Salish Wolf #7 Cory Hastings on Martial Arts, the Pursuit of Purpose, and Head Traumas
I first showed up at the dojo of Hastings Martial Arts looking for a Karate class. A beginner one was not available at that moment, but Sensei Cory Hastings invited me to join a Jujitsu class that was starting in 15 minutes. So I did. Both Jujitsu and Sensei Cory were exactly what I needed in my life at that time, and now Cory also teaches karate to me and my 2 children.
In this episode, Cory and I peel back the layers of his knowledge of martial arts: from Karate and Jujitsu to Muay Thai and Japanese archery. We talk about his persistent drive to perfect his craft, and how that drive led him to give up a lucrative job in pursuit of his heart’s yearning. Cory also shares many of the life lessons that he has gleaned from his teachers and martial arts and how he carries forward in his dojo the legacy of the respectful, holistic martial artists.
Cory began his martial arts training 30 years ago in the same dojo that he only recently left to create his own dojo. He currently holds the rank of 4th degree Black Belt in both Shotokan Karate and Daiwa Ryu Aiki Jujitsu. Cory has also trained Muay Thai Kickboxing in Thailand and won the Canadian Muay Thai Association Super Middleweight British Columbia Title in 2011. Cory likely could have gone on to win other championships, but, as he shares, both he and his sensei were cognizant of the head injuries he had already sustained and how future fighting could have precipitated more injuries. As a husband and father of 2 children, the steward of his family farm in North Saanich on Vancouver Island, and a sensei who is benefitting his community, this is a risk Cory could not justify.
It is true that Sensei Cory is the only sensei my kids and I have ever had, yet experience and intuition tells me we could not have found a better teacher for us. I hope you enjoy this episode with Cory Hastings.
Episode Links:
Learning Links:
Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions
Online Qi Gong courses at Pacific Rim College Online