An Unlikely Master

The image is clear in my head: an eleven year old Taekwondo student performing his pattern, his head swiveling and his eyes darting left, right and behind. Not because it’s part of his pattern, but rather because he is working so hard to watch other kids doing their patterns.

He’s not doing this to admire their form. He’s not doing it to try and learn from them or get hints as to how he can become better. He’s watching to try and be sure that they aren’t performing their pattern better than he is performing his. The irony is that because he is focusing on others, his own pattern greatly suffers. The further irony is that if he does his pattern with self-focus, he can do it rather well. I also know that he is probably hoping that they somehow stumble, so that he looks better. Continue reading →

I went to a wonderful event this past Thursday evening.  For the first time, I attended the annual dinner for the Lake Superior Chapter of BNI. I’ve been a member of the chapter since last January, having transferred from a different chapter in Cloquet, about 20 miles south of Duluth. I am also the chapter’s regional Director Consultant, providing training, coaching and support to help them (us) succeed. I also support three other area chapters. All told, I’ve got about six years in BNI, but am only in my first yearly cycle with the Lake Superior chapter.

It was a nice dinner at the local Radisson. Social hour first. We changed tables to sit/talk with different chapter members for each of the three courses. The outgoing leadership and support teams were thanked. The outgoing chapter president was roasted, and it was obvious that the members who presented their humorous insights took it seriously, cared and prepared. Some funny stuff there! Continue reading →

This week I must address a matter of student behavior that caused some problems last week at my Taekwondo school. The matter involves a few kids, ranging in age from about 8 through 12.  For the purposes of this post, the particular issue doesn’t matter. Rather, what matters is that I need to address it, I will, and, hopefully, will do so well.

I want to resolve the matter because I don’t want to lose any students. Sure, I don’t want to lose any paid enrollments. But much, much more so,  I don’t want to lose any student(s); I want to help them grow, develop, flourish, and move along in various ways. I want them to fulfill their potential, and I want us to be part of that. Continue reading →

I’m not sure of the exact date, but by now in this month of September, 2013, twenty years have just passed since my son Robert (now Robb)  and I started training together in Taekwondo.

He was 4 years and 9 months old; I was 33 years and 3 months old. He was a tyke who ran around the house (ALL THE TIME!) in green Ninja Turtle pajamas pretending to be Michelangelo and fighting imaginary bad guys. I was Continue reading →

We recently did belt promotion testing at our school. It’s always great to see students prepared, excited, nervous, and coming through in the end.

Or not coming through.

Yes, sometimes students have material – often a board break or two – that they were not able to successfully complete at their test. Or, they just can’t remember some material under the pressure of testing. Or, Continue reading →

Today my wife and I celebrate 27 years of marriage. When people ask me how we met, I always respond, “She just showed up at my door one night.” That is true, but the story is not quite that simple, and it is, I think, a bit entertaining, if not sweet.

Bonnie was doing field organizing for the organization for which she worked in Washington, DC, where she lived at the time.  I was living in St. Louis, Continue reading →

One of the best parts about teaching or preaching is that one gets the opportunity to remind, challenge and inspire oneself as much as those to whom they are speaking. This perhaps partly explains why I generally feel that no matter what I do, it’s not good enough. (smile) Continue reading →