December 31st - Year/Eye of the Tiger

It has been a fantastic year. All working hard and all trying their best. But no matter what happens outside whether good or bad, nothing changes when you enter that Mugen-kai dojo. You meet your friends, you focus, you fight and you have fun. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. For the one year I have been a member of Mugen-kai  I have experienced many wonderful things thanks to Yamaguchi-sensei and all the people of the Mugen-kai community. This year of the tiger has supposed to have been a year of bravery, courage and luck. For me and I'm sure many others, it certainly has been a year of luck.  Luck to have found a place that helps you believe in yourself more.

To Yamaguchi-sensei - From all the members of Mugenkai we thank you for being a great teacher, a wonderful mentor and an inspiring leader.

Wayne.

Dec 26th - Mugen Grading Day

Pass or fail, win or lose, it doesn't matter. So long as you continue then that is the way of Mugen-kai. As with life, Mugen Karate is not easy nor is it supposed to be, it is a journey of hard work, study and progression. There is no satisfaction for a downhill road. It is purely just that, a road that you follow and will soon lead you to the end without a breath, without enlightenment, without gratification. I choose the uphill, the pain, the endurance, the fight -  for that it will really lead you to the high ground, the end of all ends, the place only you will ever know. Your true fighter spirit...

 

 

December 22 - Let's get serious

Yet again all the kids lined up so seriously to have their photo taken but "KAMERA MAN". No one made a noise and posed quietly to make sure they were in the right position. Yamaguchi-sensei entered the dojo while all were waiting anxiously for the start, it was like being in adults class.

December 19th - Mugen Family

It was a big turn out today for the parent/kids session. And really wonderful to see all the adults picking to spar with the kids. Shows the great amount of support they have for getting children to do well. Kids have pretty much decided that when picking their parents in match sparing they will use their real names instead. Takeuchi-san's kids and Minagawa-san's kids will be addressing their fathers as "Takeuchi-san" and "Minagawa-san" from now on. It is so touching to see the effect Mugen-kai is having on family's and friends, something very special is in the making.

December 16th - The Last Fighters Club

Yamaguchi-sensei's message - Karate is not about just getting to your goal or about beating your opponent. It is about the willingness to achieve , to follow and most importantly - to continue. Karate is not just a sport. It is a way of life. We can do this special thing until the day we die. It is not about ourselves but everything and everyone around us. Never give up is a given I believe. Move on and take all you learn with you is the key to become stronger in mind and stronger in person.

Fighters club means just that - a place to go to fight for everything you believe in.

Wayne.

December 10th - Mugen Sky Tree's

...is how I would describe today's kid's class. Everyone can kick so high and straight up - I am so jealous... All the kids wanted their photos taken again so it was a little bit of a line up but they all tried so hard in front of the camera. I wonder what triggers kids to do their best when the camera is on them. With adults it's often the opposite and we often close up when someone has a camera on us. So yet again another lesson for us adults - to be open and express ourselves freely.