Jeet Kune Do Blog

Insights from Sifu Joel Ledlow

A Day in the Life of Sifu

A Day in the Life of Sifu

I’m often asked:

“So, you do this full time?”

“What do you do during the day?”

“What else do you do?”

Yes, this is my “job”. Teaching martial arts to children, teens, and adults is how I earn my income.

I’m also the owner of the school, so there’s a bit more to it than just teaching the classes.

In fact, I have two schools.

I opened Evolution Martial Arts OKC in 2010.

My wife was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013. After her treatment, we relocated in 2014 to her home town of Winnipeg to be near her family.

Steven Dixon now manages the daily affairs and teaching of classes there. I often spend time communicating with him via email, text, and video chat about various aspects of the school in Oklahoma City.

In January of 2015, I opened my second Evolution Martial Arts school in Winnipeg where I now teach.

I’m often working on curriculum for here or answering emails for this school.

I always strive for personal contact with my students, and I’m always evaluating where they are and how I might best help them get to the next level in their training.

For me, it’s about the personal growth of each of my students. Doesn’t matter if it’s a 5 year old boy who takes just once a week or an instructor level student, I want to have a positive impact on their lives.

I also need to field emails and calls from prospective students, current students, and others as they relate to the running of the business.

I am also concerned with the continued growth of both Duo Ji Kung Fu and Jeet Kune Do. I often devote time and energy to exploring options on how best to promote these arts.

I need upkeep! I go to the gym to keep myself physically fit so that I can maintain my level of activity in and out of class!

I’ve gotten to my level of understanding and application, because I do spend a great deal of time exploring martial arts.

I often indulge myself by mentally, and physically, exploring various movements.

This is looking at various ways to exercise. How can I keep working my body without getting bored? How can I maintain my strength and flexibility?

This isn’t a hobby for me. It was once a long time ago, but martial arts has steadily integrated itself into more and more aspects of my life. I am a martial artist.

Do you want your martial arts instructor to have a full time job doing something else, coming in tired and unfocused, teaching you the same old drill? Or do you want your martial arts instructor to spend their time and energy improving themselves as a martial artist and instructor?

There are also the very boring but also very real elements of being an adult.

There are trips to the grocery store that need to be made, bills to be paid, clothes to be washed, trash to be taken out, some project to get to or finish around or on the house.

I tend to get in lunches with a few friends who have “different” schedules like I do.

There’s also my family.

I like morning coffee with my wife! There’s a reason I married her: I like spending time with her. I shuttle my daughter from kindergarten to Montessori 5 days a week. It’s our special time together. I get wrestles and snuggles with both of my kids as often as possible. I set my schedule so that I could get a break to see them at dinner time before going back to teach another class.

So what do I do with my day? I do work stuff as the owner of the school, I do martial arts stuff because that’s who and what I am, even outside of class. I work on ways to be a positive impact on my students. I do the daily errands that come with living. I spend time with my family and friends just because they make me a better person.