Category: Opinion

A Review – Star Trek: Picard (Definite Spoilers Ahead)

Whether you’re a Trekkie fan or not, there’s no denying the deep influence that the Star Trek universe has had on film and television since the late 1960’s. Spawning a number of subsequent television series and movies, it encompasses what I enjoy most about the sci-fi genre; exploration, future technologies and the possibility of what’s out there… All while enjoying it all from the comfort of one’s couch. Some of my best childhood memories included sitting on the couch on a lazy day with my father while watching Captain James T. Kirk make a flimsy effort at hand to hand combat, followed by quasi-inappropriate canoodling with a female of some previously unknown alien race.

My children apparently haven’t inherited my love of Star Trek, which is a shame. Despite that fact, I used to have the benefit of knowing I had watched every series and movie under the Star Trek banner. With the release of series such as Discovery, Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks, I fallen out of touch with some of the more modernized iterations of the Star Trek universe. This is a problem I sought out remedy by subscribing to Paramount+ a few months ago and starting with what turned out to be an excellent series. I’m talking about Star Trek: Picard. I advise you to stop reading now, if you haven’t seen it and don’t want spoilers…

Let’s start with how it began. Star Trek: the Next generation is a follow-series that ran from 1987 to 1994 and featured the exploits of the USS Enterprise “D” and its crew, some 80 years after Kirk’s Enterprise. It was a fantastic series and ran for seven seasons, covering new races, new planets and had better visual and effects than the original series, making it a more enjoyable experience for the 9-year old Blogging Buddhist who would sit and soak up every episode. Jean-Luc Picard was the Captain of this particular Enterprise and led the ship and crew through many adventures and hardships. The series ended with Picard ultimately contributing to saving nothing less than the entire galaxy and humanity itself, with some passive-aggressive help from the omnipotent entity known as Q.

What was fun about TNG is that it addressed some reasonably serious issue on the ship while not taking itself too seriously as a whole. Despite some negative criticism about some of the storylines, I enjoyed every episode. Star Trek: Picard takes place a couple of decades after the end of the TNG storyline and features a retired Admiral Picard who is suddenly thrown back in the fray when a young synthetic woman, believed to be the daughter of the later Lt. Commander Data, seeks his assistance. He spends the majority of the season sorting through the chaos and attempting to have a prohibition on synthetic life abolished. The season ends with Picard making an ultimate sacrifice but still pulling through.

Season 2 sees Picard and his colleagues trapped in a dark, alternate reality, somewhat reminiscent of the mirror universe, if you’ve read of those Star Trek books. This is done by none other than the infamous Q, who also appears to be slowly losing his omnipotent abilities. In an effort to right things, the team ended accidentally travelling to 2024 and putting one of Picard’s ancestors on the right path before Q sends them all back to their own time, seemingly using the last of his omnipotence and sacrificing his won life in the process. Once they return to the 23rd century, they are faced with a galaxy-destroying force that is being prevented by none other than the Borg. I had a hard time believing that myself, until I realized that the Borg queen was one of Picard’s characters that remained in in 2024 and waiting 400 years to save the day.

Season 3 is where things got interesting and the one I enjoyed the most. It reunites the majority of TNG’s original bridge crew and senior staff, including Geordi LaForge, Will River, Deana Troy, Beverly Crusher and eventually, a regenerated and reborn Data. Word shows up in all his Klingon glory and we eventually learn of a young man named Jack Crusher, said to be the product of Picard and Beverly Crusher’s sleepover activities, some twenty years prior. The premise of the season is that there seems to be something inside of Picard’s son, which is drawing him to the Borg. He eventually concedes and goes to a dilapidated and nearly-dead Borg queen, played by the same actress who was Borg queen in Star Trek: First Contact.

The Borg end up assimilating the vast majority of humanity within a short period, due to an infection that rewrites their genetic code when using the transporter. All individuals too old or who predate this genetic rewrite are being systematically eliminated by the newly-assimilated human race and it’s up to Picard and his crew to use their unique style of space-faring swashbuckling to eliminate the Borg queen once and for all and to save humanity. Which they do. With gusto.

Of course, there are a number of subplots and side stories that I’m not covering here, including with the Romulans and an abandoned Borg cube. But I need to leave some mystery for if you sit through it. Star Trek: Picard definitely manage to strike a perfect balance. For me, the nostalgia of seeing the old crew back together and operating as a unit occasionally brought a tear to my eye, reminding me of a simpler time and happy memories. Although it only ran for three seasons, it did something that most series fail to do; it provided a fantastic storyline while leaving the audience wanting for more. But it recognized when it was time to stop.

If you’re looking for something to binge over a weekend, I would highly recommend Star Trek: Picard. My wife watched it with me and I believe she enjoyed it as well. At only 10 episodes per season, the entire series is only 30 episodes long, which is barely a season and a half of most shows. Granted, it has an almost 1-hour runtime, so you’re looking at 30 hours of watching. Either way, see for yourself. If you’re a fan of the Star Trek universe, it’ll tie off some storylines from TNG nicely and stoke the fires of your memories from the 1990’s quite nicely. ☯️

Shaping The Glass Rod Without Breaking It…

I’ve been through a significant number of challenges in my life. These include things like training in the martial arts, overcoming Diabetes complications and training to become an effective police officer. I consider myself to be successful in those areas, considering the odds and obstacles I had to overcome to achieve them. But there’s one challenge that is never-ending and that I was definitely not prepared for that I will inevitably be doing now, for the rest of my life. I’m talking about parenthood.

