Reflection

Last night we welcomed two new black belts into the rank. A lot goes into preparing for such a night and in the quest for perfection one can easily fall out of the moment and lose perspective. Despite being off my game last night, having the SRKF family all together made the evening magical.

Last night also marked the end of my I Ho Chuan Horse team’s tenure. The Horse Team was the best I Ho Chuan team to date. The team supported each other and pulled together to accomplish the extraordinary. Guys, thank you for making the year so much fun.

“What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life — to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.” - George Eliot (1819 - 1880)

Year of the Sheep

Opportunity exists in every moment yet more opportunity gets missed than is taken. Most of us wait for the perfect time to accept the challenge of change. Is there any such thing as the perfect time? That perception is entirely dependent upon motivation, and motivation can be fickle.

Every moment is a new beginning, an opportunity to sculpt a different path from the one you are on. Beginning anew, while not always easy, is not nearly as difficult it is to consistently continue in the new direction you have set for yourself. Paths themselves create inertia. Often our paths are well-trodden by years of habit and familiarity. It is no easy task to leave what we know to initiate a change.

The initial step is the hardest but as Lau Tzu has said: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” We tend to associate significant dates as being an auspicious time to initiate change. No significant date holds more opportunity than Chinese New Year. The lunar new year is so significant that it is not just a matter of rolling over the year, each year has its own name that only comes around once every twelve years. It does not get much more timely than that.

“There are two mistakes one can make on the road to truth …not going all the way, and not starting.” - Buddha (563 - 483 BC)

Humility to Learn

Western culture, on a whole, continues to struggle when it comes to understanding and committing to mastery of an art. Our cultural tendency toward narcissistic excess makes certain knowledge dangerous. It wasn’t that long ago when it was almost impossible for a guy my size of european heritage to find a Chinese master willing to teach him kung fu. I am riding on the coattails of fifty years of diligence and humility demonstrated by the non-Chinese kung fu black belts who opened the doors before me. It is my job to ensure those doors stay open for those who are to come after me.

Our search for instant gratification makes it hard to learn a system. Everyone wants to learn a new technique or test a new skill but it takes a true martial artist to look beyond the surface and seek the essence of the style. Everyone has something to teach but not everyone has the ability to learn. Humility gives us that ability.

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” - Rick Warren (b. 1954)

Compassionate Leadership

As an instructor, it is my experience that the most common antagonist to confront a student is themself. Their insecurity, their ego, and their limiting beliefs - all conspire to take away a student’s control and limit their potential.

Control is essential for success. It is impossible to remain committed to a strategy or to stay the course over the long term if outside influences have too much control over the outcome. Accepting complete responsibility for the influences that affect you is the only way to retain control of your situation. You may not have control of what others say or do but you have absolute control over how you choose to react to what they say or do. The best way to get a student out of the way of themself is to empower them by helping them adjust their perspective.

The easiest attitudinal adjustment a person can make is through changing their perspective from that of an impotent bystander to one of a compassionate leader. There are problems and stressors in this world that can overwhelm one’s resolve. It is not difficult to let your mind slip into a negative cycle and apply blame and fail to take proper initiative to change a situation for the better. It is a lot more empowering to go beyond just recognizing another’s shortcomings and compassionately inspire them to amend their ways.

It may be far simpler to impose will through threats and consequential punishment but we will only reap what we sow. Imagine a world run by people who inspire kindness and tolerance through their compassionate leadership. That vision can only be realized through the efforts of each of us.

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” - Lau Tzu