It is not plane tickets that bring us together every year. It is not carpools or gas money. It isn't the great food at the banquet, either. We are drawn to Kentucky every year by a common interest, a common way of thinking, a common way of life. We are a family, and what is our surname? Karate. Karate brings us from different places and dojos and makes us one.

Wes Grammer, Richard Rike, Patrick Keese, and Gus Monge. Newly promoted Ik-kyus by the National Test Board at the Honbu Dojo.

"Karate-ka, kutski." These are the first words spoken at the start of our training. We begin by stating that we are a family in karate. The chi energy generating from the students as we warm up is intense and thick. You can hear it in the resounding kiais. You can feel it in the vibrating floor through your bare feet. You can see it in the sweat trickling off your forehead. You can sense that everyone there is focused on the same thing at the s ame time. This experience of oneness with over 150 of your fellow karate-ka is inspiring, and, in the words of a thirteen-year old such as myself, totally radical.

The visiting instructors only add to the energy at the clinic. Our spirited shouts are said to be heard "all the way to Dr. Chitose himself" as we sprint down the gym floor. The fast-paced demonstration by two of the guest instructors is so invigorating the heartbeat of each spectator races. It is impossible to describe in one word the budo and spirit present at the clinic.

Wes Grammer takes on a group of Black Belts including Hanshi Dometrich and guest instructor Kyoshi Payne from the UK.

Later we gather to feast and celebrate. We award exemplary members of our family and we promote those who have shown true budo and trained so hard for this moment. We break our bread together just as any other family sits down to eat. The sound of students catching up on news from over the year rings in our ears, while we also meet new faces and welcome them to our wonderful family. Some students just simply argue over who gets the last slice of delicious cake. If you had just walked into the banquet hall, you would easily mistake the event for a family reunion, and, in a way, it is. We reminisce about happy times as we watch brilliant presentations about the trip to Japan. Then we head back to our hotel and party until the early20hours. But I won't get into that.

The next morning we say our goodbyes almost as soon as we said hello. Even though we are going back to our own lives, we still act as one. Now we have the memory of this awesome weekend to hold us together in addition to our solid bond as a karate family. And as a stare out the window at the passing scenery, the same phrase runs across my mind: We are karate. We. Are. Us.

The Charlottesville Yoseikan pictured with Hanshi and the guests Budo-ka from the UK.

And then we are back in good old Virginia again. We are welcomed home by our fellow students and we congratulate the students that were promoted at the test in Kentucky. This year, Charlottesville Yoseikan stands tall and proud, for all four people that tested passed with flying colors. Patrick Keese, Gus Monge, Richard Rike, and Wes Grammer were all promoted to 1st kyu. In attendance were Sensei Gage and her daughter Emma, Sensei Lauren Fuller, Gus and Danny Monge with their family, Matt Fornaro, Richard Rike, Jack Little, Fred Siebenmann, Megan Payne, John and Wes Grammer, Patrick Keese, and myself, Linda Hexter. All in all, our experience was an excellent success and a lot of fun. See you all at the dojo!

XOXO -Cohai LindaJ