If you’re a parent yourself, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Having that first child can bring about a fear the likes of which you’ve never felt before. What if you don’t feed them properly? What if you don’t protect them enough? What if you protect them too MUCH? I think we can all agree that parenthood and in fact children, don’t come with any sort of an instruction manual. And using our parents as a guide on how to raise a generation of children twice removed from their own is a risky prospect at best.

When we become parents, we tend to treat our children like delicate, blown glass sculptures. We’re entranced with looking at them, holding them and taking care of them but are definitely afraid of breaking or damaging them in ways that can’t be repaired. And there’s certainly something to be said for that. However, it’s important to note that children aren’t the frail constructs we make them out to be. And they’re certainly not made of glass…

Not a week has gone by in recent years where I haven’t found articles online and through social media with titles such as, “Top 10 Things you Should Avoid Saying To Your Child” or “Bad Habits Every Parent Should Stop.” While there is certainly some merit pin some of what these concepts provide, one needs to remember that a child still needs that rudimentary foundation of discipline within their lives, no matter how much of a first world snowflake you consider yourself or don’t mind your child becoming.

For example, when I was a child, I was expected to do chores, clean myself and my room, maintain my homework and I was expected to ask for help with that last one BEFORE I started having trouble or failing assignments. If I disobeyed or refused direction from my parents, voices would be raised and firm discipline would ensue. I never really approved much of my grandmother’s tactics, which usually involved a wooden spoon. I agree that physical correction is easily a thing of the past as it teaches a poor lesson about how should use superior strength to force compliance, which is contrary to how one should raise their child. But I digress…

The thing is, the softer generation has moved away from the concepts of discipline and following direction, in favour of a more “lets kids be kids” concept. So let’s examine that, for a moment… What, exactly, does it mean to be a kid? Does it mean you have no responsilities, no duty to help within the household? I would argue not. Generally speaking, I agree that a child should never have to worry about having a safe roof over their head, food in their stomach and unconditional love, things that some children are unfortunately forced to go without, even in modern times.

As the quote from one of my favourite movies says, “Discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm.” It’s a pretty typical scene. I wake up at a reasonable hour, despite it being the weekend. Before everyone else is up, I’ve started a load of laundry, cleaned up the previous evening’s dishes and have started on some breakfast. Maybe a couple of hours later, my son will wake and stumble his way out of his room. When the passing suggestion of taking care of something or doing something that would help me out is made, the response I get is almost unilaterally unfavourable. Simple things like taking out the trash, cleaning out his won room or picking up discarded clothing or dishes almost seems akin to slipping bamboo shoots under his fingernails.

Allowance in exchange for chores? He’s uninterested in money. And at 9 years old, why wouldn’t he be? He’s got everything he needs and more. Take away devices and amenities? It’ll piss him off but he knows eventually he’ll get them back as the way of the new world all but requires devices. It usually leads to raised voices and a battle of wills to try and convince him that he needs to do his part and contribute within the household; a practice that many modern articles say is a no-no. Raise your voice to a child? For shame…

So that begs the question: If you’ve your best to try and teach your child and make them understand the importance of chores and contributing within the the household and the lesson just isn’t taking, what else can you do? Eventually, your child will need to understand and sometimes being firm and raising one’s voice is the only way. The problem lies in the modern world’s perspective that we need to be gentler and softer with our children than the generations that came before. Unfortunately, such an approach doesn’t do our children any favours and we are quickly raising a generation of lazy, self-entitled people who will contribute nothing to society, while consuming Tide pods and snorting condoms.

Concepts such as participation trophies, not “forcing” your kids to do certain tasks or follow direction may seem like enlightened, neo-modern ways of trying to raise a kinder generation. But what it actually does is create a person who will NEVER take direction. This will carry over into their future, including employment, relationships and believing that everything in life will simply come to them and they never have to work for it. They’ll be facing insurmountable surprises when the time comes to build a career, buy their first home or try to navigate the unfair, choppy waters of life.

Likely one of the hardest parts of being a parent is having your child upset at you or telling you that they hate you. It renders your soul open and some may try to do everything they can to avoid that happening. But at the end of the day and when you take a step back and send your little chick into the vast world outside the nest, you’ll have served them better by teaching them the importance of discipline, hard work and stepping up to do what must be done, even when it sucks and you’d rather binge-watch Netflix. Food for thought… ☯️

One Love, One Life, One Style…

Some decades ago, I remember Sensei telling me a story about how he had trained with a master in Japan, whom I unfortunately no longer remember his name, who would always say “one love, one life and one style…” The premise was pretty simple; in this one life we have, we should only have one true, genuine love. I was lucky enough to find this person in my lovely wife. But the focus of today’s post is about the last piece. That being, one style.

The beautiful thing about karate and martial arts in general, is that it’s a puzzle with a million pieces and so long as one is genuinely training to learn the art, they will never reach the end. For some, this may be a bit of a morose statement but to a true student of the martial way, feeling as though you have nothing left to learn can be far, far worse. So it rather plays on the aspect that no matter how skilled, knowledgeable or advanced your become, there will always be someone better.

All that being said and as I’ve often said before, martial arts is a very subjective thing. A style that suits one person may not be a good fit for someone else. Once you find a style that fits your needs, comfort and lifestyle, it should generally be the one you cling to for life. Switching styles does happen, but there are usually underlying reasons for this and should typically be avoided. One cannot learn something only part way before moving on to the next. It’s important o stick with your style and continue to train to learn and advance as far as you can (and are willing to go).

