Recently due to family illness and a desire to be there for my loved ones, my Dojo in Birkdale - QLD will soon close, likely in the middle of 2021. This by no means will affect the other 2 Brisbane Dojos, for them, it will be business as usual. This simply means my students will need to travel a bit further to train.
My wife and I are headed up to Hervey Bay, just 4 hours north of Brisbane. We will be starting a new chapter in our lives whilst spending as much time as we can with our aging parents. At first, this was somewhat daunting, having to leave behind everything that we have spent so hard working on here in Brisbane, but at the same time, it presents challenges and opportunities in a wide range of areas.
Support for us - Wow, it has come in by the truckload. Employers offering to allow me to work remotely and expand their business - challenge accepted! Friends offering encouragement, everyone helping us to make it happen. Like anything, if you do something for the right reason everyone will be there to help you along.
Karate is not too different I guess. You just need to understand what your reason is. I've found that if people are in the dojo for the right reason, they as Karate-ka, individuals or part of our community are supported wholeheartedly. Yes my dojo will have to close. But, I'll build another one, it's just four walls and a roof right? Could be a bit more than that! For me, a Dojo has its basis in four main supporting factors, if you can understand these in depth, then the dojo has a strong foundation.
This is my view and I keep it simplistic.
My four pillars consist of:
- The people
- The culture
- The karate / art
- The heart
When in the dojo, I take the time to connect and understand all of these, as each is as equally important as the next and all need to be constantly nurtured to ensure that they grow.
Take any one of these away and the dojo just does not exist. It's back to being just four walls and a roof, it's nothing more than a common garden shed with a few tools standing in the corner.
So next time you're visiting either my Dojo or any other, have a look at what holds it together. I'm sure it's more than just a couple of walls and some handsome studs. If you do just find tools, consider that you are in need of a change of direction, because you're definitely not in the right place.
Craig
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