“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination.” Tommy Lasorda
The best martial artists are determined. It is easy to think that the best martial artists are the ones with the greatest ability or talent. However, to the Japanese, a person with determination is admired more than a person with talent. The reason why is because talent is thought to be a “gift” which not every person has, but determination is something that any normal person can develop. The Japanese love stories about the little guy, the underdog or the person fighting against the odds. These stories are relatable because they are about the normal person who perseveres or wins not because they have talent but because they have ishikengo (意志堅固) or “strong determination.” We can see this most notably in Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai as seven normal samurai defend a village from a large group of bandits. These seven samurai are ronin (浪士) or “masterless samurai” and are masterless because they are either unemployable or thought to be talentless. Despite this, these seven “normal” samurai successfully defend the village and defeat the bandits. Understanding this affinity for determination, perhaps this is why all Japanese traditional martial arts are based upon kata (型) or “repetitionized movement.” The act of doing something over and over again like a kata indirectly teaches us how to be determined. Talent won’t make the repetitions go any faster nor will passion. No matter how difficult, strenuous, or boring the training, the only way to get through it is to have determination. Having determination is what gives us the basis for konjou (根性) or “fighing spirit.” Konjou means “fighting spirit,” but it is defined as “having willpower, grit, or determination.” When we are up against the odds or a seemingly larger than life foe, we will need something more than talent or ability - we will need strength of character. Yamamoto Tsunetomo in his book Hagakure wrote, “A warrior is worthless unless he rises above others and stands strong in the midst of a storm.” The world can be a cruel and unfair place and thus the only way we rise above and stand strong is by having the strength of determination. That is why in the martial arts and in life, the best are determined.
Today’s goal: No matter what happens, lean in and be determined.
Watch this video to better understand determination.