2026-02-12

Teaching my regular classes at the Ross Farnsworth - East Valley YMCA.

This was my first class since returning from vacation. Thanks again to Sensei Barry O’Brien and Sensei Dave Bracklow for covering my classes while I was away.

I had a young man quit tonight … and that’s okay. In fact, everything about the encounter was good. I’d been warned that this young man was going to quit, but his father insisted that he come and tell me face-to-face. Good for you, dad! After all, if you come and talk to me, I have the opportunity to ask questions about why you’re quitting and whether there’s anything I could have done differently.

Apparently, he just wasn’t enjoying classes anymore, and that’s fine too. Sure, everyone can do karate, but that doesn’t mean it’s what everyone wants to do. Furthermore, even if you like karate, that’s not to say that there aren’t other things that you don’t like more, and there are only so many hours in a day.

I told this young man that he’s always welcome back and, if he’s ever just in the building doing something else, that he should stop by and say hi. No hard feelings. Why should there be? We shook hands and I started the next class.