Reflections on my Experiences at FMK Karate

I am printing this on my blog as it is a personal statement of my martial arts education.
It is a requirement at our school to be a 3rd degree black belt. I have thought long and hard about printing this publicly due to the fact that there are some points listed in this document that may upset certain people. This is really unfortunate. It makes me very sad that I would have to point out anything bad about anyone but I feel that it would be best to let the document speak for itself.

For those of you who have been supportive of me, and have been great friends, thank you.
I will endeavor to be the best person I can be.

Enjoy.

James William Richtsmeier:
Reflections on my Experiences at FMK Karate
as a Second Degree Black Belt

September 2007

As part of the requirement for my third degree black belt, I have been asked to reflect on my overall progress and growth as a karate student. I have had a positive experience during my time at FMK Karate, and wish to stay enrolled for a long as I possibly can. However, my enrollment at FMK was due to a happy accident. I moved to Binghamton and had started my job as a Computer administrator. One evening I went to my aunt’s house for dinner. My cousin Pierce walked in wearing a karate Gi. He was bursting about how much fun he was having at FMK Karate, and showed us what he had learned of the white belt kata Taikyoku Shodan. He seemed very proud of himself and what he had learned. I was so impressed with Pierce’s reaction to the school; I had to see it for myself.

Deep down, I had always had a secret desire to study karate or some sort of martial art. I had lived in Seattle during my middle school years and had been exposed to martial arts through the great deal of Asian influence that is prevalent in that area. Later, during high school I found myself spending Saturday afternoons watching old Kung Fu movies. I secretly wished that I had some sort of martial arts education. Looking back I see that I was cheating myself out of a valuable learning experience. I never took the time to find a karate school I liked. With this in mind, I figured it could not hurt to check out FMK and see whether it would be a good idea for me to take a chance on karate classes.

I can still feel that same level of excitement in the dojo that I did on that very first day. The moment I walked through the door, I knew that this was no ordinary karate dojo. All of my preconceived notions and ideas about karate schools were shattered. I thought that most karate schools were designed to be exceedingly hard on their students. Essentially the Sensei or students of rank would break you down, humiliate you, and then proceed to beat the living hell out of you. Hopefully if you survived and had all of your digits intact, you would learn something about karate.

This was definitely not the case at FMK Karate. What I saw at the FMK dojo was profound. Students of all ages were practicing together. The instructors were kind, patient and good people. Everyone was just asked to do their best. The students were always praised when they did something correctly. I knew it was the right place for me to study karate. Because of this, my reasons for staying with FMK karate have changed very little. I am just as impressed today with the school as I was on that first day. I have done my best to be actively involved in as many karate school functions and demonstrations as possible. Each day I learn more about myself through actively helping others and being involved in karate classes.

My original goal was just to achieve the rank of black belt. However my goals as a karate student have changed quite a bit since I began. A black belt in karate has a certain reputation that has a degree of respect and accomplishment attached to it. When I started studying karate it seemed like such a long journey to achieve black belt status. I almost thought that I would never get there. Now that I am a black belt, I know the truth. Now that I know “the way” of karate, I am really just starting to learn.

As a second degree black belt, my current goal is to evolve into the best person I possibly can be, not only as a karate student, but also as a moral and ethical human being. I want to improve the connection between my mind and my body. So, I wish to perfect the art of fighting without having to fight. With practice and determination, I can stay on the right path. I understand that it will take a lifetime to accomplish this goal, but I will eventually get there.

I feel that FMK Karate is the best karate school in the world. After all, I feel proud to be an active student in the school. Sensei Frank Kushner is one of the greatest teachers I have ever had. He is patient, kind, generous, and humble. He has a fantastic sense of humor and is the epitome of what a Sensei should be. I remember Jack Nagle said once, “Sensei would give you the shirt off of his back if you asked him for it.” That statement basically summarizes what type of person he is. We all should learn from his example and aspire to be as generous as he is.

My opinion of my Sensei has only changed in that I have a deeper amount of respect and admiration for him and his school. As I have spent a great deal of time helping out with classes and cleaning the school after hours, and learned quite a bit about the ethics that should be instilled in persons of high rank. I have seen students act in very disrespectful ways toward him, but despite their poor behavior, he retains the role of the calm and complacent source of wisdom he always has been.

