I remember the first time I walked into The Karate Dojo. I had a friend that was a student there, and I was looking to get my son back into Karate. My son, Adam, had taken Karate for 2 years at The Columbia School of Karate-do, but had been out of it for a year after his instructor, Hanshi Abele, had passed away. When Adam and I walked in, I immediately thought that the Sensei there, Sensei Brian Pena, looked familiar to me. Oddly enough, he seemed to think I looked familiar as well, but we did not know each other.
I signed Adam up that day and he started the next day. We immediately decided that Adam would join Team Dojo, the competition team at The Karate Dojo. It would be an exciting adventure, Adam had competed before, and we both loved the tournament atmosphere and competition.
Adam had been attending classes at The Karate Dojo for about a month when Sensei Pena started asking me when I would be starting Karate classes. I had little to no interest in starting Karate myself, I had taken a trial month for no cost at the Columbia School of Karate-do. It was OK, but I had much more fun watching Adam do well in Karate. Then one day I was sitting in the Parents Pit and Sensei called me out to the desk. He said “You have to do this, you were born for Karate. I would die to have you in my class.” Apparently I believed him, because after that statement I signed up for a 6 month contract.
I was quite nervous the first day of class, I was not sure what to expect. I had heard rumors about how demanding Sensei is with his students, and I knew I was weak. But I do love a challenge, so I was excited to see what my future there would hold. In my first class I learned the proper way to Rei, or bow to show respect. As the days went on, I learned kicks and eventually started to learn kata. I was really starting to enjoy all of it. Not only was I getting in better shape, I was out of my house 2 nights a week in an adult atmosphere. I had not realized until then how little I was around other adults, and how infrequently I left the house at all, other than to work and buy groceries. I was building confidence as well, something I had very little of at my age – I was 40 years old at the time. As the days went on, I enjoyed it more and more, until I found myself looking forward to class.
I almost became overwhelmed at one point when I was there 2 nights a week, Adam was there 2 nights a week and on the weekends we were off to tournaments. I loved it so much that I didn’t care.
When it was time for me to test for my Yellow Belt, I was more than nervous. I had studied all my memory work, I knew the requirements and I felt ready. I went in to take my written test and failed. Sensei called me and had me come and retake it the same day. I had not gotten an answer “wrong” just in the wrong order. The physical test was nerve racking to me. My legs shake when I am nervous, and I knew everyone would see me shaking. I was very glad when the test was done and I left the Dojo crying my eyes out sure I had failed again. I had messed up and turned the wrong way during Taigo 1. The next week I went to class ready to be saddened by the news, wondering if I would be able to show up to class again if I failed. I did not fail though, I had passed, and I was elated. It was time to start learning new material.
In the summer after my Yellow Belt test I was traveling with the team a lot. Sensei decided that I should compete in a tournament, and always trusting I agreed. I arrived to my first competition scared I would forget everything I had learned over the past 8 months. My legs had been shaking for the entire ride. There were 7 competitors in my division and I lucked out and got to go last. I won first place in kata and then went on to fight and came in second place. From that day forward, I was addicted to competing.
If I had to pinpoint an exact time that I “fell in love” with Karate, I would say it was in the middle of my Orange Belt physical test. I had never showed up to anything in my life more prepared than I was for that test. I was there for 4 ½ hours and loved every minute of it. I left the Dojo that day smiling, not crying, and I have been in love with Karate ever since.
I did not do as well on my Blue Belt test; I did not feel as prepared. I was ready for the written test but not quite as ready for the physical test. I left that test crying too. I want to clarify that the crying I did after the tests was not a sad crying; it is more of a completely drained crying. The tests are hard, and it drains you, mentally and physically. I love it though, even though I cried after two of them, I love it. Rank Tests are our chance to show Sensei how well he has trained us; and he trains us better than anyone could.
So in December 2011, as an Orange Belt, I sat at the Dojo Holiday Dinner listening to Sensei give a speech about the Student of the Year as he was about to announce the winner. I was not on the list of contenders because I had not been awarded one of the Students of the Months that year. I sat and thought about what he was saying. I started thinking about what an honor it would be for Sensei to pick you as Student of the Year. I wanted to earn that. I wanted it. I knew then that if I was ever going to be on that list I had to work harder than I had before, I would need to be better than I was, I would need to be the best I could be. That night when I went to bed, I couldn’t sleep. I thought about the upcoming year. I decided that I was making that one of my goals. One day I wanted to be Student of the year. I would dedicate myself to training, to competition, to everything Karate. I worked as hard as I could for the entire year.
So there I sat, at the 2012 Dojo Holiday Dinner a few weeks ago, now a Green Belt, once again listening to Sensei give his speech about the Student of the Year. Honestly, by then I was not concerned about being Student of the Year any more. I thought about my year of hard work, and I was proud of myself for putting forth the effort. I was so happy with where I was in Karate; I didn’t care if I was picked. I looked across the table at a beautiful young woman who I completely thought deserved Student of the Year – Noemi Iniguez. Noemi is the model Karate student, everything I want to be, a great leader, a great student, a great person. Noemi was smiling at me, and I was smiling at her, and then Sensei announced a name. At first I was confused, because he had not called Noemi’s name. Then it occurred to me what had happened – he had announced my name, I was the “2012 Student of the Year”.
It isn’t about winning. It isn’t about being Student of the Year. It isn’t about certificates to hang on walls. It isn’t about trophies won at Tournaments. It is about being the best I can be in Karate, and in life, and being able to be proud of what I am doing.
I love Karate. This is the life I am meant to lead.
Thank You Sensei; I am honored to be your student.
Jill Hunnicutt