Just to be clear, this doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t increase their overall toolbox by dabbling in other things. One of the best selling points about the martial arts is that it holds a vast menu that can be picked from, for the aspects one feels one may be lacking. For example, karate has always been a good fit for me because I’ve always felt that the ability to defend myself empty-handed was important. You know, considering most of us don’t go walking around with a weapon. That being said, I’ve also taken to training with some weapons in order to bridge that gap.

This is similar to how an empty-handed fighter may choose to learn some grappling or throwing, or how a boxer or fist fighter may want to learn some kicks. Adding to one’s repertoire is never a bad thing but the basic lesson is that the student will always stick to, and come back to, their home style. Such has been the same for me. Although I’ve had the privilege and the honour to train with a couple of different styles since moving out to Saskatchewan, I’ve stayed true to my roots and always trained in Uechi Ryu. And I don’t really foresee that changing.

So, what happens when a student walks away from their dojo completely? And worse still, takes the skills and lessons you’ve taught them and brings them somewhere where they begin to teach them as a separate school? The history of karate is rife with such instances. One very notable example is a popular style of full contact karate named Kyokushinkai. This style‘s founder was originally a practitioner of Goju-Ryu karate and eventually splintered off to found his own style. Ironically, even THAT style would go on to help inspire and found many subsequent styles.

The question becomes, is it right to do so? And at what point do you face potentially watering down the style you’ve learned, simply to try and teach something of your own? For the most part, when a student wishes to open their own dojo or even teach or pass on what they’ve learned, dojo code of conduct would seem to dictate that they get their Sensei’s consent, first. Hell, I’ve never even trained in another dojo without first throwing a quick email to my Sensei, back in New Brunswick, to talk about and ask if he’s okay with it.

What becomes a bit sad is when a student decides to leave the dojo without their instructor’s consent and begins teaching others. Not only is this an incredible breach of etiquette and flies in the face of what martial arts is all about, it’s a bit hypocritical. After all, if there was something wrong enough with your dojo that you’ve decided to leave it, why would you take all those teachings and continue to pass them on? The other issue is that without the support of your home dojo to help, monitor and continue to provide correction, you never know what mistakes or technical errors you may inadvertently pass on to your newly-acquired students.

Be true to yourself but don’t forget to be true to your dojo. If there’s something that you feel is inherently wrong within your dojo, the idea would be ot take the opportunity to speak about it with your Sensei, not running off. And as much as some students may have a yearning to teach what they’ve learned, they shouldn’t do so without the consent and approval of their instructor. After all, thinking you’re ready doesn’t make it so. And dishonouring you or Sensei by opening a school and teaching without his consent waters down the purity of the martial arts, overall. Such as it is. Food for thought… ☯️

One On One Can Be Twice The Learning Fun…

I remember how in the early years of training in the karate dojo, I would always be grateful for the ability to blend in to my background. Training and following along, I was comfortable following the status quo and learning in the class environment. I wasn’t a big fan of having the focus mainly on me. One might say I was a bit more shy back then than I am now. I don’t have a timid bone in my body, these days, so things are a bit different and those also affects how I learn and train.

I’ll always remember the first time I found myself training alone with Sensei. To be clear, when I say alone, I don’t mean one on one while the rest of the class is paired off, as well. No, what I mean is literally only Sensei and I in the dojo. Classes for us would usually run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, with junior belts and younger kids leaving after the first hour. The older and more senior belts would almost always stay for the second hour, as the lessened number of students meant less of a watering down of Sensei’s attention.

On this one particular night, the few senior students who would have stayed that second hour were either absent or had to depart early for individual reasons, leaving me alone with Sensei. I was still a white belt and I remember experiencing a distinct feeling of apprehension as I stood at attention and Sensei waited for the remaining students to clear out. Once we were alone, he began to continue to instruct, but to me and me alone. The positive is that I was still getting my time out of the class. At the time, the negative was that his focus was solely on me as the only student present, which meant that each and every little thing I did got picked apart and corrected.

I was incredibly grateful when the clock finally struck 8:30 pm as it would mean the spotlight would be off. But it wasn’t in Sensei’s nature to follow the clock. Karate knows no time limit, he would often say. I enjoyed the benefit of his direct tutelage for another fifteen minutes beyond the scheduled end of the class. I left the dojo that night feeling a sense of accomplishment. Many of my forms and techniques had been directly evaluated, corrected and commented by my Sensei; something I hadn’t had the pleasure of experiencing before.

As the years passed and I gained time, experience and what I like to think of as a touch of wisdom, I came to value and appreciate the nights when Sensei and I would be alone together to train. I also came to recognize that many students often feel that they don’t get such direct exposure to their instructors in mainstream schools, which leads many students to feel as though they’re neglected or ignored. I never had such feelings, considering I was the type of kid who preferred to be in the background. But there’s definitely something to be said for getting some one-on-one coaching from an instructor.

I was reminded of this experience last night. I finally returned to Kempo, after being absent for almost two years. Following the rib break and crushed muscles from early 2022 in another dojo, I made the conscious choice to step away from group training to allow myself to heal completely and continue to train on my own, at my own pace. This process took longer than I had anticipated and as I often say, life rarely cares about one’s plans. It wasn’t until I received an email from the dojo asking the entire mailing list if they still wanted to receive the emails that I realized classes had been reopened from the pandemic.

