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Failure is Not an Option…It is a Choice By Jeremy M. Talbott
In the summer of 1982, I experienced one of the worst things that could ever happen to me in the martial arts; I failed my blue belt test. I still remember the feeling of being disheartened. At age 11, this was the first time I actually felt like I failed. I left the school wanting to cry. As I got into the car, my mom told me what a great job I did and that I will just have to try harder the next time. Hmph! The next time? Forget it! I was never going to go back to Karate again. I just proved that I was not cut out to do Karate because I could not do it right the first time.
I went into the school the following week and Master Rollands asked me to step into his office. He knew that I was discouraged because of the test. He simply asked me one thing, “How did you learn to walk?” I was very confused by the question. He followed up by asking me, “Did you walk the first time you stood up and took a step?” I answered no. “So you fell a couple of times before you were able to do it correctly, right?”
“Yes sir,” I answered.
“What if you just gave up the first time you failed?”
“I wouldn’t be able to walk, Sir,” I replied.
“So why do you feel you can no longer do Karate just because you didn’t pass one test?” He did not say another word and dismissed me from the office. I went back to class with a different outlook. The next testing session came and went. I am happy to say I passed.
We are all ready to accept victory in all that we do, but can we truly accept defeat? When failure arises in our lives we are forced to figure out what type of person we truly are. From that we set the path to our future. The incident of my failing the belt test came and passed 28 years ago, but the lesson of indomitable spirit that I learned has always stayed with me. Failure is not an option, it is a choice and when you choose to stop trying you choose to fail.
If there was ever one universal question that was asked of every instructor in the world I would bet that question would be “How long does it take to get a black belt?” It seems that when friends, family, or people in general have never had any exposure to the martial arts, except of course though Jean Claude Van Damme, Steven Segal, and Chuck Norris, and we all know how realistic that is, they feel that a black belt is the number one goal for all martial artists. Now for some that may be their goal, but for a vast majority there are multiple reasons for joining a school.
One major rule to keep in mind is that when you focus on only one aspect of the martial arts, you lose so much more. A martial artist must be well balanced in all areas to achieve any goal that he or she may be seeking. While there is nothing wrong with specializing in on area or another, you should always try to keep the other areas up to part for your own knowledge as well ranking. For example, my areas of interest tend to lie in the forms and self defense part of my training. However I do spar once in a while to keep my fighting techniques in shape. If I were to let sparring slip, I would lose actual application of techniques. This is just one consequence of narrow focus on training.
Have you ever applied for a job and then asked the potential employer, how long before I can be a CEO of the company? I would hope not. That would be one of the quickest ways to hear them yell “NEXT!” I had an incident once when I worked at a dojang and a potential student came in and asked “how long until I get a black belt?” I simply told him that it could take him a life time to achieve a black belt. After a couple of seconds of looking at me as though I should be locked up, he stated that another school said he would a black belt in two years. I told him that if that is his main goal, then that school is probably the best choice. Sensei John Sharkey once told me he wish he could just hand out a black belt to everyone who signed up that way they would just focus on the training and the color of the belt would be moot.
We all know that in order to achieve a high position in martial arts as well as in school or work, you have to be diligent in your duties. You have to focus on the take at hand and master that task and then move on to the next one. Not only that, but you need to also be aware of other tasks that are relevant to your position and not neglect them because “that’s not my job”. Martial arts teach these traits in our everyday training. As a martial artist we must keep up with all aspects of our training even though we may not like all aspects. In the end we must never look at the black belt as the meaning of martial arts but as a symbol of achievement.
I want to start this month’s issue with a famous Zen story. This particular story has been told many different ways. This particular version was taken from “Zen in the Martial Arts” by Joe Hyam, one of my favorite martial art books written. “A young boy traveled across Japan to the school of a famous martial artist. When he arrived at the dojo he was given an audience by the sensei. “What do you wish from me?” the master asked.
“I wish to be your student and become the finest karateka in the land,” the boy replied. “How long must I study?”
“Ten years at least,” the master answered.
“Ten years is a long time,” said the boy. “What if I studied twice as hard as all your other students?”
“Twenty years,” replied the master.
“Twenty years! What if I practice day and night with all my effort?”
“Thirty years,” was the master’s reply.
“How is it that each time I say I will work harder, you tell me that it will take longer?” the boy asked.
“The answer is clear. When one eye is fixed upon your destination, there is only one eye left with which to find the Way.””
I recently chatted with a friend on Facebook about the topic of people who were getting swindled by the “get rich quick” schemes. It seems more and more that our American society is allowing the ‘something for nothing’ and ‘instant gratification’ mentalities to invade our way of life. At the dojang, more times than not, I have had parents wondering how soon it will be to become a black belt or when is the soonest their child and promote to the next level because they are becoming bored at the current level.
I have explained many times that I understand that they may be temporarily bored, but we are laying a strong foundation for their next level of learning. Just as a school teacher would teach you to add and subtract, before you learn to multiply. We all want our students and children to succeed in what they do, but do we sacrifice quality of the lesson in lieu of quantity?
Some of the best Presidents and leaders of companies that I have met knew every minute detail about their business. They learned all the intricacies step by step as they grew in their established role as a leader in their chosen occupation. Not one of them applied for a job and then was just given the position of power. They had to work hard, persevere no matter how bored they may have become at some point. The instant gratification and something for nothing mindset needs to be obliterated. Focus on the task at hand and perfect it. Perseverance is a major key to success not only in martial arts but in our everyday lives. If we were to simply push them to the next level without proper preparation, then they will not only fail at the next level but, when push comes to shove, they may not even be able to defend themselves properly on the street. Work smart and hard and before you know it, success will be yours.
There are going to be those times that you feel the burn out of training. Everyone, even the most dedicated of us go through it. It is that time where you feel that you are doing the same thing over and over or you feel that you are no longer learning anything new. This will inevitably lead to the question of why are you still practicing martial arts after all this time? What am I really getting out of it? At this point one of two things will happen, you will either quit or you will try to drudge through the feeling in hopes that something will change.
I have hit this wall a couple of times myself. What I have learned is that your instructors are not always going to “hold your hand” or do individual motivational techniques to keep you in the school. There comes a certain time when you have to take responsibility for your own training and make it exciting for yourself.
For example, find a motivation point that will allow you to keep going and set some goals. Ask yourself what is it that you want to get out of martial arts? When I was 9 years old, I wanted to learn to defend myself. As such I constantly practiced my one step sparring, escapes and basic techniques. When I was 14 I wanted to compete in fighting. I would work constantly on my fighting combinations and techniques. Once I was doing well in that I wanted to expand into winning weapons and forms division so I would focus on that aspect of training. These types of goals always tend to keep me interested in my training because even the most basic of technique would somehow help me in my pursuit.
