Hey all,

July 31 marks 20 years since Brian (@bushido_man96) joined our staff here at KarateForums.com.

As you may know, we recently celebrated 25 years as a community. Which means that Brian has been on staff for roughly 79.5% of our existence. We've never had a staff member here reach this milestone, but it isn't just rare here, it is rare in online communities in general to have a volunteer staff member who commits to a community like this in this fashion for such a long period of time.

When he hit 10 years on staff, I noted that Brian had made more than 26,000 posts and was the first member to hit 25,000. Building on that, he now has more than 31,000 and was the first to reach 30,000. But as I said then, the number only tells part of the story. Brian's posts, having been a member for well over 20 years now.

What I think is most impressive to me about Brian is that even as his knowledge in the arts has grown, he has continued to be the same person when it comes to how he listens, creates space for others, makes them feel welcome, and is open to their viewpoints. I believe that is what separates a member with a lot of posts from a member that truly makes an impact within our community.

This is demonstrated in many ways, among them our KarateForums.com Awards. At the time when he reached the 10-year staff mark, Brian had been nominated in the awards more than any other member and was second all-time in award wins. Those two things are still true today, and the numbers have roughly doubled, from 36 to 68 and 13 to 27.

When I talk about the private, staff-facing side of Brian's contributions, I can say that he is someone who has carried his weight as a moderator and has made this a better, friendlier, safer, and smarter place. He has put in time to ensure that this community, that he has derived value from, can continue to create that same value for others.

I am grateful for all of the contributions that Brian has made to our community, both in public and on staff. Thank you for your friendship and all of your support over the years, Brian. It means a lot to me.

As we neared this date, I reached out to a handful of members to ask for their thoughts on Brian. Here's what they sent back:

When I first joined KarateForums.com, Brian was one of the first people to make me feel welcome. I wasn’t really looking to stick around at the time, I thought I might just join in on a few threads, ask a few questions, and move on, but Brian’s warmth and openness changed that.

I came from a very traditional martial arts background, where we weren’t really encouraged to look beyond what we were doing, so it was refreshing to meet someone so willing to discuss, share, and guide, even when we came from different Taekwon-Do backgrounds. In many ways, Brian helped shape my whole experience of what KarateForums.com was, and just as importantly, what it wasn’t.

We especially used to discuss Taekwon-Do training methods, and the differences in our approaches to Forms (Patterns/Hyungs) and how our experiences had shaped us. Those conversations were never combative, they always came from a place of curiosity and shared knowledge, which is something I really valued. Brian had a way of making disagreement feel constructive, and I always came away from those discussions having learned something.

Although we didn’t always agree on Taekwon-Do matters, I always appreciated the way Brian approached debate. He was thoughtful, respectful, and genuinely interested in other viewpoints, which made conversation with him feel meaningful rather than confrontational. He was, in every sense, a scholar of martial arts. I also have to credit his Martial Artists' Training Log for inspiring me to start incorporating weight training into my own training.

I was genuinely impressed by the numbers he was putting out in that log. At that point in my own journey, I had mostly known very old-fashioned training methods, bodyweight work like push-ups and sit-ups, and not much else. Seeing someone who was clearly serious about strength, while still being a capable and effective martial artist, really broadened my perspective. It reassured me that martial artists could be strong in that way without losing what they were trying to develop technically.

That influence stayed with me. Not only do I now incorporate barbell work into my own training, but I’ve also gone so far as to put a squat rack in my own dojang, and my students learn from that approach, too. In that sense, Brian’s influence has reached far beyond just my own training, it has even shaped what I pass on to others.

Later, when I worked with him as a moderator, I found him to be just as considered, approachable, and fair behind the scenes as he was in discussion. He handled things calmly and methodically, and he helped guide me, too, encouraging me to develop in the role so that I could also give back to the community. That steady presence clearly helped maintain the open, balanced community that KarateForums.com became. You do have to wonder what the forum might have looked like without his consistent behind-the-scenes work over so many years. The current team, and the community as a whole, have clearly benefited from his longevity, experience, and the example he set.

Congratulations on 20 years, Brian, a remarkable achievement and a true credit to your dedication, character, and lasting impact on the community. -@DWx

Congrats, Brian, on reaching this phenomenal milestone for being on the KF Ssaff for 20 years. Just blows my mind.

What doesn’t blow my mind is the type of person that he is; someone that I’ve respected both on and off the floor for so many years.

To Vicky, Brian’s her loving husband. To Kayla, Kenneth, and Kendall, Brian’s their awesome dad. To me, Brian’s my cherished friend for these past 18 years.

Brian’s quick to come to help anyone in need, selfishly whenever someone needs advice, his attitude is always positive and quite contagious. He's fast to mentor any new KF member, he’s very respectful towards everyone, and his feedback is always constructive and supportive. He’s all that and more without any reservation.

KF without Brian would be like a car without an engine, like a rocket without a booster, like an airplane without a navigational system, like a body without a heart and soul, and like a day without the night. I can’t even imagine that nor do I ever want to.

As a MAist, his integrity is intact and without any ambiguity whatsoever. Solid on and off the floor. His MA knowledge and experience is remarkable and quite impressive.

20 years on the KF staff is quite impressive across the board. Omedetou Gozaimasu... congratulations on your success and achievement.

