In 1985, when I was 12 years old, I decided that I would like to try karate lessons. At the time I lived in Normal Illinois and had several martial arts schools to choose from. My parents and I looked at many of the different schools all of which were just too expensive. Specifically, I remember calling one school and they were charging $60 a month and required a one year contract and this was over 20 years ago. It was at this time when a friend of my sister recommended that I try Yoshukai Karate, the style of karate he practiced.

I was immediately drawn to Yoshukai Karate. The techniques of Yoshukai were efficient, extremely powerful and were not flashy or extravagant like those I had seen at the other schools. The cost of the Yoshukai lessons was very reasonable at only $25 a month with no startup fees or contracts. With my parents’s approval, I immediately joined Yoshukai and started my karate training.

When I was a green belt the dojo in Normal was closed and I started training with Sensei Dugan in Lincoln. I had met Sensei Dugan a couple of times in the Normal dojo and had been impressed by him. As my training continued I formed a deep respect for Sensei Dugan as do all of his students. As an instructor Sensei Dugan is strict but fair and is always patient and willing to spend extra time helping students. He is dedicated to passing on his extensive knowledge of Yoshukai Karate to anyone who wants to learn.

Yoshukai Karate training instills many different values in its students. Most prevalent among these values are patience, discipline, and respect. I have been studying Yoshukai karate for over 20 years now and I know that these values have been ingrained in me through my karate training. I owe a lot to Sensei Dugan and to Yoshukai karate. Without the discipline and patience of karate training I would not be the person I am today.