How do you balance 1. Work, 2. Being a Father, and 3. Your Training? This is a delicate equation that I am trying to balance and I am miserably failing on this account. Let me tell you for any of you first time fathers out there you are definitely going to have to choose your priorities. For myself, I have been concentrating on the first two priorities and thus have created this blog to fulfill at least my continuous training of the mind. While, currently, I am not able to attend the dojo much due to my current obligations, I keep connecting with my dojo and the ever so humble and accomodating Karate Community to keep my mental training going. But this is a big problem for me and I know it will be for you future Karateka fathers out there.
I had a good chance to connect with a good Karate brother of mine, +Johnpaul Williams, who is my sounding board when my head gets too loud. He has 3 kids and has been training as long as I have. My question to him was "how do you do it?" His answer was simple... "just take him with you." I just laughed because the answer was just that simple. It made sense but I'll have to find another way to get around the second issue I have. Logistics. I live in Anaheim, CA. About five minute to Disneyland and about 2 miles west of Angel's Stadium. I work in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles. My dojo is at the +East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center (#ESGVJCC) which is located in West Covina, CA. You Los Angelinos know what kind of traffic I have to contend with especially if I work a nine to five type of schedule. It's not a friendly commute. Sigh.
My son Nathan, just turned 17 months, and I know I'll get some support if I took him to the dojo (which I need to find a way before my wife goes crazy)... but right now isn't the best time. We're working on his potty training, he's staring to learn how to speak, and we are trying to keep him on a strict sleeping schedule. My dojo opens it doors about 7:30pm and if we are willing to work, Hamabata Sensei will work us until we drop or he tells us to go home. As you can tell, this would not be the ideal condition for an 17 month old child. In turn, I think my wife would give me hell.
So I continue to look for options to balance out the 123 equation. Eventually I will have to teach my own son or send him to Sensei Grandpa (Sakaue Sr.) for personal training before I get him in the dojo by 6 or 7... we're still a few years out. You can see the big picture that I am faced with. I know eventually I will figure it out but if you, those in the real world, have faced this challenge... I am all eyes and ears and would like to know your solutions. So you dads out there... please hit me up and give me some ideas! ONEGAISHIMASU!!!
In training and fatherhood.
Kay
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