Well, they keep growing up and moving on. As I reflect over the past few years (I’ve been with Mr. Strickland for over 20 years now), its unbelievable the number of teen/adult students that went on to become instructors, and overtime we have lost, as they moved away to other states, go Universities and / or moved on with their lives, lives that we have touched.

I am happy for Drew Cain who is married now, has a child of his own and is studding physical therapy. He captained the schools demo team, and made the most amazing transformation in a young man that I have ever seen from white to black belt. At the point when Drew Cain tested for instructor, we had 50 school owners shaking their heads. “Drew will never make it – what are you doing boy?” Little did they know, (and little did we know), that Drew would put on that jacket get a job working for Mr.Strickland and become Superman! There wasn’t a better instructor for the Junior students. One of the things that we had to really work with Mr. Cain on was to make him realize just how good he had gotten as a martial artist. What Drew had proven to us was that no obstacle was too high for him to overcome.

When people ask me – “Why is it important to you to teach these teenaged kids? – Well, I remember Drew Cain before he was a martial artist. I remember when the Cleveland’s were applying for scholarships, and I remember when Cameron, my son, was competing against 18,000 other students to get one of the 1300 slots at the Air Force Academy. I remember the honor of being asked to write a recommendation letter for Jill Diamond as she pursued her teaching job. I am not at all ashamed to tell you that I really, really miss Jill Diamond, who started at the school in about 2002, got her black belt, became and instructor trainee, got married, had a child of her own, and is now a special education teacher in LISD. I miss the teen and adult instructors that were such a big part of Mr. Strickland’s program……there have been many over the past 21 years.

I really miss Bryce Hege, who only recently moved away to Germany and is now serving in the USAF and Alycia Mueller who is married now a became a teacher.

I am sad to say I will miss Lloyd Woodard who is moving away to Jacksonville, FL this summer.

I miss Alexandra Ponce De Leon, whom graduated from Nursing School at Texas Tech and starts working in NICU at Medical City. Her legacy continues today however as the “Pouncing Lion” as her niece is now an orange belt in the juniors class with Mr. Strickland.

I really miss the Campbell’s, all of 5 of them…… and Abby Grider, Victor Pineres and Diamond Blanks.

I miss my sons Carson and Cameron. Cameron who is now flying C-130’s for the USAF.

I so miss the Cleveland girls, who went on to do mission work, got married and have children of their own.

I miss Scott Wolf, Erika Henderson, the Jacobs, the Folkins, Juanita Clements, the Melofsky’s, Emerson and Jones……the list goes on and on…..

Luckily we still have Jacquelyn Anderson here. She has matured and grown into mighty fine instructor and Im amazed at the skills she has learned. She has taken Drews place in the school and Im very proud of her.

As I look around I see young men like Deacon and Maddx stepping up and taking the mantle of those that have moved on and this makes me happy, as I know that martial arts are a big part of their success, and it is with selfish pride that I want to continue to be a very small part of that success!

We now have a fine new crop of young instructors who are joining the instructor program. The Martins, Lindemyer’s, and few new teens that I will get to know. It seems like a never ending cycle of growth. But it’s a good thing. I hope that our new crop of instructor will still be around for a bit. Why? Because I love teaching teenagers – and working with the instructors. It’s a joy. Except when they move away!

Mr. V