“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.” - Carlos Castaneda
The mind of a martial artist sees everything as an idomu (挑む) or “challenge.” The martial arts culture is one of thresholds where each individual person is looking for and is trying to challenge their genkaiten( 限界点) or “breaking point.” Every person has a genkaiten but the ordinary person doesn’t typically care where their threshold is and thus isn’t interested in challenging it or changing it. Martial arts training is simply nothing more than figuring where one’s breaking point is and learning how to manage that point. Thus, the warrior’s mindset is to see everything as challenge and then ousen (応戦) or “accept that challenge.” Martial artists believe what Greek poet Archilochus was advocating when he said, "We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.” Years ago, a student named Steve thought that he was qualified to take the first degree black belt test. After all, Steve regularly came to class and thought that he was on pace to take his exam in the next testing class. One day, Furuya Sensei put up the list of names for everyone who was a candidate for testing and Steve’s name wasn’t on the list. Despondent, Steve went home and thought about quitting. He sulked and took a few days off. When he came back to class, all of his friends had started training to take the test and he felt left out. In that moment, Steve began to feel sorry for himself but one of his friends came over and asked if he’d be his uke or “partner” for the test. That would mean he’d have to do all the things that all the candidates would have to do to prepare for the test. In that moment, Steve realized that he could use this time to train for the test even if he wasn’t going to be taking the test. That way in two years when it was his turn, he would be more than ready to take the test. For the entire year, he worked hard to help his friends take the test while secretly training himself. Two years later, after Steve had taken his test, Sensei said, “That was the best test he had ever seen.” Shakespeare once wrote, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” Feeling sorry for himself, Steve reached his breaking point but instead of giving up, he chose to accept the challenge and make himself better. The martial artist’s mindset is to see everything and everyone as a challenge. To see things as a challenge enables the martial artist to use it to their advantage so that they can reach their highest level.
Today’s goal: Where is your breaking point? Realize it and push it back.