Hello everyone,

Before we leave for the holidays, I would like to say a few words about our Sensei, our dear Gun.

You always know when Sensei Gun has arrived.

From downstairs comes a monumental "OSS!"

Then another.

And another.

And another.

A whole chorus of OSSes echoes through the building like a sound bouncing off the mountains of Japan.

At that point, there is no doubt.

Gun has arrived.

He walks into the dojo, immediately runs over to Leonor, delivers two kicks, receives two kicks back, and then casually starts making a coffee.

Not drinking it, of course.

That would suggest the coffee is responsible for his energy.

It clearly isn't.

The coffee is just a witness.

Meanwhile, Sensei Gun is already moving around the dojo at a speed that seems incompatible with the laws of biology.

"Today is the day," he announces.

Now, we are never entirely sure which day he is talking about.

But judging from experience, it is usually the day we leave training crawling on all fours... assuming we still possess all four limbs.

The warm-up begins.

And by "warm-up", I mean:

850 mae geris.

2,400 push-ups.

530 yoko geris.

And approximately 20,000 punches.

Left hand.

Right hand.

Left hand.

Right hand.

At some point, you begin to wonder whether this is karate training or preparation for a military invasion.

Meanwhile, Sensei Gun flies around the dojo like a man powered by a secret energy source known only to himself, while the rest of us are reconsidering every life decision that brought us to that exact moment.

And if anyone dares to look tired?

"Today is the day."

Which, in Sensei language, apparently means:

"Today is the day you discover muscles you never knew existed."

Now that the warm-up is over, we can finally begin the warm-up for kumite.

Ian is already sweating.

Not normal sweating.

The kind of sweating usually associated with hostage negotiations and emergency surgery.

Christoph is convinced than Gun has taken performance-enhancing drugs.

Fabrício disagrees.

"No," he says, "he must have eaten a lion."

Patrick Dieu, hearing this, immediately begins praying to himself.

Only Silvia remains perfectly calm.

She is mentally elsewhere.

While the rest of us are preparing for combat, survival, and possible medical intervention, Silvia is quietly thinking about her next kata.

And, of course, her dark-purple belt with little stripes.

She is waiting for it with the patience of a saint.

A very determined saint.

The next exercise is designed to prepare us physically and mentally for kumite.

We must jump 200 times.

The objective is simple:

Reach the ceiling.

The first person to break a horn on the ceiling will be awarded a bag of ice cubes.

This is considered a prize.

Nobody questions this.

Everyone jumps.

Everyone suffers.

Everyone pretends to be fine.

And somehow, after all that, Sensei Gun looks at us and says:

"Good. Now we are ready."

Ready?

READY?

Most of us are already communicating with our ancestors.

But apparently, according to Sensei Gun's standards, we are finally prepared for kumite.

At last, we are ready for kumite.

Sensei Gun begins assigning partners.

The men are paired off efficiently.

Then, for reasons known only to himself, he keeps all the women.

Every single one.

His personal selection committee.

Everybody watches this with deep suspicion.

The women line up and do their absolute best to land a proper kick.

A good kick.

A memorable kick.

Any kick.

Sensei Gun, meanwhile, appears to feel absolutely nothing.

No pain.

No concern.

Only happiness.

The more we try, the more amused he becomes.

For him, kumite seems less like combat and more like a particularly enjoyable hobby.

Eventually, after much effort and very little damage to Sensei Gun, kumite comes to an end.

At this point, normal people would stop.

But not us.

Now it is time to relax before returning to our offices in the approximate shape of a pudding.

The relaxation exercises begin.

First, we roll across the dojo fifty times from one side to the other.

Then we stand on one leg.

Three jumps.

Three spins.

A perfectly controlled landing.

And, naturally, one final kata.

Because balance, coordination and dignity are apparently things we are still expected to possess.

Luis is quietly calculating his escape route.

He is fairly certain that if it were not for the sacred duty of his grading exam, he would already be halfway down the stairs at the speed of sound.

Lola looks at him.

Lola laughs.

Finally, it is time for the closing ceremony.

We kneel.

Every single one of us.

Despite the fact that at least half the dojo is now operating with knees that should probably be classified as historical monuments.

And yet there is something wonderful about that moment.

The training is over.

We are exhausted.

We are broken.

We are smiling.

"It was fun!"

And then comes the most terrifying sentence of the entire evening:

"See you tomorrow."

Because with Sensei Gun, there is always another tomorrow.

And apparently...

Today was the day.

Now, jokes aside.

I first entered this karate family through your father, and I have had the privilege of continuing the journey with you.

That is something special.

Karate is not just about punches, kicks, kata, or kumite.

It is about people.

It is about character.

It is about showing up, even on the days when we would rather stay on the sofa and preserve what remains of our knees.

You have inherited a great tradition, but more importantly, you have made it your own.

You challenge us.

You encourage us.

You make us work harder than we thought possible.

And somehow, despite all the suffering, we keep coming back.

That is the sign of a great teacher.

Not because students fear disappointing him.

But because they do not want to miss the opportunity to learn from him.

So, on behalf of all of us, thank you.

Thank you for your energy.

Thank you for your patience.

Thank you for your dedication.

Thank you for keeping this dojo a place where we grow stronger, laugh together, and become better versions of ourselves.

And before we leave for the holidays, I would like to borrow your famous words one last time.

Sensei...

Today is the day...

...to say thank you.

Have a wonderful holiday, and we look forward to seeing you again next term.

OSS!