An Oldie, But a Goodie

Student Creed Essay, from July, 2004:

"I am an Artist of Life."

As karate students, we seek to perfect our physical techniques (and character!) in class through hard training and repetition. In every class we do our best to be a little bit better than we were in the class before, and to learn just a little bit more of our martial art's techniques. But, taking in a much larger view, we can actually consider all of life as our training hall (dojo). From this perspective, we can be more than just martial artists, we can become "Artists of Life." And just like karate training, the only way to get better at Life is to practice, practice, practice!

Our dojo is filled with diverse and talented people! In our jobs, we should seek to be known as dependable, competent, and confident. Ask yourself: Am I the best lawyer/doctor/student/teacher/whatever I can be? Am I doing my BEST to be creative and expressive in and through my profession?

In our relationships, we seek to be considerate, kind, and generous. Are you being the BEST sibling/spouse/parent/son/daughter you can be? We can all get better at laughing, loving, and serving our communities through practice! The "hard training" we have to face in life sometimes comes from challenges, disappointments, and setbacks, but they'll ultimately make us better people!

Ask yourself: What have I learned about my Art (Life) today? How can I make my personal painting/sculpture/kata just a little bit better tomorrow? What will my masterpiece called "Life" look like when it's finished?

"I am responsible for all of my actions, choices, and decisions."

When we accept total responsibility for every aspect of our lives, we gain both freedom and power. However, when we blame others for our personal circumstances, we give that power and freedom away. By listening to our own inner voice, and by doing what is right and true and necessary for us, we free ourselves of the need for others' approval or permission. By living independent of the good opinion of others, and by willingly accepting the consequences of our actions (for better or for worse), we no longer allow external factors to determine our happiness.

Accepting responsibility does not mean that life's unfortunate or unlucky events are automatically our fault. Unexpected problems will continually show up in our lives, but we are "response-able," and ALWAYS in control of our attitude. Whenever we are faced with surprises, hardships, and challenges (read, "opportunities"), we can always CHOOSE how we're going to respond. And, whenever we make mistakes, we should resolve to own them completely without shifting the blame to something or someone outside of ourselves. (Of course, all of this is not as easy as it sounds! If it were, everyone would be doing it!)

If you are suddenly threatened on the street, an "instinctive reaction" (fear, panic, freezing up, flight, rage) might be inappropriate or potentially dangerous. Instead of reacting, however, an individual with sufficient awareness and presence of mind can confidently choose from a variety of "trained responses" (avoidance, de-escalation, measured physical countermeasures). This is where martial arts training can help by giving us more options. Through physical and mental training and conditioning, we become increasingly "response-able."

Our lives are the sum total of all of our thoughts and actions. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy has said, "Thoughts are causes; conditions are effects." By staying positive and by taking responsibility for the quality of our thoughts, we'll remain squarely in the driver's seat of our lives! I'll close this section with an expression that Sensei Richard Kim was very fond of:

Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.
Watch your actions, they become your habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

"My goal is to be the best I can be, and to bring out the best in others."

So now we understand that striving to be the best we can possibly be in every area of our lives is the sure path to becoming an Artist of Life. But, if we're always just trying to be number one, our lives will quickly be reduced to a struggle in which there must always be a winner and a loser. I believe it was Genghis Khan who said, "It is not enough that I succeed. Others must fail." Not so! As martial artists, instead of simply pumping up our own egos and working on our own superiority, we must efface the ego while also seeking to bring out the best in other people. As I have become fond of saying lately, "We're all in this together!"

So how can we bring out the best in others?

Avoid unnecessary conflict. In your daily interactions with people, try to always look for the "win-win" solution by focusing on unselfishness and committing to service. (Read Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.) Before forcing your own agenda and opinions onto others, increase your awareness of what's really important to them, and make sure you understand their perspective. Whenever you can work together with someone toward a mutually beneficial outcome, instead of struggling against them, you'll often find that one plus one equals three (or four, or ten)!

If you look for the best in other people, you'll almost always find it. (If you look for the worst in other people, you'll certainly find that instead.) In your relationships, don't focus on the things in other people that annoy you. Instead, focus on the things you love about other people! Acknowledge all the things that are right before you give constructive criticism. Freely give out compliments and support -- but don't patronize!

Sometimes competition is necessary. Every day, we compete in athletics, politics, business, and love. Healthy competition brings out the best in all of us, so always play your hardest! However, be aware of your motivations, and decide what's really important by asking: What will I have left if I choose to win at all costs? Bring the Olympic spirit into your everyday struggles, great and small. Seek out only worthy opponents who will raise the level of play and challenge you to be your best. Remember: blow-outs are boring, and our trivial victories diminish us as much as our Pyrrhic ones. Win with humility, lose with grace, and learn to recognize when it's time to call it a draw. (And, sometimes it's okay to let the other guy win!)

Finally, in the conduct of your life, you can bring out the best in others through your own attitude and personal behavior. Others will be drawn to your personal example if you live your life on purpose and with integrity. By exercising and demonstrating the Black Belt Traits, we can inspire others to greatness!

Seeking honesty in my heart, confidence in my mind, and strength in my body, I will train with respect, humility, and an indomitable spirit.

Ask yourself: “Why am I learning karate?” Some people come to the dojo to learn self-defense. Others come to relieve stress, get in better shape, learn a new art form, or meet new people. What are your personal training goals? If you’re seeking improved fitness, increased confidence, and stronger mental discipline, karate training will develop all of these things! I’ve always said that karate is a journey of self-discovery. So, if karate is a journey — and if some of the benefits I’ve mentioned are the destinations — then what should you pack for the trip?

Indomitable spirit!

