I am 39 yrs old I started my training with Sensei McKinney at the age of 14 yrs old.  My initial reason for wanting to start karate was probably like many 14yr olds past and present, movies and a growing propensity for violence.  This was later calmed by rigid training that later developed a skill that I am now just realizing aided me throughout life, discipline. A bland answer to the question of, "what have I gained from karate?", dicipline is an over looked obvious in karate that lends far too many positives.

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Kata, another skill, was and still is a part of the rigid training that sometimes gives insight to where the karate-ka may be in his/her training or personality depending on which kata they perfer.  There are no favorite katas for me, but what does attract me to kata depends on the stage I am in during my training.  Initially as a beginner there were no katas I was drawn to, I was simply trying to understand and take in everything as I progressed.  Moving on to my 7-6kyu I loved the rugged aggressive nature of saifa but my mood and progression as I moved up in rank took me into other directions.  Later as a 1st kyu and 1 dan my gears shifted towards sepai and now as a 2 dan I am more interested in Shisochin, simply because of it's aesthetics and how it fits my taller physique while performing it.

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My goals are much like every stage I am in when training kata, constantly changing.  I feel there should never be a single goal but rather goals that constantly transform as you progress.  My initial goal as a beginner was to simply elevate in rank but that eventually changed.  My current goals are to gain as much knowledge in martial arts as possible and pass it on.  But everyone's overall transformative goals  should be the willingness to learn, unlearn and relearn. An drink a few beers in the process. 

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