In My Absence, Magic Happens!

As I've stated before, I was in Canada all of last week doing some intense physical training with a handful of my students and about 150 other martial artists from the Zen Bei Butoku Kai International. I can't say enough good things about the training experience, or the fine people involved in the annual Summer Camp.

But in my absence, wonderful things were happening back at out dojo in Boston, and I'd like to recognize them here:

Our Little Dragons completed a food drive project. The more than 150 pounds of non-perishable food items they collected will be donated to a local organization next week.

My students created a project – on their own initiative – and formed a dojo knitting circle to teach one another how to knit used grocery store plastic bags into reusable bags.

The community garden we planted was vandalized, and many students jumped in to volunteer to re-plant, notify city officials, contact the press, and more.

Using our private forum, students are now discussing getting ways to get a mural painted in the area by our dojo that's now covered with graffiti.

One of my students was nominated by the rest of the group to serve on the city of Boston's "Community Advisory Committee on Climate Action."

Another student invited her dojo mates to participate in the Project Place (a homeless services organization) Open Door Network.

This is so very cool. I go away for a week, and chaos ensues – in a good way! Maybe I should go away more often.