Thursday, November 18, 2010

Reflection: On Setting Big, Audacious, Public Goals -- And Then Failing Miserably at Acheiving Them



It's mid-November. We're in the home stretch of 2010 and heading at a break-neck pace toward the end of the year. For me, Thanksgiving usually marks the time of the year when I look back at the annual goals that I set for myself and the dojo, to check in and see how I/we have done.

Last December, I posted this blog and video, stating publicly that it was my bold intention to make Emerald Necklace Martial Arts the most well-known, well-respected, most influential community-service-oriented dojo in the city of Boston. No easy task to be sure, but I was determined and energized, and I was confident that with just a little help, I'd make the goal a reality.

So here we are, 11 months later, and I've got a mixed bag of a progress report. How to measure success here?

First, I ask, how strongly did I/we serve? In the past 11 months, our dojo has done a lot for others in need: We successfully raised more than $5,000 for the victims of the Haiti earthquake; We cleaned up the neighborhood around the dojo and planted flowers in the local green space; We launched a free community safety, self-defense, and bullying prevention resource website; We created a peace garden for the community with stones that were decorated by our members and local school children; We helped raise funds to fight blindness; And as the year comes to a close, we're making and collecting knitted gloves hats and scarves for Boston-area children in need, collecting toys for kids for the holidays, and we have a blood marrow donor registration drive in the works. Phew!

Second, I ask, how hard did I/we train? Well, I've gotten myself in outstanding shape over the past year. Gotta lead by example, right? This year, I took and passed my examination for 4th dan (fourth degree black belt), and five of my students passed their shodan (first degree back belt) tests, too. We train hard, and we are improving every day. We are a tough (but tastefully refined!) group of souls.

Third, whom did I/we influence? Well, I like to think that I'm having a significant positive influence on the students who train at the dojo. You'll have to ask them how I'm doing in that regard. As for teaching outside of the regular classes at the dojo, I personally taught character-based martial arts classes and anti-bullying classes in local elementary schools, led classes for blind and visually-impaired children at the Carroll Center for the Blind, and I served as the karate instructor at the Boston Martial Arts Academy.

Third: Who did I/we meet and connect with? This year, I chronicled my diet, shared my thoughts on healthy eating with the entire community, and featured my visits to the local farmers market; We met, trained with, and interviewed notable instructor and author, Rory Miller, and I've also interacted with authors Azby Brown (environmentalism) and Paul Chappel (peace education); We studied meditation with meditation instructor and martial artist, Richard Hubbard.


Fourth: Who noticed me/us? In the past year, the dojo has been featured in the Boston Globe, the Allston-Brighton Tab, and the Boston Bulletin. Video clips of the dojo have been featured on television. More exposure before the end of the year is on-tap through Boston Community Cable, and even possibly in the Improper Bostonian. We are in the public eye.

At least I think we are.

Yet for all the good that we've done, all the things we have accomplished, all the wonderful people we've met, and all the press we have gotten, I have to say today, November 18, that the year 2010 has been a HORRIFIC FAILURE. Because in my blog last December, I said that I would measure my/our success not only by our accomplishments as a dojo, but by our growth in membership and headcount.

So here we are. Year over year, we have NOT grown as a dojo. Many of the faces have changed, but we have not really added to our numbers in a meaningful way. We've done a lot, yes, but we have not gotten any bigger. And because we have not grown, every month it is a struggle to pay the rent and keep the lights on. The sad-but-true fact is that I've renegotiated our lease TWICE with our super-generous landlord.



And so today I check the FAIL box.

I can honestly say I'm doing everything that I can, but it's not enough. We may indeed be the most well-known, well-respected, most influential community-service-oriented dojo in the city of Boston, but if we can't pay the rent, we can't continue the MISSION — to increase the quality of life of our members and clients by teaching personal safety skills, mind/body awareness, and the self-defense mindset that generates self-confidence and a greater sense of personal empowerment, well-being, and security.


The responsibility for this tremendous failure lies with me.
 
Perhaps 2011 will be a better year.

It really, really needs to be.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Karate School to Host Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOSTON (Allston), Mass., November 15, 2010

On Saturday, December 4th from noon to 4:00 pm, Boston's Emerald Necklace Martial Arts will be hosting a bone marrow donor registration drive to benefit the DKMS Bone Marrow Registry, the largest bone marrow registry in the world.

The Drive is being organized and led by Amanda Laskowski, a blue belt student at Emerald Necklace, as part of a community service project that she is completing to earn her next belt ranking at the dojo (karate school).

The inspiration behind the drive is Laskowski's yearly trip to Camp Sunshine, a camp located in Casco, ME for families who have children with life threatening illnesses. Laskowski volunteers for the Fanconi Anemia session at the Camp: Fanconi Anemia is a blood disease that results in bone marrow failure, and while there is no cure for Fanconi Anemia, a bone marrow transplant can greatly extend a patient's life.

"Sometimes you can't even tell that these kids are sick, but their disease is very real," Laskowski said. "Knowing that I can try and help them out in any way gives me hope that someday a cure will be found."

On the day of the drive, potential donors will fill out a questionnaire and undergo a cheek swab to determine if they can be added to the registry. Individuals who are unable to donate bone marrow are still strongly encouraged to come to the event to provide personnel support at the station tables and to make a financial donation.

The bone marrow donor registration drive is one of several concurrent service projects at the dojo. Karate students are also holding their annual "Toys for Tots" holiday toy collection drive, and their annual "Caps for Kids" drive to create and collect hand-knitted scarves, hats, and gloves for Boston-area children in need.

For more information on Camp Sunshine, Fanconi Anemia or the DKMS bone marrow drive please visit their websites: www.campsunshine.org, www.fanconi.org, www.dkmsamericas.org. For more information about Emerald Necklace Martial Arts or the community service projects that are being sponsored by the dojo, please visit www.karateinboston.com or contact Sensei Jason Gould, dojo Director and Chief Instructor at (617) 202-3856.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Boston Martial Artists Fight Blindness at VisionWalk 2010!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOSTON (Allston), Mass., November 3, 2010

On Saturday, October 30, a team of 18 walkers from Emerald Necklace Martial Arts (ENMA), a karate dojo in Boston's Allston neighborhood, participated in VisionWalk 2010, a 2.5 mile walk to support the Foundation Fighting Blindness, a non-profit organization whose mission is to drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

The dojo team was led by Jessica Smith, an adult karate student at ENMA who also teaches the youth program for children ages 9-13. This is the second consecutive year that Smith has organized a walking team for the dojo.

"Personally, I am walking to support my cousin Maggie, who has gradually lost her sight over the last twenty years," Smith said. "Vision research is vastly underfunded, and our efforts can make a huge difference."
To date, the team has successfully raised more than $800 in donations. Additional contributions to the team’s fundraising effort can still be made at this link.

The students at Emerald Necklace Martial Arts regularly participate in community service projects as part of their Black Belt training program. For more information about the dojo, please visit www.karateinboston.com.