John Carlson: Waxing On About Karate

January 8, 2021

By John Carlson—

Because Nancy and I have highly refined tastes in televised entertainment, we tend to be drawn to more upscale programming that features the very best in art, science and drama.

You know, like “Cobra Kai.”

OK, just kidding. “Cobra Kai” isn’t upscale. It’s more like way, way, way downscale, a Netflix karate show that’s a sequel to the movie “The Karate Kid.” Remember it? That was the one featuring Daniel-san as a high school punching bag, and his Japanese-American karate instructor, Mister Miyagi, as his mentor and protector. Plus there was a gang of smart-ass, teenage martial-artists-in-training, punks so vile, even Captain Kangaroo would have loved to kick their butts.

Given all this, I could claim to have no idea why I find “Cobra Kai” so appealing, but that would be a lie. It’s because I relate to it. In a bid to have my own hands licensed as deadly weapons, way back in my twenties I studied karate three times a week for about three years.

When it was over, I realized karate had taught me these irrefutable truths about the art of self-defense, their being:

1. If it’s deadly weapons you want, it’s a lot easier to just go ahead and buy yourself some deadly weapons.
2. No matter how many fancy kicks you master, when the chips are down, you can’t beat kicking your opponent smack dab in the noochies.
3. Violence is never the answer to a problem. It’s especially never the answer to a problem if you’re too wimpy to beat up anybody.

Still, as a guy whose most athletic pursuit in high school was pushing around a broom as a “student janitor” saving money for flying lessons, studying karate was a physical challenge. We’d do push-ups and sit-ups and jumping jacks, plus insane stretching exercises with classmates yanking your lower extremities in opposite directions, as if your legs were a gigantic turkey wishbone. Even worse, we’d routinely jump over tall, stationary obstacles, rife with the potential of trading in your karate club membership for a spot in the Vienna Boys Choir.

But we also had tournaments in which you could win trophies.

For some, this was great. Take my son, Johnny. As a little boy he had suffered severe trophy trauma after shopping a neighborhood garage sale. Knowing trophies marked you as a winner, but not realizing you were supposed to earn them instead of buy them, he paid a quarter for one and proudly carried it home to show us. You can imagine his trauma upon learning he was now recognized as some cha-cha instructor’s “most improved dancer.”

But after enrolling in my old karate club a couple years later, he brought back a trophy from his first tournament that stood taller than he did.

As for my trophies, my greatest reward was always escaping with my life.

This particular tournament, my first, was held in Indianapolis, and was a big one drawing hundreds of competitors. Naturally, I was nervous until I met my opponent. Then I was relieved to see he was the same sort of pudgy little butterball I was, and like me, about as intimidating as the Pillsbury Doughboy. For a few seconds we circled, warily sizing up each other on the mat. Then I spotted a strategic opening and let fly a powerful roundhouse kick, which accidentally struck the poor guy right in the … well, you know.

With him clutching himself down there in the male body region known as Happy Valley while rolling around on the mat moaning, cussing and groaning, I felt worse about landing my low kick than he did.

Well, almost.

But remember that scene in “The Karate Kid” when Daniel-san is badly hurt by an illegal kick, but heroically limps back into action anyway? That’s what my opponent did, except, having been nailed in the you-know-whats, he was now in an extraordinarily surly mood.

Let’s just say that three seconds back into our match, he was on me like white on rice. With his fists and feet flying, I was getting punched and kicked in body parts I didn’t know I had. In what seemed no time, I was scuttling across the mat like a terrified crab, looking for cover while this dude’s heels and knuckles bounced off my head, neck and shoulders.

In short, he beat me like a rug.

Later, however, I was gratified to learn my opponent was, believe it or not, THE Chuck Norris.

Ummm … and if you believe that, some other time I will tell you about when I almost beat up Bruce Lee.

Anyway, besides those rare moments of intense embarrassment, “Cobra Kai” reminds me of the good times back in the karate club, too. The friendships forged with guys I would not have encountered elsewhere. The club camaraderie and that feeling of belonging. The thrill of advancing through new belt colors and breaking boards with your bare hands and feet.

