Patrick

Thank you for sharing with us, @Montana, and for all of your contributions over the years.

For our 25th birthday celebration, we're publishing an interview series with members from our community. Member Profile @Montana (View Profile) Joined: April 18, 2007 Posts: 989 KarateForums.com Awards: Instructor and School Owners Contributor of the Year (2024) Interview Where are you from? Born, raised, and lived in Montana for the first 55 years of my life, except for a stint in the US Army. Currently near Deer Park, Washington, and HATE IT HERE! Why did you get started in the martial arts? I started in January of 1975 because of the Bruce Lee movies mainly. I found it fascinating! Why have you continued to practice them? I've always been amazed at what you can do in the arts. How you can manipulate bodies. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. I've only "taken" one style. Okinawan Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Karate. I have taken many hours of watching other systems in how they do things. What is your grade or level? Yandan (4th Dan Black Belt). Do you teach? I taught from Fall 1978 thru early 2005. What are your first memories from training? There were many, too numerous to list. What has been the highlight of your training? Meeting the head of our system, Sensei Kuda Yuichi, during his first trip to America, sponsored by my sensei, Denny Miller. This was in June 1978 when I tested for Shodan before Sensei Kuda. What do you do when you're not training? Work, work, and more work... What do you do for a living? Currently, I drive school sports teams wherever they have to go for competitions. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? I don't really have any martial arts heroes. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I'm retired for the most part. No longer actively teaching, but I do a little judging and help out a dojo or two now and then. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? It was so long ago, I really don't remember how I found it, or why I joined. Why did you stay? I found the discussions interesting and informative. I don't always agree with what is presented, and my big mouth has gotten me into trouble more than once on here, lol. You've been a member since April 18, 2007. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? There are less people actively posting now than there were. I guess we've hammered it all out? lol. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? There aren't many doing the same system on here. I read what they post, agree or disagree, sometimes add my own perspective. I can't really say anybody on here has influenced me.

Thanks @DarthPenguin! Glad that you like it.

Hey all, As we've celebrated various milestones over the years, one of the questions that I have come back to, time and time again, is this: What does KarateForums.com mean to you? The question tends to surface randomly when we are reflecting, but when I do ask it, as I did when KF turned 10 and when we turned 20, or when the question is highlighted in articles (like these by bushido_man96 and sensei8), we get the most amazing answers. They talk about the community, the people in it, and the feeling that it has created. In honor of our 25th birthday, I'd love to invite you to reflect on this question and reply here. What does KarateForums.com mean to you? How have the members in it supported you? Thank you for taking the time and for sharing with us. Patrick

Thank you for sharing this with us, Bob (@sensei8)! Your earnest nature is something that I've always appreciated, and it shines through here. I appreciate you.

Hey all, As part of our 25th birthday celebration, I would like to announce the launch of our new Training Logs forum. I went back to try to find when members started to use our forum this way, and I found a training log that @Symphony-x started almost 20 years ago, on November 29, 2006. In January of 2007, @bushido_man96 (Brian) started a thread that was open to all, and many people have used that thread over the years. Although it has 5,674 posts in all, only 1,893 of those belong to Brian. In fact, 7 other members have posted more than 100 times, and the thread has been viewed over 500,000 times. That encouraging environment that Brian created inspired several other threads over the years, including a martial arts technique log from @gzk, and individual training log threads from @Karate4Life (here), @Wayofaswede (here), @DarthPenguin (here), and @camotheman (here). In honor of this interest, we would like to try to give these training logs their own space, which will hopefully encourage continued logging by those who already do it - and new threads from additional members thanks to this fresh burst of encouragement. Ultimately, it could also be good to separate them from more traditional discussion threads, as well. A big thanks to Symphony-x for starting the first one (that I could find) and Brian for building the momentum that helped members to share their regular training habits here with the community, which is really what leads us to starting this new forum. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. Thank you for reading. Patrick

In this forum, you can create an ongoing thread where you document your training. The definition of "training" is open-ended. It could be exercise and physical training, your martial arts training, or perhaps some other form of training. For inspiration on what your thread might look like, please see examples by DarthPenguin, Wayofaswede, and camotheman. If you're not quite ready to start your own thread, you can also contribute to bushido_man96's training log, which is open to all. Thank you for reading.

