Matt and Brody's Trip to Japan

(Written by Matt Saveal)

Kaizen No-Michi students Matt and son Brody Saveal recently travelled to Japan; the cultural home of Karate. The trip included many spiritual locations, particularly in Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo. They even had time to dress as samurai and practice their shuriken-throwing skills as ninjas.

A key take-away was understanding the relationship between Koi carp and dragons. Legend has it that a Koi who swims upstream and up a waterfall would turn into a dragon, who in Eastern culture are revered as signs of wisdom and strength (tapestry picture). The transformation was seen as a gift from the gods for its determination and perseverance. This could also be likened to a student’s karate journey: starting as a Koi and, with the right attitude, transforming into a dragon.