By Joe Sayles, Jr.
Once again, I am surfing the internet at midnight trying to get an idea to spark a post for this blog. I have several topics waiting to be developed, but I am just not in the mood to develop any of these informative pieces. I am not sure what I am looking for, but I will know it when I see it. Then I came across an article that caught my eye. The title of the article is “Super Grandmother Gains Karate Black Belt at 59. I see this and I think, wow, older martial artists will like this. Younger ones, might think of their grandmothers and not be able to imagine this. As I opened the article, I go no further. Click here to read that story. Then it hit me, I have a great story to share about how martial arts made a dad and a son a little closer. Only, it’s my family’s own feel good story.
Now this story doesn’t begin with the son doing tae kwon do then the dad joining later – well it does, but let me explain. When I was a boy, I had heard stories from my dad about how he had earned a black belt in judo while he was stationed in Japan. He told us a story about how he was attacked on his way home from class, and how he had used judo to flip his assailant into the “benjo” ditch. If you have ever lived in Japan like I did as a boy, then you can picture the mess! Well, being boys, my brothers and I never knew what to make of the stories. When we wrestled with Dad, we could tell he knew how to throw us, it was always gentle and masterfully done. So we knew he was telling us the truth, but we really didn’t understand what it meant to him.
Now, let’s advance the clock about 18 years to where the real story begins. I was opening my first dojang, a satellite in the Young Brothers Tae Kwon Do Academy of schools. I was behind schedule for my Grand Opening Demonstration, so I spoke to my dad about coming to help me complete the facility. You see, my dad had just retired, and was sitting around at home watching his money grow in the stock exchange (and I mean ALL DAY LONG). He had always told us not to sit around when we retired, but now he was sitting around. He had only been retired for 2 weeks at the time so I am sure he didn’t have a routine down yet. Well, now I was going to give him an activity.
First, he helped me build and complete the school. Then as the task of building the school wound down, he arrived on his usual schedule. But this one day, he showed up with a gi in his hands. I was shocked to see this sight. He had an old white Judo gi in his hand. He informed me that he wanted to do TKD with me in the back of the class. I told him that he should go in the back and get dressed. When he came into the room with pants half way up his shins, and sleeves that were 3/4 in length, I was a little dumbfounded. He had on a uniform that hadn’t seen daylight in over 35 years, yet it still fit him. But what stood out the most was his belt. He wore a brown belt into my class. That moment made several thoughts flash in my mind. Now, it was all coming back to me. He had never gotten his black belt! He had passed his test, but was never promoted with the belt. His Navy unit had shipped out before he received his black belt. So now, I had a mission! My mission, to get my dad into his black belt.
Come back for the next part, and I will tell you how my dad ended up highlighted in Black Belt Magazine. You’ll also learn how his training helped save his life. To learn more about black belts, judo gis, and tae kwon do doboks visit http://www.mas4less.com.
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