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Author Archives: Shawn Roberts
The Rock, The Stream, and Dirty Socks
We have an L shaped sectional couch in our living room. My son, Isaac, usually rests at one end of the L, I at the other, and my wife, Sue, in the middle. Inevitably, at some point in the evening, … Continue reading
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Onegaishimasu
Feet together, eyes down, use both hands to shake hands with your training partner. Say “Onegaishimasu.” This ritual begins every partner drill in our dojo. Why? Well, to avoid nuclear Armageddon of course. … Perhaps I should … Continue reading
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Why I Want to Be a Black Belt?
Why do I want to obtain my black belt? I don’t. When I started studying karate several years ago, I, like many non-martial artists, thought the black belt symbolized absolute expertise and marked the holder as a person with whom … Continue reading
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Confidence
Let me tell you about Sophia. Sophia is a beautiful young teen with long brown hair, a dark complexion, and a bright smile that will melt your heart if you are fortunate enough to catch it. She is tall and … Continue reading
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My Fiercest Enemy Yet
Do you ever just have one of those days? …. No, not that kind – the other kind. Well, I’m having one of those. The fiercest, most terrifying enemy I have ever faced stealthily approaches. I can feel it even … Continue reading
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Pride
The tiger knows only the earth. The crane knows the earth, the sky, and the sea. The tiger roars with anger and defiance. The crane merely flies away. Poem by Ronald Lindsey. Artwork by Shifu Hwang. (Used by permission. … Continue reading
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Shin Gi Tai
Okay, I’m cheating a little on this one as I had already written most of it for the our philosophy section of our webpage. With an influx of new students, I thought now would be a good time to impress … Continue reading
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Mindfulness Over Matters (Like Broccoli and Whoopie Pies)
My full-time job requires interacting with Northern New England and Eastern Canada’s elderly and disabled populations. Budget cuts, hiring freezes, staff retirements, and increasing workloads have made the work environment very challenging lately. Both staff and management officials are struggling with … Continue reading
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This one time, at karate camp …
Sweat, sweat, sweat, pant, pant, pant, pant, creak, creak, creak, owwwwwwieeeee. Ah, these are what have become familiar sounds at the Okinawan Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Karate and Kobudo Federation’s (OSMKKF) training seminar in Bangor, Maine this weekend. Okianwan karate … Continue reading
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Bunkai Schmunkai – Part II – The NItty Gritty
Okay, I don’t know what gritty is or how important it is that it be nitty, but part II of our bunkai schmunkai blog involves some things for you to ponder as you learn and practice kata. I, like many … Continue reading
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