06/2005

L: Tell me a little bit about your life outside of the dojo.

D: I have been married for three years and my wife and I have been together for almost seven years. We have a new baby, Julian, who was born on January 11th. I work at the University of Phoenix as a Transcript Evaluator. Lately I have been involved in several home improvement projects.

L: How did you become interested in the martial arts?

D: As a kid I watched Bruce Lee movies. I took Tae Kwon Do with my Dad for 1-2 years. I enjoyed it and did well because I was fast and lean. Ever since then, I have wanted to get back into some type of training. I love the physicality and confidence that comes with martial arts training. Sometimes I practice mentally by thinking about moves I have learned and how I might handle certain scenarios.

L: How long have you been training at the Phoenix Quest Center? Describe your experience so far.

D: I have been training at the Phoenix Quest Center for a little over six months. To-Shin Do incorporates all of the things I was looking for in a martial art. I prefer the "Jack of all Trades" approach as opposed to being the "Master of One." For example, a ground fighter might be in trouble if his attacker had two or three buddies hitting him as he tried to apply a lock. Of course the best policy is to avoid a fight altogether if possible. Belts are not important to me…I just want to learn something new. I want to step out of my comfort zone.

L: What are your goals regarding your To-Shin Do training?

D: I want to stay and learn for as long as the school will have me…or until I one day move out of state.

L: What do you like best about training?

D: I enjoy the mental and physical activity. It's not repetitive. I also am finding good friends at the dojo…people you don't mind punching in the face and getting punched in the face by! Everyone has been positive and nice. At the dojo I get the chance to be with a different group of people; to be surrounded by positive attitudes..

L: What do you find most challenging about training?

D: Patience. I want to know everything and be good at it now. I am working on letting things come to me gradually.

L: Describe a time when you applied the skills you have learned in To-Shin Do to a situation outside of the dojo.

D: I try to apply quite a few ideas from the Life Skills lessons. I am working on being more mindful in general. Many of the concepts in To-Shin Do I was practicing before I got to the Quest Center. I was partly attracted to the dojo by the "down to earth" nature of the topics discussed (for example, cultivating a more open mind).