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“The Papa Joe Hays Lifetime Achievement Award”

“The American Shorin-Ryu Karate Association honors Papa Joe Hays for his lifetime achievement in giving dedicated teaching in the Art of karate. This award is presented on this 8th day of September 2002 by the students of the ASKA on behalf of all students Papa Joe has helped over the years.”
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Story by Bret Borshell

I immediately felt Papa Joe’s presence. He was calm and cool, cooler than I expected or imagined … and I imagined him to be pretty cool. His long grey hair, bulging biceps and tattoos were a welcome sight. I have known in my heart that one day I would have the opportunity to meet Papa Joe. The moment was here and now.
It wasn’t five minutes before my first lesson came. While renting a car I decided to “break the ice” with a little “Borshell humor.” I mentioned to Papa Joe calmly that I was renting a Porsche for the drive from Ohio to Pennsylvania. Papa Joe said “What! A Porsche in my neighborhood!!” There was more to it, but the bottom line was Papa Joe’s intolerance for smart alecks. The lesson was noted and thereafter I resisted any similar antics.
The first evening in Ohio was marked by Papa Joe thinking it would be fun to keep this “squirt butt kid” up as long as possible. At nearly 4 am I found myself in a fog, standing in Papa Joe’s kitchen with one eye closed. I remember telling myself “Bret … you had better not fall asleep while Papa Joe is telling a story about his family … he is Italian and who knows if you would ever wake up?” Fortunately and eagerly I did [wake up] – and in one piece.
I was lucky enough to spend four days with Papa Joe. I heard great stories from him, from the time he was a child crawling in his Grandmother’s garden with a saltshaker, stealing and eating as many of his Grandfather’s tomatoes as possible to the time he challenged a Bengal tiger, to his more recent experiences on the streets of Columbus. As we spent the weekend together, I recall Papa Joe’s ability to connect with people we met during our travels – making them smile and genuinely engaging each person at their own level.
In his home, we stayed up late looking through photos and sharing incredible stories about the Hays Family, the ASKA, and many more of Papa Joe’s life experiences. I truly felt fortunate to have learned some of the things Papa Joe cherishes most in life, to sleep in his home and to understand so much more history surrounding the ASKA. The Papa Joe experience includes his opening his heart to you. He sincerely touched my heart and gave me a weekend I’ll always remember.
As a karate student, two things were emphasized more than anything else. First and foremost, just be myself. Being myself extends into my training by making a movement my own; it is unique with my interpretation and signature of personal self-expression. Being myself brings clarity and a better understanding to whatever I do. The root of sincerity rests in simply being oneself. The second lesson was more practical in terms of response … Papa Joe says, “If you thought about it, you should have done it.” It sounds simpler than it is to react spontaneously, to be in the moment.
It was wonderful to be in the moment with Papa Joe during the Summer Budo Camp and an honor to play a part in such an important ASKA event involving Papa Joe receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award.