Let’s say there is no competitive goal to reach. You could play a game of how many kicks could you can throw out in a minute. Regardless, there are many ways to make time in class exciting and challenging for yourself if you feel is becoming a bit monotonous.
This type of mindset will help you in those times when school or work start to weigh in on you. At work start setting small goals to help you get through the day. Make some sort of game for yourself, for example, if you are a developer, challenge yourself to write so many lines of code in a day. See if you can meet the goal and if you can beat your score the next day. If you are a student, try to see how many math problems you can get done within a ten minute time frame. These little goals, or games, can take a somewhat boring situation and make it into a bit more exciting while helping you accomplish what you need to do anyway.
There was a boy that I would teach who, for the longest time, just did not like showing up to class. The parents kept pushing him to show up and I had the pleasure of trying different ways to motivate him to enjoy the class. Now if you ever had any student like this, you know that it can be quite a challenge. I found it frustrating because I could not comprehend that somebody just does not like practicing martial arts. I mean personally, I have always loved practicing martial arts since I first stepped onto a mat…or did I?
To be honest, martial arts was not always my favorite thing. When I first started, I hated going to classes. The teacher was mean, the classes were hard and I always got hurt fighting. I could not wait for our two year contract to be up so I could quit. It was not until my very best friend joined another school that I finally got motivated to practice again. Now I had someone to do Karate with outside of the school. Eventually he quit but by that time I was hooked and there was no turning back.
When I reflected on this it got me wondering about the student that just could not get motivated. I talked to the parents and they could not understand why he was not into it. He loves to play sports so they could not understand why he does not get into doing martial arts. I suggested they sign him up for the next tournament and see if that might help. Sure enough, when he found out he was going to be in a competition, he could not wait to come to class to practice. He even began to stay a bit later in order to practice specifically for the upcoming tournament.
The tournament came and went and he ended up placing 7th place out 10 competitors. When I thought he might get discouraged, he was even more motivated to participate at the next tournament. When he found out we had a competition team, he asked to be on it. Little by little he became what we affectionately call a “dojo rat” (a person who spends all of their free time at the school). Before I knew it, he was well on his way to grabbing his 3rd consecutive national title.
Every person has something that motivates them to succeed. As an instructor it is our job to dig deep to find out what that something is for the student. As a student we need to discover within ourselves what that something is. This also spills over into everyday activities of work and school. Everyone needs to find that little spark to push them through another day. This can be done through goal setting or even a reward program that you set up for yourself. Once you figure which path to choose, you must enforce that little lesson of self-discipline that you learned in your classes to help keep you on the path to success.
When I first began this column nearly two years ago I had but one goal in mind; to show that the most basic of happenings in the dojang can be turned into a lesson in your everyday life. It should go without saying that the physical aspects, when taught properly, can be applied in a real life situation of self defense. I believe that this is the core of martial arts. Unless you live in a high crime area or work in an occupation where physical confrontations are high possibility, the average person will experience very little to no physical confrontations at all. Your martial art training is pretty much like auto insurance, you hope you never have to use, but if needed, it is there for you. When we train our bodies physically we train to perfect the technique so that when we have to use it we do it properly. So at what point does physical training become mental training? To help in this matter there is a three step process to operate in learning something new. First step is when learning a new technique or form you need to simply go through the motions. Mirror what the instructor shows you and eventually you will get the gist of what is going on. The second step is being consistent with its execution so that you can execute it without little or no thought. Once you reach that level you begin the third step to make the technique or form a part of you. You mentally look at ways to change the process so that it fits your specific range of motion or strength or speed. You then make those changes in order to not only perfect the technique or form, but do it in a more efficient way. These steps are not just confined to the dojang. Utilizing this type of patterned learning can help you achieve a higher level of learning in school or even help you find more efficient ways to allow you to do your tasks at work in a more efficient way. Example, if you start a new project or job you go through the first step going through the motions of what the duties will contain. You learn the ropes and eventually get a steady routine on how to execute your responsibilities reaching the second step. It is here that you begin the third step of finding more efficient ways to perform. Hopefully these steps will help lead you to promotions or bonuses or simply a job well done. A martial art at its core is about fighting. We train ourselves to punch, kick, throw, lock and break so if attacked, we can fight and defend ourselves. Any trained monkey can kick and punch, check out YouTube and you will see proof of that. Eventually philosophy has to come into play and with it some deeper lessons that will help us achieve a higher level of learning and execution.
If I Gave You a Hundred Dollar Bill by Jeremy M. Talbott
One of my biggest pet peeves as an instructor is watching kids not working to their full potential. Case in point is this girl, who we will call Jane Doe. Jane Doe is fourteen years old. She is the type of girl who, when she works at it, does a phenomenal job. But alas, she just does not put it in the effort really needed to get to that next level. For the longest time we tried positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement, but nothing seemed to get this girl going. It was not like she was bad at what she was doing; it was the fact that she did just enough to get by.
After watching her in class one day, and grinding my teeth in frustration, I decided to approach her and discuss the matter. I directly told her that I was disappointed in her performance in class and that I knew she could do better. She, of course, gave me the expected answer of “Yes sir”, accompanied by the wounded puppy eyes. When the reply came I told her to wait there. I went into the locker room, grabbed my wallet and took out a hundred dollar bill. A quick side note on this story. I do not usually carry hundred dollar bills. I just happened to get paid for a group of private lessons that day. Now back on with the story.
I went back to where she was and showed her the hundred dollar bill. I asked her if I gave her the hundred dollar bill, what would you do with it? Her eyes lit up and she quickly told me all the different things she could do with it. I then verified with her that if I gave her the money that she would use it. “Yes!” she said. I then asked her “Would you just wad it up and toss it in the trash?” “Of course not!” she responded. “Then why do you that with your talent which is infinitely more valuable than this hundred dollar bill?” She was at a loss of words. I explained that each time she came into class and just did the very minimum it takes to get through class, she was basically taking her natural talent and throwing it away. Soon after that talk I saw a significant change in her attitude and progress during class time. She still has her “get by” days, but they are not as often as they were before.
Every person has the potential of greatness in any avenue of life her or she may choose. While some people are naturally gifted and may find it easy to reach their goals, others may have to work hard for the same achievement. Regardless of which side of the coin you may be residing on, if you do not push yourself to excel and settle only for mediocrity then you are doing nothing more than wadding up that hundred dollar bill and throwing it away.
