Take 3:

Does It EVER Get Easier?

          Spelled out the “riot act” to our beginners class today.  Their lack of focus, effort, pride, and interest in getting better pushed me over the line!  Asked the whole group, including the Senpais, to raise their hands if they thought karate was hard.  Most of them did and, to my relief, ALL of the Senpais.  (This was confirmation of what I have been telling ALL my new beginners classes – “Karate will be the hardest thing you will EVER do!”). Then I told the class to look around to see that ALL the Senpais had also raised their hands, including ME!

          I then asked “How many of you think karate is TOO hard?”  About half of them left their hands up, including Senpais Cliff and Scott.  Now THIS was unexpected … and surprising!!!  Of all the Senpais, I thought these two would understand where my questioning was heading.

          Told the class it was time for them to make a BIG decision – commit to improving and getting better, or finding something else less difficult that they would enjoy doing.  I explained that if they think something is TOO hard, they CANNOT get better at it or improve because their mind would not let them.  Too many negative thoughts will be running through their heads – “This is TOO hard!”, “I don’t like this!”, “I’m tired!”, “My leg hurts!”  The excuses go on and on!  In other words, your mind is in a constant battle with your body.  With negative thoughts running through your mind, one cannot learn effectively!

          Ended the session telling the class to take a good look inside and ask themselves, “Do I REALLY want to do this?”  If “yes”, then commit yourself to improving and putting more effort into their training.  If “no”, then find something else to do.  “If you WANT to get better, we can help you.  If you don’t, find something that makes you happy.  Either way, we will BOTH be happier!”  Finally, I told them that if they walk through the door at the next practice we will assume that they have committed to improve and we will start to work them harder and longer.

          It will be interesting to see how many of them take up this challenge!

April 30, 2024

          Looks like they ALL want to be here!  Or, maybe their parents want them to be here!!  Either way they came back, and my promise to work them harder has begun.  Cliff ran them ragged, with nearly EVERYONE sweating bullets!

          After training, I commended them on their effort and reminded them what they were told on the first day of their karate journey – and how difficult karate would be.  “But,” I continued, “it will also be the most rewarding thing you will ever do!  And, you will learn to apply this focus, pride, and energy into EVERYTHING that you do … and WHEREVER you are!!!”

So, does karate ever get easier?  I used this story to illustrate:

Suppose you joined the track team because you like to run.  Your coach tells you to run a lap around the track.  When you finish, he tells you that your time was 3 minutes.  You want to lower your time, so you do this same circuit every day and each time you finish you are dead tired.  After one week he tells you that you have cut 20 seconds off your original time.  Now it is 2 minutes and 40 seconds.  After a month, your time is down to 2 minutes 20 seconds!  After 2 months you have broken the 2 minute barrier!  AND, you are STILL wasted!

What made you cut your time so drastically?  It was DESIRE and EFFORT!  Did you get better at running a lap?  DEFINITELY YES!  Did it ever get easier?  DEFINITELY NO!!!

          The same is true for karate.  The most important ingredient in this success recipe?  YOU!  The amount of pride you have in your accomplishments and your desire to improve is the key to where on the “success ladder” you will end up.

          In my 58 years in karate, I have learned that MOST people do NOT know the meaning of “trying my best”.  To them the phrase means “try hard until it’s uncomfortable”, or “until it begins to hurt a little”.  They are pretty content to be exactly where they are and have no interest or desire to push their mind and body into the “twilight zone”, or to explore and discover their amazing potential.

          Where on this “success ladder” will YOU end up?  This will be determined by how important this quest you are on is, and how uncomfortable you are willing to become to get there!

          So, the answer to the question, “Does it ever get easier?” for those serious in their journey, is an emphatic “NO”!!!  BUT, know that you ARE getting SO MUCH better!

April 27,2024

Revised 3/25