Chris Aquino
I was born and raised in Anchorage. I spent all of my childhood on the East Side, attending Scenic Park Elementary, Wendler Junior High, and Bartlett High School. While I transitioned from school to school and schedule to schedule in my academic life, I remained steady with my studies of martial arts.
For over ten years of my youth, I practiced Shito-Ryu Karate with Tanaka’s Martial Arts Academy. During this period, I not only learned physical techniques of self-defense, but also the virtues of teamwork, respect and self-discipline.
Mr. Tanaka played a vital role in my childhood development. He expected a lot from me, both in practice time and intensity of work. There were clear rules for behavior—rules that he discussed and shared reasons for following. He also allowed opportunities and support for leadership development. As I advanced in my martial arts studies, I had opportunities to practice being an active and observant follower, as well as a patient and motivational leader.
Outside of classes at the dojo, I participated in numerous martial arts demonstrations. Mr. Tanaka asked for excellence, while providing the space for teambuilding and creativity. Our team flourished with the confidence and determination of developing a demonstration from scratch and performing the finished product in front of various audiences. Sometimes, we held demonstrations in large theaters with stage lighting; other times, we were on grassy fields at the State Fair. Through these challenging, and sometimes stressful experiences, the group of individuals became a cohesive, efficient group of friends and teammates.
As an active member of the Anchorage community today, I am thankful for the childhood support and teachings from Mr. Tanaka. I feel that his lessons of self-discipline and respect for self and others have been crucial for successes in my personal and professional life.
I have now known Mr. Tanaka for almost 25 years and we remain good friends to this day. As I recently celebrated one of the most important days of my life—my wedding day—I was delighted to see Mr. Tanaka among my closest friends and family.
