ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY


 

ANOTHER MILESTONE PLACED,
BY ANOTHER DRAGON LEADER

 

   On the heals of Jason Anzur being promoted to, Instructor Master 6, comes another outstanding student/teacher, making his mark. He is Darrin Motes and he is nothing but a winner anyhow. He has been an immeasurable asset to our dojo since the first day he walked in so many years ago. He has always taken an example and leadership role. His physical abilities and general demeanor draw people to him. He has time for everyone and a sympathetic ear. But don't expect a pity party ever. Darrin tells it like it is. He will listen, give you good advise, then move on. For himself, he has no sympathy or time for self pity, as he is the most positive person I have ever known. Seriously, I have seen him concerned and troubled, but he carries it with an attitude of his favorite saying...."It's all good brother, ain't no thing"... I have never seen him in a bad mood and he has been through some life changes. I asked his fashion model looking wife Stacey, if he was that upbeat all the time. She said with a laugh, yes, and it drives me crazy sometimes. Why can't he be moody at times like me... They have a rock solid marriage and two kids beautiful like them.
 

   Darrin built his own home (and it is a doozie) himself, in his spare time. It took him almost two years. His spare time was after work at six, until three in the morning the next day. He would sleep three to four hours and go back to work. During this time, he was steady in his training at the dojo. He attended his kids events and had date night for he and Stacey. Did I mention that he decided to close his business and take on a new job? This is why I want to punch people in the face that whine about having no time to train. I honestly thought he was going to kill himself. If he were not Darrin he may have. His attitude has always got him through.
 

   Darrin is a big hearted, do anything for you, shirt off his back, person. He is unselfish to a fault. He is also a no nonsense guy. His tough guy reputation around town when he was in school was well known. He is my daughters age and she would tell me Darrin stories. I always said, You can't date that guy. Now I wish I had begged them both to marry. Even then, in high school, he was living in his own apartment, and supporting himself by working all the time. Unless he was pulling people out of their cars… When he came into the dojo I found him to be tougher than I had heard. I don't know how much weight Darrin can lift, as I have never worked out with him. I do know what he is like to spar and grapple with. He is one of those people who has unusual strength. We have a bag we call, "Big Bertha." It is old, stuffed with rocks I think, and is for the serious striker only. I don't know how heavy it is, but we always squat and bear hug it to lift it. Darrin picked it up to hand it to me with arms straight out like you would hand a basketball. I just backed away and said, I can't take it from you like that. Sit it down. I have always joked that most of the serious injuries I have, came from Darrin. Others agree for themselves. It is accidental, but he is like fighting a broken pain of glass. He was my partner for several weeks when we were going through the meat training of Dragon Sen-I Jutsu. I figured that if anything was working on him, it was working. Plus no one else wanted him for a partner. Like I said, he is a sweet heart of a guy, but he has a side to him. If he looks up under his eyebrows and calls you "Home Boy”, watch out. As in, “let me tell you something Home Boy”. One night we were all leaving a club with our wives and/or dates. There was this big mouth guy at the door having something to say to everyone that was coming or going. Mostly the girls. I watched Darrin and he went past him without incident. Then Darrin turned back around and said, ”Home boy, I don't like the way you've been talking to the ladies tonight”. Home boy never answered. Darrin nearly knocked him through the wall. Darrin turned with a smile and said, It's all good,  let’s eat. In the ring he is a hand full, In the street, forget it. Once in the dojo at a Jam, I asked people if they wanted to do some Pankration. This jerk we all know and dislike, jumped up there like he was going to put on a show. My guys hate him and nearly killed each other to be is opponent. Darrin said flatly, he is mine guys. I should have stepped in, but this two faced, rank whore of a phoney, had it coming. Outcome was, Mr. I've been trained by everyone, and I won this and I won that, and I am a bunkai expert lay motionless on the floor. It was a beat down of beat downs. All Mr. Everything got out of it, was being beat unconscious and walking on crutches for a few months also. This all took 20 seconds at most.
 

   Darrin is the Instructor of the Wednesday morning "Bad boys" class. They are all mid to late 30's, hit the weights, have been athletes, some Marines and love to go hard. Darrin had always helped me with that class but he is such a leader and good teacher, that he needs to solo.
 

   Darrin is now 40, and his tournament days are over. Presently he is pretty crippled up in his shoulder and neck but still trains Monday and Wednesday and does all he can do. He is like a son to me and brother to the others. His shoulder and neck are getting better I guess. I can easily tell he is in pain with them, but when I ask him he just says..."IT'S ALL GOOD!!!! AIN'T NO THING!”