There have been many times in my martial arts training that I felt out of sorts. No matter what I tried, I just couldn’t get focused and accomplish the form or technique that I was trying to achieve. I ran across this situation a couple of years ago when I was getting ready for a competition. I explained my frustrations to Sensei Sharkey, my instructor, and he told me about a similar situation with another student of his who ran into the same type of wall. This student, who was a top competitor, just didn’t seem to be performing at his best. The result, naturally, was that he ended up losing his divisions. Frustrated, he asked Sensei to meet up with him and look over his form to see if perhaps he had some advice on how to improve.
The student performed a very intricate advanced form and when he was done Sensei nodded that it looked ok. Then Sensei had him run our system’s most basic form: Taikiyoku Ichi. This form is extremely basic in that all you do is an ‘I’ pattern executing only low blocks and low punches. Nothing fancy and no fluff, just a basic form taught to all of our beginning students. He was asked to run it hard with a lot of focus and a lot of power. He did this several times and at the end was exhausted. He was then told to do his competition form again. To the student’s own amazement he found that his form felt more comfortable and he was more focused. Afterwards the student was back on the winning track again. Many of you may know him as, Mike Chat, multi-world champion and developer of one of the most popular martial arts programs, XMA.
There are many times in our personal or business lives that we will run into the same type of scenario. It could be as simple as trying to write a report to something a bit more dramatic such as starting a new business or perhaps something very complicated such feeling unmotivated or unsure as to which direction to take to better yourself. Regardless of the severity of the scenario the solution is still the same, return to basics. When writing a report go back to focusing on the subject itself, and then move on to writing structures that will help convey your idea clearly. When opening up a business, focus on what the product or service is and why you felt a need to offer it in the first place. When trying to refocus your life, go back to what it is that makes you, you. What is it that you truly want and what is it that truly makes you happy. When you go back and redevelop firm basics, the rest will begin to fall in line.
As martial artists we should all know that in order to achieve higher levels you must have a strong foundation in the basics. They are the building blocks of our success. Whenever you can’t seem to reach higher levels you are striving for, it is essential that you get back to the basics and focus on the building blocks once again. You will find that a lot of what may be missing can be found there. It’s like Mr. Miyagi said, “When you feel life out of focus, always return to basic of life...”
It has been five years since I first began learning the Shorei-ryu system of karate under Sensei John Sharkey and there was much excitement and tension when I was finally able to take the black belt test for shodan (1st degree black belt). I knew all the requirements for that was expected of me and was even putting in some extra time just to make sure that I had everything was down. When test day came, I was a nervous wreck and it showed. It seemed like my techniques were not up to par nor did I run my forms well because I kept making mistakes in the simplest of moves. It quickly became disheartening. However, at one point I was asked to demonstrate my highest sword form from my kumdo background. Now with a little over two decades in practicing kumdo and kumsul, I carried out my form like it was second nature to me. I knew that each technique that presented in the form was correct and that my cuts were clean and strong. When it was finished one of the examiners asked why I wasn’t showing the same confidence that I just displayed in the sword form in the rest of what I was doing to earn my belt.
When the examiner made that statement I realized that, unlike my sword demonstration, I was so worried about being right or wrong that I doubted myself and it showed. After my sword demo, there was a feeling of rejuvenation because I came to realize that I did know the material that the test was comprised of. The only thing that truly needed to be done was demonstrate without the fear of right or wrong. Now this does not mean that the rest of the test from that point on was flawless but regardless if what I did was right or wrong I was confident in what I was doing. In the end, I am happy to say, I achieved my goal and earned the rank of a shodan in Shorei-ryu karate. When I reflect on that test I am constantly reminded of the beginning of our Student Creed; “To build true confidence through knowledge in the mind, honesty in the heart and strength in the body.” For over 5 years I have been reciting this during my class time and teaching it to others, but I did not truly appreciate its meaning until that day.
Confidence is a big selling point for many schools that are trying to reach the youth demographics when advertising for students. After all what parent does not want their kid to be confident? Martial arts are a great way to build that confidence but, while many schools advertise that they teach confidence, perhaps what they should advertising is that the student will learn to be confident. Confidence is not something that is taught directly by the teacher, but learned indirectly through trial and error by the student.
Sparring, Life’s Unsung Teacher by Jeremy M. Talbott
It is inevitable that if you participate in martial arts, you will, at least once in your martial art life, do some sparring. Sparring is an interesting “moment of truth.” As you step on to the mat and bow to your opponent you can begin to feel your heart race and your adrenalin pulse throughout your body. All the countless punches, kicks and blocks that you spent hours on doing will now be put into action. You are now set in a situation where you must think and react quickly, and instinctively, and a split second could make the difference between victory and defeat.
Sparring is probably one of the most important training methods in the martial arts and, unbeknownst to some, life itself. Not only does it allow you to utilize your techniques in a live situation, but it teaches you how to think and react in a high stress situation. As your opponent moves in to attack you have to quickly find a way to block or dodge and the parry and then get ready for the consequences of your counter attack. There are many people who face, almost on a daily basis, situations where fast, crucial decisions must be made on projects that may affect deadlines, revenues and sometimes jobs. When utilizing sparring skills in this matter they are able assess the situation in short amount time and decide the best way to proceed as well as figure out the consequences, good or bad, on the decision made. This will help in figuring out a counter strategy if things go awry.
Moreover sparring teaches us how to control emotions in high stress situations. A good fighter never allows himself or herself to become overly emotional if they feel things are not going according to plan. They do their best to keep a clear mind that allows them to think about a better attack or counter plan to achieve victory. Becoming overly emotional will cloud judgment and inevitably lead to an unsuccessful ending. How many times have you argued or debated with a stranger, friend or loved one? How many times have you allowed emotions to take over causing you to either say something you regretted or say something that was, well, just plain stupid. Emotions cause you to read more into something that someone is saying than what it really being said. When that happens, your reaction is skewed because you do not look at the logic behind their words. What proceeds from there is that you choose words that no longer help you in achieving your goal in the discussion, but rather you choose words that seek to hurt or demean the other person.
Finally, sparring is one of the best ways to test our character. What happens when you get hit or when you lose? What happens when you hit someone or when you win? Your reaction to these situations helps form your character. When you get hit do you start to give up? When you lose do you just quit? When you hit someone do you gloat and dwell on the small victory or do you prepare for what happens next? When you win do reflect on just the victory itself or what you could do to be just as successful, if not more successful, the next time? When taught, learned and applied to your life properly, you will find that your sparring knowledge can improve your decision making skills, your emotional well being and your overall character. So the next time you step on the mat and bow to your opponent, just think of the great life lesson you are about to receive.
