Tom Nield, 46, is a husband, father of two sons, scout master, retired soldier and sensei of Shotokan Karate - and all of that is outside of his full-time job.
"In everything there has got to be a balance," he said. "It is really tough balancing all the activities, but if the activities are promoting service and you are doing good for others, then the activities are a worthwhile endeavor."
Nield works as a archivist for local records at the Secretary of State's Office. He is the son of a Filipino mother and Canadian father and became a naturalized citizen through military service. He received his black belt when he was 41, and has been instructing a youth and adult North American Shotokan Karate program through the Parks and Recreation Department since January 2011.
"It is never too late to start martial arts," he said. "If I can earn my black belt as a middle-aged man, then anybody can do it, really. It just takes some time and commitment."
He first started his journey into the arts when he was a high school student with Taekwondo, but after returning from basic training, the Taekwondo school had closed down. He later tried to take it back up while in college but was too busy with education. Later, Nield knew he would be deployed and his hand-to-hand combat skills were lacking, so he started taking pankration, a Greek mixture of boxing and wrestling often thought of as one of the first forms of mixed martial arts.
After returning from his first deployment, his wife suggested their oldest son take some form of martial arts, and Nield decided to do it with him. His oldest is now also a black belt, and even his youngest son and wife took karate for a while. Now, both sons seem to be more interested in cross country track, Nield said.
The focus and drive that come with mastering a martial art is Nield's favorite part of karate, and it often bleeds into his other activities, he said.
"Another part I like about martial arts is I like to teach," Nield said. "I originally wanted to be a high school history teacher, and that didn't work out. ... I really like working with kids, and that is why I am also involved with the scouting program."
He explained his art is about power and technique and that is what he drills into his students. He compared martial arts to other organized sports by saying anyone who has ever participated in athletics can appreciate karate.
"Martial arts is a physical activity with a mental focus," he said. "Anybody who has ever studied dance can relate because it is very physically demanding and it requires mental focus. And I mean any kind of dance - tap dance, square dance, or ballet or jazz. It is the same kind of thing. You are learning a choreographed series of movements that you do to the best of your ability, and you have to have the mental focus."
He is not trying to teach children to be fighters; rather, he is teaching them to be calm and disciplined, he said. Whether he is teaching self-defense, scouting or history, his overall message is service.
"We live with such a blessed standard of living, it is obscene," he said. "I have traveled the world. ... we have it really good here in this country, and we all need to give back somehow."