Thank you for the kind words, Brian (@bushido_man96). It's very touching to read, not just what you said about me, but especially how deeply the community has impacted you over the last 20+(!) years. It's such a beautiful thing. In turn, you have played an important role in making this place as special as it is and are one of KarateForums.com's greatest champions. Not in the "I won a tournament" martial arts sense, but in the personal sense, as an unselfish, thoughtful supporter of what this community can be at its very best. I am grateful for all of your efforts on staff, for your contributions here, and for your friendship.

For our 25th birthday celebration, we're publishing an interview series with members from our community. We did this back in 2013, and bushido_man96 was one of the members that participated. Member Profile @bushido_man96 (View Profile) KarateForums.com Sensei Joined: March 31, 2006 Posts: 31,212 KarateForums.com Awards: Community Spirit Award (2025, 2024, 2022, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006), Staff Member of the Year (2025, 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2016, 2009, 2007, 2006), Health and Fitness Contributor of the Year (2025, 2024, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2014, 2013), and Article of the Year (2014, 2007) Interview Where has your martial arts journey taken you, since November 2013? Since 2013, I’ve hit several milestones. I tested for and passed for 4th dan in December 2013. In December 2024, about 11 years later, I tested for and passed my 5th dan. During that time, the Taekwondo school where I assist with teaching changed hands. I also went back to an Aikido dojo where my good friend is the sensei and have been attending regular classes and attaining rank. Incidentally, my hiatus from Aikido also lasted that 11 years. I’ve recently started attending regular Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes. In addition, I’ve had some opportunities to cross-train. What is your grade or level now? Taekwondo: 5th dan. Aikido: 5th Kyu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: White belt. Combat Hapkido: 4th Gup, but no longer active. When I asked you the highlight of your training back in 2013, you mentioned an ATA instructor certification camp, instructor seminars with Grandmaster Sun Yi, attending a G.R.A.C.I.E. course taught by Royce Gracie, and connecting in-person with @sensei8. Do you have any new highlights to add? I’ve attended several different defensive tactics courses for work and have been building a curriculum for the department I work for. I was excited to achieve the rank of 5th dan in Taekwondo, which I had put off for far too long. I also helped build the curriculum for a women’s self-defense seminar that our Taekwondo school holds every year, and I assist with teaching it as well. My favorite highlight, however, would have to be the cross-training seminars that I’ve been able to be a part of in a teaching capacity over the past few years. In the first cross-training weekend that we had, the seminar consisted of sessions taught by three different Taekwondo instructors (myself, the owner of our school, and another instructor from Colorado Springs, Colrado), two senseis from a Shorin Ryu Karate dojo, my Aikido sensei, my former Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach, and my former defensive tactics head coach from our local university. Each instructor was able to present material pertinent to their particular styles and journeys, and it was open to the students of each of the schools, as well. I immensely enjoyed teaching and training in these seminars. I learned a lot, and the best part is that all of the instructors get to sit around and nerd out about martial arts together. Each time we teach, it challenges me to come up with something I feel good about presenting to the group. The last few times we were short a few of these instructors but, by and large, we have a consistent group that meets to cross-train at least a few times a year. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? Over the course of the next few years, I plan to continue to consistently train in Taekwondo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with a focus on continuing to attain rank in Aikido and hopefully Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. How would you sum up the last 13 years of your life? Boy time flies! Over the past 13 years, I’ve had two children graduate high school and enter college, my youngest started high school, and I’ve become a grandfather three times over. I’ve also had my 20-year work anniversary with the sheriff’s office, along with my 21st wedding anniversary. Chasing kids’ sports and activities, chasing martial arts goals, and life in general has gotten busy! My wife has also pursued new goals in her