The Gosikido Brotherhood

Since the Creation of Gosikido, many students have come and gone, and very few have stood the test of time. There are many reason for that, some are easily explained, yet others still bewilder me. The formula is simple, I only ask for two things; 1) Absolute respect, and 2) Absolute dedication. What simple things I ask for, but how difficult they are to give. However, once given there is a rewarding benefit that becomes its natural outcome - that is, the Gosikido Brotherhood. First, let me reiterate that I never ask anything of my students that I have not ALREADY given to my teachers. Hence, I've already reaped the rewards of my relationships with my teachers - even after their deaths, they keep teaching me and blessing me with their wisdom. So, what is this brotherhood? It is something you can't touch, or see, or smell, or hear. Rather, it is something that you feel when you are among your brothers in the art. Adhering to my two conditions stated above only gives you the right to be eligible for this preticious honor, but the only way to earn it is through blood, sweat, and tears - you MUST pay your dues. How do you know when your there? You don't, the journey never ends, the challenges and tests never stop - but some day, when you need your brothers to come to your rescue . . .They will be there. It is an unspoken truth, whispered in the shadows of your consciousness that give you a sense of belonging to a cause greater than yourself. An understanding of a purpose who's goal is not defined, yet reachable in each of you. The thresholds we must cross to gain each other's confidence is undefined and only revealed once trust is established. Martial Arts is not just about punching and kicking, it is a way of life. It transcends all aspects of your being, in multiple dimensions to fulfill the ultimate balance of mind, body, and spirit. Wisdom is the application of knowledge, that only comes with time. In order for the formula to work correctly a student must surrender himself to his teacher, but at the same time asking him for his knowledge. In this symbiotic relationship, a teacher must also comply by disseminated his knowledge to his pupils. This relationship is a two-way street, both giving and receiving. Your fellow students then become the support mechanism by which each of you can grow and develop your skills. The relationship then becomes multi-dimensional, both vertically (teacher-student), as well as horizontally among your fellow Gosikido Brothers (a brotherhood I can't joint). In today's society, specially in the US, where etiquette and protocol are absent, where authority has been stripped from parents, teachers, and religious leaders, where can we turn to for a since of structure, order, and authority? At the end of the day, when you strip down all of our barriers, platforms, and material gains, all we have is our WORD and our HONOR.