So all things considered, am I grateful for those three years of karate lessons?

As we used to say back in the club, “Hiiii–yeahhhhhh!!!”

John’s weekly columns are sponsored by Beasley & Gilkison, Muncie’s trusted attorneys for over 120 years.

About Beasley & Gilkison

We listen, analyze your unique situation, and prepare a course of action that best fits your needs. Contact one of our attorneys to schedule a consultation, or for more information, call 765-289-0661 or visit our Facebook page or website at beasleylaw.com.

A former longtime feature writer and columnist for The Star Press in Muncie, Indiana, John Carlson is a storyteller with an unflagging appreciation for the wonderful people of East Central Indiana and the tales of their lives, be they funny, poignant, inspirational or all three. John’s columns appear on MuncieJournal.com every Friday.

By Main Street America—

Muncie, IN— Main Street America and The Hartford are pleased to announce the second-round recipients of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program. Grants of $5,000 – $15,000 have been awarded to 31 brick-and-mortar small businesses across the country. Funds will help these businesses respond and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and help to revitalize historic downtown commercial districts.

Muncie Community Market LLC/ Common Market in Muncie was awarded $15,000. The Common Market is located at 900 W 8^th Street (8^th and Hoyt Ave) “As small businesses continue to face enormous challenges in the wake of COVID-19, they need our support now more than ever,” said Main Street America’s President and CEO Patrice Frey.

“Having this opportunity is a game changer to a boot strap start up focused on social change. Having worked with Main Street through the Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, we are honored to have been selected” said Mike Martin, Common Market Owner.

Grant proposals were judged based on: feasibility; the extent to which the grant will help address an acute business need or help a business owner implement innovative solutions to address COVID-19-related challenges; opportunity for other businesses to learn from work; how the grant would help improve the viability of business; the business’s commitment to giving back to their community and/or community engagement; and strength of letters of recommendation and supporting documents.

Muncie Mayor, Dan Ridenour said “Residents have identified access to food, places to gather and new business as important components of a vibrant neighborhood. The Common Market helps bring exactly these attributes to the Hoyt Avenue corridor. It is always encouraging when outside funding supports the efforts here, so I am pleased to learn of the new grant received by the Common Market.”

According to Nick Tokar, President Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, “We were pleased that a neighborhood business adjacent to downtown was the recipient. Our organization has long maintained that as the core gets stronger, improvements and development will begin to radiate out into the surrounding neighborhoods. That the grant will contribute toward the 8twelve Neighborhood revitalization efforts makes this even more significant.

About Main Street America
Main Street America is a program of the National Main Street Center, which has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for 40 years. For more information, visit: mainstreet.org

About Muncie Downtown Development Partnership
MDDP Exists to create a Downtown environment that results in sustainable economic and cultural growth. Visit: downtownmuncie.org

About 8twelve Coalition
The 8twelve Coalition is a neighborhood revitalization effort convened by Muncie Habitat for Humanity. Working together with more than 25 partners for over 5 years, the 8twelve Coalition seeks to improve quality of life in the target area as defined by residents. It encompasses South Central Neighborhood and a portion of Thomas Park/Avondale Neighborhood bordering downtown Muncie on the South. Visit: 8twelvemuncie.com

About Muncie, Indiana

Incorporated in 1865, the City of Muncie is a welcoming and ambitions community. The municipality has a population of approximately 70,085 residents, and is located in the heart of East-Central Indiana. Muncie prides itself as being a central hub for commerce, recreation, and development. Home to quality education, technology driven development, and a friendly populous. Muncie is proud to be “The Capital of East-Central Indiana”

January 9, 2021

By Kallie Sulanke, Community Engagement Officer—

Muncie, IN—The Community Foundation is pleased to announce that $3,633,622 was granted to enhance the quality of life in Muncie and Delaware County in 2020. Most grants are awarded through permanently endowed funds that benefit our community today and always.