professional life and has recently attained another degree and started attending graduate school. Things are picking up! Why are you still visiting KarateForums.com? I continue to visit KarateForums.com because it is the constant in my martial arts life. My work schedule throws my training into flux throughout the year, but KarateForums.com is always there for me to go to, even when I can’t train. The community here is supportive and encouraging and I always enjoy dropping in and reading posts, offering some comments when I can, and learning things from the members here. Being a part of KarateForums.com has become a part of my martial arts life. It also keeps me accountable to my own training. If I’ve been lazy, reading posts on training logs or posts that are questions about training, they’ll give me the kick in the pants that I need to get off my butt and get back to work. What’s changed in the community over the last 13 years? Traffic has ebbed and flowed and members come and go (and some come back again). I really think traffic is back on the rise now. The site migration has been a most welcome improvement (I was nervous about the change at first; you know, change and all…). Some things in the forums have been consolidated and renamed, but overall, the experience is still the same. The same quality of community exists here. What do you think it says about the community that we are doing this again, so many years later? It speaks to the quality of the members, the moderators, and the culture that has been developed here. Like training mandates in so many martial arts (but often fails to exemplify when it comes to trying to discuss them), KarateForums.com is built upon respect, humility, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit. It honestly goes back to the vision that you, @Patrick, founded the community on; a place where any stylist with any amount of experience could come and express their thoughts, ideas, or questions, in an environment that encourages discussion instead of conflict. There’s no chest pounding, there’s no condescension. The community has been built on respect and courtesy, and it continues to thrive because the members here realize that so much more can be learned and achieved from each other by interacting in this way. When we spoke back in 2013, you were a Sensei, and you are still one today. Why have you remained committed to the community in this way? The simple answer is because I love it. I enjoy the community and being an ambassador for the community. When I found this site, I really fell in love with it and with the interactions in the forums. When I was asked to join the moderation team, I learned more of how and why this community is so great, and being able to continue to foster the culture here and being able to work to maintain such a great community is very rewarding. I’d like to end by repeating the last three questions I asked you previously, as I think these answers can change over time – or not. But they are worth asking for the sake of identifying what makes this community so special. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? This is kind of the same answer as last time. I really try to approach my training in different ways depending on the day. It’s affected by conversations I’ve had here at KarateForums.com. Someone might mention something in a post about an approach to a technique, or about a strategy or nuance of sparring, and I’ll think about it and take it into class with me and see if I can use it or try it and see how it works with what I’m doing that particular class. Someone might make a point about something in class, and I’ll compare and contrast that with how someone here might have related to it. It helps me to think of the martial arts on a broader level as a whole and helps me to think outside of my training boxes. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? There are so many! Last time I mentioned sensei8, @DWx, @tallgeese, and @ps1, and there were so many more that I interacted with quite a bit that have been gone for some time. Since that time, members like @Wastelander, @aurik, @Spartacus Maximus, @DarthPenguin, and @Wado Heretic have all been influential to me. I know there have been more, and I apologize for leaving anyone out! I’d like to list the entire roster! Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advise or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey? Aside from my previous response, it’s very difficult to recall one particular moment over any others. The support that I’ve received from the community members always go with me when I teach a class, or attempt a grading, or attend a seminar, or teach a seminar. Just knowing I can come back to KarateForums.com after a class or other event and share my thoughts and experiences here affects my martial arts journey.

