from the Karate BC web site Karate History
Most Western students of Asian martial arts, if they have done any research on the subject at all, will surely have come across references to Bodhidharma.
From a student of Skaha Lake Shotokan - about Sensei.......
The Nomination of
Elizabeth Wijnstra
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tanya Hansen, a Karate BC member in good standing. I am an 18 year old, grade 12 student at Penticton High School, in British Columbia. I am on the gold honor roll with a 94% average. Along with my academics, I study karate; I also study music with the classical guitar, singing and the Alto Sax.
I would like to tell the story of my Karate, my Sensei
And my Journey in Life
Karate has been and still is very important to me and it has influenced my life greatly.
When I was in grades 5 and 6, I was a very shy, inward girl and very unsure of myself. I would be picked on daily by kids in class and I did not want to be noticed, not even by the teachers. My grades were suffering also. I thought of myself as an awkward out-of-place farm girl with no friends, growing up in the country-side of the South Okanagan Valley. My parents noticed I was having problems; they were very worried and wanted desperately to help me. They tried to talk to my teachers and principal, but the situation did not seem to improve, in fact, it seemed to get worse. One day, I came home and found that my parents had enrolled me into a karate school, not to make me defend myself but to build my confidence and to make me proud and to believe in myself, or so they said. Week after week, month after month my parents drove me down to Sensei Elizabeth Wijnstra in OK Falls. My sensei was not easy with me, in fact there were many times that I came home upset or angry with h!
er and countless times that I wanted to quit. Somehow she always seemed to know how to bring me back, stand me on my feet, dust me off and do it again and again. Every time I rose in rank and every time I won a medal, or learned another kata, I saw that people were amazed at me and I became proud of myself. I had never thought of myself as being good at anything let alone sports but there I was competing in front of a lot of people, being the center of attention and enjoying it. I recently earned my way onto the Karate BC Team squad and I hope to compete at the Canadian Nationals in Halifax this April. At this level of competition, I am up against the very best in the country. My school grades improved dramatically, I became a top "A" student on the honor roll every year. I was able to learn and love music (especially jazz and swing). I could play lead sax, guitar and to even sing solos in music festivals and competitions, in front of a large audience and enjoying it. Not ba!
d for a little country hick girl. I was able to hold my head up high with the best of the students and peers. This is what my Sensei has done for me.
This coming fall I hope to start my University education, I wish to study medicine, if I can qualify for a scholarship. When my father got cancer last year, I went with him for his treatments in Vancouver. There I saw adults and kids; some were very badly scarred up because of cancer surgeries. I decided then that I wished to become a plastic surgeon, to be able to help these people regain their confidence and pride in themselves, so they can again enjoy themselves and enjoy living again.
This is what my Sensei has done for me.
Was it easy for me to reach this point? No. Was it a lot of hard work? Yes. My Sensei and my parents showed me how to develop the tools that I needed to have a successful, fulfilling life and to enjoy it and because of this, I do not worry about my future or whether I will succeed or fail, I have the tools to succeed and this will guide me through-out my life. So if I never win another medal or win another competition, I will already have won my gold medal in life. This will be with me always and perhaps I too will be able to pass my talents onto others. This is what my Sensei has done for me.
Although this story is about what my Sensei has done for me and my life, it is also the story of a Sensei who cares and strives to touch the lives of all her students and she has succeeded many times. In my journey through life, whether she knows it or not, my Sensei is with me every day, with every step of my journey and her influence will always be felt. My Sensei has done what every Great Sensei strives to do but rarely can, she reached inside and touched a soul, my soul and she gave me a great gift, what is this gift? It's me! My life! This is what she gave me. Isn't that what karate is all about? Isn't that what a Great Sensei should do?
In a time when there are many distractions in life and so many things screaming for our attention, she has succeeded in her mission and helped and produced many great students. If a Sensei can touch the life of only one student and change their life and world for the better, they would be considered to be a Great Sensei. If a Sensei can touch the lives and worlds of many, they should be considered to be a Master. My Sensei Elizabeth Wijnstra is a Master Sensei.
It is an honor to call her Sensei and an honor to call her friend.
