May 5, 2025
Houston, Texas USA
Dear Silkisondan Karate Masters and Respected Disciples, I hope this message finds you and your loved ones in good health, high spirits, and in harmony with the changing rhythm of the seasons.
There is no particular issue of protocol, regulation, or technical concern that prompts this message—no urgent matter of policy, nor any routine reminder. In truth, I reach out simply to share a reflection—a word that continues to echo deeply in my heart and, I believe, lies at the very center of our path: preparation.
In the discipline of Karate—and more profoundly, in the way of life itself—preparation is more than just readiness for battle, performance, or a test of skill. It is a quiet, consistent act of respect. It is the discipline of the unseen moment, the practice of shaping one’s inner world long before the world makes its demands. It is a form of mindfulness in motion, an ongoing commitment to bring the mind, body, and spirit into alignment—not just when conflict arises, but long before it ever does.
Preparation trains us not only to move quickly, but to see clearly. It sharpens our senses to anticipate—not merely to react. In anticipating, we do not predict the future, but rather we become attuned to the present so thoroughly that we are already in motion when others are still awakening to what has come.
We often train our forms, our strikes, our breath, and our posture. But underlying all of these is an invisible foundation—the habit of preparation. This is what grants mastery its quiet confidence. This is what separates the one who simply knows techniques from the one who embodies the way.
Preparation, when done with sincerity, becomes a philosophy, not just a practice. It becomes a gesture of humility—acknowledging that we are always in the process of becoming. It becomes an act of care—toward oneself, one’s dojo, one’s teachers, and one’s community. And it becomes a path to inner peace—because to be prepared is to greet life without fear.
So today, I do not bring instruction, correction, or direction. I simply bring this word to your attention—preparation—as a reminder, a meditation, and an invitation to return to the essence of our practice.
With deepest respect and in the spirit of continued growth,
Master Thinh Silkisondan Karate Association
