From the time I began my Isshinryu studied in Salisbury Maryland, for most of the rest of my life when I took vacations they were Karate holidays.
After
moving to Scranton my first vacation was to camp near Salisbury and then train
at various Isshinryu schools in that area.
When
I vacationed at Niagara Falls with my wife I was performing kata at the campground
then we traveled down to Pittsburgh to camp and train with Ernest Rothrock.
Even vacationing visiting my inlaws in Sarasota Florida, I made time to travel and train with Charles Murray.
When
I went on business trips to a variety of conferences, I was always outside the
center working on kata in the parking lots. Nashville, New Orleans, San
Francisco, Orlando, San Antonio, Boston. So many places.
Trip
after trip, year after year, most of my time was spent working on my karate.
Trips
to Pennsylvania to train with Tristan Sutrisno. Trips to Pittsburgh to train
with Ernest Rothrock. Once I even drove to from Massachusetts after work to
pick up Tristan to then drive to Pittsburgh and so we could train with Ernie
and later visit Vince Ward to finally drive
back all on a Friday through Sunday.
Trips
to train over a weekend with Reese Rigby at a weekend karate training event in
Dover Deleware. And many trips to train
with Lewis Sensei too.
I
remember each of them, though all the details become blurred over time.
My
last one was 1992, I had been diagnosed as having Diabetes II, then it was
discovered I had Colon Cancer. Almost immediately I went on a tril. Drove from
New Hampshire to Scranton to have lunch with Tristan Sutrisno and Charles
Murray, Then drove across Pennsylvania to visit Ernest Rotnrock of several
days, then to drive to West Virginia to visit Tom Lewis to drive to see my
father and family before I returned home..You could say it covered Shotokan,
Isshinryu and Northern Eagle Claw and T’ai Chi.
After
that I underwent Cancer surgery, Chemo and Radiation Therapy. Modifying diet
and beginning regular walks, I obtained remission of my cancer and diabetes.
But
time brought other disabilities and eventually giving up driving to keep others
save, My travels came to an end.
Then
my life shifted to almost daily walks, and greatly diminshed kata/form practice.
But my martial practices remaiedn my life.
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