Teaching the Art - part 4

I met my wife on my first visit to Japan. She comes from the same prefecture that Iwama is situated in, Ibaraki. She has helped me to understand even more of what Sensei had to say, both directly and between the lines, in technical matters as well as many others. 

Sensei would sometimes be a little strict with me because he knew I had a Japanese family, and he expected me to understand more of the culture because of my family ties. Sensei knew that I was born in America and had grown up in Denmark. 

He once said to me “Ethan, your are half American and half Danish, but your center is Japanese!” With my life long love of Japan and its beautiful culture, I consider this to be a great compliment. I incorporate the many things I have learned about Japanese etiquette and culture in my classes. 

I believe this is an important part of learning a Japanese martial art.

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