In martial arts it is a necessity to implement the lessons that we learn in class right away in order to progress in our chosen system. This is not as easy as it may sound, simply because change is something that most of tend to resist. We are, by nature, creatures of habit, yet in class we know we have to change how we perceive things in order to succeed at our goals. Lessons such as proper breathing, foot positioning, eye contact, shifting your body in a certain way to achieve maximum power, have to be learned and implemented or else we will not grow in the martial arts. At first, it is awkward and takes a conscious effort to do correctly, but as time moves on, that conscious effort eventually becomes habit and to do it any other way would seem, well, wrong.
Martial arts teach us that the best way to learn is to do. You don't listen to your instructor on how to do a front kick and then just instantly know it, nor if you see your instructor throw several great front kicks will you instantly have the knowledge to do the same. In order to make that kick work for you, and work well, you have to do the front kick. Only through actual action of the lesson will you understand what it is you need to do. This is no different than initiating lessons on how to be successful. Many people read books or go to seminars and they get very excited, yet they never actually put forth the effort to employ the lessons in their everyday life.
Not too long ago I read the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. This book outlines different ways to handle people positively, to not only help you achieve your goals, but help them achieve their goals as well. I enjoyed the reading mostly due to the usage of anecdotes to describe how the lesson worked in a real life situation. Just as I have done in martial arts, I quickly utilized the lessons from the book into my regular habits. At first, they were awkward because I have grown accustomed to handling certain situations in certain ways, but slowly they became habits. Those habits started to become unconscious efforts, which began to net me the results I desired in everyday transactions in my life.
It is important to remember that inactions speak just as loudly as actions. Reading books and watching other successful people may put you in the right mindset of success, but it is the consumption of those words you read and those actions you see, and changing your ways to include these lessons, which will help you be successful.
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
-(Confucius)
I have had the honor of being the “fly on the wall” in several important meetings where the organizations or individuals conducting the meetings felt they were going to impact the martial arts world on either a local level or a national level. Now, needless to say, not all of these meetings were fruitful. In fact, I’d say maybe two ever amounted to anything of any worth. What I did notice, however, was that the leaders in both of those successful meetings, one being Sensei John Sharkey of the American Karate Association, and the other being President Sang Lee of the United States Taekwondo Committee, had a common trait. Both of them sat and listened 90 percent of the time and advised only 10 percent of the time.
Let us take President Lee for example. When I first met him, it was during a dinner meeting concerning the first U.S. Hanmadang. He was very courteous and made me feel as if he and I had known each other for a long time. In short, he is just a very approachable person. During the dinner, I noted four different conversations taking place, including mine. Two were about the upcoming Hanmadang, one was about the upcoming Korean trip and the other was about the importance of rank. I noticed President Lee would sit back and stare. At first I thought either he was tired or just not interested in what they were saying. Then, after awhile, he began to address everyone within their own conversations. With each conversation he knew what was happening and had the exact advice needed to help.
When I was with Sensei Sharkey, the same thing happened at his meeting. He sat and listened and then when people needed the answers or guidance, he was right there in each individual conversation advising them on the different avenues they could take, as well as the consequences, good or bad, for taking them.
The big difference between their leadership styles and the style of those whose meetings went nowhere, was that those two listened and then spoke and when they spoke it was advice based on their experience, not demands based solely on what they wanted from others. The other leaders seem to just demand what they wanted from the others and barely listened. The result? Their ideas never came to fruition because they never understood the needs of the individual, whereas President Lee is about to embark on an historical undertaking of having a U.S. Hanmadang in Chicago, Illinois, in June of this year and Sensei Sharkey continues to run a successful organization which holds one of the longest running tournaments, the AKA Grand Nationals in the United States, which will also be held June of this year in Louisville, Kentucky.
After having these experiences with both of these leaders, I tried my best to listen more and speak less. Yes, simple in concept, difficult in execution. The martial arts do not teach us to run our mouths and just predict what will happen. We are taught to listen carefully and be mindful of the situation we are in and react accordingly. This should be applied in all aspects of our lives, from attending a business meeting to something as simple as listening to what type a day your kids had at school. We were given two ears and one mouth; it is our duty to use them in the right ratio.
When I was around ten years old, I remember getting ready to go over to my friend’s house for a sleepover. I quickly grabbed a shirt off my floor, which looked to be the site of a tornado gone wild, some muddy jeans and pretty much did not even brush my hair that day. Your typical ten-year-old boy stuff. As I was running out the door, I felt the cold hand of reason grabbing me from behind; my mom. She quickly turned me around and told me that before I was going anywhere, my room had to be clean and I needed to change my clothes and brush my hair. With a heavy sigh, and an attitude of “What’s the big deal?,” I reluctantly did so.
As I began my march back to the bedroom, I heard some words that, at the time, did not really mean much to me, but now I stress in my everyday life: “Have some pride in your appearance and surroundings. They tell more about you than you think.”
Now usually when I write this column, I do my best to take lessons that I have learned in the school and apply them to everyday life situations. However, this month I wanted to change things up a bit and apply an everyday life situation to school. I briefly address school owners here because for the most part they do have pride in the school and its appearance. So let us just briefly touch up on the main question; when you look around your school at the beginning of the day, can you honestly say, this school screams professionalism? Does the place look, feel and smell clean or does it have the look of a ten-year-old boy’s room as mentioned earlier? If professional is not the adjective you can use, then you need to change some habits. Make a chore list that you have to check off each day so you know things are getting done. Perhaps once every three months, have a G.I. Party. This is where you get all the students together and just clean the heck out of the school from top to bottom. Remember, the first impression a prospective student has is when they first step into the school.
As for the students, I would bet that not many of them will take the same pride as the owner. This is not to say that they do not like their school, but when it comes down to it, you will not find many of them volunteering to take out the trash or clean the bathrooms. But there are other ways that they can show some pride. Simple things like picking up trash that they see on the floor, or making sure they are well-groomed when they come into the class. Even if they are on the floor training, but not in full uniform, are they wearing some sort of school t-shirt? What are their attitudes on the mat while no class is going on? Do they train or do they goof around. Again, when a prospective student walks through the door, what does your students’ behavior say?
I know all of this is just common sense and probably sounds nit picky, but sometimes the most basic rules of success get overlooked. If you have guests come to your home, do you want them to see dirty dishes or laundry out everywhere? Of course not, so why would you not hold that same pride towards your school?
After a class is finished, it is not unusual for a student to come talk to me about how things are progressing. I enjoy these talks because it gives me time to provide positive feedback, as well as give my views on what they need to work on in terms of physical and mental applications. I give them tips on what they can work on at home to improve, and more times than not, they go home and practice. For every student I have like that, I also have at least two that the only time I see them after class is when they come up and wonder why they have not been promoted yet. My first, and sometimes only answer to this is, “What have you contributed to your studies outside of class?”