As my first class back, I anticipated seeing some old faces and training with several people. I was significantly disappointed to see that some long-time students and people I had gotten to know were no longer attending the dojo. But that isn’t my story to tell. Ultimately, given the night and the circumstances, it was just me and the instructor. I once again found myself in a situation where it would be one-on-one training. This was a two-fold situation. Ion the one hand, I was older and experienced enough that training solo with someone else no longer causes concern. On the other side, despite several years of training at their school, I still don’t have the familiarity with Kempo that would make me comfortable in training in any of their specifics.

On this particular evening, the instructor and I agreed to keep things informal. As opposed to opening a formal class, we simply bowed to each other and got into some training. We spent two solid hours training with kali sticks. This was an exciting prospect, since my loving wife (looking at you, baba!) bought me a set of phenolic kali sticks from Budo Brothers. What are phenolic kali sticks, you may ask? Speaking in generalities, phenolic materials are usually comprised of thermosetting resin or compounds. The result is a lighter but harder stick, making them last longer and be more effective in the training environment.

I got to use my new Kali sticks for the first time last night and I have to say, they held up phenomenally. Putting in a couple of solid hours doing Kali work was the perfect way to shake off the cobwebs and get back into the martial arts groove. It made for fantastic evening. I’m going to take the opportunity to do an unofficial product plug and mention that if you want to check out the Kali sticks I bought, they can be found on Budo Brother’s website here.

Don’t knock the opportunity to train with an instructor one-on-one. Although it can sometimes seem intimidating and even a bit daunting, considering they usually have the skills and rank that many aspire to, they’re there to train just like you are. And the amount you can learn in those rare sessions can go a long way towards helping the progress of your martial arts journey. Last but not least and speaking as a previous instructor as well, the amount we learn from the student during those sessions is just as valuable and important. Martial arts training is a two-way street. Food for thought…☯️

Come Play With Me, Daddy…

I’ve often said that life rarely cares about one’s plans. While it’s great to have goals and objectives in life that you’d like to accomplish, it’s important to remember that things change, and you can’t be in control of every factor that may get in the way of what you’re trying to do. Planning out your life to the letter is nigh impossible. That’s why if you take a path where you expect things to happen within a certain timeline, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed at the result.

Through my late teens and into adulthood, I faced the very real possibility that I would likely never have children. I don’t recall the exact statistic but doctors have told me that the majority of male Type-1 Diabetics usually end up not bearing children. In some ways, this came as a mild relief when I was younger since Diabetes can inherently be passed on to one’s children. But as I got older, I began recognizing that passing on one’s life to the next generation is important in all aspects.

Luckily, those concerns came to an end in 2014 when my wonderful wife and I had our first son, Nathan. It’s a pretty typical scenario that we’ve all seen, either in our personal lives or on television… The parents are burned out, exhausted and somehow still fighting and pushing forward, dealing with diaper changes, middle-of-the-night feedings, crying and a complete and utter disruption of the serene life they may have had before. Just imagine that many if not most of these couples have their children in their 20’s. Since life never goes according to plan, I met my wife and we had our first child when I was in my late 30’s.

Considering I was an operational police officer at the time, I was used to working through extended periods of fatigue, so my policing experience was actually quite invaluable in parenting. But I would be lying if I said it was a breeze. Add in the fact that as someone with Type-1 Diabetes, sleep, proper nutrition, exercise and a structured routine are all very important to maintaining one’s overall health. Raising an infant is the opposite of most of that. Most obviously, a parent wants to be able to play and interact and roll around on the floor with their kids. Sharing in the innocence and fun is a big part of the magic that is parenting.

When our second son, Alexandre, was born four years ago, it was even worse as I was now in my 40’s. trying to finding the energy to jump around and play with your kid when you’re burnt from a day’s work, still have laundry and household chores other do and all he wants to do is wrestle you to the ground and demonstrate his recently-developed right hook. First world problems, am I right? But energy levels for a Type-1 Diabetic are iffy at the best of times. Trying to share some of that energy with a toddler while in your 40’s is something else.

It can frustrating sometimes, as much for Alex as it is for me. Especially since he won’t understand that daddy’s tired and needs to rest. He just understands that he wants to play with his daddy. And so he should! That’s why it becomes so important to maintain those blood sugars, maintain your physical fitness and keep a healthier lifestyle. Doing so can help you to at least TRY and keep up with your next generation. For me, my children are a handful and they rarely stand still. My oldest is a roiling ball of energy and my youngest is a fucking tank. Both require their own amount of energy and attention; something that isn’t always the easiest.

I just need to keep my energy levels up enough to ensure that when they get older, they can look back and acknowledge that they had some fun with their father. Especially before I get much older and can no longer keep up. On the flip side, I’d be lying if I said there isn’t an inherent joy in being able to shed some of the adult facade and just play with toys or watch a cartoon movie with my kids. They give me as much as I give them. Maybe just not in the same way. ☯️

The Comeback Kid…

I have to say that 2024 hasn’t exactly started on a pleasant foot for me, at least health-wise. Back in November, my oldest son was diagnosed with bronchitis, which saw him on antibiotics and hacking like a chain smoker for a couple of weeks. All things consider3d and given his youth, he recovered reasonably quick. I, however, were not so lucky. Around the end of the month, I started coughing as well. And then I did something stupid…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being Type-1 Diabetic for 41 years, is that I’m inclined to catch each and every. Little bug that comes floating past me. Hazard of the condition, I guess but the result has been that I’ve developed a stubborn streak. Especially when it comes other obtaining basic medical care. I’ve always been of the opinion, and the current state of Canada’s healthcare system has proven it, that there’s little point in trying to see a doctor for something basic like a cough. It’s pretty rare but sometimes I’m wrong…

