Ken Bernstein

Hometown: Amherst Occupation: Psychotherapist in private practice Avocation: Karate master and Sensei of Moving Zen Karate "Nana korobi ya oki ... you fall down seven times, you get up eight. It's an expression which refers to having an indominable spirit, and nourishing that spirit," said Karate master Ken Bernstein. At 59, this fit father of two, who not only looks, but demonstrates the physical prowess of a man years younger, is a testament to this philosophy. To him, karate is a metaphor for life. A path to enlightement "I was 26 when I started training," Bernstein told PRIME during a recent interview from his Amherst, MA school, Moving Zen Karate. He was older than many of the other student's in Mr. Nakamaura's class, the one he found back in 1972 while living in New York City. But that didn't stop Bernstein from putting in his best effort to measure up to the ideals of his Japanese Sensei. "He was this young, knock-down powerhouse guy who brought this Samauri ethic, this warrior ethic, to New York City and to America," Bernstein recalled. And working with Nakamura brought out the best in the younger Bernstein. "I tell my students that I played both clarinet and sax, and I didn't get very good at either," he said. "Karate was the only thing I stayed with." He did more than stay with it. Bernstein said the practice of karate changed how he saw himself. "It gave me a chance to bring together my athletic ability and my smarts. I competed against kids that were much younger, and I would win. It was a thrill," he said. And the influence went way beyond simply boosting his self-esteem. "I started to develop a part of myself ...a fuller sense of my capacity, as being not limitless, but much wider than I had known," Bernstein said. The practice of karate, Bernstein added, began to influence his path in life. "It inspired me to get into graduate school when I turned 30," he said. "As I approached 45, it inspired me to realize a life-long dream of being a therapist. I began a very demanding program. It was five years of training." He said the only more daunting challenge he undertook was becoming a parent at the age of 47. A philosophy for life Regardless of the challenge, Bernstein said that over the years his practice of karate has helped nourish and sustain him. He tells his students, "life can be difficult, and karate is a way of nourishing a personality that is resoloute." The dicipline has also helped him learn how to be flexible beyond the physical sense. "My karate as I've learned it, and I've developed it [has taught me] there are times to be soft, and there are times to be hard," he said. The Japanese expression for this, which he translated for PRIME, says, "when with the rock, be like water, and when with the water, be like the rock." "It's been very helpful in many aspects of life,' Bernstein said of this philosophy. "Both in interpersonal [relationships], and in parenting." And for aging well "There are some physical skills and mental acuity that get diminished over life, and there are aspects of ourselves that we can develop so there is little net loss," Bernstein said. Again, he said Karate has both helped him in coping with the physical aspects of aging gracefully, and in embracing the psychological effects. "A mature person brings a certain wisdom to training," Bernstein said. "We need to get over the narcisistic injury of loss of suppleness and perhaps, strength, and embrace our wisdom." Part of aging, he said, means letting go of "who we used to be ... we need to see what works now." He's planning to help men and women of a certain age discover this wisdom this winter, with two new classes at his school, Moving Zen Karate. "I'm planning to start a women's training this winter, and I'm interested in beginning a men's wellness training program," Bernstein said. Already Sensei to students from age 4 to 70, he hopes that these new classes will allow him to help Boomers and others rediscover their best selves. "We don't really know what we can do until we are asked to do something and inspired by circumstances or an individual to do something," he said. Bernstein told PRIME about a Japanese expression which says the influence we have on people's lives is like the ripples that move out when a pebble is dropped in a still body of water. "I know that if I have a person in my class only briefly, I will have an influence on their lives and will help them realize themselves more fully," he said. "Karate has helped me have a quality of life that has been a joy," he concluded "I love being able to bring this joy to other people." For information about the classes at Moving Zen Karate of Amherst, call 413-253-7557 or visit Bernstein's web site, .