Shodan Paul Gentleman Receiving his First Dan Black Belt at Mildred Hall School Dojo in Yellowknife NWT
Journey to Black Belt and Beyond
My name is Paul Gentleman and I am an elementary school teacher in Behchoko, Northwest Territories. I have been a schoolteacher for 18 years, 13 of which have been in the Tlicho region.
I started my Karate training in early 2017. I was immediately impressed by the expectations of the Sensei(s) and discipline of the students. I also learned quickly that Karate is very hard. At 46 years of age I wasn’t sure if I could keep up. However, because I train at the gym regularly, I was able to keep up with the younger students in most of the exercises. The stances, and movements were a different story. Early on, my ankles, knees…all of my joints ached after every class! As time passed they ached less, as my stances got better (but are still far from perfect). I was relieved because I initially thought I might be too old to do Karate. It would have been easy to quit at any point throughout the first few months.
I didn’t quit because of the encouragement from my Sensei(s) and fellow students. Everyone in the club was and still is very supportive. Karate is not something that I am a ‘natural’ at. Many students in our club are ‘naturals’ and it is sometimes difficult not to be envious of their talents. None of these students are braggarts, quite the opposite, they are patient, understanding and always make the time to try and help me out. Our club is full of exceptional people and I am proud just to be around them.
Receiving a Black Belt is surreal. Without any disrespect to my Sensei(s), I still doubt whether I am worthy. When I am in front of the class, especially the senior students, I am nervous and extremely self-conscious. I make a lot of mistakes and worry what the others think of me. Yet I have not heard one negative comment, only positive, supportive ones like: “It’s okay Paul, we are all in this together” and “You don’t need to be nervous, we got your back.” These are the reasons I continue with Karate. I want to prove to my fellow students that I can do it, that I am deserving of a Black Belt and that I won’t let them down. I want to gain confidence in my abilities so I can pass on the teachings.
Karate is a life long journey that is not an easy one, but one that is very worthwhile. It has positive affects on all aspects of your life, no matter who you are, it draws out the best of you, it helps you believe in yourself, your worth and your contributions to the world.
I look forward to continuing the journey; I hope you will join us!
Paul Gentleman
My name is Paul Gentleman and I am an elementary school teacher in Behchoko, Northwest Territories. I have been a schoolteacher for 18 years, 13 of which have been in the Tlicho region.
I started my Karate training in early 2017. I was immediately impressed by the expectations of the Sensei(s) and discipline of the students. I also learned quickly that Karate is very hard. At 46 years of age I wasn’t sure if I could keep up. However, because I train at the gym regularly, I was able to keep up with the younger students in most of the exercises. The stances, and movements were a different story. Early on, my ankles, knees…all of my joints ached after every class! As time passed they ached less, as my stances got better (but are still far from perfect). I was relieved because I initially thought I might be too old to do Karate. It would have been easy to quit at any point throughout the first few months.
I didn’t quit because of the encouragement from my Sensei(s) and fellow students. Everyone in the club was and still is very supportive. Karate is not something that I am a ‘natural’ at. Many students in our club are ‘naturals’ and it is sometimes difficult not to be envious of their talents. None of these students are braggarts, quite the opposite, they are patient, understanding and always make the time to try and help me out. Our club is full of exceptional people and I am proud just to be around them.
Receiving a Black Belt is surreal. Without any disrespect to my Sensei(s), I still doubt whether I am worthy. When I am in front of the class, especially the senior students, I am nervous and extremely self-conscious. I make a lot of mistakes and worry what the others think of me. Yet I have not heard one negative comment, only positive, supportive ones like: “It’s okay Paul, we are all in this together” and “You don’t need to be nervous, we got your back.” These are the reasons I continue with Karate. I want to prove to my fellow students that I can do it, that I am deserving of a Black Belt and that I won’t let them down. I want to gain confidence in my abilities so I can pass on the teachings.
Karate is a life long journey that is not an easy one, but one that is very worthwhile. It has positive affects on all aspects of your life, no matter who you are, it draws out the best of you, it helps you believe in yourself, your worth and your contributions to the world.
I look forward to continuing the journey; I hope you will join us!
Paul Gentleman