It stands to reason that in the first week or two, one will usually tend to ignore something as basic as a cough. Normally attributed to the cold weather or the common cold, going to a doctor for a generalized symptom like a cough is basically the same as wasting several hours of your life, especially since they’ll likely just tell you to grab some cough syrup, get rest and fluids and call it a day. I will fully admit that I do occasionally tend to consult with Dr. Google, and everything I found about bronchitis seemed to indicate that my son wasn’t contagious after three days. Since I didn’t start coughing until well after a week of his, I thought I was likely in the clear.

By the second week, my cough had worsened to the point hat I was chugging Buckley’s like it was Alpine beer (look that up, if you’re not from the Maritimes) and it was enough that it was beginning to affect my sleep and my work. Luckily, my blood sugars seemed to be rolling at a normal level, so… small favours. But after a couple of instances of missing work to catch up on sleep, it was mildly suggested that perhaps it would be time for me to get checked. However, my stubborn streak told me that this had to pass soon, considering I had already been hacking for a while.

The beginning of week 3 of this phenomenon was a short week for me, as it was the week before Christmas. With a mounting task list to accomplish before the holiday break and a multitude of meetings and events, I never got to a clinic. The following week was actually the week of Christmas. Although I was off all week, it was fuckin’ Christmas. I muddled through the holidays and we even travelled towards the end of the week to be with family for the New Year holiday. That was the conclusion of week four. I hadn’t gotten better and in fact, I start “throwing up” from my lungs and expelling liquid, as well as having some difficulty breathing.

That last sentence obviously kicks things up a notch and likely makes some of you wonder if I’m completely out of my mind for having waited so long. Time and circumstance can be a bitch. But upon my return to work on January 2, I made a point of trying to get in to see someone. On Wednesday, which was January 3, I finally managed to get in to see a doctor after waiting for over three hours and frightening some people with my hacking. I was diagnosed with a bacterial infection in my lungs and prescribed an antibiotic, steroid and an inhaler to help open up my lungs and breathe a little better.

That was on January 3 and I’ve worked my way through all the prescribed meds. The steroid had a ridiculous effect on my blood sugars, leading to some harsh nights without the carbs to account for it. It’s only been the past few days that the cough has all but disappeared and I’m starting to feel better. Lesson learned for me, that I should wait and ignore my illnesses. You’d think that would be common sense but if everyone had common sense, they wouldn’t need to call it “common sense.” But I digress…

The colder season can be harsh for anyone with some sort of chronic condition as we tend to get sick a bit more than the average bear. But when you factor in recovery time, blood sugar control due to the illness AND due to medication, as well as how blitzed you’ll feel from exhaustion, that cough I ignored way back in November may have been better served by visiting the clinic sooner. Lesson learned and food for thought. Don’t ignore your body. Although the symptom may seem simple (say THAT three times fast), the cause may be a shark in the water. Stay healthy, my friends. ☯️

The Second Family…

Most karate practitioners have been there and I spent decades experiencing the same routine… Your dojo doors open up and you show up for class about thirty minutes before start of class. There’s some friendly “how are you’s” and hellos exchanged while stretching. Maybe you engage in a form or two and do a bit of light shadow sparring. Sensei is always the first one there and always makes a point of asking you how your weekend was or, if you’re on the last class of the week, will ask you what plans you may have for the weekend to come.

Sound familiar? It should. This is the sort of social nicety that one can expect when entering a dojo and before starting class. Setting aside for the moment that not all dojos have the whole “get here half an hour before” mindset, you can usually expect that people who train together will bond together. Relationships and connections will develop, which will lead into a more social connection beyond the immediate purpose for being in the dojo, which is training in karate. This aspect is important, not only for you as a person but for you as a student, as well.

These connection make it easier and more comfortable to train in the dojo environment and allow for material to be absorbed and learned easily. If one is able to think back to the initial year one started in a dojo, there was awkwardness, silence and it felt as though one’s skills weren’t progressing. Some of that could likely be attributed to the fact that those interpersonal connections and relationships hadn’t been solidified yet, which led to less questions being asked, less people being approached for coaching and less overall learning.

Some may comment that this isn’t entirely accurate and that it doesn’t really play a role but I’ve seen it firsthand. It’s very hard to learn if you train like an antisocial douche who sits in the corner and doesn’t connect with anybody. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll learn NOTHING. But you certainly won’t learn at the level you should with the quality of teaching that a dedicated student deserves. The worst is when the teachers and instructors do their best to reach out but the student STILL wants nothing to do with connecting to other fellow karateka.

All that being said, my point is that training in karate has so much more to offer than just being in the dojo. It’s the semi-permanent connections made with the practitioners. For example, you can tell a lot about the dynamic of a dojo by what happens AFTER the class. For the most part and from what I’ve seen of many dojos I’ve trained in, the class closes, people change and get the hell out of dodge. I even trained at one dojo that boasted shower facilities on site but I’ve never seen anyone use them. Considering the key holders are usually standing there waiting like vultures for everyone to get into street clothes and leave, that’s not surprising.

