Kind-Act-A-Thon

My school launched it’s annual Kind-Act-A-Thon fundraiser this week. Acts of kindness are not the first thing the general public typically associates with kung fu, but I can’t think of anything more important when it comes to developing a complete martial artist. With that I must stress that there is a difference between being a martial artist and just being someone who practices the martial arts.

Over the past ten or fifteen years I have witnessed a shift in why people are looking to get themselves or their children in the martial arts. It seems people are more focused on weaponizing themselves and their family than they are on building character, compassion, and confidence. I remember a time when every martial arts instructor believed that if everyone studied the martial arts, we would have no crime or wars. Today’s more popular claim is: “If you don’t have a good ground game, your martial art is a joke.”

Let’s reclaim what it means to be a martial artist. Lead by example, reflect before reacting, help others, and stay humble.

“When people ask me about what I learned from martial arts, I don't talk about favorite punches or kicks, or about fights won or lost. I talk about learning self-discipline, about ethics and manners and benevolence and fairness.”- Jonathan Maberry (b. 1958)