dojo and one further up the valley 45 minutes away. When I was 18 I was teaching at the hometown dojo and the other dojo became my own. That was the most amazing experience for my karate career at the time. The responsibility. The leadership. I teach by example so it was always extremely hands in with everyone. The parents of the students were an amazing support group for us as well. Always helping out setups and bringing the ever required coffee for the long nights of karate. You can imagine the pride I let at 18 running my own dojo.
As time moves inevitably forward so does life. I was married in 2000 to my wife who was also a student. At the beginning of 2003 I decided for reasons I thought very important to back away from karate. I was a SanDan (third degree black belt) and had a udansha (black belt panel) that…
