About Me - Black Belt Bound and new Co-Author

In the spring of 2007 I watched as a vacant space in a shopping plaza was transformed into a LaVallee's dojo. Ever since college (I'm now 44) I've been interested in trying Martial Arts. On a Monday afternoon I stopped in to check things out. Sensei ran me through the basics of Martial Arts ( punching and kicking) and signed me up right then and there. I was back the next week in my white Gi and have been hooked ever since. Now, I'm not the most athletic guy and was probably in the worst shape of my life when I started. My first goal was to just keep going to class every week. I keep plugging along and doing my best. ( I've embraced the thought that Black Belts are White Belts that don't quit. It's my intention to practice what's preached to us during class but once I leave the dojo I have a hard time implementing those life lessons. So, I'm going to SET my goals publicly on this blog and see if they are goals I GET.

Right now I am about 16 days from getting my purple belt and moving onto the next level of training I am in a unique position being in a new dojo. I am one of about ten students graduating to purple belt for the first time in our dojo. There are no student in front of us.

When I'm not training, I am a pastry chef. I have owned my own business for about 18 years now. We are a specialty bakery that focuses on wedding and custom cakes – like "Ace of Cakes" but not as extreme. After attending a recent Black Belt Spectacular I've had this idea of a cake design to celebrate belt graduations. I'm going to make one for our purple belt graduation and will post a pic in a couple weeks. I also have 3 beagles, ranging in age from 4 years to 8 weeks old. They are a handful and the puppy just started sleeping through the night so everyone is getting more sleep these days.
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