In my home dojo, it usually took at least half an hour for everyone to leave. This is because once class closed, you’d have students helping each other with technique, or people would start chatting and conversing, almost to the point of hanging out. Hell, my home dojo had a standing tradition that on the last Wednesday of every month, senior students would get together to grab a beer after class. Stories and laughs would be shared and even if we were all karate practitioners, most of the conversations would be unrelated to karate. Imagine that? Even now, when I travel home for any reason, I make a point to have social visits with Sensei and others I’ve trained with. These are relationships and bonds that last a lifetime and can never be undone.

Am I saying this phenomenon is necessary to train in karate? Absolutely not. Considering I’ve been effectively training for over ten years by myself, by virtue of there being no schools of Uechi-Ryu in Saskatchewan, I think I’m living proof of that. What I’m saying is that it makes it BETTER. It makes it more fun and more motivating. Like it or not, human beings are pack creatures and we are drawn to others of our kind. To develop those bonds is to provide an undeniable benefit to one’s training and ultimately, to one’s overall personal development. Food for thought… ☯️

Dojo Code Of Conduct


I wrote this post all the way back in December of 2019 and reposted it for the last time, almost two years ago. Although I try to avoid just recycling posts I’ve already written, this post outlines the proper guidelines a prospective student should follow when attending ANY martial arts school. Some of these are simply a matter of tradition, some of them are necessary to ensure that a dojo runs smoothly. Some, mostly all of them, are also a show of respect for the school you’ve chosen to attend. I think we can all agree that even if you’ve studied in a different style or have a different set of core beliefs, you should still show respect when inside someone else’s dojo. ESPECIALLY if your goal is to have it become your dojo, as well.

One of the big points I make when listing these things, is if your core beliefs don’t align with the school you’re visiting, you likely shouldn’t be joining. Not all styles are created equal and not all schools will suit every student. Martial arts is a very subjective journey and the first step should always be to find the school that works for you. But I digress… Given that my significantly delayed but anticipated return to the dojo is forthcoming, I’ve decided to repost this list as a reminder.

I’ve had the opportunity to observe some students, visitors and outsiders in many dojos. Taking into consideration some of the things I’ve observed, these are some of the basic principles of conduct when training within the dojo. This is never an exhaustive list and is often subjective to what’s been seen in the dojo but it’s all good stuff. Here we go:

  1. Bow when entering or exiting the dojo: This seems like a bit of a tiny detail, but it is an important one. It provides a show of respect; respect towards the instructors, respect towards the ones who trained before you, and respect towards the school. It also evokes a sense of discipline. Even though you may not realize it now, that tiny detail begins to lay the foundational discipline that should become the cornerstone of your training;
  2. Ensure your Gi, or karate uniform, is clean and pressed: This one is important not only for protocol and etiquette, but for hygiene reasons as well. And you would be surprised how many people overlook it. There’s nothing worse than someone who assumes that their last workout wasn’t intense enough to warrant laundering their uniform. Make sure it’s clean. Not only does that ensure a more “pleasant” environment for yourself and the other students, it shows proper respect for the uniform you wear on your journey. Keep an eye on the condition of your uniform. If it’s become yellowed and stained, regardless of washing, it’s time to replace it. If there are tears and/or holes, have them repaired (unless they’re unsightly even once fixed). You shouldn’t have to iron your gi but if you do, for the love of ALL that’s good and holy, don’t iron a crease down the center of your pants. Your going to karate class, not a business meeting;
  3. Stand straight and pay attention: When not executing a movement in the immediate moment, it is imperative that you stand straight and tall, heels together and thumbs tucked into the front of your belt. Keep your gaze towards the front and pay close attention to what the head instructor is saying. Try to avoid looking around and fidgeting. A big part of discipline is being able to focus long enough to build an attention span beyond that of a goldfish and if you fidget and waste your time, you may miss an integral piece of information you needed for what you’re working on;
  4. Acknowledge every instruction given: Different styles will have different ways of doing this. Some will choose a shallow bow when the head instructor provides instruction, some will answer in the affirmative by saying Hai (Japanese for “yes”) or something of the like… The method of acknowledgment will depend on the style and school you’re in. But once it’s clear that the instructor has completed providing instruction, this small acknowledgment is not only a sign of respect but provides the instructor with some cursory way of knowing that you’ve understood what’s been said;
  5. No food or drink within the dojo: You would think this one would be common sense, but a martial arts school is no place for you to sip your mocha-choca latte while your kid trains. Since the average martial arts class only lasts about an hour and a half to two hours, you can manage this easily without having food and drink within the confines of a training environment. In recent years, I’ve noticed that it’s become a bit more of a common thing for the practitioners to carry water bottles into the dojo and take water breaks throughout training. I’m pretty divided on this, considering Sensei always use to tell us to use the washroom and grab our drink BEFORE class started, because once you bowed in, you were in until you bowed out. But from a health perspective, I understand better than most that proper hydration is important. That being said, my current classes are only an hour in length and the average person should be able to make it through that short period without necessarily sucking back on a bottle;
  6. Get out of the way: If you become injured or over-tired, bow, step back and sit in seiza (on your knees) at the rear of the class. Stay out of the way and remove yourself from the flow of the class until your fatigue passes or your injury allows you to continue. Of course, if your injury is severe or serious enough to think you need to remove yourself, you likely shouldn’t continue as you could aggravate the injury further. The point is, there’s nothing to be served by standing in the way while others continue and you shouldn’t expect that everyone will stop and wait. After all, this is their time, too;
  7. Don’t show up late: This one is and always has been, a personal pet peeve of mine. Some instructors will say that if you show up late, it’s better to get “some of the workout” in rather than none at all. Although that is a great concept, showing up late can be disruptive to a class and shows great disrespect to your class and instructors. We all have busy lives. It falls to you to plan ahead and schedule things so that you may attend class. Whether or not showing up late is appropriate will be up to your head instructor, but true respect dictates that if you aren’t fifteen minutes early for class, you’re already late. A good example is a recent evening where I had to fight off a bout of low blood sugar and didn’t make it to class. I’m sure that if I really pushed it and fought my way down there, I would have been able to make it only a short period after start of class. But such disrespect for the flow of a dojo’s operations shouldn’t be encouraged;
  8. Don’t waste your instructor’s time: Although you’ve likely paid a fee for your presence, the instructor(s) within the school are there to impart their knowledge and skills to you and others. If you aren’t going to put in your full effort, then you’re wasting your instructors time. Effectively, you’re also wasting your time AND the fee you paid. You’re also affecting the other student’s ability to learn properly. Karate isn’t something you can walk into a few 1-hour classes and expect to progress. You need to put in some supplementary time training outside the dojo, on your own. This is the only way you’ll truly progress and make any headway. Otherwise, you may as well join a knitting circle;
  9. Respect and train based on your partner: You will sometimes be paired with someone of lower or higher rank than yourself. If you’re paired with someone of lower rank, you become the example of what is to be taught. If you inflict injury upon your partner, you may discourage them from further learning and you will have gained nothing yourself. If training with someone of higher rank, respect should be given and you should take every advantage to learn from this person as they are in the same position you would be if training with a lower ranked belt. Granted, time has proven that there is just as much you can learn from a lower rank. It depends on how positive your perspective may be; and
  10. Don’t be afraid to share some personal information: This is a new one that I haven’t included in the previous iterations of this post but I feel it’s significantly important, especially since it also plays in to some of the previous points about food and drink and disrupting the dojo. I’ve always made a point of sharing the fact I have Type-1 Diabetes with all of my instructors and students. We live in a world of wanting privacy but such a step is important, not only for my health and well-being but because there may be occasions where I’ll need to excuse myself to eat some fast-acting carbs or rest for a few moments. Beyond the respect component, such steps can be necessary to ensure I don’t pass out on the dojo floor. Be sure to discuss such things with your head instructor so that there are no misunderstandings.

