While his job as Mid-Pacific Institute’s chief innovation officer helps students incorporate ever-changing technology into their education, Brian Dote expands his own mind — and body — with an old-school discipline: the martial art of karate.
In the same way that education becomes more complex with each lesson learned, karate entices Dote with its increasingly difficult challenges. And unlike other fitness pursuits, with their focus on equipment, karate relies on a simple, personal mastery.
"In karate, you’re just utilizing your hands and feet — it’s your body, it’s all about improving your ability to perform in a very old-school mentality," Dote said.
Dote has practiced the martial art for five years at Hawaii Shotokan Karate in Manoa, where he lives. He’s in the process of earning his black belt, the culmination of years of practice coupled with a three-part test of skills.
The tests will gauge Dote’s knowledge and execution of punches and kicks in isolation, of a dozen "kata," which are two- to three-minute sequences of moves performed with precise timing much like a dance routine, and "kumite," in which students defend themselves against an opponent in a mock fight.
"When you see people do kata, it looks easy — but then you see that the performer is heavily winded and realize how much energy and effort went into the performance," Dote said. "As part of the black belt exam, we need to not only show how we would defend yourself against an opponent, but also explain and teach it — that’s a big component of becoming a black belt at our dojo."
Dote is responsible for all aspects of technology at Mid-Pacific. The 42-year-old Waipahu High School graduate and former Silicon Valley engineer brings a wealth of experience in the technology industry, including time spent working for Apple.
"My role is to find cutting edge and innovative technology and introduce that to our curriculum," Dote said. "I bring my experience and knowledge into a school environment where I make connections with high-tech companies or the latest innovations and introduce them into the school so our students can take advantage of those links."
For Dote, his two-hour karate class provides an escape from the pressures of daily life.
"The thing I like most about karate is that it requires intensity and focus," Dote said. "In most of my lines of work, you come home and your mind continues to churn with issues that you encountered during the workday. What I love about karate is that the moment you step into the dojo, you can’t be thinking of those things — by not having clarity and focus, you’re going to get punched in the face."
Dote also enjoys the conditioning aspect of karate. As with many forms of martial arts, it’s much harder than it looks and the seamless routines — 40 moves in a row without stopping or a flurry of kicks — often mask the incredible physical and mental effort it takes to perform them, he said.
"It’s never easy; it always gets harder," Dote said.
Dote compares the constantly evolving discipline of karate to the technology industry: The only constant is change. One can learn everything about the iPhone then must quickly adapt to the iPad. The same can be said for karate. Once a move or technique is mastered, another needs to be mastered, with the process continuing over and over.
The test for a black belt is given only once every few years. Dote said he’s grateful for the chance.
"Now that I’m on the cusp of completing the exam, I’ve come to realize that your karate education actually starts with the black belt — everything else up to that point is just preparation," he said. "The more you learn, the more doors are opened for you to learn even more.
"You’re always on your toes, learning new things. If you stop, then you fall off the back of the train."
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