Thank you for being a part of this community, @Drew! I appreciate all of the contributions that you have made. Patrick

For our 25th birthday celebration, we're publishing an interview series with members from our community. Member Profile @Drew (View Profile) Joined: September 28, 2011 Posts: 205 Interview Where are you from? Illinois most of my life, and Tennessee the past four years. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I got started in the martial arts because of a feeling, the type of feeling that says you are meant for something. Why have you continued to practice them? Actually, I’ve been weight training mostly, and restoring mobility from some injuries before I get back to martial arts. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. I’ve trained in BJJ for a lot of years, about 20, counter to what my most recent performance would suggest. I’ve also trained Muay Thai in Thailand, boxing, karate, Judo, MMA, and quite a bit of medieval martial arts as well. What is your grade or level? I’m not ranked or graded in anything, but I’ve fought in the ring quite a bit. Tell me about the ring fighting. I think I’ve fought on 5 cards in various sports (MMA, Muay Thai, and boxing). I don’t think I’m forgetting any. The bell has a way of changing reality. The world gains an almost dreamlike quality, invariably, where sounds are muted and where anything you do hear is resoundingly loud. Do you teach? I teach sometimes. What are your first memories from training? My first memories from training are punching my dad's hands when I was about 10. He showed me how to box. What has been the highlight of your training? The highlight of my training has been Thailand. I really enjoyed doing 2-a-days 6 days a week. No one can keep that up for long though. I shrunk a lot and was very fatigued by the time I got home after 3 months. What do you do when you're not training? When I’m not training, I spend a lot of time on Instagram. I also like playing guitar, 3D modeling, painting, coding, and just thinking. What do you do for a living? Currently, I’m recovering from some kind of illness that doctors haven’t been able to explain to me, so not much. It has to do with mobility, and it’s been getting quite a lot better very quickly. When I wasn’t sick, usually something in a warehouse or factory of some kind. Sorry to hear that. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? Everyone who worked on Avatar the Last Airbender, Jack Dempsey, Marcelo Garcia, and Saenchai. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? Kill Bill is probably the most extreme martial arts movie that I am aware of, though I find portions of it very hard to watch. Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? In the next few years? Fighting a lot more. Preferable sooner than later. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? I found KarateForums while researching martial arts in a computer lab when I was in middle school. I didn’t join for over six years actually. When I did, it was out of a need for community. Why did you stay? I stayed because I like the people here. You've been a member since September 28, 2011. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all? KarateForums has grown a bit more silent than it used to be. That makes me sad. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? For my training, members have definitely influenced me over the years. A lot of people said some really interesting things that stuck with me from the very beginning when I was in middle school. @DWx, @sensei8, and @bushido_man96 all still cross my mind when I’m working specifically on karate techniques, because they were there when I first developed them, whether they know it or not. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? @Wastelander. He has a really cool, traditional yet practical style that I think reflects the environment of the forum. Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey? Of all the advice I’ve received here, this is the best: “The proof is on the floor!” (From sensei8).

Hey all, Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com. We recognize one member every month as the KarateForums.com Member of the Month for their positive contributions to this community. Our honoree this time, during our 25th birthday celebration, is... @camotheman! Beginning in 2004, this marks the 256th time that we have selected a Member of the Month, and the 192nd individual member that has been honored. camotheman, it has been great to see you become more active this year, and I've enjoyed reading your contributions. Thank you for being a part of our community. Patrick

Thank you for being a part of our community and for sharing with us, @Revario. It's great to get to know you better through this interview.