-@sensei8

Brian, thank you so much for making KarateForums the welcoming and engaging place that it is. I valued your contributions when I first joined this site in 2009 and was elated to see you still active when I rediscovered the site a few years ago. In fact, I think your continued involvement here is one of the main reasons I wanted to re-engage. This community is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Thank you for making KF one of my favorite corners of the internet! -@ryanryu

Martial arts teaches dedication and staying power. Beyond day-to-day training, the "way" is a path measured in years. There is always change, twists and turns along the way, and growth and progress. Brian has shared with us his training, contributed his experience, and provided our KarateForums community with inspiration by example. Congratulations on 20 years, and thank you for your participation! -@JazzKicker

Brian has been a constant, respectful, helpful presence on the forums, and they wouldn't be the same without him! -@Wastelander

When I heard that bushido_man96 had been a staff member on KarateForums for 20 years, my initial reaction was incredulity. I didn't think that was possible! It is an incredible achievement to have committed so much of his own time to an online community, an effort which I personally very much appreciate.

For myself, I find Brian to be one of the most interesting members/posters that I see on here. I find that he generally has a similar view on things to myself but often comes at things from a different angle that I wouldn't have thought of. I have a lot of respect for his dedication to improving himself and his martial skills. It is a well worn cliché that senior martial artists often are disparaging about weight training and other modern fitness methods, saying that they can make someone "slow and bulky," etc.

It is refreshing to see someone senior - I believe his 5th Dan in Taekwondo meets that definition, who actively works to improve their strength and conditioning the way he does. His variety of training is also impressive and refreshing. Oftentimes, when I meet higher graded individuals they can become stuck in their ways and reluctant to try other styles, or if they do it is one that is similar to their current one so they can save face and be instantly skilled.

I have a friend who is a 7th Dan in a former style I trained in who said to me once that I did the right thing in leaving earlier to train something else and he wished he had done the same. I felt a little sad that he didn't feel he could. bushido_man96 has chosen to go and acquire skills in arts which are totally different to his base art of Taekwondo - Aikido and BJJ. His willingness to start again and learn from scratch in these new styles to me is representative of exactly the attitude a martial artist should aspire to.

Here is to the next 20 years! -@DarthPenguin

I really appreciate Brian's knowledge and wisdom when it comes to Karate and Korean martial arts. He really was great at explaining the mechanics between the two and I do find Korean martial arts being in-separate from Karate. I really appreciate that he bridges the gap between kKarate and Korean arts. -@Himokiri Karate

In addition to the gratitude expressed on this thread, I am also mailing a gift to Brian, and I will post a photo of it once he has received it.

Please join me in congratulating Brian on this unique milestone by replying here and sharing your memories and thoughts on the impact he has made here.

Thanks,

Patrick

Edited July 31Jul 31 by Patrick

Congratulations on 20 years on the staff, @bushido_man96 That shows a tremendous amount of dedication to the forums. Your input is appreciated and your loyally is incredible. You've made a major impact here and I know you will continue to do so.

Congratulations and thank you for all you do, @bushido_man96 !

Oh...my...

I don't know what to say! I had lost track and didn't realize the anniversary was coming up. @Patrick does it every year, but I didn't think about this year being a milestone like this. I don't think I can say enough in response to these touching and heartfelt thoughts that so many have presented, but I will try. I didn't realize that I could have such an impact, and hearing it is all the more touching! It brings a tear of joy to my eye!

@DWx Wow! Just, wow! I didn't realize all that. Thank you, for those kind words. I've had some things go one recently in which I didn't feel like I was very appreciated in the places that I am, but your response here just overwhelms me. I would never have imagined any of my thoughts could have that much of an impact on other students, even students an ocean away! Thank you for that; thank you so much! I do miss our TKD conversations, and hope to pick them up again sometime! I've always valued your thoughts and insights into a style of TKD that I've only ever read about and watched videos on, and never experienced. Sugo Hasamita!

@sensei8 Thank you, my friend. Your thoughts and encouragement throughout the years have been a huge boon to my training. We shared that training session all those years ago, and it opened my eyes to what else TKD could be, and how I could approach some things differently. Thank you for that. I know we never got to get together to train again, but that one session taught me many lessons. Think back to all those years ago, when we met on that "other forum," and where we are now.

@ryanryu I'm glad I you came back, and thank you for the kind words! I wouldn't have thought I could be the reason someone returns and stays. That thought means so much!

@JazzKicker Thank you so much! The KF journey and the MA journey have many parallels, and love seeing what everyone has to share in their journeys. Watching students advance is it's own reward.

@Wastelander Thank you. Your knowledge and experience has been very helpful and inspiring in my own training!

@DarthPenguin Thank you for the kind words! Following your training on your log helps me out so much and inspires me to keep going. Seeing other people's cross training experiences helps me with my own, and helps me to stay positive, even on those days where I feel like I'm wasting my time getting crushed at BJJ.

@Himokiri Karate Thank you as well! The reflections of the many Karatekas here on their training are helpful to my own, to understanding more about the root of TKD, and how to reach back into what's there.

@KarateKen Thank you for the kind words!

@Patrick Thank you so much, for extending the opportunity all those years ago to join the staff. I never imagined it would lead to where we are today. I've enjoyed it so much, and KarateForums.com continues to be as much a part of my Martial Arts journey as the physical training itself does. Your words are deeply touching and mean so much to me. To continue in the role as moderator is a privilege I'll continue to cherish.

To close this post, I have to say that without all the great members that contribute to KF, past, present, and future, this couldn't have happened. I owe this to all of you, and I thank you for making this the place I can continue to come to share, learn, and grow in this journey we all share a passion for. Thank you all so much!