A Letter From The Author

This, the fourth published version of Dojada which began back in 1990. Through hundreds of rewrites, and decades of lessons learned, I am pleased to present this journey. 

I want to thank all of those who motivated me and inspired me to create this work.  I express my love and admiration to my wonderful family for their patience and support.  In addition, I also thank my dear cousin, Janis McMillen Harrold, who labored and transformed the original published versions.

Thank you to all of you who enjoy this book. My hope was and is still; I leave this world a better place than what I inherited. This book is part of my plan.  My hope is you do the same.
God bless you,
J. Robert Hartman

I want to thank the unsung warriors who every night gives their best and dedication to making the world a better place.  To the warriors who teach true confidence, respect, and self-discipline.  These warriors help people discover their skills, talents, and ability to become their best.  I say unsung because few know these magnificent individuals that are dedicated to contributing and giving back the gift they discovered.  They get few accolades for their successful fight against bullying and other detriments against goodness.  They live their purpose in front of the class. I hope the martial arts teacher will be heard, and their true value discovered.

This tribute extends to all of you who educate and support the development of a good mind, body, and spirit. A special thank you to the good parents/guardians and all of the family members who are doing all they can to make the next generation better than the previous generations. My hope is that all three aspects of a person are built, developed, and nourished with balance. We all need more individuals to discover within themselves their full potential so we as a community may reach our potential.  

It is important to note the system of Martial Arts I used for this story has nothing to do with the journey. I easily could have used any system or sport to tell the tale. I happen to know the standing arts. Therefore, I chose to integrate a generic standing martial art into this story. I certainly encourage everyone to take a minimum of one year of martial arts training that best meets your needs and desired outcome. The system of martial arts one wishes to study is an individual choice and I in no way endorse any one system.