I also enjoy this time because often they will start making up excuses to why they cannot practice outside the school. I just had an example of this happen. We had a promotion test where one student was promoted to his next rank. When he received his belt, I had a mother of another student, who started the exact day as the promoted student, come up to me complaining as to why her child did not get to promote. I told her that the child had not been to any of the review testing and that I had not seen him at class at least a week prior to the testing. I then, of course, asked my favorite question, “What has he contributed to his studies outside of class? She explained the reason for the absences, but as expected, she really did not have any reason for him not to practice at home. I could see she was upset, so I asked her if she would be upset with his math teacher if he was not progressing because he did not do his homework which resulted in bad test scores. She naturally said no. So I asked her how she can be upset with me for the same reason.
Effort in class is important, but it is the effort that you place outside of class which will be the key factor in progressing. If you go to your job and just do the required work, you will get by and occasionally you may get a promotion or raise. However, if you make an extra effort to do more than the requirement, you will find that you are promoted a bit more often along with other praises and raises. School is the same. You can learn your assignment in class and do the basic homework and you will be okay. It is when you do extra problems or study ten more minutes, that you will find a better progression in your learning. Martial arts are no different. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. No one is asking you to be a workaholic or have your life revolve around school, nor are you being asked to dedicate every waking moment of free time to your martial arts. It just takes a small amount of extra effort to go a long way. Your teachers, bosses, coworkers and instructors can only contribute so much to your growth. For you to reach that next level, you must be the one to make the extra contributions. So, the next time you are not progressing, just ask yourself, what have you contributed?
If You Think You Can’t, Then You are Right By Jeremy M. Talbott
During my younger years in training, I was instructed to perform a specific jump spinning technique that, at the time, was a bit difficult for me to perform. I told my instructor “I can’t do it.”
My instructor did two things upon hearing those words come from my mouth. First, he asked me how many letters are in the sentence “I can’t do it.” When I told him, he asked me to do ten pushups for every letter in that phrase, including the apostrophe. After that, he told me with no uncertainty: “If you think you can’t, then you are right,” and walked away.
I finished with my pushups and got up. I stood there bewildered and started wondering why, instead of encouraging me to push harder, he just more or less encouraged my affirmation of not being able to do it. Not only did he do that, but after that moment, he did not ask me to try the technique again. Frustrated, I began practicing the technique over and over, falling on my butt more times than not. I would then get up and try again. That technique became my obsession for the next week, whenever I had free time, I would practice. Finally, I got it down and was quite excited to impress him with it. I remember demonstrating the technique with a very proud look on my face. Instead of jumping up and down with excitement of my accomplishment, he simply replied, “I already knew you could do it. You just had to figure it out for yourself that you could.”
UGH! How frustrating. Where was my pat on the back? Where was my “atta boy” speech? Nope, all I got was an “about time” look. However, that look and those words turned on a light bulb in my head. I figured out what he meant by “If you think you can’t, then you are right.”
The mind is a very powerful tool. It can propel you to new heights or simply destroy you at your core by choosing one of two answers, “I can” or “I can’t.” He already knew in his mind that, with enough practice, I could accomplish the technique if I tried, but I felt it was an impossible feat. As much as he wanted to encourage me, he also knew that there are some lessons a student has to learn on his/her own.
In any type of battle, be it combat, schoolwork or day-to-day business, we pit ourselves against our worst adversary, ourselves. We can make or break our accomplishments simply by the mindset we put ourselves in. Saying “I can’t” is a self-fulfilled prophecy of certain failure. For those who have read this column from the beginning, they will remember my view on failure; you only fail when you stop trying. It is natural to feel self-doubt, but the difference between those who succeed and those who fail is the determination of pushing past the self-doubt.
The world is your oyster, which makes any goal you set, your pearl. In order for you to get that pearl, you will be met with challenges. Success in meeting and beating those challenges relies simply on remembering this: “If you think you can’t, then you are right.”
It seems nowadays that you can’t help opening a martial art magazine or looking on a martial art Web site to see somebody new getting promoted to ninth-dan, tenth-dan or grandmaster status. It’s as if masters and grandmasters are a dime a dozen. This says to me that when everybody is important, no one is important.
Let’s look at a guy who claims to be a tenth-dan in Shuri-Ryu Karate and Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do. He enjoys talking about how the traditional Japanese and Koreans masters would do things, as well as preach the testament of honesty and integrity. Now let’s take it further and say that he insists that he be addressed as Hanshi. After a while you start to determine that his knowledge of Asian traditions must stem from watching one too many Samurai Sunday Kung Fu movies. You check his background for credentials to support his rankings, but you simply cannot find a legitimate Shuri-Ryu or Tae Kwon Do organization that will substantiate his claims. Now this person may be a great martial artist and perhaps a great teacher, but why must he swipe a title that is either undeserved or unaccredited? How does saying you’re a tenth-dan make you a better teacher?
Titles and rank play a huge role in the martial arts. When properly used, they represent time in training, knowledge of your art and achievement amongst your peers. They symbolize dedication and sacrifice. When growing up in the early 80s, it was a treat to meet someone who was a sixth-dan or higher because there weren’t that many around. To see their skill and knowledge would awe you. To actually work on the mat with an eighth or ninth-dan was an honor because it was so rare. Those people distinguished themselves on and off the mats. They were humble in their achievement. One example is when I had the chance to train at a seminar under Master Fumio Demura. When asked how he would like to be addressed, thinking he would say Master or Grandmaster, he simply responded that Sensei Demura was fine. Only his parents and older brother called him Fumio and once he felt he had mastered something, then he would ask to be called Master Demura.
All of this title and rank chaos reminds me of my time working for a bank. Never in my life have I met so many vice presidents in one company. At first I was awestruck that I would be working directly under the Vice President of IT Web Based Products. He was also very adamant about the use of that title. Then after a week, I figured out that this guy had less knowledge of what was supposed to be done than I did. When push came to shove, he was a project manager in charge of making sure things got published on the Web site. He really had no "real" knowledge in the title that he held. Another example was when I was once given the title of Quality Assurance Engineer. I still laugh at that title. I never completed any type of college course on quality assurance, nor have I ever taken any type of computer engineering classes. But the company gave me that title because I guess it was more impressive to clients than: “The Guy Who Sits on His Butt and Tests Software All Day.” For the vast majority of people out there, that is what all of this title junk is about—sounding impressive.
Now, I am not saying that everyone who is claiming fancy titles and high ranks do not deserve them or your respect. Everyone deserves respect, until they have given you a reason not to. Just remember that even though titles are impressive and ranks are important, it is the actions of the person holding the title or rank which should determine their worthiness of the title and rank.
