Mastering a skill is no easy task. It takes time, dedication, an in-depth understanding, and great ability, to display the level of a master.

To become a martial arts master while serving full time as an active duty officer in the U.S. Navy is a daunting goal, considering the long sleepless nights, hours of standing watch and managing a division.

Lt. j.g. Daniel Walker, stationed aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), has a long relationship with Tang Soo Do, a Korean martial art incorporating fighting principles from Subak, as well as Northern Chinese kung fu.

"I first got introduced into the class when my mom would drop me off at the YMCA," he said. "I first watched a class and gazed on as students went through their forms. From there, it began. I was hooked and became fascinated with the martial arts."

Walker is a quiet, soft spoken man. After communicating with him, however, you begin to understand there's more than meets the eye.

"I have been invited to test for master this January, and I had previously declined it because I felt I wasn't ready," he recalled. "This is a very extensive test and requires a great amount of practice, time and patience to develop yourself."

There is symmetry between martial arts and the military. The hierarchy of martial arts, years and energy spent rising through the ranks of colored belts, and finally achieving master status, mirror a service member's career progression.

"The test is a week long. Seems like quite a bit extra for a test, right?" Walker joked. "The title of master is a great deal in the martial arts community, though. It's a prestigious title and not open to [just] anyone. Reaching that level of expertise, you have to demonstrate perfect form, knowledge, and abilities to teach various classes with an expertly sharp mind. You have to be prepared to become a master."

Growing up near a military base in Groton, Connecticut, Walker was introduced to military life at an early age.

"I had some ups and downs with training, until I found my place at the Cornerstone School of Kung Fu, where I trained under my master for six years, and well into my teens," he said. "I was tested with a fundamental that is a core value of martial arts, the discipline to continue on my training and not be interrupted with the mindset of a teenager."

After high school, Walker moved to Austin, Texas, and found another school to continue his training and begin new areas of study. Here, Walker learned the arts of Judo and Kali, a Filipino knife fighting technique. A year later he became a certified instructor, earning the title of Kyosa, an instructor under the master level.

"I am quite fortunate to have had the instructors and the training I've had throughout my time studying Tang Soo Do," he said. "Overall, the study, the lessons, and the discipline have taught me a lot. Much of my ability to remain disciplined carries over into this military lifestyle. It helps to achieve the goals you set, and to accomplish your tasks even when you don't really want to do them. There are many values you learn that apply so much to life outside of training."

When Walker speaks of his training, the positive factors of studying martial arts, the hard work, and lessons learned, the memories surface and flow through his words as fluidly as the martial arts forms he displays.

"You don't ever really have an end goal. There is not a sense of finishing when it comes to training," he remarked. "The color of the belts, ranging to deep midnight blues, reflect the level of growth, but never really become black, signifying that there is always more to learn. I've had so much success in my time that I enjoy the ability to pass on my knowledge to anyone willing to learn. It is one of the most gratifying experiences."

Military life is challenging, but the approach of doing things correctly has been engrained into Walker's mind since an early age.

"It is a community I am so glad I am a part of, and in many ways it is much like the military," he added. "There is a bond, a sort of relationship you develop with the teachers, the students and the peers around you that make it all worthwhile. I am grateful for that single day that changed me into who I am. Much of my success is happily given to the people who devoted the time to help me get where I am, and my greatest goal is to be able to return that to everyone else along the way. I am excited to pass on my skills, a helping hand, but there is much more to learn and that is an excitement all in itself."

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