盤根錯節に遇いて利器を知る
Bankon sakusetsu ni aite riki wo shiru
A hero is revealed by hardship
Every martial artist has and will struggle. Hardship or struggle is what reveals our true selves. Each of us will have some, if not many, kusen (苦戦) or “hard fought battles” on and off the mat. These struggles, albeit uncomfortable, will be where we will grow the most. It is said that martial arts training is a shito (死闘) or “A struggle between life and death.” Obviously, at its most superficial level that struggle is physical as we fight with our opponents. However, at its utmost level, the life and death struggle we are speaking of is between the death of one’s old self and the birth or life of our new selves. That change begins when we run out of saino (才能) or “talent.” We all have talent, but no matter who we are, at some point, it will run out and we will struggle and have to put in the work. Where we struggle is typically where we need to put the work in. I have seen new students reach their struggling point right away, but I’ve also seen seasoned blackbelts reach their struggling point only after years of training. Regardless, of one’s level or experience, every person will struggle sooner or later. If something is easy for us then we are still functioning within our talent range and haven’t reached the end point where our talent has run out and the true growth begins. Motivational speaker, Eric Thomas said, “Where there is no struggle, there is absolutely no progress.” The other day, I was talking with one of my students and he said, “Wow, you are so disciplined to wake up every day at 5:00 AM.” I replied, “Not really, waking up at 4:30 would be real discipline.” What I meant is that I wake up at 5:00 Am without an alarm clock so it is easy and within my natural ability but to wake up at 4:30 would be more of a struggle and require me to be more disciplined. It is said that the normal person is a wakoudoujin (和光同塵) or “A person who is blissfully unaware of their innate power or talent.” A martial artist is not normal because they want to improve and so they continually seek out opportunities to push themselves out of their comfort zone. To train in a martial art is to struggle and that struggle is the sign that we are undergoing the process of unleashing our true inner power. Every martial artist has to struggle so that they can grow and unleash their true inner power.
Today’s goal: Seek out opportunities to struggle and unleash your true inner power.
Watch the Rock talk about how his struggles have made him who is today.