Being Thankful for My Kung Fu

November 26, 2025 Mark Warner Commentary 0

As the seasons turn and the holidays remind us to slow down, I find myself deeply thankful for something that has shaped every corner of my life: my Kung Fu. Not simply the forms, the conditioning, or the sweat earned on wooden floors, but the entire living path that has carried me from childhood curiosity to the vocation and calling that defines who I am today.

I am thankful for the discipline. Kung Fu has always been the great sculptor of my character—chipping away weakness, impatience, and doubt, and revealing, year after year, a stronger and more resilient version of myself. From the early days of drilling basics until my legs trembled, to the long nights studying Mantis, Shaolin, Wing Chun, Silat, and the blade work of Dekiti Tirsia Siradas Kali, the art has never failed to demand my best. And in that demand, it has given me the priceless gift of becoming better.

I am thankful for my teachers—those whose voices still echo through my stances and decisions. The lineage that flows through me is heavy with wisdom, sacrifice, and compassion: SGM Jerson “Nene” Tortal, Tashi Deb, Sifu Scott Jeffery, Sifu Stephen Watson, and the countless senior practitioners and masters who took the time to teach, to correct, to share the secrets earned through their own lifetimes. Their guidance remains a compass, keeping my practice honest and my heart humble.

I am thankful for the community that Kung Fu brought into my life. My students, their families, my fellow instructors, and the Ipswich community have become an extended family—one I did not expect when I first stepped into a training hall decades ago. Every child swinging a foam sword, every teen pushing through a tough drill, every adult rediscovering their strength, adds another thread to this tapestry. In them, I witness the same magic that has transformed me: confidence rising, character sharpening, and joy appearing where once there was hesitation.

I am thankful for the opportunity to teach. There is no greater honor than passing on the arts that shaped me. Watching students grow—from their first bow to their first kata to their first realization that they are capable of more than they imagined—reminds me daily that Kung Fu is not just a system of combat, but a vessel for hope, courage, and self-knowledge. Being “Tashi Mark” is not a title I take lightly; it is a promise to uphold the values I was given and to offer them freely to the next generation.

Finally, I am thankful for the way Kung Fu keeps me honest. The path is endless. There is always another layer of meaning, another refinement, another way to carry these arts deeper into my life. After more than five decades, I remain a student—grateful, hungry, and humbled by the endless horizon ahead.

Kung Fu has given me strength, purpose, friendship, healing, artistry, and a home. For all of this, and for the chance to continue walking this path with the people I love, I am profoundly thankful.

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About Mark Warner 52 Articles
Tashi Mark Warner has trained in the martial arts for almost 50 years. In the early 70s, inspired by the likes of Bruce Lee, Tashi Mark started in Kenpo Karate under Richard Ladow. After serving in the US Army, traveling twice to Korea and once to Germany, Tashi Mark found inspiration in the JCVD movie Bloodsport and decided to one day open his own school. On April 8th 1998, his passion project was finally achieved and the doors finally opened. As Tashi Mark likes to say, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." Also in 1998, Tashi Mark started training Northern Mantis Kung Fu and Shaolin Kung Fu with Sifu Scott Jeffery. In 1999 Tashi Deborah Mahoney, training with Tashi Mark, became the Black Belt Hall of Fame recipient for the KRANE rating to include all of New England. Since 2007, Tashi Mark has furthered his training, adding Dekiti Tirsia Siradas Kali with Grandmaster Jerson "Nene" Tortal, as well as Baringin Sakti Silat with Grandmaster Edward Lebe. Tashi Mark is a full-time martial artist. "One of the greatest things in the martial arts is the transmission of knowledge to the next generation." - Tashi Mark Warner

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