God Bless, Farewell, But Most of All Thank You By Jeremy M. Talbott
I was nine years old when my mom first asked me if I would like to try Karate. You couldn’t imagine how excited I was at the prospect of doing this. Growing up, I always “played” Karate with my friends and, being tall for my age, I had very little coordination, which made me an easy target for the schoolyard bullies.
Being from Springfield, Illinois back in 1980, there were very little schools to choose from so we went to the closest. I can still remember the somewhat dank smell of the place as we entered for the first time. I watched from the side as the adults kicked and punched, listening to each technique cutting through the air. Then I was approached by a tall black gentleman dressed in a traditional white uniform with a black belt tied around his waist; Sensei Ron Rollins.
Before I knew it, I was being escorted to the main floor for my first lesson. Before stepping onto the mat, I remember a sign that hung above the entrance; “There is only one kind of student here, the best! The rest quit.” Once I stepped on the mat, I noticed another sign, “Nothing is free. Everybody works and everybody starts at the bottom.” Sensei Rollins was definitely the epitome of “old school” martial arts. He was former military who served in Korea, Vietnam and in Europe. He ran his school like a military boot camp and since kids’ classes were virtually unheard of back then, I, with a few other kids, had to train with the adults and we were treated like the adults. Sensei Rollins never gave an inch in his training regardless if you were nine or 90.
After almost three years with Sensei Rollins, I had to leave due to my family moving up north by Chicago. Once I arrived in my new surroundings, I tried to get acclimated by joining the school soccer team and swim team, but nothing could really replace my martial arts training. I eventually found a small school and continued my training and have not stopped since then. Whenever the urge of quitting came over me, Sensei Rollins’s signs would always pop up in my head. I never heard from Sensei Rollins after leaving Springfield until just a couple of years ago when, through the power of the Internet, I was able to find his email address and send him an email. An email which started off, “You may not remember me but…” To my surprise he did. Not only that, he also knew my current instructor, Sensei Sharkey. He was happy to know I was continuing my training. I was happy because I could finally give him the “thank you” that I never had a chance to all those years ago.
The week of November 17, I received an email which announced Sensei Rollins’s passing. As I read the email, I realized how much of an impact he really had on my training and I will miss him. It’s funny but you never know how much time you will have with people in your life. It may be a month, a year or ten years, but the amount of time doesn’t matter. What matters most is the quality of the time spent. Everything you do can impact the direction of someone else’s life. Even the smallest little thing, like a sign hanging above a door which tells you, “There is only one kind of student here, the best! The rest quit,” can have the biggest impact on a student’s life.
So to Sensei Rollins, God bless, farewell, but most of all thank you.
Teaching the Pillars of Martial Arts by Jeremy M. Talbott
Honor (on-er) n. Honesty, fairness, or integrity in one’s beliefs and actions
Integrity (in-teg-ri-tee) n. Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty
These two words are the major pillars of martial arts. Without them we are nothing more than a bunch of thugs with fighting skills. However it is ironic that even though these two items are so important in the martial arts, we rarely see a class about them. Sure they are talked about or mentioned in passing, but they are seldom taught as a specific lesson. So after pondering this for a bit, I would like to try and communicate possible ways of teaching these two items.
Let’s start with honor, and when we go through this exercise use the definition above in order to shape your answers and opinions. Would you say an instructor—who has practiced martial arts for a long time and now claims to be a tenth-dan in a style that he or she does not teach or have any real affiliation with and now flaunts the title Hanshi or Grandmaster—is honorable? What if an organization comes around and promotes an individual to a high rank in an art that they are not affiliated with, doing the promotion strictly for political reasons, is that an honorable organization?
Now take the exact opposite of that. What do you think of an instructor, who was legitimately promoted to a master position within an art he was associated with, and only allows himself or herself to be referred to as Sensei or Sabumnim and refuses to be called Master, Shihan or Grandmaster? Is that person reflecting honor? What if an organization promotes someone to a high rank based on a board of review from someone’s peers or an outside examination board, is that organization honorable?
There really isn’t any right or wrong answer because we have to look at the last part of the definition: “one’s beliefs and actions.” You see there are plenty of people who would think the first example is fine while others may not. It is strictly based on your own moral system. When teaching this lesson you must make sure that you leave it open ended so that the student can discover on their own—sometimes that is the best lesson of all. As Forest Gump might say, honor is as honor does.
So let’s move on to integrity. Integrity is a bit simpler in nature since, for the majority, we all subscribe to common morals of not stealing, not lying, not killing, etc., regardless of our upbringing. So when you have someone spread rumors about another or speak ill of them behind their back how much integrity do you believe that person would have? Would you say that person would have more integrity if they were brave enough to at least confront the person of who they are spreading the rumors about or talking ill about? Some would say so while others would say it is best never to talk ill or spread rumors in the first place.
You will find that most people who have no integrity or very little integrity are really cowards trying to supplement their shortcomings and one of the ways they do this is by perpetuating rumors. It is sad that even in martial arts there are those who call themselves Master, Grandmaster, Hanshi and Shihan, yet display no integrity at all by doing such things.
As instructors, our first way of teaching this is definitely by example. However, we should be mindful to directly address the topics of honor and integrity and not just in passing. As students, we should listen close to those lessons, even if they are in passing, but moreover we must implement them into our everyday life. It can be as simple as walking away from someone telling you a rumor to something more involved like helping with a charitable event. As an instructor you should challenge your students, or if you are a student challenge yourself to try and find ways to exercise your honor and your integrity. Sometimes one act of random kindness can be felt all over the world.
You can not be in the martial arts for a long time without hearing at least one Zen story. The one that I really like and that totally changed my life in the martial arts is the story of the student who wanted to become a master.
Once there was a monk who was very skilled and very talented. He wanted to become a master, so he went to see the Zen Master, to study under him. He went to the Zen Master and he bowed to him and said,”I want to study with you to become a master, how long will it take?”
The Zen Master answered that it would take five years. The monk said, “Five years? Okay, but I am very, very good. I will learn very quickly. How many years will it take me?”
The Zen Master then told him it would take 15 years. The monk said, “15 years! But I won't sleep! I won't take breaks! I learn very fast, I will work harder and tire less than any of your other pupils, how long will it take me?”
The Zen Master now replied it would take 25 years. "How is it each time I say I will work harder, you tell me that it will take longer?" the monk asked.
The Zen Master responded, "The answer is clear. When one eye is fixed upon your destination, there is only one eye left with which to find the Way."
In October I will be celebrating my 28th year in the martial arts. It is hard to believe that time has gone by so fast, yet I still remember first stepping onto the floor, like some people, wondering how long until my black belt. In the beginning it seemed like it would be a goal I would never attain. I had no coordination and I was so skinny that a quick change in the wind could knock me over. It was at that time that I figured that once my contract was up, I was done. When I told my friend about this, his uncle, who also became a teacher of mine, told me this story. It was then that I took my eyes off the “prize” and just focused on the training without worrying about the end result.