I’ve seen everything from kids running around, coffee, students fidgeting and looking around… In a school I trained in, there was even one guy who showed up forty minutes late for class with a bag of cheeseburgers and ate while the rest of us did calisthenics! Besides the fact that the smell of burgers was killing me, a karate dojo is definitely NOT the place to eating, much less junk food. Even though some of these points could be viewed simply as one’s person’s opinion, it stands to reason that tradition and respect are things that should never be ignored in the dojo.

Folks, no matter what sport or art you study, there will always be guidelines to follow. The martial arts simply have more, and that’s part of the charm. Although the above guidelines are only basic, they apply to any martial arts school you attend. Your specific dojo may have more, and this is one of those moments where it’s important to take the initiative and ask. After all, respect is a primary aspect of karate and all martial arts. Food for thought… ☯

Have A Little Style While Showcasing Your Style…

One of the biggest issues and trends I’ve noticed in recent years, especially online, is when martial artists take a position or basically bash or call out other styles. Although I can fully admit to not endorsing certain schools of thought or how certain techniques are done by others, I’ve always maintained a respect for how other styles may do something that is different than my own way. Respect is a very large piece of the martial arts puzzle and should be considered when commenting on someone else’s style.

The thing is, and I’ll likely take shit from some commenters on this, is that no style is perfect. I’ve had the benefit of training with a number of different schools and styles and can honestly say that I’ve seen many different ways of performing the same technique. Some good, some bad. The problem is that this is a matter of perspective. What I assume is a poor technique may be quite an effective one for practitioners of a particular style. Since I don’t have the advantage of having trained extensively in this style, I may not have the vision or perspective to recognize this.

For example, I would never attempt or use the multiple high kicks employed with certain styles. The concept of balancing on one leg for any length of time in an actual fight seems ludicrous, at best. But for someone who’s drilled and built muscle memory using those techniques, using them may be efficient and precise. The same kick or punch performed by two different practitioners will only be as effective as the practitioner’s skill level, experience and effort, regardless of the style.

One of the most notable examples I can think of is when I trained for a period of time with a karate dojo that used long, striding steps to reach and attack their opponent. On my side of the table, this seems incredibly ineffective. After all, why would I stretch myself out and actively try to walk towards an enemy who is out of arm’s length? If I can’t reach them, then they can’t reach me, right? Fight’s over! Uechi Ryu has always focused on strikes when the opponent is within reach, to ensure contact. Oh sure, we step and slide the same as any karateka but some styles will practically cross half a room in doing so. Does this mean my style is better? No. It just means it’s different and one can potentially be as effective as the other. It’s all in the eye of the practitioner.

