05/18/2026
First of all, I would like to congratulate Cameron, Rylie, and Quinn on earning their new ranks this weekend. We are all very proud of you!
Monday Motivation:
This weekend I attended the Boston Tea Party training seminar. I had the opportunity to work with and learn from many amazing martial artists. The biggest take away across all seminars for me was perspective.
Mr. Kenn Perry led a fantastic seminar on Saturday in which he blinded us in order to open our eyes. By taking away our sight, he showed us where our skills were strong, where we needed adjustment, and how much we are capable of when facing the unknown.
Most attendees were black belts, many of high ranks. But a couple were beginners.
One yellow belt.
One orange belt.
Their attendance says a lot about them. Most would look at a room of high ranking black belts with extensive experience and feel intimidated.
Not these two.
They participated as equals. They saw their fellow participants as the people they are, not as ranks. They were treated as equals and as a result grew their understanding of the art by seeing, hearing, and feeling the techniques.
We all worked on high level concepts contained in even the most basic of techniques and forms. “Beginner” forms were practiced with advanced concepts and practical applications. We got to see connections and applications that are easily missed when focusing solely on choreography.
Mr. Scott Hilderbrand shared some powerful thoughts as well. He spoke about proactive learning, reactive learning, and the importance of looking beyond the surface. Our perspective directly impacts our growth.
Proactive learners seek out new knowledge. Reactive learners will practice what they are taught. Both are good. Which is best for your growth? That depends on you.
This really made me think about how I approach my training, practice, and teaching. I always leave these seminars with a renewed vigor and inspiration. They always make me think about how to improve myself and grow my knowledge to share it with my students.
Students are sometimes surprised that I still train. They see a black belt and think that is the end goal.
Perspective.
If I stop training I can only help my student grow to my current level. By continuing to challenge myself I can then help them to grow even further. If you are happy where you are that is totally fine. If you want to continue growing, do it. Your only limit is your perceived limit.
Thank you to Mr. Tyler Duda and his team for setting up this amazing event and making it accessible to all.
Thank you to all the instructors for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with us.
Thank you to the participants for sharing your feedback and helping each other to learn and improve.
