Hey all,

June 28 will mark 10 years that Bob (@sensei8) has been a moderator (or Sensei) here at KarateForums.com. Usually, I would wait until the day itself to celebrate this, but I thought it would be fun to move that up so that recognizing Bob could be part of our 25th birthday celebration.

As I considered how to approach this topic, in preparing to celebrate 25 years as a community, I realized that the member interviews and retrospectives we put together were actually a great tribute to Bob, and his contributions to KarateForums.com.

Member Interviews

Bob was mentioned in 8(!) of the 11 member interviews (excluding his own), which I think is an incredible testament in his impact here. aurik, bushido_man96, Drew, KarateKen, Revario, Spartacus Maximus, Wado Heretic, and Wastelander all mentioned him and talked about their connection to him. 

@aurik talked about the "insightful information" that Bob provides. @bushido_man96 mentioned his impact (in a separate article, Brian also named meeting Bob in-person as one of his favorite community-related memories). @Drew discussed how Bob's words had stuck with him from when Drew was new to the community. @KarateKen appreciated the rapport he has with Bob.

@Revario referenced Bob's famous "the proof is on the floor" catchphrase (as did Drew). @Spartacus Maximus honored Bob's dedication and experience. @Wado Heretic recounted how the community had rallied around Bob. @Wastelander described his "consistent, helpful presence."

Retrospectives

When we looked back at 24 years of the KarateForums.com Awards, we found how much the community has chosen to honor him over the years. Bob has won more awards than anyone else. 28 in total. He has the second most nominations with 54.

Not only that, but Bob has won several of our individual awards the most times, including Member of the Year (3 times, tied with Spartacus Maximus and @Zaine), Community Spirit Award (9 times!!!, tied with bushido_man96), Karate Contributor of the Year (3 times, tied with Wastelander), and Instructors and School Owners Contributor of the Year (6 times).

In reviewing the threads with the most views and replies in the history of the site, there is Bob, multiple times.

Bob has been a member for 18+ years. A staff member for 14.5 years and now a moderator for 10, while making 17,486 posts. 

Direct From Bob

In an article for our celebration, Bob discussed the community's impact on him, and in his own member interview, he talked about what KarateForums.com means to him:

Quote

KF means everything to me. These are not idle words. At my lowest and highest moments of my life, on and off the floor, this community and its members were right there to strengthen me across the board.

What Bob Means to KarateForums.com

So, let's talk about what Bob means to the community. I think of his influence in a few ways.

Bob the greeter. For a lot of people, Bob is the first person they receive an acknowledge from. Whether that is a welcome, a response, or a reaction, Bob has been that for countless members over the years. He has made them feel welcome, encouraging them to stay and become a part of our community.

Bob the martial artist. Drawing on his experience in the arts, Bob has touched many other martial artists, both new and veteran, helping them to become better or consider their efforts in a different light.

Bob the staff member. Over the years, Bob has been an incredibly impactful, positive part of our team, guiding the community behind the scenes, as we seek to build a community worth participating in.

Beyond that, I consider Bob a friend. I'm glad to know him, honored to have him as a member of our community, and grateful for the amazing contributions he has made over the years. To paraphrase Bob, the proof is in his posts.

Bob is the fifth moderator here to reach the 10 year mark and, customarily, I send these team members and their spouses out for a great dinner, and I'll reach out to Bob to arrange this in the coming days. 

While I certainly have my qualms with AI tools, the accuracy of the data they present authoritatively, and how they have sucked up the content of the internet, I will leave you with something that I found funny when I was doing some Google searches around Bob's history here, as I wrote this post. I was looking into Bob's famous catchphrase a bit, and ended up with this question: "What martial artist first said 'the proof is on the floor' online in regard to the martial arts?"

Here's what Google's AI summary told me:

And if Bob didn't originate the sentiment or the phrase, he has at least brought it to a wider audience, and will always be known for it here at KarateForums.com.

I hope you'll join me in celebrating Bob and honoring his contributions to our community. Thank you for reading.

Patrick

Edited June 17Jun 17 by Patrick

@sensei8, where to start!  First off, congratulations on this fantastic milestone!  Who'd a thought that when we met on that "other forum" all those years ago, it would lead to all this!  You're the heartbeat of KarateForums, and I mean that.

You've reached out and touched so many.  You've been a supporter, a confidant, a mainstay.  Ever present, ever helpful.  The AI recognition that Patrick searched up is awesome!  Bob, I continue to look forward to your helpful knowledge and continual presence here at KF!

Congratulations, and most well deserved! 

This is an outstanding thread and idea by @Patrick and in my opinion, nobody is more deserving of it than @sensei8 Sixty years in the martial arts, over 18 years on the forum, over 17,000 posts, and, in my observation, the most respected and highly regarded member of the forum.  We bow down  to you sir.

Congratulations on the milestone, Bob, and thank you for all you do!

Congratulations Bob, an important Milestone for both the forums and yourself!

Congratulations, Bob!  I'm sure those 10 years have gone by *fast*.

I’m humbled by everyone’s kind words. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t, at some point, think about KF and its phenomenal members; each have touched me in ways that I never imagined possible. I hope that, in return, I’ve given something back to each of you as you’ve each given to me these many, many years.

It has always been my distinct honor and privilege to be a part of the greatest community, KarateForums.com, and to rub elbows with its members every day these past 18 years.

To where I was 18+ years ago, and to where I am now, and to where I’m going in the future, is a testament of the importance that Patrick, KF, and its members mean to me; without them, the richness of the martial arts would have lost its flavor, yet, with with them, the resilience of the martial arts remains the every bit as important as ever.

Your presence in my life has profoundly impacted me in more ways that I can never forget. I’m forever grateful for your kindness, support, and empathy.

Interesting how Patrick discovered the information on my catchphrase, which I had no idea that any information even existed. “Proof is on the floor” is something I’ve been saying for as long as I can remember, since my JBB days; it’s something that I deeply believe in, so much so that its become a staple of my MA journey.

Thank you, Patrick for everything, and this OP moved me to tears full of gratitude. To each KF member, thank you for sharing yourself with me these many years. I pray that God will allow me many more years with all of you.

Hey all, just wanted to come back on today, the actual day that makes 10 years! Congrats again, Bob. Thank you.

Thank you, Patrick and everyone else here at KF!! I’m nothing without my KF family!! I love you all so very much!!

 

Edited June 29Jun 29 by sensei8