About the Instructor

The Epic Narrative of My Kenpo Journey - Jeremy K. Lucas

When I was young, my interests were all over the map. I loved baseball and idolized players like Johnny Bench. I was fascinated by firemen and policemen. I devoured books. Like most kids, though, I had no real understanding of how the world actually worked, what I wanted to be when I grew up, or when and where I would eventually find my place in it.

My first understanding of martial arts came from the occasional movie on TV. I watched with wide eyes, half distracted by what I thought had to be terrible soundtracks…after all, the lip movements never matched the spoken words. Even through the bad dubbing, something about what I saw on the screen grabbed me.

As I got older, I developed a genuine respect, even a kind of quiet romance, for martial arts. The fluidity and grace of the movement onscreen were mesmerizing. The words people used when they talked or wrote about martial arts, “respect”, “power”, “honor”, were powerful and inspiring.

For almost all of my youth, and well into adulthood, the thought of “someday” learning a martial art lived in the back of my mind. When I eventually learned what a “Bucket List” was, “Learn a martial art” went straight onto it. But it always felt far off. Life had its demands. I slipped into the familiar rut of, “I have to work to give my wife everything she deserves”, which then evolved into, “I have to work to support my family and give my kids a brighter future”. In short, life happened.

Then, one day, the blinders came off.

I was sitting on a bench, watching my youngest son in his latest pursuit, Kenpo Karate. I was only half paying attention, splitting my focus between his class and a book I had brought to pass the time. Then a thought hit me, clear and sharp…“What are you doing? You’re almost 41 years old. You’ve always wanted to study a martial art. Get off the bench and go train with your son.”

Not long after that, I was the newest white belt in the class, with my youngest son outranking me by about three belts. But I was finally doing it…living the dream I’d carried for so long. I was beginning to learn, for real, all the things I had romanticized about for years…power, grace, respect, honor.

After only a few months of training together, my son lost interest. I’m afraid some of that may have been due to having his “uncool father” beside him in class. Still, I stayed. I stuck it out. I got to know the students ahead of me and behind me in rank, and I quickly discovered that we were all drawn to the same things, the values, benefits, and principles that training in a martial art has to offer.

I also realized something else early on, when you start a martial art only a few months shy of your 41st birthday, you’re probably not on a path to martial arts superstardom. I was completely fine with that. Training, for me, was never about what anyone else thought of me. It was about how I thought of myself, and I knew that was going to be a long, personal journey.

People say that studying a martial art is an intimate and deeply personal path, and I have found that to be absolutely true. After a little more than seven years, I completed what I now see as only the first leg of that path. I earned my Black Belt in American Kenpo through the Paul Mills Kenpo lineage, the A.K.K.I.

I know that society often sees a “Black Belt” as someone with “Mastery” and “Discipline”, a strong figure who has somehow “arrived”. I’ve come to believe that society is mistaken in that view. I was never the student who tied his ego to his belt rank. At any rank, I never felt that I was better or worse than anyone I trained with. As the saying goes, the only person I was in competition with was myself. My goal, then and now, was simple, to be a better person than I was the day before.

I always believed that when I earned my Black Belt, it would just be another step down the road toward becoming a better version of myself. I was never in it “for the Black Belt”. I was in it for those same words that had captivated me as a boy, grace, power, respect, honor.

I still believe that my Black Belt is just one small step in a much longer journey. But I will also admit that the first time I tied that black belt around my waist, I felt emotions I was not prepared for. I realized I had accomplished something that I’d wanted for most of my life, but kept postponing because I thought there were always more urgent things to do and more people to provide for. The sense of accomplishment and self-worth that came with that realization was new and overwhelming.

These feelings, combined with gratitude, respect, and a deep desire to make my support system proud, the people who had walked with me throughout the journey, were, in the truest sense of the word, awesome. They still are whenever I stop and think about it.

As life continued its twists and turns, it became clear that the best way for me to continue my own training was to begin training others. By helping others start and walk a journey similar to the one I began years ago, and am still on, I could keep learning myself. That is how Mojo Kenpo was born. It was never a goal I had set for myself, but it has become a significant milestone in my continuing Kenpo journey.

My goal with Mojo Kenpo is simple, to keep traveling my path while teaching others what I can, and learning from them whenever I can. I don’t see “Mastery” in reach yet, at least not in any way I can recognize. I see only the ongoing desire to learn and improve, as a Kenpoist, a father, a husband, a professional, and, as Master Yoda would say, a “luminous being”. I sincerely hope to bring honor and respect to my instructor, Professor Sean Carey, to all of my fellow students who have shared pieces of this journey, and to Grandmaster Paul Mills and the legacy of his American Kenpo.

