Sunday, June 01, 2008

Random thoughts bout regret and decisionmaking.

Youth seems to be wasted on the young people. I have one big regret so far in life and thats the fact that i didnt train harder and more when i was younger. Time passes quickly and i feel a strong sense of urgency to make sure that i maximise my potential in the next few years. And to the juniors that wanna be great at karate (or any other skill, for that matter) : Dont inherit my regret, and make sure that you as quickly as possible develop a discipline that will alow you to train more than the average guy (whom by default will have an average level of skill)

Furthermore, dont spend energy being upset with details or tell yourself that you dont measure up. In my opinion: Excellence is a mindset, an attitude that sets the successful people apart from the rest.

Some minor practical points:
(And these are my personal feelings, not some rules or dictates that *you* have to follow)

Dont debate whether to train or not, and then train only when any other option isnt there. Decide to train 2 times a week or 12 times a week and stick to it, since consistency is vital. Push yourself instead of being "nice" to yourself and take a break every time you get slightly tired. Show up atleast 5-10 minutes early to "tighten your mind" and get ready for class. Take care of your partners and try to push and pull them in the direction of stronger, sharper, faster and more decisive karate.

In closing, i have a principle that have helped my karate to the level i am, at that i would like to share with whomever that is still reading. I think of it as the principle of "how bad do i allow myself to be on any given day?" - Yes, we all have bad days, but as i alluded to earlier; real karate, to me, is about spirit of mind and the strength of your resolve. With this thought in the back of my mind anytime i come to the dojo, i leave my other worries outside and never let my physical karate slip beneath 80% of my ultimate ability. This may seem like mumbo-jumbo but i am serious; With that thought in mind i atleast have consistency if not much else.

And in the words of a (semi) old norwegian sensei: "Come to the dojo to train, not to get trained" If i come off as preachy, then i apologise, but to me this is important. I want you guys to get way better than me and i want you to get out of karate all the wonderful things i have gotten.
 
Google+