Martial artists have the power to heal themselves. This is not some arcane secret, but this “self-healing power” or shizenchiyuryoku (自然治癒力) is more of a mindset - it is the ability to pivot and create self-change. Our ability to self-heal begins as we try to improve our martial arts techniques. In order to gain mastery, we need to be able to “see” the most subtle incorrect detail in our movement and change it. When I say “see,” what I mean is to become aware of it. Typically, we become aware of how well we are moving by the corrections given to us by our teacher. The teacher gives the student a correction which helps them “see” the areas which need improvement. With time and experience, we should be able to “see” our own shortcomings and improve upon them ourselves. From the mat, we take our ability to see subtleties and apply that self-awareness to our daily lives. Seems easy, right? The biggest problem is not in our ability to see but in our ability to make a change. When we notice something subtle that we know needs to be changed, it takes a lot of courage and humility to change. Human beings are funny. Most need to be hit over the head before they make a change. Author, Stephen Aitchison said, “People change for two main reasons: either their minds have been opened or their hearts have been broken.” Having our hearts broken is much more painful. This is where the true power of martial arts training comes into play. Training gives us not only the humility to see the subtlest detail but also the courage to act upon it. As a martial artist, we know that sooner or later a shortcoming will fester and become an opening ripe for attack. Knowing that not facing it will create a problem in the future, our martial arts training compels us to address it now. William James said, “If you can change your mind, you can change your life.” Being able to see what needs to be changed and then changing it gives us the ability to heal ourselves and that is why a martial artist has the power to heal themselves.

Today’s goal: Don’t wait for it to hit you over the head, change it while it’s still subtle.

Watch this video to better understand how to heal yourself.