Martial arts training is really just a series of courageous acts.
We all get into a rut and this causes us to feel like instead of being in control that we are being controlled. When this happens, we need to break free. But, breaking free can be very difficult not to mention scary. In order to create change, one needs to have the courage to do something that is out of the ordinary.
It takes courage to start. When we want change then we need to be brave and have the courage to perhaps start something that will force us to change. This is where one can see how much courage a person has to have to start martial arts training. Lao Tzu said, "The journey of 1000 miles begins with one step." Be brave and do something different.
Sometimes after we start something, we realize that it is not what we thought it was and we feel like we are in over our heads. It takes a certain amount of time for one to acclimate to martial arts training. This can be a time of immense difficulty. This leads to feelings of fear or confusion. However, if one likes what they are doing then they must have the courage to carry on. One must be brave and keep going when it seems that all hope is apparently lost. It takes courage to keep going and not to quit.
It takes courage during training to venture out and try something new. If one experiences boredom or fear in training, it just means that a path has opened up for them to investigate and grow. There is a saying in the martial arts, "There is always something more to learn." One must have the courage to try.
After one has been training for a while, complacency sometimes kicks in. This complacency causes us to become bored or frustrated with what we are doing. I often see students become frustrated only which leads them to quit. For me, they were just a so called "tipping point" in their training but they quit because they can't see it. At this point, it takes courage to stay the course.
One can see from these examples of how training in the martial arts is really a series of courageous acts.
Regardless where one finds themselves, courage is the currency of change.
Remember the last scroll that Furuya Sensei put up before he passed away, "Be humble, be strong and always keep going." Have courage and train hard.