Hours turned into days, which turned into weeks, which did turn into years and before I knew it, through both good and bad times, my perseverance paid off and I reached what I was hoping for. Now it was easy to persevere when things were going well, but the true test was when things didn’t go so well. I had a choice of either quitting, hoping something will just happen, or making it happen regardless of what it would take. I chose to make it happen.
There is no such thing as smooth sailing. Whenever things start to take a turn for the worse, we tend to focus on all of our problems as being one big problem which, in turn, starts to make our overall goals seem too overwhelming based on the circumstances that we are in. An example would be a school owner who is trying to make a livable profit at his school but is being swamped with student enrollment being down and student retention being down. It seems to the owner that the only thing up is the cost of running the school. When this happens you must remember this question; “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer is simple; one bite at a time.
Instead of looking at it all as one giant problem, you need to break it down into smaller bites that you can work on. Above all, you need to keep working. Remember perseverance is not just standing still hoping that something good will happen. Perseverance is moving forward towards you goal and making things happen regardless of any obstacles you may face.
About four years ago, I had two men walk into the school. The first man watches a class and decides that he is “too old” to be starting a martial art. The second man watches the class and decides he “might as well give it try.” Now let me describe the two gentlemen. The first man was in his early 30s, in decent health and decent shape. The second man was in his mid 50s, completely blinded in his right eye and missing his thumb and two fingers on his right hand.
Folks, this is a true story. When I asked the second man why he wanted to start martial arts, he simply replied, “I’ve always wanted to do it, but kept thinking I was too old. I finally got tired of being too old.”
After talking with him I reflected on how many times I have used that same excuse to avoid doing something new in the martial arts or any other activity that may be deemed more for the younger generation. Now it is obvious that, more times than not, a 40-year-old will not be as flexible as an 18-year-old; a 50-year-old may not move as quick as a 16-year-old; and a 35-year-old may not be as physically fit as a 25-year-old. However, physical limitations can be overcome or worked around.
A good example is the July 2008 Taekwondo Times which featured Master Robert Ott, the creator of Kidokwan and a gentleman who is completely blind. Physical limitations were not a factor in his achievement of success, nor should it be in our own achievements. It is our mental limitations that cause the obstacles we just can’t seem to overcome.
So many times in the “real world,” we prohibit ourselves from accomplishing new goals because of three simple words, “I can’t because…” Yet, when we are in the dojang, these words don’t exist. They are not allowed to because our teachers won’t hear of it. You are never too old to try something new in the dojang so why are you too old to try something new outside of the dojang, be it a new job, new hobby or a new fashion style? The “Yes I Can” attitude shouldn’t stop when you leave the dojang for the evening. In fact, you practice that attitude at the school, but like anything else you need to apply that lesson on the street. The bottom line is that you are never too old, perhaps too lazy, but never too old.
To show you that I have been practicing what I preach here, at my current age of 37, I just tried a Wushu class for the first time. I was thrown into the adult class where the oldest student, besides me, was only 23 years-old. I struggled and pushed and was sore for three days and too be honest, I can’t wait to go back again. I was explaining this to a co-worker who is one of those Lazy Boy recliner people who watches his sports and enjoys telling me I’m too old to be doing some of the things I do. He simply chuckled and said, “Well, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
I simply looked at him and replied, “Yeah, well you can’t teach a dead dog anything.”
I would like to start this month’s article with a quick anecdote about a kid who, for the most part, wasn’t on the right track to a good future. In fact, an incident happened where he beat another kid so severely that he left him for dead. What saved this troubled child from being a statistic in our prison system, was one man who pleaded his case and took responsibility of the child. The man was a Karate instructor who took the boy under his wings and after strict training along with positive mentoring, the once delinquent child became an instructor himself donating his time to teaching kids who would otherwise not have the means to take martial arts. Within that group of kids he instructs, he has trained several national champions. He has also gone on to form a charity organization that helps feed and clothe homeless children, was selected as an “Outstanding Young Man in America” by the Jaycees and is an ordained minister. All this, just because one man decided to try and make a difference in a child most of society would just give up on. He transformed the delinquent child into an outstanding man of character.
During the month of July I attended a martial arts seminar, where the theme was ‘transformation.’ As an instructor and a student, I have found that the martial arts and its people transform themselves and others on a very personal level. Together we build relations with one another based on forging our bodies and minds through blood, sweat and tears. We have understanding of each other, because we all went through the same awkward process of the first martial art class, we have all woken up with the bruises and muscle aches from the previous night’s class, and we have all thought to ourselves at one time…why am I doing this to myself? Not many other activities can produce the same type of kinship as martial arts do.
Though the lessons taught and the techniques learned make us better people, the most wondrous part about it is that the transformation doesn’t necessarily come from all of that. For the most part it comes from the simplest thing you can do, such as a friendly greeting or even going up to another competitor and telling them that you really enjoyed watching them compete, regardless if they won or lost. Perhaps, it is just taking a few minutes of your time to show that you care. Have you ever worked with a new coworker or a classmate on a project and they totally messed it up? How did you react? Did you react at all? Our actions and non-actions transform others more than we realize.
Transformation: Change in form, appearance, nature, or character. Every action we take has a rippling effect which we may or may not ever see. What if the instructor I mentioned in the first paragraph never intervened on behalf of the troubled kid? A simple act of kindness not only transformed the kid’s life, but the lives of others who have been taught by him and helped by his charity.
Don’t let the story fool you though. You don’t have to be an instructor in order to impact a student’s life. Everybody has the choice to transform themselves and others through their presence in this life. We are more powerful than we give ourselves credit for. Every day our lives have an infinite amount of possibilities to make a difference in someone else’s life, if only by one simple act of random kindness.