On one particular occasion, two former members of our school, decided to compete in a kata tournament using non traditional katas. They went so far as to bring a black belt from another school into our dojo and practice these “katas” after classes were finished. In my opinion, this is probably the most disrespectful thing they could do to our Sensei. I still do not understand the motivation behind this as Frank Kushner has won more tournaments than I can count. He would have been more than willing to train them and offered his support but, being self absorbed with what they were doing they refused and chose not to study under him. As a testament to his good character, he let these students practice and train for several nights with this other supposed “expert.” He knew that they had to learn from their own experience. Deep down I really wanted to let these students know how wrong they were for what they did. Without proper training and instruction, Sensei knew they would not be successful. This experience has taught me the true value of what it means to be truly courteous and have good manners. Just because someone is disrespectful to you, does not mean you should be disrespectful toward them. Sensei let the students practice as they chose because he was being courteous toward them. Most people, unlike our Sensei in this situation, usually do not take the time to consider all of the options and possible repercussions of a situation. Sensei respects and cares a great deal for his students. He always goes out of his way as a teacher to help others, even if it is at his own expense.

As a result of the FMK dojo’s positive learning environment, I enjoy spending a great deal time there. I could go on for hours about all of the amazing members of my school and especially about our Sensei Frank Kushner. I have had so many wonderful experiences. All of these people have changed my life forever. They have given me such a greater understanding of what I am truly made of and how I can make myself into a better person.

There is not really anything that I would need to change about my education at FMK Karate. It is probably because there is nothing I have any issues with at all. I only wish we had more financial resources available to help with some of the costs associated with the dojo’s operation so that things were not so hard on Sensei. I would like to rectify this situation through grant writing and helping with the school’s fundraising activities.

Kata practice is my favorite part of class. Kata is our Sensei’s real area of expertise and is the primary focus of our school. I am rewarded with new knowledge every time I practice a kata with Sensei and the other students. There are few activities that I do not enjoy as they all have some form of benefit to my training; however, I have had a tough time with sparring practice. I still have much to learn in all areas but sparring is still the most challenging. Unfortunately, I did have one accident this year where I broke my nose. It did more damage to my confidence than it did to me physically. I have no bad feelings with regard to the accident, but I still am very hesitant when it comes to sparring. The threat of my nose possibly being broken again has been difficult to overcome. Pushing my limitations is necessary for my improvement as a karate student. Through training at the dojo, I am constantly reminded of my mortality and physical limitations on a daily basis. I am still fighting with this fear, but it is slowly subsiding the more I practice. I just have to keep sparring and be very careful.

As far as my overall progress goes, I still have so much to learn. I have overcome many obstacles since I started here. I think that my level of progress reflects the amount of time I spend at the dojo. As a result of my time at FMK Karate, I have become physically stronger and capable of much more than I ever had thought I could. I feel better about myself and feel confident and secure with who I am. It is continuously rewarding to have some level of knowledge and experience in the area of karate.

Just like anyone else, though I do doubt myself from time to time, and feel that I do need to push myself harder. It is hard to know were the line is. When I should be pushing and when I should be resting? I just want to improve. I try and keep a positive attitude at all times. I believe all of this practice and training is adding to my experience and level of knowledge. I must stay on the warrior’s path and keep learning and growing. After all, I am studying a Japanese martial art that takes a lifetime to master.

I have felt a great deal of necessary growing pain, but I always smile and laugh on through every visit that I make to the dojo. Everyone is the best here. I can not think of another organization made up of so many good people. It is truly due to Frank Kushner’s positive attitude and teaching methods. I love that I am part of a real dojo.

The toughest part of my time here is watching students that I started classes with disappear and give up. It really makes me sad to see them throw away all of the time and energy they could be using to better themselves. I understand that there are certain unforeseen circumstances that do happen. The truth is that students who do eventually quit do not want to put forth any effort. I share my enthusiasm with my fellow students and show them by example as a black belt what you can get out of karate.

As I am only a second degree black belt, so I can only offer some conclusions that I have made through my own experiences. The only peace of advice I could ever give to any other karate student is that Karate is what you make of it. Put a little bit of karate into your everyday life. Karate has helped me to put a great many things in my life into perspective. It requires a ton of patience, self control and dedication. Learning karate is not easy, but it is well worth the time invested.

There is an old Taoist metaphor has been of great benefit to me and I would like to share it with my fellow students as it has put a great many things in my life into perspective. It is about patience:

Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?
The Master doesn't seek fulfillment, but not seeking, not expecting, is present, and can welcome all things.
-Tao Teh Ching, Lao Tzu

We need not move until the right action presents itself. Karate takes time, dedication, and patience. To master karate we must not give up, remain diligent and let the mud that clouds our lives to settle. Karate students must be cognicent of what is happening around them and make the most of each day of their lives. At FMK Karate the goal is to be the best people we can be.