2020 February
2018 December August June February
2017 December September June March
2016 November August June March
2015 December October July May February
2014 December October July April February
2013 December October August May February
2012 December September July April February
2011 December September July April February
from the July, 2014 issue of Kiai!
Reflections from the Father of a New Junior Black Belt
By Tim Grant
Father of Aiden & Cameron Grant
It’s not easy raising children in the city. It is far different from the world my wife Elspeth and I grew up in. In our world, there were few boundaries, little danger, and a seemingly open canvas for exploration and growth – much of it on our own or with neighborhood friends. While it can be a challenging environment to provide to our children, we choose to raise our family in the city for the variety of gifts that it offers. In the city, children need to be more aware of their surroundings, they must be vigilant, but they cannot afford to live scared. We simply can’t offer them the same freedoms in the city we had as children growing up in suburban environments.
Cameron and Aiden Grant
For our family, martial arts started with a recommendation from Aiden’s pre-school teacher. Aiden was big for his age, happy and energetic. But he had trouble managing his place in space. What was often simply an accidental bump during active play was sometimes misconstrued as an aggressive act toward another child. It was hard for some to see through this, but his teacher at the time recommended martial arts as a way to learn to control his body, to be still at times, and to learn discipline.
Admittedly, it was a “strange” idea to two pacifists who knew little about the art other than the pugilistic form of the sport we saw on TV. Through further consult, Elspeth was made aware of Thousand Waves, and from that moment, our journey as parents and a family would be changed forever.
Aiden was hooked on day one. Maybe it was the promise of the uniform, but I think it was more likely watching a group of peers participate in structured activities that were fun – yet all of the while helping him improve in strength, coordination and discipline.
But the real bond of any community is the relationships that are forged. Attending school away from the neighborhood, Aiden knew almost no one at Thousand Waves. After a few months, he spoke about other kids in class and the instructors as if they had been lifelong pals. Fast forward seven years to this past spring, and I had the incredible opportunity to watch my eldest son achieve the rank of Junior Shodan at the ripe age of 11. When I was 11, I had a bicycle and a baseball glove. Aiden, on the other hand, has earned a lifelong achievement which he can take with him for the rest of his days.
Cameron, Aiden’s younger brother, would spend hours at the dojo squirming in our arms as we supported Aiden, or in the front area playing games or having a snack. When asked if he would someday join the ranks of Karateka, he never hesitated to offer a hearty nod, “yes.” His time finally came around his 6th birthday, and he now holds the rank of advanced yellow belt having been training for just under two years.
During his Black Belt test, Senpai Aiden receives the support of the community,
and instruction from Sei Shihan Nancy to help him break a board.
Having been an athletic coach at the high school and college levels, I know that bringing a diverse group of people together for common goals and shared determination forges the type of lifelong bonds that humans seek. Some will come and go, others will be permanent fixtures, and from time to time, we will say goodbye to loved ones as they join the universal light.
As a parent, I love the teen group. They interact well with the younger students. I remember a much younger Aiden getting an unexpected “high five” from a teen after a class years ago. The look on his face was priceless. The teen group does an exceptional job or relating to the younger students. They are encouraging and nurturing, yet tough and demanding of the high standards Karate requires. Our first experience with this group was through Camp Kokoro, which both boys still attend. But now I have the opportunity to see Aiden work alongside his mentors in the teen class, and he is never more motivated than during these classes. Knowing that many of these “kids” started as young as my boys did, I watch them with gratitude and hope that my boys will someday play a similar role in younger students’ lives.
After gaining a better understanding of martial arts, and more specifically the philosophy of Seido Karate and Thousand Waves, we were in awe of this little oasis in the city where kids and adults alike could put their school and work behind them, come together as a community, and practice an art form and a shared philosophy of a respectful, dignified, and beautiful society. If every person that passes by Thousand Waves could know the power, energy and human spirit that is displayed on a daily basis by people of all ages and backgrounds, they, like us, might find a place of growth, strength and energy that offers a way to help put our lives in perspective and maintain our sanity in an often challenging world.
Click here for photos and essays from the Junior Black Belt test.