For our 25th birthday celebration, we're publishing an interview series with members from our community. Member Profile @Revario (View Profile) Joined: February 26, 2023 Posts: 43 Interview Where are you from? I was born in Haiti. Moved to Gatineau, Quebec, Canada before I could walk. Why did you get started in the martial arts? I started at a very young age. To be quite honest, probably to be a Ninja Turtle. I was 4. Why have you continued to practice them? At first, because it gave me what it promised: I became a Ninja Turtle. I did take a break in my teens and came back to a different art than Karate because I wanted to try something new. I didn't like it. Then took another quick break. I was introduced to another art in my early 20s, and I went because of my lifelong interest in martial arts in general. I simply liked what I saw, and its methodology but mostly the teacher. After deep analysis, I came back to Karate in a new and different way. My time away helped me truly understand it. Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken. As implied before, I did a few. First was Chito Kan Karate. The teen period was a Kung Fu of what I can only assume now was knowledge of mixed origin, not one specific style. Early 20s, I discovered Krav Maga and came back to Karate but Chito Ryu. What is your grade or level? Not high. Official grade is 2nd kyu. I don't train for belts, however, and my sensei knows this. Hence, I get to learn kata from up to 3rd dan. Only and specifically the ones I have interest in. Again, I don't train for belts and promotion but for skills and understanding of movements for purpose of self-defense. Something @sensei8 said has stuck with me: The proof is on the floor. I understood that one's knowledge, understanding, and application is much more important then level or rank. I do sound bitter when it comes to this topic, as I learn in unorthodox ways and have lots of issues with ranking systems. Do you teach? I try to teach. Specifically offering free lessons and seminars to interested people in my area and to dojo in my community. So far, the interest has been quite limited as I am not good at promoting. What are your first memories from training? I started very young, I was 4 years old, so my first memory is learning the rolls on a gym mat. Not spectacular or anything great, just a very far and muddled memory. What has been the highlight of your training? I would have to say that is the moment when it all clicked and made sense as one. When I was able to see, visualise, and understand that kihon, kata, and kumite are truly one. From there, my approach to Karate took a very sharp turn and remained on that path. What do you do when you're not training? Stimulate my mind via movies, readings, and video games. What do you do for a living? I work in Customer Service. It pays the bill. Who are or were your martial arts heroes? The few that stand out are the ones that I follow the teachings of. In no specific order: Tsuyoshi Chitose, Motobu Choki, Mas Oyama, Yamaguchi Gogen, and, of course, my sensei. What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows? The Raid series. Gangs of London. I will answer this by saying action directed by Gareth Edwards. He knows how to make an art shine as well as the artist and brings great brutality to his action. I am quite confident anyone who has seen any of his work can confirm, he changed martial art action cinema and what can come out of it. (I think we all secretly would have wanted a Mortal Kombat done in the same fashion as his Raid movies). Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years? I am quite uncertain to be honest. I would ultimately like to have either an established school or be a travelling teacher giving practical seminars in dojos around America. Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join? Yes, via a simple Google search with those exact words, Karate forum, and it worked. I joined because it was exactly what I was looking for; a community of people into martial arts. People that were not keyboard warriors but true martial artists who had real insight to give with no ego or pretentions. I think people here speak from experience and have nothing to prove to anyone. Such intelligent communities seem to be rare in the midst of all social media. Why did you stay? Despite not having constant updates, pictures, videos and comments like other social media platforms, there is highly educated content and intelligent conversations. How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training? Inspired by peoples comment and methodologies. Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you? @Wastelander. Because when I initially had that spark and idea in regards to practical Karate, he is the first person I found online who was doing it seriously. In all honesty, at the time, I didn't know he was involved here or that his handle was Wastelander but his logo was unmistakable. So not necessarily via here or this site but on other media, he has been an inspiration and beacon when it comes to practical Karate. (There may be others who have also inspired me elsewhere that I simply don't recognize their name/handle here). Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey? In one of my most recent interactions, I figured and understood I may not be as alone as I once thought I was on the path I have chosen. It is good to know and understand that (a.) I'm not that special, lol, and (b.) Others have dealt with similar situations, continued, strived and succeeded in their martial arts path. That there is no reason to give in or give up and as hard as it can be to take a route that is not often taken, it is absolutely rewarding and worth it. That is something that has, does, and will continue to affect me forever. Knowing that this place exists, in and of itself, has had a positive impact on my training, not just one piece of advice.

It is an incredible testament to Bob's contributions to our community. Yes, this has happened one other time, as @Zaine was honored with Member of the Year in 2021, 2022, and 2023.