The Nafudakake stick. A simple slat of wood. A name and a date(s) burned into it. Fragile, singular, unassuming. But what they represent when looked at together, oh my, unmistakably powerful, the unity, the mastery, the lineage, the togetherness, the blood sweat and tears that is the Black Belts of Silent River Kung Fu and the Kung Fu that they represent. Earth shaking!
I have spent some time looking at these badges of honor, wishing I could have met every single one of these remarkable individuals. I have read through the names, some I have had the privilege of being taught by, some I have never known and may never know, some have sadly passed on and I will only know through others. Oh to hear their stories, their journey, to learn from each and every one of them, what a dream that would be.
This bring me to Me. I don't usually go to in depth into who I actually am, but if I can't know all of these Black Belts personally, maybe they can at least know me a little.
I was born May 1st 1970, Donald (my mom's brother and her dad's name) Robert (my dad's name) Bjorkquist (Swedish - actually means Birch tree/bark) in Edmonton Alberta. Robert (Bob) and Victoria (Vicki) Bjorkquist (nee Smith), my two wonderful parents, also older sister Kimberly (Kim) raised me with love and care. We lived in Edmonton for the first bit of my life, then at the age of 2ish, we moved to St. Albert where I would spend the next 17 years of my life. I did well in school, loved high school actually, had many a friend both dear and fleeting. It was a very pleasant place and time to grow up. I lived in the same house for most of my young life, some might find that boring, I found that very comforting. My mom still lives in the same house, 47 years and counting! My dad sadly passed away March 12, 2019. Much of what I learned about love and relationships I learned from my mother and father, they where best friends and deeply in love right till the end. I miss my dad every day.
In the late 80's and for most of the 90's, I tried to find my way in life, forge my own path, or at least look like I was. Honestly, I had no real direction, I floated through those days never really with any purpose or plan, lost. I attended some post secondary schooling, both in accounting and automotive parts and both at NAIT, but decided to work full time instead of getting a degree/ticket. That was a huge mistake I still regret to this day. Mostly I was in the parts industry, but I did do a 2 1/2 year stint working for Alberta Family and Social Services as an accounting clerk. I just couldn't take the hypocrisy, waste and constant disbelief of my superiors decisions in the government, and computer advances pretty much wiped out my department in the mid 90's anyways, so I moved on and ended up back in the parts industry where I am to this day. I have been at my current job for over 20 years, it is good place to work, good bosses, mostly loyal staff, and a new challenge everyday.
Enter the 2000's. May long weekend 2001, I went on a date with my soon to be wife Deb. This was a life changing moment for me as I knew I had finally found the "one" on the very first date. With her by my side, the world changed. I moved out to Stony Plain shortly after we started dating, away from what I thought was the life I wanted, to my new life, the one I truly needed. Since then I have become a Husband and a Father and now a Grandfather, all of these things incredibly important things to me. We have lived in the same house in Spruce Grove for over 18 years this march (2003). My son Kody (15) is a vibrant caring young man, I am very proud of his accomplishments in life and watching him succeed is paramount to me. Family is everything.
Now enter Master Jeff Brinker and Silent River Kung Fu. Whoa, hang on there, we need a little back story here. While trying to find my way in the late 90's and early 2000's, I dabbled in the martial arts, Muay Thai kick boxing and Chinese Boxing. Both have there merits, neither one was for me. I wasn't looking to hurt or dominate, I was looking for a path to follow, one of enlightenment not aggression and violence. I new I wanted Kung Fu. So when Kody was old enough, I sought out Silent River and I sat down with the man who would shape my son into more than I could ever hope for. Within seconds of our meeting I knew this was the place. One month before Kody's 3rd birthday, we enrolled him in tiny tigers and he has been at Silent River ever since, almost 13 years and counting. Deb and I enrolled 7 years ago this coming march (2014) once Kody was old enough to be in classes on the same night as us. And the rest is, as they say, history. Kung fu is now an integral part of my life, both physically and spiritually. Every day, I learn and grow because of my affiliation with the remarkable people that are Silent River Kung Fu.
So this is a little about Me, just a skipping of a rock across the surface but the rest is just filler. I hope this gets you to know Me a little more. If you want more, come on over, my door is always open, the conversation is random and fun and the friendship is genuine.
Thanks
Don
