After many years of being away from martial arts, I started training again in Shotokan Karate of America (SKA). I have been training at Lake Forest Dojo for the past two years under the instruction of Dave Lechuga.

About two months ago, Dave invited me to train with the SKA USA Team in their preparation for Israel Shotokan’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and Tournament. This was a great opportunity for me to fight with some of the best men and women in the organization and a chance to improve my kumite skills. Our practices were held at the Garden Grove Shotokan Dojo and were led by Greg Scott, Gary Shockley and Dave Lechuga. The non-stop combination of cardio drills, kumite drills and multiple kumite matches were the most physically and mentally demanding that I had ever experienced. I felt great! I was impressed with the support and encouragement from everyone involved, and it inspired me to train even harder.

Just prior to attending my second practice, Dave told me that I was selected to fight on the USA Team in Israel! I was honored by such a high compliment from Dave and excited to represent Sensei and the USA. Our team continued to train hard and continued to encourage each other. In almost 17 years of police work, I have never been a part of a group or team with such strong camaraderie! Greg, Gary and Dave advised us that our goals were to fight with our strongest spirit, show clean techniques and be professional and humble. This outweighed winning medals and this is what Ohshima Sensei required from us.

Time flew by and suddenly we were on our way to Israel. I was pretty nervous about traveling half way around the world to such a foreign place. I immediately noticed that the Israeli people were ready to defend their beloved country from their hostile, neighboring countries. This environment was very different from my laid back, California lifestyle. I found the Israeli people to be kind and welcomed us in to their country. We stayed in Jerusalem, which was rich in religious history. The food was amazing and the weather was very hot and humid.

The team gathered together for practice and it was clear that everyone was completely focused and ready for battle at the tournament. I will have to admit that my stomach was full of butterflies and the anticipation to fight in the tournament was intense. We continued to get positive encouragement and were reminded of our goals from Gary and Dave.

Prior to the tournament, participants went to the beautiful Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where we toured the model of the Second Temple period and the Shrine of the Book. Afterwards, we attended the reception and gala dinner in the Art Garden. Israel Shotokan Officials welcomed Ohshima Sensei and participants. We also got to see a brief history of the evolution of Israel Shotokan.

The day of the tournament finally arrived! Ohshima Sensei held a practice with what appeared to be 200+ participants on the field at Givat Ram Stadium at Hebrew University, in Jerusalem. Our team arrived at Hebrew University early and practiced with each other, which helped calm our nerves. Gary, Dave and my teammates encouraged me to stay strong and fight with my very best effort. I convinced myself that I would not let them down. We walked into the Givat Ram Sports Center with our respective countries and were represented by our country’s flag. I felt such pride walking with my teammates, representing the United States.

Our men’s team fought first and easily advanced to the next round of the tournament. The women fought next. My name was called and I faced off with a woman from Curacao. This is where my training and preparation would pay off. As soon as I entered the ring, I felt calm, focused and ready to fight my opponent. I had felt frustrated up until now that I had not really felt that I was in the “zone” during kumite, but today was different. I fought with my strongest spirit, showed my cleanest techniques and stayed professional and humble, even though I did not win the match. I was happy with my performance, but was disappointed to be eliminated out of the tournament and unable to help advance our women’s team. I stood on the sidelines and cheered our team on. New to tournament fighting, I learned a wealth of knowledge from watching matches and getting advice and feedback from Dave and my teammates. Our men’s team continued to advance in the tournament and fought some ferocious long matches. The men’s team won silver medals. The final match between Ryon and Trung was outstanding! Both fought with the best examples of strong Shotokan Karate spirit, techniques and professionalism. I was proud of our team and felt privileged and very fortunate to be a part of them.

On the next day, Godan exams were held at the Givat Ram Sports Center, where Gary put an impressive performance with Dave assisting as his “Uke.” Afterwards, we all headed towards Caesarea historical site and participated in Sensei’s practice at the Roman Hippodrome by the beach. The site, beach and Mediterranean Sea were breath taking. The Hippodrome is an ancient site where there were chariot races and gladiator fights. After an unforgettable practice, we cleaned up and went to another gala dinner at the Sea Star site, which was next to the Mediterranean Sea. We all had a great time relaxing and enjoyed visiting with each other. We ate a spectacular dinner and listened to live entertainment. Later, Sensei’s 80th Birthday was celebrated by Shotokan Karate groups from around the world showing their appreciation for him with kind words and gifts.

The following day, I went with several members of SKA to the Old City of Jerusalem. This was a truly remarkable place where I felt like I had stepped back in time to observe how the Jews, Muslims and Christians interacted within their respective, crude “quarters” or areas within the Old City. I experienced a little taste of each culture and heritage. I will not forget the sites, sounds and smells of the Old City, which were unique. I found shopping to be an adventure, with merchants expecting customers to challenge them with negotiating the amount of Shekels for an item. In fact, it was common and not disrespectful to barter over the price of an item or service, especially taxis. Taxi cab rides were fast and exciting!

Our adventure in Jerusalem had come to an end. Israel Shotokan had been gracious hosts and organized a great venue. I enjoyed socializing with SKA members from around the world. I was fortunate to have visited with Sensei just before checking out of my hotel. He is extraordinary gentleman and a class act. I am so thankful and honored to have been a member of the USA Team and representing Sensei. I have an immense amount of respect for Greg, Gary, Dave and my teammates and feel privileged to know them. This was an unforgettable experience and adventure! I am back home now and cannot wait to get back into the dojo and train with Dave and Lake Forest Dojo guys again.

Lori Bartel