Yesterday, I accomplished something I started working on over 20 years ago. I was awarded a black belt in Shotokan Karate in an external examination overseen by the legendary Masao Kawasoe. It took a village to get me across the line, and it is humbling to consider how much effort from so many people went into helping me pass that exam (and nobody made a profit off it).
I am deeply grateful to Ken Kraisler and Cathy Cline (ISKF); Donal Phelan, Steven Rees, and Henri Piquet (SKIF); Malachy Dunne (Trinity Karate); Neville Reilly, Fran Meggs, and Stephen Venables (JKA), not to mention all of my friends and training partners at the Southwest Washington Shotokan Karate Club, SVJ Karate Club, Trinity Karate, the Dublin YMCA Karate Club, and St Brigids JKA Karate, and especially to Patricia Darling McQueen and my daughter Lulu for being always supportive and fabulous. It is a privilege to be surrounded by such extraordinary people. 
