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Kung Fu Dad
Mark Goblowsky, Nebraska, USA
www.strengththroughthestruggle.com
From DADLY Dads: Parent of the 21st Century Copyright © 2018 Motivational Press. Reprinted with permission. By Hogan Hilling and Austin Dowd.
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I am a dad to one son, Joshua, and husband to Teresa. I’m also a martial arts instructor, author, podcaster, US Military Veteran, and entrepreneur. I joined the U.S. Air Force in January of 1981. I started studying Kung-Fu in 1987 while serving overseas and fell in love with it. I own two martial arts schools with a total of 800 students.
In August of 2001 my one-year-old son, Joshua was in a hit-and-run car accident that left him with a massive Traumatic Brain Injury that changed our lives forever. I started a podcast Strength Through Struggle, whose mission is to help those who are dealing with their personal struggles be they big or small.
Quote.
Always remember in the dark, what you know to be true in the light.
What I do well as a dad.
I give my son space and room to grow and become who he is as a person and also provide good strong guardrails in place to help keep him from going over a cliff!
What I learned from another dad.
I learned many things from my father about how not to raise a child. I experienced a great deal of violence at the hands of my father as well as many other negative behaviors. These things pointed me in the opposite direction of the way I was brought up. I have done my best to learn from those experiences.
Lesson learned from my child.
Indomitable Spirit. My son, Joshua, has had to endure many difficult challenges due to his car accident. Nevertheless, he finds a way to keep on going. His life is blessed in many ways, but it is still, hard as hell.
I once counted he had been through 2,500 appointments to doctors and therapists at hospitals, clinics, and school due to him getting hurt. Even though he complains at times, he still pushes through, most of the time with a smile.
Successful fatherhood moment.
One day at a mall play center Josh interacted with a couple of brothers who were probably at least two years older. At first, they were fine. After they figured out he was younger than them, they got mean and tried to run him off. They kept calling him “Wussy!” Josh kept looking over at me confused as to why they were behaving that way. I finally shrugged my shoulders and lifted my hands out of my lap like, “What are you going to do to solve this problem?” The kids continued to call him a ‘wussy.’ Josh stopped dead in his tracks and raised his voice, “I’m not wussy. I’m Joshua!” He then found other boys to play with him.
Dad I admire.
Keith Hafner. He is possibly the best representation of a father (and husband) I have ever seen. He really was thoughtful about how he raised his children, and he invested in them with time and focus. Specifically, he taught me to be bold in teaching my son what I believe to be right and to help him to grow up and be an honorable man.
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Originally published in DADLY Dads: Parent of the 21st Century Copyright © 2018 Motivational Press. Reprinted with permission.
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Photos courtesy of the author.
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