A week in the Life - Bicester / Banbury Family Franchise
It was an honor to be asked by Master Ogden to write this piece for the WJO blog. My first thought was “what would people like to know about the Bicester and Banbury Franchises and what would be interesting to them”. I guess the most interesting thing about our franchises is the way we run them as a family. My wife Lisa and our children Maddison (8) and Luke (7) all play a big part in how the franchise runs. Lisa assists me in the classes and also helps out in the home office which she does alongside running the household and looking after our daughters needs (Maddison has type 1 diabetes and Ceoliac which are full time jobs in their own right). The kids help by showing the beginners how higher grades behave and also showing the parents what can be achieved. Having their father as their instructor is really hard and they cope incredibly well. That in itself is a massive advert for Jado Kuin Do. Lisa is also a role model for the ladies who attend the class. We have had more than one comment on this, along the lines of “being inspired by what Lisa has achieved”. I am incredibly proud of her and am grateful to have such an understanding and helpful partner.
So, where to start the week! Monday I guess, where we have a day of rest. Well, it’s not actually. 8 hours of IT work followed by homework night for the kids and also getting things ready for the busy week. It’s also time for sorting out any paperwork (orders / licences / direct debits etc) which have carried over from Saturday’s class.
Tuesday is a day for making sure we are ready for Wednesday nights class in Banbury. So again, after an 8 hour day of IT its time to make sure the lesson plans are written, the paperwork folder is up to date, the bags are packed with the equipment needed for the lesson along with any merchandise to be delivered. No night off for the kids either. Badgers, Football, Drama and Singing are all requiring Mums and Dads Taxi service. Luckily Lisa is on hand with her tick sheet which I use to ensure I have all the items and paperwork packed that are needed.
Wednesday and our first Jado Kuin Do session of the week. After the kids are home from school, it is a quick snack and change before we head off to Banbury. Our Banbury classes are 30 minutes drive away and we need a setup time of about 30 minutes when we get there to put out the matting). After the classes have finished there is another 30 minutes to clear up before we can head off home. These school nights are a challenge for the children and they handle this very well. We also sometimes get homework done while the adults class is in progress.
Thursdays sees the first of our training sessions with Touka Cosens at Stantonbury Campus. Touka was the inspiration behind us starting Jado Kuin Do as his taster session at Maddisons school really captured her imagination. “Mum, Dad, I really want to try this” and here we are, 3 years later running our own clubs. Tonight's training sees an opportunity for homework while Lisa and I train but does end up being a late night for them. Black belt training means I get to stay and play while Lisa has the bedtime to sort out. Both Lisa and I assist at Touka’s classes and it is an honor to do so.
Friday is prep work for Saturdays Bicester class. Bags ready, food ready to take, all the paperwork finished, licences etc. Oh and Luke to tennis, Maddison to swimming and then both to Piano lessons. By the way, it is the children's choice for so many activities!
On Saturday mornings when many families are having a “lie in”, our alarm goes off like any regular school day. Luke is up and in the swimming pool by 9:30 and out again by 10:07 before we head off to Bicester, a half hour drive away, ready for our 11:00 kids class. The class is growing nicely in size and the group is friendly and helpful. This week we had Master Jake Ogden join us to take the Super J’s (4/5 year olds) for their first grading. It’s times like these when you really understand why you chose a certain path.
Sunday morning we are up early again and training with Touka Cosens at Towcester and once a month I have the opportunity to go to Daventry to train under Master Jake Ogden at his black belt class. I am looking forward to the day Lisa joins me there. We always try and have a roast dinner on a Sunday evening and watch some telly together or play a game or two. The rest doesn’t last long enough as a school day the next day means the lunch bags are out again before the night is through!
So that’s it. 40 hours of work, 4 hours of our classes, 5 hours training / assisting, 4 hours travelling and class setup time, 7 lunch boxes for the kids, 7 kids activities (excluding Jado Kuin Do) and hardly any time to breath. Would I change it... Nope. It’s hard work but to see other people achieve things they never thought they would and to see how it works for our own family makes it all worth while.
In no particular order thanks again to Lisa, Maddison, Luke, Touka, Jake and Jackie Chan for making this all possible. Uss.
