My Dear Omega Family! Another year is coming to an end and I am sitting here at my computer listening to peaceful music while I take the time to reflect on each and every one of you and this past year. As I have mentioned many times in past letters, this time of year, when I get to sit down and write this letter to you, has become very sacred to me. I love the process of reflecting and then trying to put into words what I feel my heart wants to say to you. This year the things I want to say to you have been on my mind for quite some time and I will do my best to verbally express these feelings.
As all of you know, in June of this year, Soki Bob Davis, the Founder and Grandmaster of Omega Martial Arts, passed away. Some of you knew him personally, while others of you only had brief encounters with him over the years, and some of you never had the chance to even meet him or be taught by him. Regardless of what your relationship was with him, he was an amazing man and martial arts instructor, and he brought the miracle of Omega to all of us. To me, he was my personal instructor for so many years and he is the one who instilled a love for martial arts in me, in my brothers and sister, and in my mom. I owe and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for sacrificing so much time and effort in order to start Omega Karate back on September 3, 1983. I will forever remember that day when 3 little boys and their mom walked into the Parker Sport Club on a Saturday morning and we were met by a young Sabumnim Bob Davis. We ended up being the very first students of what was then, Omega Karate. We benefitted from the fact that there were not a lot of students and we got a lot of one-on-one time with him. He was a painter during the day and would teach martial arts in the evening. He dedicated his time and energy to building up the tradition, expectations of greatness, and the culture of what Omega was back then and what it still is today. I loved the way he used to get down on one knee so that he could look me in my young 5-year-old eyes and make me feel like I was his favorite student. He was and always will hold a very special place in my heart, and now that he has passed on, I feel even more motivated to pass on the gift of Omega Martial Arts to others in the best way possible.
I do not believe that things just happen by chance; I firmly believe that we have a loving Father in Heaven who is in the very details of each and every one of our lives. I consider meeting Soki Bob Davis, at the time we met him, to be one of God’s miracles in my life and in the life of my family. Over past 36 years, since Omega has been around, I can think of so many times where the hand of God has been in the progression of Omega and also my life. This brings me to the root of what has really been on my mind for a while now – God’s miracles in our daily lives.
When I take the time to recognize the little and big things that happen in my life as miracles from our Heavenly Father and not just mere coincidences brought on by MY efforts, I find that my heart softens, and I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for HIM. I also find that God becomes more prevalent in my life and my desire increases to continually give HIM credit for the blessings in my life, and not my own efforts. Just as I view martial arts as a miracle in my life, there are many others – My wife, my kids, the mother I was raised by, the pathway in life I have been able to follow, and of course… ALL OF YOU! Each of you have been, and continue to be, miracles sent from God to me in my life.
I want to challenge all of you the take more time to recognize God’s hand in your life. Take brief moments to attribute HIS hand as miracles that HE is blessing you with each and every day. I also want to challenge you to BE a miracle sent from God to someone else; that could even include a brand-new student that has just courageously walked through the studio doors and is hoping for the best martial art experience possible. Just as the young Sabumnim Bob Davis was a miracle in my family’s life when we really needed it, you can be that same miracle to someone else.
I love that we all have been brought together in this stage of each of our lives to love, support, cry with, laugh with, teach with, and help each other to get further long life’s path. We all have strengths and weaknesses that are unique to us; and that is makes us…. well, US.
Let us celebrate each other. Let us celebrate the miracles that we are blessed with each day. And, let us all be the miracle to someone else that truly stands in need.
You are all miracles to me, and I love you dearly. Thank you for another amazing year at Omega Martial Arts!
Kwanjangnim Richard
