Mike Lyon here. I had such a great time at SKA’s Boston Dojo leading practices with dojo leader Jesse Winch on Wednesday, October 11 and with senior instructor Johnson Chung on Saturday, October 14, 2023. I was in Cambridge on other business and was happy that Jesse and Johnson were able to taxi me to and from practices. What a great group and beautiful practice space in a church near Chinatown.

The next weekend I was in Houston, Texas for an art school board meeting. Alex Shurin leads the Houston Dojo there. He’s 49 now and we first met over 30 years ago when he attended a Midwest special training in Kansas City at age 16 or 17. I have liked and admired him ever since. Wonderful person and exceptional karate-ka. He’s made a wonderful life for his wife and two kids 11 and 13. Amazing! The Austin Dojo found out I was coming October 22 and the Austin instructors, Avery Saxe (2nd from left behind the child) and and Gary Stafford (Alex is the dark haired guy next to me and Gary is the tall guy on the other side of me in the photo below) brought some juniors with them – thirteen of us in all (two left before we got together for the photo). Great time and very fun assisting their kihon and jiyu-ippon gumite plus Alex and Gary’s jiyu kumite and super-fun sparring with Alex – he’s definitely no kid any longer – very quick and fit and accomplished.

Thanks, Boston (Jesse and Johnson) and Austin (Gary and Avery) and especially Alex Shurin, leader of Houston Dojo, who put up with me in his home overnight and taxied me to the airport! Great time all around and wonderful people!