Sooner or later, you’re going to a few bumps in the road, and your karate training will bring you face-to-face with one or more of your personal limitations. (Perhaps it’s happened already!) The bumps in your personal karate journey may be the physical limits of your strength, endurance, flexibility, or coordination. A nagging injury may force you to slow down, modify your techniques, or skip a class or two. Your bumps may also be mental obstacles that become manifest as impatience at your lack of improvement, frustration at your inability to master a form, or even boredom from the seemingly endless repetition. The bumps that show up outside of the dojo (stress at work, strained personal relationships, laundry, and all the other things that make up our lives) may also prevent us from getting to the dojo to train for days or weeks.

In the course of your training, the bumps you encounter in the dojo and in life will frustrate you again and again. They may cause you to question why you started karate training (or piano lessons, or medical school) in the first place. If the bump is big enough, you might even be tempted to quit. (I’ve come close to quitting karate many times myself!) The key to getting past the bumps in your training is to train with indomitable spirit!

Indomitable spirit is a combination of inner strength and commitment. It’s what keeps the last-place marathon runner going until she crosses the finish line, long after the crowds have gone home. Indomitable spirit is confidence and a winning attitude. It’s what brought the New England Patriots down the field for the final score in their amazing come-from-behind Super Bowl victory. Indomitable spirit is infinite patience, perhaps best demonstrated by Mother Nature: It’s how the Colorado River carved out the Grand Canyon!

It’s your enthusiasm and dedication that will take you all the way to Black Belt and beyond. If you never quit, you'll never fail! With indomitable sprit, we can press on when things get difficult for us. Keep in mind that our potential is always greater than our performance, and displaying indomitable spirit does not always mean trying harder or pushing yourself past exhaustion. There will be many disappointments on your journey, so relax, humbly trust in the process of your training, and draw on the energy of others whenever you’re tired or frustrated. And, be sure to give your energy and encouragement away when you sense that someone else could use a lift!

The moment that you really want to quit is exactly when you’re about to learn something new about yourself. Endeavor! Persevere! Grow and learn! Rest if you must, and respect your limits, but don’t ever give up on your goals!

We Are a Black Belt School — A Community Striving for Personal Excellence!

What does it mean to be a Black Belt?

Beyond knowledge of the physical requirements listed on the grading sheet, and a few years of dedicated training, a Black Belt should be someone who embodies the Black Belt traits and commits to high personal standards. Black Belt Excellence means consistently demonstrating technical proficiency, superior attitude, and indomitable spirit. An ideal Black Belt is both a leader and a role model — she is someone to emulate. But what about outside the dojo? What does a Black Belt do when he’s stuck in traffic and late for work? How does a Black Belt respond when the kids track mud all over the house?

What do we mean when we say that we are a Black Belt School?

Our dojo is a community that has come together for a common purpose, and the Black Belt is the universal standard of performance which we all strive to achieve. Regardless of our individual belt ranks, we are committed to our Core Values, the ideals of the Black Belt, and each other. The rank of Black Belt is not the end of the martial arts road. In fact, earning a Black Belt is a sign that you are now ready to BEGIN your training. (Note that "Shodan" means "first step" in Japanese.) When we say that we are a Black Belt School, we’re affirming that we’ll always remain humble even as our skills increase.

What would the martial arts be without the Black Belt?

In the dojo, it seems as though we’re always working toward something. Would the dojo be the same without objective standards of excellence, a ranking system, and common goals and values? Of course not! It would simply be a gym! The ranks we earn reward us for all our hard work. They motivate us to improve, help us to track our progress, and let us know where we stand relative to our classmates. But, at some point we must move beyond the trappings of rank and status, and enjoy the art for its own sake. We're all on the same path, but each person's journey is unique.

Although some martial arts schools place gold or red stripes on the Black Belt for each dan rank that is achieved, no additional external recognition is given after Shodan in our school. Thus, there is no immediate difference in appearance between a first degree Black Belt and a fifth degree Black Belt, although there can be more than 20 years of experience and dedication that separate the two.

The clothes you wear, car you drive, and the house you live in can all be viewed as external signs of your status in life. Always remember that a cotton belt around your waist does not define who you are, no matter what color it is. Keep your beginner’s mind, and forget about the belt that’s around your waist — we are a Black Belt School! Ultimately, your Black Belt gets its deeper value and personal meaning from just a few sources: your esteem for the person and the organization awarding your rank, the people with whom you train to earn your Black Belt, the depth to which your training influences your character (martial virtue), and the amount of individual effort, dedication, and sacrifice that you put in.

What color belt do you wear on the inside?

Kaizen!

The Japanese word "kaizen" means constant and continuous improvement. The key aspect of kaizen is that it is an on-going, never-ending, incremental improvement process. It's a soft and gradual method, and to follow it requires commitment and patience. The key elements of kaizen are sincere effort, discipline, enthusiasm, teamwork, honesty, and a willingness to change. Thus, the kaizen philosophy is a perfect approach to martial arts training.

I like to compare the process of karate training to that of gradually turning a cube into a sphere by cutting off the corners. Every time we cut off a corner of the cube, it begins to take on a rounder shape. However, to make each cut, we must create three more corners in the process: They too will need to be cut, sanded, and polished. This is the only example I can think of in which cutting corners is acceptable! But, as Sensei Hidy Ochiai, a genuine karate master who teaches in Binghamton, New York, once said to me, "Life is short; Art is long."
The philosophy of kaizen, like everything else discussed in this essay, extends beyond the walls of the dojo. In our lives, there is always room for improvement and continuously trying to become better. Every aspect of our life — our personal life, home life, social life, and working life — deserves to be constantly improved! This is how we can become an Artist of Life. And so, this essay has come full circle. I'll close with another quote from Sensei Richard Kim. He uttered the following mantra in virtually every lecture of his that I attended:

"Every day in every way, I'm getting better, better, better."