A lot of people are often reminded of the old classic Kung Fu movies where you’d get two students from competing schools, yelling that one’s Kung Fu style is stronger. Strength is found in the practitioner, not the style. And with that strength needs to come with the respect not to constantly judge a technique or assume it “won’t work in real life.” I swear to the light, if I go the rest of my life without someone saying that to me, it’ll be too soon. But I digress… Take the time to appreciate the technique. The discipline. The effort. And never forget that if something is done in form or drills, it likely serves a deeper purpose than in actual practice. Honour and respect your fellow martial artists. Food for thought…☯️

The Big, Medical Machine Grinds To A Halt…

2023 has certainly delivered its fair share of uncensored bullshit into my life. Especially in the final months, which included Canada Revenue Agency auditing me and discovering an error on my previous year’s filing, making me liable for thousands of dollars. Despite this being my accountant’s fault, they’ll only cover a small portion of the cost, causing me to incur significant debt for the first time in over three years. Then, my mother’s cheese slid off her cracker and I had to travel back to New Brunswick to have her committed to a home.; something no child ever relishes having to do.

In November of 2023, my bi-yearly visit to the endocrinologist revealed that my kidneys were struggling and I was told that I need to both sharpen my blood sugar control, which was only out of whack for a few months as a result of all the stress, travel and poor diet in dealing with my mother, and to lose weight. That last one is a bit of a kick in the teeth, since I exercise often and am by no means obese or even fat. But i was placed on Ozempic which, if you’ve been following mainstream media, you’re aware comes with it’s own set of side effects and complications.

To add just a bit of shit-flavoured icing on an other terrible cake, my oldest son, Nathan, was diagnosed with bronchitis in late November, which effectively ruined his ninth birthday. The issue beyond HIS immediate health, is that I started coughing soon thereafter, and have been coughing ever since. Yes, you read that right; I’ve been coughing throughout the entire month of December and as of time of writing this post, I’m still hacking, albeit on medication now. Here’s my story of the clinic visit…

Despite the fact that some of the women in my life would be likely to say that I was just being stubborn and should have gotten my cough checked out weekend ago, It’s not uncommon for me to ignore a cough or a runny nose for a week or two as it can potentially be just a common cold, which doesn’t really warrant a doctor’s visit. Given how taxed our healthcare system is in Saskatchewan and Canada as a whole, the last thing it needs is one more person clambering for antibiotics for a simple cold. Plus, given that as a Type-1 Diabetic, I catch almost every little bug that floats by, I’m inclined to simply fight my way through most things as opposed to seeking medical help. Call me stubborn at your peril… But I digress…

Once we returned home on New Year’s Day, I committed to hitting up a walk-in clinic on January 2. Since I had to work that day, I only made it there a short period after 5 pm, and the expected wait time was well over three hours. Here’s where I can admit that my stubborn streak comes out because there was no way in hell I was sitting in a clinic until 8 or 9 pm just to be told I have a cough and to take cough syrup and get some sleep. I left without seeing anybody and made my way home. Since I’ve suffered significant injuries in the past, including broken ribs and muscle damage, I had leftover muscle relaxants that weren’t expired. One of those babies got me some sleep through Tuesday night.

On Wednesday morning, I seemed to be coughing significantly more and some of the staff were beginning to voice concerns about my health and being in the office. They’re such a concerned bunch of fuckers. But seriously, one of my employees asked why I was waiting for after work when most people attended clinics and not going right away. I decided that her advice was sound and that despite my work load, I should contribute an hour or two to attend a clinic immediately. So, on Wednesday morning at 9:45 am, I left the office for the walk-in clinic. The time will become important as we I write on. Just bear with me…

I arrived at the clinic and presented myself, confirming that they were in fact, accepting walk-ins. The receptionist confirmed that they were. I sat down and began the long process of waiting my turn. At one point, I suffered a bout of extremes coughing. Just to clarify, I’m not an idiot and I’m very aware of the state of the world as we live in it. By virtue of this, I wore a mask into the clinic because I knew I’d be coughing. As I hacked, coughed and nearly threw up, the man in the seat ahead of me turned around and suggested that I “shouldn’t be out in public if I’m coughing this much…” I was a bit taken aback and I wasn’t sure how to respond.

I told him that this was a doctor’s office and that I was there specifically BECAUSE of my cough and that it was the place to be. He once again told me I should be around this many people with such a cough. I wound up telling him that if he was uncomfortable with my cough, he was more than welcome to leave. He apparently didn’t accept that invitation. Jackass. I swear, some people are always trying to ice skate uphill! Telling a sick person they shouldn’t be in a doctor’s office because of a cough??? What the fuck is wrong with you, dude? Were you dropped on your fuckin’ head? Last week? Maybe that’s why HE was at the doctor’s office. But once again, I digress…

I finally got into the exam room at about 12:15 pm, about two hours after my arrival. Not so bad in the grand scheme of things. I waited for another half hour, however. Once the doctor came in, he asked the typical generic stuff about allergies and whether or not I was a smoker. I explained that it’s been four weeks and I tried every over the counter remedy prior to visiting a doctor. I was concerned he’d say that since it’s been four weeks, it should pass shortly and there was nothing he could give me. Thankfully, I had a serious coughing spell WHILE he was listening to my chest.

Between the coughing and the background I gave him, he identified a bacterial infection in my lungs and prescribed some appropriate meds for me, including an inhaler to help with my breathing. I was glad he took things seriously and actually provided something to assist. As of time of writing, I’m still coughing a fair bit but I am starting to feel better. The lesson here is that one should never ignore illnesses for long periods of time; especially if you have Type-1 Diabetes. So although it was likely a good thing not to jump to the doctor’s office in the first week or so of my cough, I likely should have gone for help sooner, given the nature of what was found. One simply needs to balance the inconvenience and availability of the wait time versus healing properly. ☯️