It was an honor to be asked by Master Ogden to write this piece for the WJO blog. My first thought was “what would people like to know about the Bicester and Banbury Franchises and what would be interesting to them”. I guess the most interesting thing about our franchises is the way we run them as a family. My wife Lisa and our children Maddison (8) and Luke (7) all play a big part in how the franchise runs. Lisa assists me in the classes and also helps out in the home office which she does alongside running the household and looking after our daughters needs (Maddison has type 1 diabetes and Ceoliac which are full time jobs in their own right). The kids help by showing the beginners how higher grades behave and also showing the parents what can be achieved. Having their father as their instructor is really hard and they cope incredibly well. That in itself is a massive advert for Jado Kuin Do. Lisa is also a role model for the ladies who attend the class. We have had more than one comment on this, along the lines of “being inspired by what Lisa has achieved”. I am incredibly proud of her and am grateful to have such an understanding and helpful partner.
So, where to start the week! Monday I guess, where we have a day of rest. Well, it’s not actually. 8 hours of IT work followed by homework night for the kids and also getting things ready for the busy week. It’s also time for sorting out any paperwork (orders / licences / direct debits etc) which have carried over from Saturday’s class.
Tuesday is a day for making sure we are ready for Wednesday nights class in Banbury. So again, after an 8 hour day of IT its time to make sure the lesson plans are written, the paperwork folder is up to date, the bags are packed with the equipment needed for the lesson along with any merchandise to be delivered. No night off for the kids either. Badgers, Football, Drama and Singing are all requiring Mums and Dads Taxi service. Luckily Lisa is on hand with her tick sheet which I use to ensure I have all the items and paperwork packed that are needed.
Wednesday and our first Jado Kuin Do session of the week. After the kids are home from school, it is a quick snack and change before we head off to Banbury. Our Banbury classes are 30 minutes drive away and we need a setup time of about 30 minutes when we get there to put out the matting). After the classes have finished there is another 30 minutes to clear up before we can head off home. These school nights are a challenge for the children and they handle this very well. We also sometimes get homework done while the adults class is in progress.
Thursdays sees the first of our training sessions with Touka Cosens at Stantonbury Campus. Touka was the inspiration behind us starting Jado Kuin Do as his taster session at Maddisons school really captured her imagination. “Mum, Dad, I really want to try this” and here we are, 3 years later running our own clubs. Tonight's training sees an opportunity for homework while Lisa and I train but does end up being a late night for them. Black belt training means I get to stay and play while Lisa has the bedtime to sort out. Both Lisa and I assist at Touka’s classes and it is an honor to do so.
Friday is prep work for Saturdays Bicester class. Bags ready, food ready to take, all the paperwork finished, licences etc. Oh and Luke to tennis, Maddison to swimming and then both to Piano lessons. By the way, it is the children's choice for so many activities!
On Saturday mornings when many families are having a “lie in”, our alarm goes off like any regular school day. Luke is up and in the swimming pool by 9:30 and out again by 10:07 before we head off to Bicester, a half hour drive away, ready for our 11:00 kids class. The class is growing nicely in size and the group is friendly and helpful. This week we had Master Jake Ogden join us to take the Super J’s (4/5 year olds) for their first grading. It’s times like these when you really understand why you chose a certain path.
Sunday morning we are up early again and training with Touka Cosens at Towcester and once a month I have the opportunity to go to Daventry to train under Master Jake Ogden at his black belt class. I am looking forward to the day Lisa joins me there. We always try and have a roast dinner on a Sunday evening and watch some telly together or play a game or two. The rest doesn’t last long enough as a school day the next day means the lunch bags are out again before the night is through!
So that’s it. 40 hours of work, 4 hours of our classes, 5 hours training / assisting, 4 hours travelling and class setup time, 7 lunch boxes for the kids, 7 kids activities (excluding Jado Kuin Do) and hardly any time to breath. Would I change it... Nope. It’s hard work but to see other people achieve things they never thought they would and to see how it works for our own family makes it all worth while.
In no particular order thanks again to Lisa, Maddison, Luke, Touka, Jake and Jackie Chan for making this all possible. Uss.
Kind Regards,
Mark Desborough
Jado Kuin Do Instructor
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