Six Years

My whole life changed six years ago. Wilburn King was murdered in our karate studio, King's Southern Karate. I never thought I would be good at Karate. I didn't even want to join. I signed Steven up when he was 4 and after about a year Mr. King asked me what it would take to get me to join. Be skeptical, I told him I didn't have the time or the money. I had the time; I just didn't have the money or the drive to participate. He was very persuasive and he even offered that as long as Steven was taking that I did not need to worry about the money, just find the time. I eventually caved and thought well I might be able to do this. After all there were plenty of people older than me that were doing it. Mr. King himself could still get into a fully hyper extended Chinese split. He was a very traditional teacher. We learned point fighting, hold breaks, and forms or katas. I never realized how much fun it was going to be. I also never thought that I would be good at this! We went to tournaments almost every weekend. Steven had a very large division and being a woman we had at the most ten. We always came home with trophies and after six months I was the national, regional, and state champion in the 18-29 women’s intermediate division. Then the floor fell out from underneath us. Steven had a little boy in his class whose mother did not like the way Mr. King would discipline the kids. He was a rough teacher but nothing that I wouldn't expect out of a coach. She took her son and went to another school. Well that school closed and she tried a lot of other schools but nothing suited her. She tried to get her boy back into our school and Mr. King would not allow it. She had defamed his name in public and was just a problem all together. This didn't sit well with her and she killed him. KILLED HIM OVER KARATE! Now I am not saying that this chick wasn't nuts but it's karate! Everything changed. The school moved and had to have a new owner but it wasn't the same. I left the school and tried others but it still wasn't as pleasing compared to taking from Mr. King. He was inspirational. He made you want to do better. Today is the six year anniversary and I cannot believe how everything has changed. I am a brown belt but became pregnant about 3 months before I would test for a black belt and now that we are in full swing children mode there just isn't the time for it anymore. I still want my blackbelt but I will most likely never compete again. This man showed me that I was a very strong girl, unfortunately I found out in more than one way. Rest in peace Wilburn, you are truly missed!