Leaving Staff After 16 Years: How KF Has Impacted Me

[DWx]

Happy 21st and a half-birthday to KarateForums.com!

As is tradition on our half-birthday’s, a staff member is given the honour to address the community, and this year it's my turn. I’d like to use this opportunity to reflect on my time at KarateForums.com and how the community has impacted me.

Truth be told, I had to look at my profile here to see how long ago I joined KF. My profile tells me I joined in January 2007, nearly 16 years ago. It also tells me that in those 16 years, I’ve spent a whopping 14 weeks of my life online here. Not surprising then that KarateForums.com has played an important part in shaping not only my martial arts journey but has had an impact on my life in general as it's been a constant for my whole adult life.

I joined KF in 2007 as a fresh 2nd Dan in Taekwon-Do looking for a place to discuss the art I loved and learn more about other styles and ways of training. I came across KF by accident, but here I found a genuine community where members were clearly passionate but encouraged discussion, offered genuine advice and celebrated each other’s successes in a safe and supportive space. The school I came from was an amazing place to learn Taekwon-Do, but it's fair to say was conservative when it came to other styles and training methods, so to find somewhere to discuss topics outside of that was really great for me.

The community here (and it is a community in every sense of the word) has supported me through some of the best and worst moments in my martial arts journey: Through gradings and tournament successes but also injuries and tough decisions such as deciding to leave my instructor and walk my own path. Members like Brian (bushido_man96), Bob (sensei8), Alex (tallgeese), Liam (Nidan Melbourne), Noah (Wastelander) and many more, supported and guided me through all this. I have of course Patrick also to thank for this as not only did he also support me like the others, but he created the safe space and community that allowed myself and other members to come together. When I hit “Submit” on my first post here, I had no idea that I would keep coming back again and again and that the people I interacted with here would become my friends.

It’s pretty amazing to see internet strangers come together to celebrate each other’s successes both martial arts related and non-related but also to support each other when things go wrong.

In my time at KF, I’ve gone full circle; beginning as a student, becoming a competitor, then transitioning to a coach, instructor and finally school owner. Not to mention milestones in my personal life as not long after I joined the site I was graduating high school, going to university, and then beginning my career. I looked back at some of my early posts here and some of them have definitely made me cringe! But what it also demonstrates is growth and the interactions I’ve had with members here have shaped how I view my training and now impact the way I teach and coach my own students.

In going full circle because unfortunately I am unable to spend as much time here as I once could so this post coincides with my stepping down as a KF Sensei. What most posters here won’t realise is that the staff and Patrick work tirelessly behind the scenes to make this community what it is and without a doubt this is why the quality of the discussion is so high so a special thank you to all the staff members here.

21 and a half years is a long time for website but even more so for a forum and its longevity is a testament to the amazing community here.

So happy 21st and half birthday KarateForums.com and thank you to everyone who has made this place what it is.

[bushido_man96]

Happy Half-Birthday KF!

Danielle, you've been such a great member and moderator over the course of your 16 years here! This site is great because of members like you. Best of luck in your endeavors moving forward, and we look forward to still seeing you around the forums!

Thanks to Patrick for providing a great environment for people to meet and share their experiences in!

And to all the members here that stir up great conversation by sharing all their experiences. You all rock!

[sensei8]

What a great post, Danielle; right from the heart.

May I say that your contributions here at KF have helped to form KF as it is now. Your 16 years here in every know capacity has helped KF as well as its members in so many ways.

KF is a family, and as I see it, a very close-knit family because of people like yourself and the uncountable number of members that have come and go. What you've accomplished on and off the floor is undeniable here as well as elsewhere in your life both as a MAist as well as an individual to the Nth degree. Good luck in everything that lies ahead, Danielle. I will greatly miss you across the board.

Yes, thank you Patrick for making KF the place to be for all walks of life, and for ensuring that KF is the non-judgmental media that the members can relax while sharing their knowledge and experiences safely.

The plethora of members that have contributed to the KF Forums sure do cause one to pause and think and have those AHA moments. Thank you, members, for helping KF to reach its 21st and a Half anniversary...and here's to many, many, many more KF birthdays.

[Patrick]

Thank you for sharing this, Danielle.

In the last 21 and a half years, I've seen many staff members come and go. Many great ones, who made tremendous contributions to the community.

And yet, this one hits me differently. Danielle, you have been such a rock here. In public, an exemplary member, who has helped so many and also been vulnerable and shared your story. To watch you grow, to see you start a school and lead it, it's truly been a pleasure. As a person, you are a joy to be around.

As a moderator, you have been truly unique, among the best I have ever seen. The attention-to-detail through which you approached the role, the fair-minded process you went through with each decision, it was impressive, and made things work better here. Having staff members like you is what makes me feel comfortable enough not to always be here, to be able to step away, and have a child (as an extreme example from this year!), and not worry about what might happen. Along with other staff members and our overall great community members, too.

I will miss you. I'll miss your presence here, I'll miss your influence in forum-related matters. Thank you for being here, thank you for everything that you have done. I look forward to staying in touch both here and elsewhere.

Patrick

[DarthPenguin]

Best of luck - plus stepping down as a moderator doesn't mean you need to step down as a poster!

[tallgeese]

That is a crazy long time when you think about it! It speaks not just to the value of the community but your own passion for what we all love in one form or another. I understand exactly where you are coming from and know your presence will continue to be felt here. It honors me that you look fondly on our interactions on the site and know it's been a pleasure to share thoughts on the arts with you as well and serve on the staff with you.

[Wastelander]

Thank you for all you've done, and for sharing with us!

[ashworth]

Thanks for everything you have done within this community. Hopefully you will still be able to visit from time to time