Through the Quarterly Competitive grants program, nonprofit organizations were awarded $971,600 in highly competitive grants. Grants address the broad needs of Muncie and Delaware County in the areas of arts and culture, community betterment, economic development, education, and human services. The Community Foundation received more than $1.3 million in requests this year. A committee of 12 volunteers reviews each application and makes grant recommendations to the Board of Directors of the Foundation.

The Strategic Grants program of the Foundation funds programs and projects designed to make an impact in specific, strategic areas of our community. This year, $170,000 was granted through the Strategic Grants program. Grants included support of the Successful Schools Fund to benefit professional development for Muncie Community Schools teachers; operating support for Delaware County BY5 Early Childhood Initiative; participation in Funders Forum, a collaborative funding effort by local funders; and several other strategic programs and initiatives of the Foundation.

The Strategic Grants program was extended in 2020, to launch a COVID-19 emergency response and community recovery effort. Through this effort, The Community Foundation awarded an additional $198,731. Emergency response grants of $500 – $2,000 each were awarded to 47 nonprofit organizations totaling $93,000. Additional response and recovery funding supported special initiatives including technical legal assistance for nonprofits, the Delaware County Micro-Business Restart Loan Fund, a K-12 Schools Technology Resilience initiative and Mental Health First Aid Training for educators in Delaware County schools.

The Community Foundation additionally manages 30 donor advised funds. Donor-advisors recommended $495,730 in grants this year.

Also, the Foundation manages funds designated to the mission of specific organizations or causes established by donors or by the organizations the funds benefit. These permanently endowed designated funds provide lasting support for the organizations they benefit. Grants from designated funds totaled $1,254,149 in 2020.

Lastly, scholarships totaling $193,665 were awarded to graduating seniors from local high schools and to current college students to support post-secondary education.

The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. encourages philanthropy, assists donors in building an enduring source of charitable assets, and exercises leadership in directing resources to enhance the quality of life for residents of Muncie and Delaware County. Since 1985, community members and businesses have helped the Foundation grow our endowment to $71 million. Using the earnings on the endowment, the Foundation distributes grants to nonprofit organizations, including scholarships to support students through post-secondary education. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $57 million to enhance the quality of life of the residents of Muncie and Delaware County.

January 11, 2021

By Kate Elliott—

Muncie, IN—In early December, Muncie City Council members unanimously approved the first resolution Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour brought before them. Resolution 1-20 stipulates that all city government department appointees and supervisors participate in comprehensive ethics training, and all city employees engage in annual ethics training as a condition of their continued employment.

Ridenour said the resolution reflected his campaign promise for a more ethical and transparent city government. To facilitate ethics training, Ridenour turned to Shafer Leadership Academy, a Muncie non-profit that provides people of all ages, backgrounds and interests access to the tools necessary to develop and enhance their leadership skills.

“We looked at several options for this ethics training. In the final analysis, Shafer Leadership Academy was the best choice for the City of Muncie,” Ridenour said. “They are local, provide both in person and online options and the presenters were top notch.”

SLA enlisted two professors from Ball State to facilitate “An Eye for Ethics,” a custom program to address ethics in city government. Charles Taylor, associate professor of political science, and David Concepcion, professor of philosophy and religious studies, met virtually with more than 30 city employees to explore ethical theories and practical application. Taylor said the presentation and discussions focused on the law, development of sound policies, and the process of ethical decision-making.

“Dave created some really good cases for discussion. The participants saw that seemingly simple situations had many different ethical dimensions,” said Taylor, who is also the managing director for the Bowen Center for Public Affairs. “I hope participants can now go about their responsibilities with an awareness of these potential dilemmas, the conditions that support ethical decisions, and be prepared to make the right decision.”

Conception said he hoped participants left with three takeaways: “First, be vigilant. Conflicts of interest, or even merely perceived conflicts of interest, are common. They must be avoided whenever possible and managed well when unavoidable. Second, educate your friends, family and members of your office about what can and cannot influence you in your public role. Third, disclose potential conflicts. Report those conflicts to your supervisor and develop a plan for how to address it. Be prepared to reduce your role in, or recuse yourself from, a decision-making process.”

