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Text Box: INTERNATIONAL KOJOSHO KARATE FEDERATION

Text Box: Other teachers so love their own learning that they cannot bear to make it accessible to othersóeven to their own students. Great knowledge, they say, must be protectedónever compromised. They are like a river that is too wide to cross. The best teachers think only of the student. They bring out the best in the student, regardless of the studentís own inclinations, and they work tirelessly to convey knowledge in a way the student can absorb. They are like a life-giving stream. It doesnít matter if knowledge is infinite; the best teachers will begin the student on the path to exploration so that he or she is never left confused and lost. It doesnít matter if the time grows long; the best teachers are patient and nurture the student through all the necessary stages of the studentís learning. Use the same care in choosing a teacher for yourself as you would in choosing a teacher for your child. In both cases the stakes are the sameóa good master can bring forth hidden talents. The teacher who brings out the best in their students is the greatest master. There are still a few masters today, but they are hard to find. They may be recalcitrant; they may be irritable; they may be difficult; they are always demanding. They may say little the first many times you meet them. You should not be fooled, however. Inside, the master is noting your reactions and sensing what is needed. If you make the mistake of judging a master too quickly, youíll miss a great opportunity. There are many students in the Kojosho System who have been studying with Mr. Fred Absher for 10, 20, 30 even 40 years. If you ask one of our graying senior students, ìHow can you possibly study the same thing over and over for 30 years? ì, youíll get a puzzled look and then a subtle smile and then an answer that says itís not like that at allótheyíre making new discoveries all the time. Watch an advanced class or instructorsí seminar. Youíll sense as much enthusiasm and passion as young beginners showómaybe even more.

DAYS WEEKS YEARS DECADES

Many teachers think only of themselves. They want only to be admired. They are like a dangerous and raging river.

There are two reasons for that remarkable outcome. The Kojosho Forms have a breadth and depth that few of us have fully appreciated and none of us has fully explored. And we have access to a master who can guide us in our process of discovery and exploration.

Please join the Kojosho Board of Regents in honoring Mr. Fred Absher

for dedicating the last 50 years of his life to patiently showing us the Way.