Gratitude & Hope - A Trip to West Point

I just got back from West Point and I am filled with gratitude and hope for America. The West Point students saw a Facebook post about me teaching my hand-to-hand combat seminar in Annapolis and got Master John Park, the coach of the West Point Tae Kwon Do team, to set up a trip there too. I am very thankful.

Getting to teach at these two incredible institutions is one of those bucket list things that I never thought would happen. I just hoped to visit them some day. I feel like there is just no end to God’s blessings in my life.

These young people are sharp and committed and a joy to be around. But these are military schools and many of these people are headed into harms way. My job was to show them some knife and gun defense. To help me do that I brought one of my best instructors with me, Master Russell Artille. Russ is a 6th Dan and the West Point students loved him.

Russ and I were given a tour of the Academy by Captain Black - what a great guy! Smart and funny. He walked us around as he gave us some history. I learned a lot of great stuff about West Point. The guy had a titanium leg from a night parachute drop with six other soldiers and all of their chutes didn’t open. I think I will save the rest of this story for another blog and tie it in with my own Roman Candle parachute foul up and how I survived.

Every American should visit Annapolis and West Point. It’s a great reminder of who pays the tab for your freedom. There’s also a place called Parris Island you should see.