SLA Executive Director Mitch Isaacs said the organization was thrilled to engage city employees about ethics. He said it’s encouraging to know the Ridenour administration is eager to establish a culture of ethical, transparent operations, and SLA looks forward to continuing to build on the training through future sessions.

“Ethics is a complex, often overlooked topic of discussion. This training provided city employees with a deeper understanding of ethics and equipped them with some tools to address big and small ethical dilemmas,” Isaacs said. “It’s encouraging to know our city government is supporting city employees with the knowledge and confidence to operate with integrity.”

Muncie City Clerk, Belinda Munson, said she appreciated the engaging virtual discussions that drew on everyday situations examples that aren’t always cut-and-dry. Participants reviewed the distinction between ethical and legal considerations and walked through the conditions that often lead to ethical slips, including rationalizations, financial or peer pressure, and poor or nonexistent internal safeguards.

“Personally, I loved the case examples and group breakout sessions,” Munson said. “It was good to hear other people’s opinions regarding scenarios of possible unethical behavior.”

The ethics training is one of many custom programs SLA offers to businesses and organizations as a way to elevate employees and improve business outcomes through thoughtful, connected leadership.

Go to shaferleadership.com for an overview of the non-profit’s programs, scholarships and impact on the community. Keep up with SLA on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

January 11, 2021

By: Susan Volbrecht, Chairman Task Force 3—

Muncie, IN – the Muncie Action Plan spent 2020 preparing for the City of Muncie’s next strategic investment planning process in combination with an update to the Delaware County comprehensive plan. The last large-scale MAP planning took place in 2009 and although two updates have been completed since, it is time to re-visit the document with another large-scale engagement effort whereby residents help create a new vision for Muncie’s growth and investment.

Representatives from the Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission, Muncie Action Plan board of directors and NEXT Muncie participated in a selection process that included a nation-wide Request for Proposals and live-streamed interviews with three candidates. The urban planning firm CZB was selected to provide oversight and guidance throughout the development of the next Delaware County Comprehensive Plan and Muncie Action Plan. Work will begin in early 2021 and MAP will work with CZB to find creative ways to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard throughout the process.

As we close out this year, we would like to share MAP’s successes as we approach our Annual Community Meeting on January 27^th that will be both open for the public to join online and streamed on Facebook Live. Each of our five task forces will share the work completed during 2020. This is the third of five reports from our task force leaders.

Click here to register for the Annual Community Meeting.

Muncie Action Plan’s Task Force 3, Strengthening Pride and Image. Task Force 3 is tasked with finding creative solutions to unify the community’s identity, celebrate Muncie’s assets, increase awareness and participation in community events, and generate excitement and optimism in Muncie’s future.

Once again, MAP Task Force 3 planned on playing a key role in organizing the Bridge Dinner which occurs on the Washington Street bridge each spring and fall. The Bridge Dinner has proven to be a great partnership, as several Muncie organizations join forces to produce this event for the enjoyment of hundreds of community family and friends.

However, the pandemic change MAP Task Force 3 course.

As a result of the restrictions put in place by the pandemic Task Force 3 searched for a way to strengthen in the community’s pride and image while maintaining social distancing. As a result, Task Force 3 organized a group of MAP board members and committed community leaders to investigate a pro-Muncie marketing campaign.

The marketing campaign is still in the initial planning phases however, the goals including moving beyond negative events and circumstances, instilling community wide “ownership”, and promoting permanence, which is a lifelong association with Muncie.

Task Force 3 is chaired by Susan Volbrecht, from Coldwell Banker. Task force members include Mitch Isaacs (Shafer Leadership Academy), Jennifer Jas (editor), Roni Johnson (MAP Board member), Traci Lutton (Muncie Delaware County Economic Alliance), Allison Robbins (Aspect 6 Creative), Ty Morton (Tylonius Studio), Steve Slavin (Coldwell Banker), Shantanu Suman (Ball State University) and Erin Williams (Muncie Arts and Culture Council).

Task Force 3 will continue to support all organizations and efforts that strengthen Muncie pride and our community’s image.

Related article below.

Muncie Action Plan 2020 Task Force 2 Update