June 20th and 21st of 2008 marks the date for the 43rd Annual AKA Grand Nationals tournament, one of the oldest tournaments still running in the United States today. Adults and kids from all over North America and Europe will travel to Louisville, Kentucky, the site of the event, to participate in this annual martial arts competition and with it just around the corner I can’t help but recall debates about competition in the martial arts. Now there is always an ongoing debate somewhere on the internet about the pros and cons of having such events. More than not, the biggest complaint I hear over and over from the con side of the debate is that these types of events actually degrade martial arts or causes the martial arts to become watered down. I recently had the privilege to sit down with six young athletes who participate in sport martial art tournaments, just to see what drives them to do compete. (See upcoming September issue of Taekwondo Times for the article) The more I spoke with them about competition, the more it reinforced my belief in how competition is very healthy and a much underrated part of the martial arts. That is not to say that if your school doesn’t do competitions, then your school is no good, far from it. What I am saying is that there are many good things that can come out of competition in the martial arts. What better way to practice the building blocks success such as perseverance, self confidence, self discipline and respect than to be put in a situation where you have to utilize those building blocks to help achieve victory? And remember, victory is not determined on if you win or lose, it is determined on how you yourself have progressed as a person. When you see that you are able to better yourself in just one area in life, utilizing these building blocks, you begin to apply them in other areas of your life like your job or school or personal relationships. If you are like me, you are one of the many, many people who hate to do public speaking. To help overcome the nervousness and fear associated with it, I simply resort to looking at it like a competition. I practice what I need to present prior to the event so that it becomes second nature to me. If it is something that will be cause for discussion I think of all the points and counter points that will be brought up. Then, when the time comes, I just step into the ring and do my best. After all, if I can jump around and yell in front of strangers wearing those crazy pajamas we call uniforms, then stepping up in front of my peers in a business suit really isn’t that hard. So if you have the opportunity, join in on a local event in your area, if nothing else just for the fun of it. Regardless if you win or lose, competition can always teach you something about yourself as a person, if you are willing to learn. Sometimes, it is not always what you would like to learn, but, it will always be something that will allow you to grow.
Have You Accounted For Your Goals? By Jeremy M. Talbott
It seems that while summertime is a slow time for most schools, here at Sharkey's Karate we seem to be constantly bombarded with events. This year is no different. From July 17-August 17 one of our school's biggest projects will once again be our Annual 30-Day Boot Camp. Each year we have kids, and some adults, traveling in from all over the U.S., Canada and Europe to train for 30 days at a live-in camp with world champion instructors in sport martial arts and extreme martial arts, as well as top notch instructors in traditional Karate, Kung Fu, Wushu, Kenjutsu and TKD.
With their training regimen usually running between 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. every day, I was once asked what kind of crazy kids would such a thing. I was quick to point out they are the same crazy kids that can be seen winning top awards on whichever circuit they compete. So is it the continuous daily routine of punching and kicking that helps them achieve such awards? Well, to a point, yes it is. However, there are two things that are instilled in these campers during their training time, which seem often to be lost in the daily routine of life; goal setting and work ethic.
Now goal setting and work ethic are not some unique epiphany found solely in the martial arts. They have been around for centuries in the work force and at home, but at the same time are rarely seen in either. Sure we may get motivated on the first of January and put down those resolutions to get fit and those goals to achieve better financial situations, but come the first of March, are you still keeping track? The same goes for the martial arts. You know that in order to get a form down, you need to practice the motions consistently and correctly every day, if only for a few minutes. But do you choose to run that form at home for five minutes or do you switch on Oprah instead?
At the very beginning of the camp, the campers are given a three-ring binder notebook. They must fill the inside with what they hope to achieve by attending the camp. They list their individual goals in order of importance, as well as group goals. There are also log sheets to keep track of what they did for the day to help them reach that goal. Each day this journal is reviewed and each day the campers are held accountable for their progress. Instilling this fundamental practice not only betters their martial art training, but helps them achieve success in other areas of their life as well.
Martial arts teach you a work ethic from your very first class. In order to achieve your next belt you have to undergo countless repetitions of kicks, punches and blocks. Regardless of what your goals are in martial arts, or in life, you know as well as I that if you want to move upward you have to do the work. We also know that the temptations to lead you astray from those goals are plenty.
So take a tip from these crazy kids. Grab a notebook and write out the goals you wish to achieve. Set down a reasonable timeline and the steps you need to take in order to achieve the overall goal. At the end of the day revisit the notebook and write exactly what you did to further yourself in your goal. You will find, in time, that the one person you to which you are truly accountable is the one person who will not accept excuses for your lack of progress—You.
“R-E-S-P-E-C-T : Find out what it means to me…” by Jeremy M. Talbott
Some of the great things I enjoy most in martial arts, outside of the training, are the anecdotes that an experienced teacher or school owner has to offer. Now when you have someone who has been around the martial arts for as long as my instructor Sensei John Sharkey has, you hear some great ones. One in particular, that I would like to share, deals in a subject that we as martial artists, strive to practice daily; respect.
As the story goes, Sensei Sharkey walked into the school in his street clothes as a class was proceeding. He then moved across the floor, at which time, as rules would state, a senior student would bring the class to attention when a higher rank black belt would come on to the floor. Of course, this time, it was not done. He then asked why and the response was that he didn’t have his belt on. Sensei Sharkey then said “OK” and proceeded off the floor and into the office. All seemed fine until he returned from the office with his belt in one hand and a trash can in the other. He threw his belt in the trash and the only question he asked was, “AM I STILL A BLACK BELT?!”
Now most people may think or feel that Sensei Sharkey was on a power trip, commanding respect, that that was not his point at all. When I asked about what he was trying to teach he told me this: “A belt rank is a symbol of your status and identifies the progress of your training. Even though the lesson was on the unimportance of the belt, it was intended to only point out the unimportance of the belt compared to the person.” You see, we impress on the students that they should respect their seniors and their teachers, but what most of us seem to stress is not so much the person, but their belt. As a student you should discard the fact that your teacher is a black belt and ask yourself this: “If I met this person in the street without knowing his rank, would I still hold the same respect?” If the answer is no, then you are not really practicing true respect so much as just showing basic respect due to a position he or she has.
In some cases this same mode of thinking happens in everyday work life or school life. How many people would say they respect their CEO? Now how many people have actually met their CEO on a personal level? What about your teachers or professors at school? Do you respect them because they are your teacher or do you respect them because they show true character that is worthy of respect? While most of us respect the title, we don’t really show the true respect to the person who earned the title. I was brought up and try to instill in our students and my own children that you respect all people regardless of their position in life, until they have given you a reason not to respect them. Once we begin to strip away titles and positions we begin to judge people by their character and actions. Through that, we begin to exercise the true meaning of respect that we talk so freely of in the school.
“...the black belt serves as an assumption of respect and knowledge, the true worth of that respect is only solidified by the person’s actions.” – Sensei John Sharkey
About the Columnist: Sensei Jeremy Talbott has over 29 years experience in the martial arts. Currently he holds 4th Dan Kumdo, 3rd Dan Taekwondo and 1st Dan in Tangsoodo & Shorei-ryu Karate as well as high rankings in Kosho Shorei-ryu Kempo, Hapkido and Arnis. He is the developer of the Kosho Kenjutsu system and currently instructs out of Sharkey's Karate Studio and American Martial Arts Academy in Naperville, IL. He can be contacted at martialscience@sbcglobal.net.
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