Humility One of the many definitions of humility is: "Understanding your place in the world, not according to your accomplishments, but according to the intrinsic value of all individuals." No person should be regarded as better than any other (i.e. we are all equal), therefore there is nothing to be conceited about. Students are asked to leave their egos at the door, ego can be a major problem in the Karate Dojo. When training with a partner it is important that we have their best interests at heart. We are there to work for our mutual benefit, not to prove our superiority, as an example we do not win or lose during sparring; we work to improve technique, timing and strategy. It is often worth reminding ourselves that we are all beginners, only some of us have been beginning longer than others. Never lose sight of your own shortcomings. Indomitable Spirit In martial arts spirit is generally considered to be a refusal to quit, no matter how tough, talented or big your opponent may be. However it is not only about being beaten by people. If for example we are dedicated to martial arts and wish to improve we will be prepared to tolerate more. We may be finding one aspect of training very tough. If we are only interested a little, this may be a factor that stops us training. Often we may not stop straight away, but make excuses to ourselves for missing training ("I cant be bothered tonight, I'm tired.") If we are dedicated and willing to persevere we may try to isolate the problem and work on it. If stances in Kata are a problem we could spend hours working on balance, landing in the correct stance first time (without having to move our feet slightly). We may even pick another martial art, if we cannot adapt. This is not the same as giving up we are just channeling our abilities in another direction. Whenever we feel like giving up possibly because we feel we lack strength, power, stamina or many other reasons, we must develop our minds into a positive attitude and drive forward trying to overcome. This is the true spirit of a martial art. Integrity Honesty, virtue, morality, principle, unimpaired, wholeness and unity. Consider behaving honestly because you truly believe this is the only way you should live, i.e. It is an integral part of your life. Respect others - trust them. It is an essential part of our training to learn to behave with integrity inside and outside the Dojo. When practicing in class people will train hard and dilligently when they know they are being watched. Often when they think the instructor is not watching any more they will lose their focus, prehaps stop training altogether, talk about outside matters, mess around etc. They have missed the point that training is for the benefit of themselves and their class mates, not to chase belts or impress instructors. If a person is behaving with integrity they will do the best they can whether they are being watched or not. The instructor soon realises which type of student has integrity when it comes to martial arts. He or she then knows which students they can put thier trust in. It is equally important to behave with integrity outside the Dojo. One way of doing this is to evaluate our reasons for helping someone, working hard, being conscientious etc. Is it just to appear good or impress other people or is it because you genuinely care about the wellbeing of others? If a student learns perfectly how to perform every techinique and pattern in the syllabus, but behaves with no integrity or have not improved their attitude to life and people, then I would have to consider that I have wasted my time and theirs. Modesty Understand that its not how much bravado or front that we project, but realise that within martial arts how little we know. We find that the longer we train in martial arts (with an open mind) the more we realise how little we know. There is so much to learn and so many more experienced martial artisits that it is very difficult to remain conceited. In some clubs it is frowned upon when students train elsewhere, we personally think it helps develop your own abilities, never losing sight of the talent of other instructors and the new techniques which you can add to your repertoire. Perseverance Without perseverance we may never reach our goals. We have met many extremely talented martial artists, who became bored or distracted and ultimately stopped training. As a result they never achieved the goals they had set out to achieve. There are many reasons why people fail to persevere, one of these is frustration caused by lack of results i.e. they do not feel they are getting anywhere. People tend to want instant results and are then over eager to arrive at their desired destination, such as achieving a black belt. It can help to remind ourselves to enjoy the journey on the way to the destination, rather than focus only on the destination. If we persist in our training diligently and focused it becomes easier, our targets have not changed but our ability to achieve them has increased. Believe in your own abilities and know that if you keep trying you will succeed. Friends with positive attitudes who will encourage you when things are tough or doubts set in will encourage you to keep trying.... It is important that when we are unsuccessful in anything to remember, that a person who never made a mistake is not true to him/herself. Remember it's important "We can only fail if we quit." From time to time you may find things are tough either physically or mentally, when you train prehaps you feel tired, bored, out of breath, confused etc. You should adopt a positive mental attitude and recognise that these things are only temporary, remind yourself that if you persevere you will not only improve in class but your attitude to things outside the class will be strengthened. It's not always easy, if it was then we would all be black belts. Tireless dedication, relentless practice, and total commitment will help you achieve your targets and goals not only in the Dojo, but outside in every day society. Loyalty In the true essence of martial arts, loyalty to your Sensei, instructors, club and most of all your fellow students A complete allegiance to your Sensei, instructors, club and fellow students can easily be seen when students compete in tournaments. Advising your team members, cheering them on and being proud of the badge of your club.
Sensei - Trevor White 8th Dan |
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