It is a particularly pleasant morning up here on the Hill, a kind of gentle hint to the memory of summer’s heat past while still remaining pleasant. Gardeners will always wish for more rain in such circumstances, but I hope that all of you reading this have been able to enjoy the festive season, and recharge for the year ahead.

I saw a Nathan W. Pyle cartoon this morning that reminded me of the arbitrariness of annual celebrations, which started my thinking about what I would like to get out of the year ahead. I suppose that aside from Pyle’s point that I/we survived another circumnavigation of the Sun, the start of a new year does give the opportunity for reflection on what we have been through and what we hope to achieve in the time ahead. However, both can wreck an unfortunate toll on a sense of peace and equilibrium as remorse for opportunities “squandered”, and guilt for not seizing the new opportunities as they arise can lead to a paralysis of action continue the wheel of self doubt and even shame. New Year’s resolution are notoriously prickly in that respect and there is a reason why new gym memberships flood the weights room for around 4-6 weeks before a mid February slump where they once again become near ghost towns.

Without wanting to sound trite or hackneyed, it is important to understand the value of goals being the process that take to achieve them. A highlight reel of achievements is fairly meaningless without the transformative journey that you take to get there. So resolutions and goals are important, but their value is in their capacity to help you grow towards something new. It is the sentiment that was first expressed to me in the context of Kendo. Shinsa (challenge/grading) is not an achievement showing who/what you are. Instead it is a reminder of what your learning or growth needs to be focussed on. Because no matter how much we achieve or what status that confers, there is always benefit in understanding the beginner’s mind — shoshin — both in terms of the frustration that can come from “sucking at something new” and the excitement in the promise of exploring new ground.

Goals will help to provide some externalised markers for setting our mind towards that journey. This year ahead, the Club has a number of opportunities to look forward to in terms of “home and away” events such as the first QKR State seminar to be held in North Queensland in many years, the development of more opportunities to train with people from other Clubs, and a revamping of the classes that we support. In these opportunities with come the chances for gradings and competitions, challenges to help reveal what we need to work on next.

In essence, I would like to offer up a hope that everyone in the Club community can experience the joy of being and doing rather that be here in twelve months with a grim tally of what has and has not been achieved by the arbitrary standards set at this time of the year. And I would wish that every one can experience the joys that come from that, even from the difficult and painful bits.

I want to circle back to the notion of I/we survived. I want to acknowledge that for a number of people in our community, this past twelve months has thrown up some enormous challenges and trauma. I want to acknowledge that this can feel all encompassing and lonely. However, I want to say that as a community of friends, you are never far away from people’s thoughts. I personally promise to make deliberate time for self and other care this year, to bare witness to the idea that we only ever succeed in the context of support from each other, and that you are not alone.

I also want to acknowledge all of what we have achieved this past twelve months. Survival, yes. But also hosting seven back-to-back regional State and National events for the Japanese Sword arts since September 2021 (regional gradings x2, State seminars x3, and the National Jodo and Iaido events). We have grown participation in Arnis from me occasionally doing some twirls in the back yard to keep my eye in to sessions of up to 10 participants. People’s hard work has resulted in well-deserved grading successes in Jujutsu, Kendo, Iaido and Jodo. We have been instrumental in keeping the spark going for Kyudo in Queensland, Systema classes have continued their success and provided opportunities for advanced level training. The re-invigoration of on-Campus Go has been delightful to support. The ongoing community contribution that Toowoomba Taiko continues to make. And in no small way Club members have begun the hard and long journey to instigate positive cultural change within the QKR.

So I hope that over the coming weeks we take the opportunities that are presented to us: New passions, new jobs, new friends, new experiences. I wish all the best for success in what you set your minds to in the year ahead. And more than anything else I hope that everyone reading this has both peace and joy in the twelve months ahead.

Be well everyone, and as always, I hope to see you in the dojo soon!