It was twelve year old, Dane, walked into our Dojo with his parents. This shy but hard working kid quickly endeared himself to everyone in the dojo for his tenacity and work ethic. After many years of great training and accomplishments in Karate, Dane shipped off to College, then to different careers, and travels.

Over the years I’ve followed Dane’s adventures from afar, as he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology and Attended Field-school for Archaeology in Israel. I have always been proud of his accomplishments and I have been very happy to be a small part in his formation. However, last week I was even more proud to find out that he graduated as a Chaplain Candidate in the United States Army. After congratulating him, Dane offered to share publicly his appreciation for his time at our Dojo. So here it is:

My name is Dane Barnes, and I am a Chaplain Candidate in the United States Army and I am also a former student of Colorado Karate Club. I wanted to share my experiences with you because I know that what I learned at Colorado Karate Club made a lifelong impact on my career and personality.

To “Seek Perfection of Character”, is one of the five precepts of every karate practitioner, as stated in the “Dojo Kun” or rules of the Dojo. It is one of the many principles from Karate which have prepared me for a calling in military chaplaincy. The Army can train a Soldier for any specialty, but moral integrity is something which must originate from within. Perhaps, you can then understand why this concept of “Seek Perfection of Character” has been paramount to my development as a staff officer in the Army.

Karate embodies an ethic of self-improvement which is exceedingly rare in our modern age. Karate is the practice of unity, constancy, and peace. Students learn self-discipline, resiliency, integrity, personal courage, loyalty, respect, and honor. Many of these are in the Army Values.

Each morning when I recite the Soldier’s Creed, I am reminded of when Sensei Willy first taught me the Dojo Kun, and I am thankful that he showed me how to get a head start at such a young age. Sensei taught me to embrace adversity and to never be afraid to step outside my comfort zone in order to seek moral improvement. As you can imagine, this is a highly important notion for any Soldier to possess.

To anyone reading this who may be interested in martial arts, or a parent considering an extracurricular activity for your child, Shotokan Karate is an excellent return on your investment. I can proudly say that the invitation to “seek perfection of character” is always open at Colorado Karate Club. Even though it has been years since I have been able to attend, my time at the Dojo prepared me to be a lifelong patriot of moral values.

— Dane Barnes,
1LT CH Candidate, US Army