失敗は成功の元
Shippai wa seiko no moto
Failures teach success
Warriors are solution-based people. When we have a problem, we focus on finding a solution rather than wasting time dwelling on the problem. While in college, Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, studied under Jujutsu teacher, Fukuda Hachinosuke. Kano had already been studying Jujutsu for four years and was quite adept and usually had no problem defeating most of the students. However, there was one senior student that he could never defeat named Kanekichi Fukushima who was taller and outweighed Kano by 100 pounds. Kano became obsessed and he trained and searched day and night for a way to beat Fukushima. No matter what, he always came up short using traditional Jujutsu techniques. Searching for a solution, Kano trained with a former Sumo wrestler named Kisoemon Uchiyama hoping to find a technique that could fell Fukushima, but still he came up short. Doing research, Kano came across a western wrestling book and saw a technique that was called a “fireman’s carry” which he thought might work against a taller opponent. The next day, Kano started to experiment with it and to his surprise it worked on many of the other taller students. Once Kano felt he had mastered it, he challenged Fukushima to a match. To his surprise, he finally succeeded in throwing him. That “fireman’s carry” technique became kata-guruma or “shoulder wheel throw” in Judo. When we have a problem, it is easy to sit back and wallow in our own misery. Martial artists are proactive and don’t wait for other people to solve their problems or hope they will just go away. It is said, “A warrior creates their own destiny.” Zig Ziglar said, “When you focus on problems, you get more problems. When you focus on possibilities, you have more opportunities.” We can see that with Kano Sensei’s story and Ziglar’s assertion that in order to have a hand in controlling our destiny, we must focus on finding solutions to our problems. Those that can will; those that won’t don’t usually succeed. Warriors find their own solutions.
Today’s goal: Check in, are you focusing on being part of your solution?
Photo/Video credit: Hiroshi Isoyama Shihan throwing kataguruma at the 57th All Japan Aikido Demonstration taken by Guillaume Erard Sensei
Watch the first video of Brian Tracy talking about solutions and Hiroshi Isoyama Sensei doing kataguruma.