I'm starting this blog to talk about my experiences in writing Sensei Yutaka' Yaguchi's memoirs. He has been my Sensei for over 20 years. He is one of those instructors that one remembers forever. When I started training in Denver in the early 80s his classes were so hard that sometimes I thought I might actually get killed or permanently injured. There were guys in those classes that were karate-ka by day, and robbed liquor stores at night. I was swept, punched and kicked almost daily, and I thrived on it.

Now that I'm in my middle age (50 is the new 40, right?), I look back on those times with a little bit of disbelief. I feel my fragility and humanity now; back then, I thought I was invincible. I walked around proudly with bruises all over my arms and legs, not to mention the occasional black eye or split forehead. I structured my whole life, including my work, around the training, camps, and tournament schedule. I was completely and totally obsessed with Shotokan Karate.

And throughout every training, every tournament, and every camp or event, Sensei Yaguchi was present. He didn't let me get away with anything...If I took it easy during class, I would hear "lazy" quietly behind me. If I didn't try hard enough, he ignored me to the point that I almost killed myself getting back into his good graces. If I worked hard, he demanded that I work harder.

When I decided that it would be a good idea to write up some of the stories he told us over beers in the basement of the dojo after training, he demurred. "Just write a history of the JKA," he would say. But I wasn't interested in the JKA; besides, that's been done.

So one day he said to me, "I would like to write about my experiences." And I said, "I'll write it for you, Sensei." And then I got started.

Oh, the book is available online at www.yaguchikarate.com. My web guy said I needed to let everyone who reads this blog know that.

Until next time....