Over the years, watching senior instructors within the Paul Mills Kenpo lineage has been both practically beneficial and genuinely inspiring. The way they move and strike is beyond compare. I can only hope that someday I might present even a reasonable facsimile of the style, grace, power, and focus they embody so consistently.

I often compare it to learning to play guitar. You reach a point where you think, “I’m pretty good at this.” Then you go see Clapton, Hendrix, or Beck in concert…you suddenly realize, “I can play the guitar…but I’ll never be able to do that.” The instructors I’ve had the privilege to watch and learn from have been absolutely amazing, and true gentlemen and women in the finest sense of the words.

I’ve also come to respect and try to honor almost every Kenpoist I’ve trained with, both within the Paul Mills Kenpo lineage and beyond. Each one, in some large or small way, has had an impact on my Journey. I’ve come to believe that, as a general rule, Kenpoists (Kenpoka), are some of the best people you’ll find. It is an honor to keep learning with them, from them, and to share our Kenpo whenever we can.

My family, coworders, instructor, training partners, and especially my beautiful and amazing wife of many years, have earned more gratitude than I can ever fully express. Their support and influence, though sometimes easy to overlook in the moment, are unmistakable and irreplaceable. Thank you.

At the end of March 2021, I received a provisional promotion to Associate Instructor (2nd Degree Black Belt) from my instructor, Associate Professor Sean Carey, and Associate Master of the Art Herb Padigimus. I remain honored, humbled, and deeply moved by their generosity of spirit, kindness, and genuine humanity, as well as by the legacy they represent in the Paul Mills Kenpo lineage.

Their faith in each of us, combined with their willingness to help us along our individual Journeys, is exactly what I believe genuine and impeccable martial artists and human beings should embody. Every chance to meet and train with them, hearing their stories and experiencing their Kenpo, is special and appreciated. I am, truly, humbled.

On February 18, 2024, Mr. Paul Mills was called home. Attending his service and burial, in a wild Evanston blizzard, no less, and standing alongside so many people he had taught, inspired, and honored by sharing his Kenpo and his life, brought a flood of thoughts and emotions.

Setting aside the obvious reflections on my own mortality and the fragility of life, I tried to focus on the lessons Mr. Mills always emphasized, not just about Kenpo, but about morality, community, friendship, ethics, and generosity of spirit. He was always willing to share his Journey with anyone who asked. He always seemed to have a huge smile ready, and almost always had a quip or joke on standby for anyone who started taking things too seriously.

These are the qualities, alongside his incredible Kenpo, that I will always associate with Mr. Mills. They are the qualities I will forever be grateful for, humbled by, and determined to emulate.

On August 23, 2024, Mr. Carey forwarded me for testing. For a few hours, I had the privilege of hitting, and being hit by, my good friends Mr. McGee and Mr. Coleman. These two men embody the spirit of Kenpo and the camaraderie, the brotherhood, that forever links those who choose to train together and explore those bonds of friendship.

I am proud to share that Mr. McGee and Mr. Coleman were recognized and promoted to 5th Degree, Associate Professor. The testing board also chose to officially recognize and validate my earlier promotion to 2nd Degree. Then, to my complete surprise, they chose to honor me further with a promotion to 3rd Degree, Head Instructor.

This promotion to 3rd holds deep emotional significance for me. Early in my Kenpo Journey, when I realized that my love of the Art and my growth within it would be a lifelong endeavor, I set a private goal, to one day earn a 3rd Degree Black Belt. Given the age at which I started, 3rd Degree felt like a lofty and worthy target.

To be recognized as having reached that goal roughly thirteen years later is mentally and emotionally staggering. I am still coming to terms with this promotion and what it means for the rest of my Journey.

While I sort through those thoughts, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to my instructor and friend, Associate Professor Sean Carey. Without his patience and guidance, this Journey would not have been nearly as meaningful or enjoyable, and might never have happened at all.

I am equally grateful to my students, who allow me the honor of helping guide their Journeys, and, in doing so, teach me through their own discoveries. They continue to shape my path in ways they may not even realize.

Finally, I want to thank the Board that recognized this promotion, Mr. Carey, Mr. Holgate, Mrs. Holgate, Mr. Hilderbrand, Ms. Owen, Mr. Tomson, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Smith. The combined skill and experience of this Board, over 300 years in the Art, humbles me deeply. To be promoted by such a group is an extraordinary honor.

I’m still reeling, days later…