Page 19 - Martial Science Magazine August DiG

It was so good to see my first karate in-
structor. He was still running classes just
like he did when I was there and it brought
back many good memories. I really en-
joyed visiting with him, and, as a bonus,

Master Allen will be writing two chapters
in my upcoming book. What an honor!

10. How did that style affect you as an in-
dividual?

It had changed my life. It got me inter-
ested in all aspects of the martial arts, in
Japan, and Asian culture. When I signed

up for Shotokan classes, I was getting in
street fights basically every other week-
end. That stopped when I started learning
karate. Once I learned how to really hurt
someone, I stopped fighting over stupid
things. I quit fighting and became more
mature. And even though I haven’t had to
fight for quit sometime, I am more danger-
ous now than I have ever been at anytime
in the past. After 33 years of studying the
arts, you get to the point that you know

exactly how to destroy the human body,
not just trade punches or push and shove.
Like my dad always taught me, “A boy will
fight you; a man will hurt you.” The same
thing can be said of the martial arts – “A
beginner will fight you; a master can de-
stroy you.” The good thing is that once
someone becomes a real martial arts mas-
ter, he or she doesn’t want to fight. A real

martial arts master will only fight if there
is no other choice. Many students want to
fight to prove their skills. That is just one
of many differences between a master
Soke Dave Johnson and and a beginner.
Bohdi Sanders

AUGUST/2018 19