The martial arts aspect of my life has been an incredible journey. One that began when I was watching my 5-year-old son Troy take lessons from Trey Hanrahan at the Benbrook Community Center. One of the other parents said, “Hey do you want to try this?” And I remember laughing, thinking she was nuts. But once I was on the mat, I was hooked.
Martial arts has given me, and my family, such a blessed and enriched life. Because of this, I would like to say thank you to every single person I have been on a mat with. If our feet were in proximity to one another, I am grateful to you for this incredible journey. If I have ever laid my hands on your belt, know that you have touched my life in ways that I cannot explain with words. It is like the closeness you feel when you spar someone, it is a higher level of knowing someone and if I ever had the honor to tie your belt, you will always be a part of who I am, and I hope I will be a small part of who you are.