About the author

Shihan
Rick Donkel

Author of Soldier Warrior to Black Belt: My Journey from the Battlefield to Black Belt at 51.

Rick Donkel's memoir tells the story of a journey from military service to earning a black belt at 51—a personal account shaped by perseverance, discipline, and the willingness to take on a new challenge.

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The journey behind the memoir

A path from the battlefield to the dojo.

In Soldier Warrior to Black Belt, Donkel shares a defining passage of his life: a journey from the battlefield to martial arts, culminating in earning a black belt at 51. The story reflects the work of continuing to learn, commit, and move toward a goal—even when the path is unfamiliar.

Rather than presenting change as a single turning point, the memoir centers on the journey itself: the persistence, practice, and personal resolve that carry someone from one chapter into another.

At the heart of the story

More than a finish line.

Service

The military experience forms an essential part of the story's beginning.

Practice

Martial arts brings focus, commitment, and daily discipline into the journey.

Possibility

Earning a black belt at 51 is a reminder that a meaningful goal can begin later in life.

The memoir

Soldier Warrior to Black Belt

A memoir of one journey from the battlefield to black belt at 51, written by Shihan Rick Donkel.

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