A Deeper Meaning

Taking Martial Arts from my dad has been one of the most influential things in my life. My dad teaches a mix of Karate, Aikido and Jiu-Jitsu. Martial Arts teaches everyone how to defend themselves, how to have confidence and more. But for me, it has a deeper meaning. It started when I was three years old and would go to work with my dad and hold onto his leg while he tried to teach. I am not sure if I chose to go with him or he brought me because he wanted to, but either way my love for the art and practicing it with my dad started there.
I was able to start taking lessons at age four. Although I can’t remember a lot, I do remember always being excited to go to class. My mom would put my hair in pig tails with bows of the same color as my belt ranking.
My sister and brother took martial arts as well so it was a family thing to do. However, when I achieved my black belt at age 12 something changed.
I was able to start helping my dad teach classes as an assistant instructor. We would go into work together and leave together. He taught me how to lead the classes as well as demonstrate techniques. We would watch videos at home of new techniques to try and then teach them to the classes. I became much more involved in the art as we spent more time together practicing it. This led to me becoming more passionate about it. I have always looked up to my dad as my hero and role model. Being able to share in something we both love really helped us bond and I believe that is why we have such a close relationship today.
He was also my coach in Jiu-Jitsu competitions. We traveled together to neighboring states competing in various competitions. No matter what the outcome was he was always proud of me. He would teach me new techniques to fix my mistakes or learn how to get out of moves I got caught in. He got very into me competing. We joke now about the time I was in the middle of a match and my opponent said to me, “who is that guy screaming over there?!” Of course that guy was my dad. It was always a fun weekend spent with my dad doing this.
Now that I am in college I unfortunately cannot regularly take classes or teach with my dad. But, whenever I come home I am automatically back on the schedule and start teaching again. I also help coach kids who compete from my dad’s school and assist him with teaching seminars.
Another influential part of taking Martial Arts is that it got me practicing talking in front of a class of kids and their parents. This gave me confidence in public speaking. I believe this factors into the reason I am a communications major and why I am comfortable talking in front of a group of people or on camera. I have been doing it for eight years. I am standing in front of people explaining something to them. And that is what delivering the news.
I am very thankful and fortunate to have been brought up taking Martial Arts. As a second degree black belt I am confident I could defend myself if needed in a situation. However there is more meaning than that to me. It represents the close relationship I have with my dad through the way we bond by practicing Martial Arts.