Profile (recorded Aug 2009 - Updated July 2010):

Sensei: Jeremy (“Jez”) Tuaño.

Grade: Sensei

Favourite Kata: Seuinchin

Favourite Technique: Yoko geri (side kick) and shiko datchi (sumo stance).

Dojo: Colyton, Friday 6.30 to 8.00pm.

Memorable Moment: My memorable moment would most probably be my last grading. It took me a long time
to make sure that my techniques were close to perfect, and to make sure that my kata was up to scratch.
That being said, I was always under the impression that if you worked hard, you would most likely achieve anything
you wanted. However, after failing my first viewing I began to realise that I did not know everything and that there
was always room for improvement. It was not about working harder, but smarter. Therefore, if one does not experience
failure, one will not truly appreciate their achievements in terms of what they have worked hard to perfect. Although I
was a very steady learner in terms of knowing the aesthetics of Kata, I did not really understand its moves or what
it represented. Essentially, I was also able to recognise the fact that once you begin to question every move you perform, clarify a move from a Sensei, and even seek inspiration from your fellow peers, you begin to allow yourself to grow as a karate-ka by effectively learning from others. In essence, I never once looked at this so-called “failure” as a setback in my karate journey, as it allowed me to appreciate what grade level I am today and acknowledge the fact that I have worked hard (and truly deserve) the belt that I was presented..

Words of Wisdom:"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help man with the wrong mental attitude"(Ziege). The best piece of advice that I could give to you is to make sure that you write a list of short- and long-term goals for yourself and do as much as you possibly can to achieve them. For example, my short-term goals for the week may be to improve my mawashi uke (round block) until I could perform it hard and fast. My long-term goal, on the other hand, would be to achieve my Black Belt within the next 3 years. In saying this, what I have learnt previously in High School is to make sure that your goals are S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, and Timed). So you might say to yourself: “In the next 3 weeks, I aim to hold my shiko datchi (Sumo Stance) for the next 2 minutes”. This type of goal-setting, coupled together with a positive attitude, is a major stepping stone towards success. The more you set small, bite-size goals, the more you will feel relieved that you have achieved whatever it is that you have set out for yourself. You do, however, need to constantly remind yourself not to make vague, unrealistic goals (e.g. achieve my Red Belt in the next 2 months) otherwise if you do, you would most likely leave yourself feeling unmotivated and/or disheartened to achieve your full potential if you do not achieve your go straightaway. More importantly, you need to make sure that you take that one step further and think about what you need to work on specifically that may help you achieve your short and long-term goals. You may even tell your Sensei and fellow karate-ka what your long-term goals are, and they can even help you achieve this by asking you, on a weekly basis, if you have achieved that particular goal.

“How can I achieve this?” is probably the main question running through your mind. One word that comes to my mind is commitment, commitment, commitment. Always be committed to what you set out to achieve and never fall into the trap of thinking that you are all alone on your karate journey with no one here to help you. The fact that you have a smiling Sensei and eager friends (and family) learning side-by-side with you should be more than enough reason for you to continue achieving your goals, to step out of the ordinary, and to achieve your very own personal best. In summary, we must continuously develop S.M.A.R.T. short and long-term goals and be sure to clarify any misconceptions we may have with our Sensei / fellow peers; tackling the problem together rather than mistakenly thinking that we are all walking alone on this karate journey.