I love that every lesson I attend ensures that I learn something new and that no two karate lessons are ever the same. Also, all the instructors are great. They know everyone by name, they all want the best for their students and they sacrifice their time every week to teach us which is truly inspiring and grateful.

Karate has also developed my character and personality. I am very shy and I didn’t think I would train for this long and enjoy it this much. I am on cloud nine after a karate lesson. Sure, there are weeks where I feel down about karate but most people have that from time to time. Karate has definitely improved my self-confidence. I was an assistant instructor for two years. I helped teach a class, which I never thought I would be able to do, but I did it and I am very proud of myself for achieving this and hope to do it again in the future.

My main goal in karate is to produce the best karateka, which I will continue to strive for. My favorite quote about karate is “a black belt is a white belt that never gives up” because it is a simple but powerful message that teaches us not to give up on our dreams. To conclude, I appreciate my karate journey and am happy that it has helped shape the person I am today. I can’t imagine my life without it. I have been training karate for over thirty years now and am officially a coach.