Chapter 1: A Milestone in My Journey

Today marks a significant achievement as I celebrate reaching 100 followers! However, it's bittersweet, as one of them is no longer with us.

On December 14, 2019, I shared my inaugural post on Medium titled "This Ain't Kiddy Karate." I opted to make it accessible to everyone by placing it outside the paywall. Among those I shared it with was David Bretz, a dear friend and my very first follower. Sadly, David passed away on Christmas Day in 2023 at the age of 69.

The accompanying photo was taken in 1982, commemorating the day David and I earned our black belts. We dedicated countless hours to training together, often practicing for four hours a day. We participated in numerous karate tournaments, and during my semi-pro kickboxing days, David served as my trainer and corner man.

David was no stranger to toughness before he began his martial arts journey. One night at a bar, he found himself challenged by another patron. In a show of strength, he pinned the man against the wall, warning him, "Don't mess with me." However, later that night, as David exited the bar, the man was waiting and struck him in the face with a cue ball, leaving David hospitalized for weeks.

For years, David sought revenge on this man, who he frequently encountered in bars. Approximately five years later, after honing his skills in boxing, Judo, and earning a black belt, David finally confronted his assailant. "Do you remember me?" he asked. The man, recognizing David, swung at him but made a grave mistake. David unleashed his signature looping overhand right, a punch I had unfortunately felt many times during training. The man, unprepared for such a blow, collapsed to the ground, and David walked away.

This incident led to a police investigation, with authorities seeking David and his "gang" for the beating of the man, who was found in the hospital with severe injuries. However, when the police apprehended David, they soon released him upon discovering multiple outstanding warrants for the cue ball assailant, who was far from a model citizen.

Afterward, David returned to college, ultimately earning a degree in engineering. He played a pivotal role in constructing several of Pennsylvania's newest bridges.

I moved away from Pennsylvania in the mid-90s, and our communication dwindled until I began writing "Gentleman Warrior Sensei," an extraordinary biography of our karate instructor. Despite his health declining in recent years, we managed to catch up every month or so.

In early December 2023, David reached out to me. During that conversation, he was more coherent than I had seen him in months. I now realize he was saying his farewell.

So, yes, I consider David among my Medium followers. He will forever hold the title of my very first follower.

Chapter 2: Remembering a Great Mentor