We want every student to develop a life-long love of martial arts training, and Sensei Oliveri sets the same expectation for himself.
While it’s difficult for instructors to train at the same time they are teaching, Sensei makes time to practice and work out on his own. The Shuri-ryu system has a deep curriculum, and an average workout of 30-60 minutes can cover just a few kata or combinations. Add to that the extensive ISA kobudo curriculum and the Shinto Muso-ryu seitei kata, and there’s more than enough to keep Sensei busy.
However, progression requires feedback and instruction, so Sensei attends a few seminars every year, as well as travels to train with his instructors and fellow karateka at the Robert Bowles Karate Academy in Fort Wayne, IN, or the Kosho School of Karate in Cincinnati, Ohio. This not only helps him refine his own technique and learn new skills, but it gives him new instruction and ideas to bring back to the dojo.
This is part of kaizen, or the process of continuous, incremental improvement that we should all strive for.
