My name is Bob Dalhaus and I’ve been studying martial arts for the past thirty years and teaching the art for Twenty years.
I began my own school Tweany years ago with two students and it continues to grow with each passing year.
I still work a second job because I want to make karate as affordable as possible in an effort to give to my community and to those who love the sport.
Goju Kenpo is a free-style form of martial arts that will translate into any students’ personality and body type. Therefore, every student has the potential to earn the rank of black belt.
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Keep in mind that each individual has unique gifts and certain weaknesses to overcome. That’s why it’s essential not to compare one martial artist with another. Everyone will advance at a different rate of speed. That’s normal in this sport. So with patience, determination and a positive attitude, students will achieve their goals.
My goal is to make sure each student succeeds at their short term goal to the next rank, and their long term goal to black belt. Understandable, parents see their own children as superstars, and should! I, on the other hand, see all my students as superstars, never to be compared with one another.
I do have an open door policy for discussion, but as Sensei, I alone will decide when a student will advance to the next level whether it is stripe or belt.
Although stripes are good motivational tools for students, they are primarily indicator tools for me. They tell me what the student needs to learn next. So I can more effectively prepare the student for his or her next belt. The stripes are not designed to take too seriously. Stripes are simply a tool, not a rank.
For example; if one student has two stripes on a yellow belt and another student has three stripes on a yellow belt, chances are they will test for orange at the same time.
In my school, the number one requirement for advancement is effort! Karate is 10% physical and 90% mental. Therefore, during testing, 90% of a student’s grade is determined by class performance and attendance.
Tests are designed to put extreme pressure on the student and they will make mistakes. How they overcome their mistakes under such pressure is what’s important.
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My instructors, who patiently give their valuable time and knowledge so others can benefit, should be given the same respect that I’m given. These men and women are volunteers who love to work with children and more than likely have their own kids training in one of the classes. Likewise, the young instructors should also be highly respected and given an extra measure of encouragement. They are all givers and we are a family. So, I ask that you take the opportunity to thank them now and then.
As the saying goes, “patience is a virtue”. Please prove this to your martial artist by being patient with us. Only then will they achieve excellence.