My daughter started Karate with Sensei Hamid in 2005. She was five years old and her dad asked her if she would like to try martial arts. After her first class, wearing her new white gi and flushed from the exercise, she asked her Daddy “but when do we do the art?” After the explanation of the difference between martial arts and arts and crafts, she jumped into the sport with both feet (kicking!). She has learned so many things in the years since from Hamid & Kelly – confidence, poise, balance, strength, patience, perseverance, acceptance, flexibility, success – all traits that gift her with a strong foundation that will support her through life.

When I started Boot Camp in 2010 I thought I was in fairly decent shape but after that first hour I realized I had a long way to go! Interestingly, in the intervening years since, I have learned some of the same lessons from Hamid and Kelly that my daughter did, and I am still learning. I love to challenge myself and this environment continuously gives me new ways to do this. If I sometimes slip into complacency, it is noticed and subtly (sometimes not so subtly) commented on with just the right tone of almost, but not quite, disappointment, which for some unknown reason that cannot be duplicated, seems to have the immediate effect of refocusing me to try harder…

…and I still have a long way to go, but I am really enjoying the journey!