I recently had a parent ask me why I require thier son to do 250 Acts of Kindnes as requirement of thier Black Belt Test.    My response was I feel that an Act of Kindness is one of the most simple ways of demonstrating respect and self-discipline to the people around us.  I also said that you never know when an act of kindness can change someone's life.

For example....  I grew up in Michigan and I was constantly surrounded by negative influences.  When I started martial arts it was an experience of having this great peer group that was encouraging, helpful, respectful and disciplined.  All the things that I needed in my life at that time.  In fact i knew that martial arts was what I wanted to do as a profession all the way back to being a white belt twenty eight years ago. I became a Black Sash, a black belt in Gung Fu, with Sifu James Clark.  My first greatest influence in my martial arts training. 

I had so many great friends growing doing martial arts.  Roger Waldecker, Joe Rathke, Dave Sweat, Kamal Shamoun all these people brought different experiences and influences as a young man.  My friend Bill Buckley was a friend who acted like Dirty Harry, but took an interest in me as a young man and would always give me sage advice sometimes disguised in a folksy saying.  I could go on and on about "Wild Bill" his personality is amazing. After I became a Black Sash I wanted to become an instructor with Sijo James DeMile.  One of Bruce Lee's Students.  James DeMile had created the martial arts style Wing Chun Do that I was a Black Sash in.  He was doing an instructor's program in Seattle, and I was interested in learning how to instruct martial arts and becoming a Sifu.  My parents had different intentions for my future.  I was one of the first people in my family to have a chance to go to college.  My family was adamant that nothing de-rail my focus of purseuing a college degree.  Most of the people who where getting involved in the instructors program was substantially older than me.  Most where looking at martial arts instruction as a career path. 

There was a substantial fee for this instructors program, there was lots of training, trips to Seattle etc...  It was something that was going to require a great deal of committment, especially for a 16 year old "kid". I remember describing my situation to my friends after our practice on night.  My friends seemed to support me beucase they knew how passionate I was as a martial artist, and how hard I worked.  My friend "Wild Bill" seemed pretty quiet about the whole sitaution.  Bill would often give me a ride home to my families 800sf home nestled between stamping plants for suppliers for the car companies.  As I was getting ready to get out of the car Bill said "can you meet me at the first national bank on Tuesday, I need some help with something." I said "sure" thinking that he needed help moving something.   I showed up that Tuesday at the bank and Bill said come in.  We sat down at a desk and Bill explained to the loan officer that I needed a loan for this instructors program.  Bill got the loan for me, looked at me in the eyes and said, "if you do not pay this back, I will kick your butt". 

If you think MMAA is making a difference in you or your child's life in ways you owe my friend Bill's act of kindness a huge thanks.  With that one singular act, it set in motion what eventually would become our school.  Although Bill's act of kindness was substantial, never foget what small acts throughout your life may do.  Thats why I picked 250 acts of kindess as a benchmark for our Black Belt Test.

As an aside I paid the loan back in less than six months.  I also went to college and graduated Cum Laude from Sienna Heights College in Adrian Michigan.  I became a Sifu in the later 80's and awarded my current tittle of Sibok, Senior Instructor, in 1993.