Today’s world is full of strife and difficulties. We cannot always control what happens around us. What we can control is what happens inside of us, and martial arts play a significant role in allowing us to live positive, powerful and productive lives.
Here are three ways that martial arts can help us make the world a better place.
- Respect.
There is a tremendous lack of respect in the world. From a myriad of discriminations and abuses in all areas of profession and life, to school shootings and other craziness. Then, there is lack of self-respect. The way we dress, speak, and opine. I do not like to focus on the negative, but these are the hard-core facts about the world today.
Why is there a breakdown in our world? Why do these things happen? They happen because our society has lost the value of respect.
I love to walk into the dojang, stop at the door, and quietly bow as I enter. It is to show respect to the practice place, but even more, it is an understanding that I must respect myself and others before I enter this place. That simple moment brings everything into perspective.
I bow to my peers or my students, grateful for who they are, what they learn and share. I value them, their opinions and traditions. We are all from various places, cultures, and backgrounds, yet we have this common bond of martial arts and respect.
To carry this sense of respect from the dojang into the world is life-changing. To respect others the same way we respect our peers in martial arts creates unity and belief in the good around us. For those prone to negativity, respect opens new doors of positive encouragement. Through these relationships, we grow and mature into who we are meant to be.
When others do not respect you, they do not deserve you, just as if you disrespect your instructor in class, you do not deserve his valuable teaching and knowledge. Demand respect for yourself and others. It is a core breakdown of our society today.
- Perseverance
Whose first inclination is to give up when times get tough? Let’s be honest. When the tough times roll around and smack us in the face, the first thing we want to do is give up, turn around, and walk away. It is human instinct to not want to deal with the obstacles and difficulties.
Martial arts teach many lessons, but one of the subtler ones is perseverance. Somehow, without realizing it, we become more patient over time because we know that just a few more steps forward, we will achieve our goal. The goal may be a new kick, technique, skill, form, or board break. Whatever it is, we face it with anticipation as we take the steps to get there, even if we know it might take years.
Martial arts taught me that perseverance is also part of mindset. To believe in yourself is the first step to continuing through the difficult moments to achieve.
I always got very nervous during test time. When I was a green belt, I was called up in front of an audience to do my first board break – a jump front kick. The first two tries, my foot bounced off the board. It was awful. The hush of the audience alerted me that they were embarrassed for me. I had no choice but to persevere. To do that, I interjected the one positive thought in my head that helped me push through and crash through the board, and that was, “You can do it.”
Applying perseverance to life means that when the challenging times come, we do not throw in the towel. We do not walk away. We face the obstacle placed before us with the determination to succeed. It may take several tries. It may be uncomfortable. In the end, however, we push through to something better.
If we practice perseverance, there is no value in hurting others for our own agendas. There is no reason to abuse or discriminate. We would, instead, focus on taking patient steps forward through our own difficult times toward something better. We would break through the boards that are presented to us in life.
There are no quick fixes. It is work and effort that makes the world a better place through the practice of staying the positive and powerful course, and that takes dedication, focus, and perseverance.
- Humility
What is humility? Some people think humility means that they cannot be who they are, that they must modify who they are, or that they cannot promote themselves or stand out. I do not believe any of that is the true definition of humility.
One definition of humility is “a modest view of one’s own importance; humbleness.”
To me, this simply means that you do not believe yourself to be inherently better than others. You understand that your place in the world is just as important as everyone else. Rich, poor, man, woman, and everyone in between are equally important when we look at the world from the highest elevation.
Martial arts teach humility in such a way that we learn to appreciate others, accept them, and yes, even put them first sometimes. When practicing together, there is an intimate bond of trust and camaraderie. As students or instructors, we should consistently seek how to make others better as we train ourselves. We should all ask ourselves what talents we can bring to the table to share with others.
Humility brings mindfulness. It is the ability to step back and realize that you are indeed important, but so is everyone else. The martial artists who are humble are gracious and considerate. They encourage and persuade. They teach. They listen. They do not boast or brag. They simply do. We see their greatness because of their actions.
Having a modest view of self-importance does not preclude us from striving for personal excellence. Humility is not giving up who you are. It is a natural derivative of simply being who you are. In the world today, many people only focus on themselves. They are concerned only with what they want. This is a societal breakdown that the martial art tenet of humility can help improve.
Strive for what you want and be who you are, but not at the expense of others. I enjoy writing about positivity. It helps me as much as it helps the reader. I promote myself on social media because I have books to sell and a positivity mission about which I am passionate. These are the ways I can contribute to make the world a better place. Humility simply asks the question, “What can you do to make the world a better place?”
Follow your hopes and dreams. Share yourself with the world. Embrace your passions. These are not the opposites of being humble, they are the basis of humility. To believe and trust in yourself without the need to overcompensate through boasting or demeaning are wonderful examples of humility.
Unfortunately, many face discrimination, humiliation, or abuses because of those who lack humility and take advantage of others for their own benefit. While we cannot force the world to rediscover the lost art of humility, we can begin with ourselves and that is the first step.
There are so many tenets of martial arts that, if applied to life, could literally change the world for the better. It takes many to make these changes happen. As martial artists, we carry a slightly heavier burden to share and implement these traits because of what we do.
Along with the physicality of martial art practice comes the martial art mindset. That mindset reminds us that we are more powerful than we realize, both in our actions and in our words. What we say and do has a direct bearing on those around us. When we engage respect, perseverance, and humility, we become the role models for others. We can begin by giving others the respect and encouragement that they need to live positive, productive and powerful lives.
- Five Ways to Maximize Your Martial Art Potential - July 1, 2020
- Follow Your Martial Art Heart - June 13, 2020
- Is There a Place for Arrogance in Martial Arts? - July 11, 2018
Leave a Reply