Happy 11-11
A good martial artist faces their fears. Given a choice between the easy Way or the hard Way, a martial artist always chooses that which scares them or makes them uncomfortable. The reason why is because each of us has a kitai (鬼胎) or “secret fear.” This secret fear is the underlying barrier which keeps us from growing or reaching our highest level. Typically, it is the thing which keeps coming up over and over again and it keeps reoccurring because we haven’t yet dealt with it. Martial artists understand this cycle and that is why they actively choose to osore ni tachimukau (恐れに立ち向かう) or “face their fears.” Martial artists know that facing their fears is the only way to break the cycle and create true and lasting change. Each person’s uncomfortableness or fears might be relative, but the feelings of fear are the same. Our apprehensions range from mere uncomfortableness to full blown fear with the desire to run away. Regardless, fear is “an emotional response in reaction to something that may be dangerous or threatening.” Martial artists know that despite feeling real, the feelings of fear are not tangible and thus like President Franklin Roosevelt once said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Understanding that the feelings of fear are the same from fear to fear, a martial artist trains to deal with managing the response to the feeling. Everyone experiences some level of apprehension or fear and only a liar or a fool says otherwise. Thus, a dojo is a safe place to confront the feelings of fear and the fear of failure. Every day in training, we are confronted by something that is uncomfortable or causes us fear. These things run the gamut between something as benign as not wanting to go to class because we are tired to being scared because someone bigger than us is trying to hit us on the head. By facing the fear, we become desensitized to its paralyzing nature and by overcoming the fear, we learn to be calm and act appropriately to the situation. This is how the martial arts build self-confidence. It is not that martial artists don’t feel uncomfortable or feel afraid, they just don’t get overly emotional and paralyzed by it. Whether we are facing a difficult technique, working with a difficult partner, working on a difficult work project, or being confronted by a bully at school, the feelings of fear are the same. In the dojo and in life, don’t let uncomfortableness or fear keep you from trying something new or doing something that you want to do. It is like what William Hewlett, one of the founders of Hewlett-Packard once said, “If you don’t fail on a regular basis, you are not trying hard enough.” Whatever it is that makes you feel uncomfortable or afraid is the route you must take - the struggle is the Way. True change lies at the center of struggle and that is why a good martial artist faces their fears.
Today’s goal: “If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.” – Seth Godin, The Practice
Watch this video to better understand facing our fears