Every year, the dojo presents a unique cycle of four meditation+shodo lectures during the first four weeks of January. They set the tone for the rest of the year, exploring identity, purpose, goals, and the tools and tactics necessary to achieve those goals. This is the 2026 edition.
Every year for the last decade, the dojo has presented a unique cycle of four meditation classes in January. Certainly all of our meditation+shodo classes are important and present valuable ideas that help us all improve our karatedō: but these classes are extra-special.
January is a time of reflection on the new year, and a time for appreciating the blank slate that a new year affords us.
But are we ready to take advantage of this opportunity? Are we ready to create a map for our days, months, and the year on this blank slate?
The Cycle of Four classes attempts to answer this question in a resoundingly strong affirmative, and offers tools and thoughts to help make the new year an astounding success.
New for 2026
This year will mark the first signifiant change to the lectures from 2019, introducing a new format for the first two lectures and enhancements to all four.
Last year, we also introduced a set of planning cards to help students prepare material and focus their thinking on Purposes and Goals. This year, an entirely new planning set is being introduced that covers the entire Cycle of Four. Card sets are free to everyone attending the meditation classes.
Identity
The first class, to be held on Wednesday, January 14th, focuses on the concept of identity: who are we? What do we value? How do we define the reflection in the mirror?
Our identity is the foundation for everything else. During this first class, we'll discuss all aspects of identity, and we will work on the tools to define and refine our identity.
Goju Karate
Purpose
The second class, to be held on Wednesday, January 21st, focuses on the concept of purpose: why do we live? What is our reason for existing? And how do we define that reason?
In fact, before we even get to the idea of a "purpose" for living, it's important to understand why having such a purpose is a much more powerful and satisfying concept than happiness.
Here's some notes from the 2025 edition of this lecture:
Goju Karate
Goals: Strategy
Once we understand what your purpose for existence is, then the question becomes how we fulfill our purpose.
And that leads us to the idea of goals – and the third class in the cycle, to be held on Wednesday, January 28th, focuses solely on defining the idea of goals, and also creates a framework and exercise for specifying our goals over both a short-term and long-term horizon.
Here's some notes from the 2025 edition of the lecture on goals:
Goju Karate
Goals: Tactics
Ah, so now we have both a purpose and goals that support that purpose. But we've actually not accomplished a single thing, have we?
The last class of the cycle, to be held on Wednesday, February 4th, focuses on the real-world tactical level: how to accomplish goals. And not only do we focus on accomplishing goals, but we take a realistic approach that discusses overcoming obstacles, staying focused, and keeping on track with the goals we've set for ourselves.
It's important to synthesize all the tools, techniques, and concepts that the previous three weeks have brought forward. That's the other part of the last class of the cycle.
Integrating all of the material from the first three weeks is a significant challenge, but we focus on it in this last class because the entire package has to be understood for there to be a realistic and honest chance of success.
Goju Karate
Start the Training Year Powerfully
Karatedō offers so much support for defining and achieving success: the Cycle of Four classes are a great way to start the year.
If this is your first time attending these classes, you're in for a treat! And if you've attended some or all of the classes in the Cycle of Four, a refresher on any and all aspects is very empowering.
And finally, while we won't be offering these classes via livestream, special audio editions of each of the classes will be available later in February in the Goju Karate Students section of GOJUKARATE.COM
And don't forget to check out the lecture notes for each class, tied to a specific concept in karatedō – they'll appear at the end of each week in the Karatedō section.
