11/26/2016
Dear Friends,
During this season of thanks and love I would like to share with all of you my thoughts and feelings. I have been so blessed and privileged to know each and every one of you. Over the last several years we have trained and grown together in such a way that the bonds we have built can never be broken. I have seen so much growth in our maturing children and expansion of wisdom in our tenured students. I can’t think of one person who has not shown improvement since San Koi Dojo opened it’s doors. While we teach self-defense in various formats it is so much more than that. Karate-Do is about self-respect, respect for others, obedience, loyalty and bond. Sensei Funakoshi wrote: "The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant”
With that said I am sorry to inform you that December will be the final month for San Koi Dojo. With declining enrollment and lack of fresh students, I can no longer afford to keep the school open. I have been hopeful through my wife and I’s efforts that we could continue. We have tried very hard to market the school in a myriad of ways (Web, Search engine optimization, grass root campaigns including the county fair parade, mailers to homes and shared advertising with local businesses).
Karate-Do is a journey. All journeys have one thing in common, in that for all our planning and efforts, anything can happen. While this leg of the journey is complete, it does not mean that we stop learning, training or growing. Sensei Goldia, Rachel and I are looking to find a place where we can refer our students so that you can continue to receive optimum teaching and maximum effort.
In December I would like to see as many of you as possible. The task for this final month is to come with a personal development goal and share with us what it is that you would like to focus on before we disband. The final class will be 12/22 thus leaving us time for family during Christmas and then leaving the final week to move out. While it is a short month, I would still ask that if you want to come and participate that you still pay the monthly due as I still owe rent and utilities for December.
Finally, I want to thank everyone who helped make our school what it has been. Special thanks to Sensei Goldia and Sensei Rachel for coming with me to start the school, giving us the greatest opportunity to succeed. I firmly believe that without their support we would not have come as far as we have.
It has been an honor to love and serve each of you.
Sensei Matt.
