The best martial artists patiently toil towards the tipping point. The tipping point is defined as “the critical point in a situation, process, or system beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place.” In Japanese, one way to say, “tipping point” is ichidaitenki (一大転機) which literally translates as “one big turning point.” The tipping point is this seemingly magical place where all our efforts pay off and we bakeru (化ける) or “dramatically and unexpectedly improve.” The main problem is that none of us knows exactly when or where the tipping point will take place. Another notable and irritating problem with tipping points are that they are preceded by odoriba (踊場) or “plateaus.” Plateaus are these annoying flatlands where we don’t necessarily get any worse but nothing seems to be getting any better either. Interestingly, odoriba also means “dance hall” which implies that a plateau is just a place where we feel like we are just aimlessly dancing around while we wait for our efforts to pay off. In the martial arts, when we throw someone, we are looking for the tenshin (転身) or “pivot point” in the technique. The martial arts pivot point is this optimal body position which creates the most mechanical advantage to throw or unbalance an opponent. In class, the teacher shows us physically where the pivot point is which will generate the most leverage to create a clean and smooth throw and efficiently use our opponent's energy or momentum against them. Later on, as the attacks become faster and the throws become quicker, we have to know where the pivot point is by “feel.” To be able to feel the pivot point requires patience and experience. Furuya Sensei would often quote his Zen master Bishop Kenko Yamashita as saying, “Nandemo omoidori ni ikanai” which means “Nothing goes the way you want it to.” Because nothing goes the way we think or want it to, we must have patience. Seneca said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Therefore, to have luck or reach the tipping point, we must prepare ourselves by putting in the work. John Ruskin said, “The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.” The Japanese version to Ruskin’s assertion could be Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru (塵も積もれば山となる) or “Even specks of dust if piled up can become mountains.” Martial arts training is about incremental improvement and frustratingly some of those changes aren’t necessarily visible to the naked eye. Understanding this, the only thing we can do is be patient and toil on. In the martial arts and in life, when things aren’t going your way, don’t lose hope or give up. I can’t tell you when your tipping point will happen but all I can promise you is that if you patiently toil, it will happen sooner or later - I promise. The best martial artists know that nothing happens overnight and that’s why they patiently toil towards the tipping point.
Today’s goal: Don’t lose hope. Be patient and toil towards your tipping point.
Watch this video to better understand the tipping point