well, today is my birthday. wow, i didn’t think i would live to see 30 much less 37 how time flys.

been training in the arts for as long as i can remember. i remember when i was just a baby growing up in Hawaii and watching people train on the beach. how it captivated me even then.  when i was 6 my father bought me my first sword. i played with that thing day & night until i eventually broke it. I Love the martial arts it is apart of who i am. now 20 plus years later I’m still at it teaching, training, practicing, and using it in the real world. I have been very fortunate in having some of the best teachers in the world. i will never forget to be grateful. However, i am sad that so many grandmasters sell out,  selling rank and titles to the highest bidder. i guess i cant blame them though. most of them live in countries that are under developed and the American dollar can go a long way and feed a family for quite awhile. I guess they figure it will all come out in the wash. Its in the doing right? I gotta say when i was coming up the term “master” meant something. now days it don’t mean shit. the majority of the “masters”  are a joke and it saddens me because it diminishes the real thing. Oh yes, there are real masters that are alive and well but most of them shy away from using that term because of all the midol popping, paper dragons, with no teeth, heart or fire. what do you do?  what can u do? if it were ova seas you could challenge them. it still goes on in some places in the world but in this country…not so much. its a business, sad but true. Most “masters” these days are just glorified babysitters. selling a program of some sort.  the McDojos are everywhere and the uneducated public support them because of lack of knowledge. the martial arts have turned into fucking infomercials…buy my dvd for 24.99 , join my on-line classes for 9.99 a month, join my organization and receive an autographed picture of me taking your  $$$. hell, i guess everyone has to make a living somehow. there are just way too many high ranking individuals with no skill, ability or talent selling there shit to the masses and getting away with it???wtf??? I guess one reason is it didn’t cost them anything of value( blood, sweat, tears) so its easy to sell something that doesn’t mean anything to you other than a few thousand dollars and a plane flight if even that… but as my friend tells me…in the end it all will come out in the wash its in the doing not in the piece of paper hanging on the wall. in my life i have met the real deals and i can count them on one hand and i have been honored by there instruction, guidance, and friendship. i look forward to the next generation of masters especially one in particular but he will probably become a hermit and take all that knowledge with him (wink)