Fortunately, my job takes me to Japan a lot. I am there as much as ten times a year and, I am in fact there now, as I write this blog. I was a little uneasy about this particular trip however as I was scheduled to have several meetings with the new VP of Sales for our Japan office. He is not Japanese but an American who has lived in Japan for 15 years and is fluent in all four levels of the Japanese language so I did not know what to expect.

As I entered his office he was all smiles as we shook hands and he immediately commented on the strength of my hand shake (Chinese Iron Palm training). As he was talking, I looked around his office and noticed several wooden swords in the corner, the type used in the practice of Kendo and there were also several pictures in his cabinet of him in a Karate uniform with a semi worn black belt tied around his waist. Right then and there all apprehension left me and I told him that I was a martial artist myself. So....for the next hour.....instead of discussing sales quota and revenue accountability, we sat in his office and discussed the Martial Arts. What an ice breaker! The Martial Arts is truly a Brotherhood.