11/12/2025
There is no substitute for good instruction and great friends. In my martial arts career, I've been very lucky to have both. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to compete in the Gateway Championship Martial Arts Tournament. It was a ring of 6 men, all aged between 40-49, and all of us were 2nd-3rd degree black belts. Participants came from all over the country to compete here.
Myself and my good friend and sparring partner, who goes to the same school as I do ended up in the finals together. That hit me as we began the final match. You see me in one of the pictures (I'm on the right in the images) below giving him a hug at the start of the match.
When you know, you know. He and I both knew that we'd be in the finals together at the outset. We had the training, the confidence, and most of all, the mentorship of our instructor, guiding us to this point. Our training saw both of us through to the final match, where we both exchanged this knowing glance - something like "...love you brother, glad to be here with you!"
At the end of the match, even though I came out on top, the real winner on display was how incredible our school is, as well as the brotherhood we have amongst one another there.
The spiritual concept "As within, so without" applies to our institutions as well. If they are great on the inside, students will do well on the outside.
As I left the tournament, I was thinking to myself how great our society would be if all institutions were as great on the inside as our school is.
While having everything run as well as our school may be a pipe dream to some, I prefer to be an optimist and know that our best days are ahead of us still. Not everything is doom & gloom. We will again be in a silver-age.
It just takes hard work, discipline, and Renaissance-minded men and women to get there.
Are you in?
