10/23/2026
It Takes a Village 🥋✨
As I sit preparing for some of our students’ upcoming black belt grading, I’ve had the privilege of reading their essays. I’m truly amazed by the shining examples of the principles of black belt they’ve demonstrated. Setting technical abilities aside, reading each of their personal journeys to black belt was deeply humbling. To say I’m proud of their accomplishments would be an understatement.
While I’d love to take all the credit, respectfully I cannot—because it takes a village. We’ve all heard the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," but in this instance, it takes a village to develop a black belt.
As Gichin Funakoshi wrote, "The ultimate aim of the art of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants."
While I am the Chief Instructor at Danforth Karate Academy, I’m not the only influence that has shaped them. We have an amazing group of black belts who are deeply invested in the success of their kohai (junior students), many friends and high-ranking instructors who have impacted their paths, and the strong bonds and friendships forged along the way.
I am incredibly proud of each of their journeys and the black belts they have become. Yet, their journeys have only just begun, and I look forward to watching them develop even further in this next chapter. How fortunate we are to have such passionate and amazing black belts—and black belts to be—in our community. 🥋❤️