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Instructor Blog
Welcome to our weblog (which most people call a "blog"). The opinions expressed herein are our own personal thoughts and opinions. Check back often for more musings and updates.
Feel free to e-mail us your comments on any entries or use our contact form. Thanks for visiting!
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 The Words that Make It Worth It |
10 Shelton Martial Arts students participated in the 35th National All Martial Arts Championship in Pittsburgh this past weekend. The tournament was an excellent event, and it gave our students a chance to see a wide variety of different philosophies within the realm of Tang Soo Do.
I had a great time judging and competing in the few Masters events they had, but competing wasn't and never has been my favorite part of events like this. It is the experience. The experience of testing what you know, or what you think you know. The experience of making new friends that share a similar pursuit and mindset. The experience of traveling and developing camaraderie with the people you train with.
Even all of that wasn't at the top of my list this tournament. What made this trip were to words of a young 8 year old red belt. After he won all of his sparring matches, he sincerely thanked me for teaching him special techniques at a sparring seminar we held here at the studio. He said that he used the things that I taught and that they were the reason that he won.
I have had students thank me for teaching them before, but usually it is at the request of their parents. This was a sincere and unrehearsed thank you from a child student. These few words made my weekend.
Small moments like this; where a student realizes you aren't just saying things because you like the sound of your own voice (which I personally can't stand), where they overcome some obstacle through hard work and perseverance, watching people grow and mold themselves into someone better than they were before; these are what makes teaching worth it in my eyes.
- SaBomNim Samuel Slater -
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| posted at 07:37PM | comments |
| Wednesday, February 4, 2009 |
| Tang Soo Do - My Neverland |
A few months ago I was having a conversation with some students of varying ages and we stumbled onto the topic of references that are lost on certain generations. I find that I am usually stuck in limbo between the adults that I interact with, and the younger students who I teach. Several topics were tossed around, such as how myself and the adults were not familiar with Bakugan and to a lesser extent Avatar. I was shocked however to find out that many children are not familiar with 'classic' childrens stories and films such as those done by Disney.
The big surprise was that a few of the children didn't know about Peter Pan and Neverland. After myself and another adult student explained the story, I happened to make the comment that the Dojang and Tang Soo Do are my Neverland. Thanks to Tang Soo Do, I have a place that I can escape to, where youthful pursuits are encouraged. Where else can 20, 30, and 40 year old men go to roll around, work hard, and have fun without being told to act their age? Where else can you go where your preconceptions and views are always being challenged and where you are always forced to expand the limits and capabilities of your body and mind?
Thank you Tang Soo Do. Thank you Shelton Martial Arts.
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| posted at 05:54PM | comments |
| Recession - the act of Pulling Back |
I listen to National Public Radio and CSPAN in the car every day. Of course the topic they have been discussing every day is the current economic situation that we are in.
Two days ago I heard this quote from an economist on the radio, "A recession is when people pull back, and focus their attention only on the essentials." This quote caught my attention because it mirrored something I read last month about a national Judo champion.
This champion was nationally ranked for some time, however he was beaten a little two years ago and since this one match he had not won anything in a year. Frustrated, he left his coach and went back to the Master who trained him in high school. He decided that he needed to go back, and start from the beginning, focusing on the essentials of his basic training.
For a year, he swept the mats on his knees before and after class, went back to doing his Master's recommended meditation, and practiced traditional drills over and over. He 'pulled back' and would focus on one technique for weeks at a time.
When this man finally went back to competing, he won every match he was in until he retired 2 years later. He attributed his wins to his traditional training; going back to basics and not focusing on extravagant or complicated throws.
I find it is interesting how this martial arts lesson, which we try to impress upon all our students, translates to what our economy is dealing with, and how we all will have to go back to focusing on the basics.
-Sabomnim Slater-
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| posted at 08:46PM | comments |
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 |
| Are you progressing (fast enough)? |
inevitably, almost every student or parent wonders if they and/or their child is making 'sufficient progress'? Assuming there could ever be a universal definition for ‘sufficient progress’, the short answer is most likely yes, however even the short answer to this question requires some explanation.
In Tang Soo Do (more specifically at Shelton Martial Arts), we teach in a very traditional manner; lots of low stances, with an emphasis on hyung (forms/patterns/kata), and basic defensive techniques. For the purpose of discussion I will use a basic front stance as an example of my perspective. A proper front stance has the feet just outside shoulder width a part, with one foot forward as if you’ve just tried to take a long step. The height from the ground to the groin should be just above where your knees are when you are standing erect. The front knee is bent 90 degrees, while the back leg is straight, and the toes of both feet are aimed forward . The back is straight up, not leaning forward or backward, and the shoulders and hips are squared off to the direction you are traveling.
What I’m about to describe will use the Tang Soo Do front stance as an example, but you could use almost any basic technique of any of the multitude of martial arts in the same way.
So, are you making progress?
When a white belt (10th Gup) first learns the front stance they are typically very awkward. Instead of a large step forward and outward, they tend to take a walking step straight forward. Students are either too high off the ground, or far too low; children at times exaggerate the step and end up in a stretch or lunge.
So white belts tend to stand too high and too narrow. By the time they are 9th gup yellow belts, they have significantly lowered their stance. By the time they are 6th gup green belts their stance is (hopefully) much lower and it is often times approaching the correct width. Of course, some students make this transition faster/sooner than others. This amount of progress is noticeable by the student themselves.
And that is where the fun begins. Early on, it is easy to make a lot of ‘noticeable’ progress – but that is not necessarily ‘significant’ progress. The adage that easy come, easy go, is very real in this context. Let’s say that as a white belt your front stance places your groin 18” from the ground. As you reach yellow belt you are down to 16” from groin to the ground. This is a big two inch drop, but frankly, a fairly easy drop. Later, as you are working towards the green to red belt transition, let’s say your front stance only drops another quarter of an inch. First; you are unlikely to notice this drop. Second; this is a much more significant and useful drop that will positively affect your power, balance, and speed. This is because this drop is actually progression or advancement, not just overcoming awkwardness or gaining understanding of what you are being asked to do.
So, are you progressing? Probably – if, and this is a big if; if you are following the advice and counsel of your instructors. When the instructor says to your class, “lower your stance”, then this means you – not the guy next to you.
So assuming that you are listening to your instructors then yes, you are progressing. Early progress comes fast and is obvious. But in all honesty, this is easy come, easy go progress. Later your progress will be measured not in feet or inches, or seconds; rather your progress will be measured in fractions of inches and seconds. This progress will be harder to notice, but will be much more meaningful. This is the fun progress. This is the progress you have to work hard and fight for.
You are making progress. So stick with it.
-Sabomnim Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 01:38PM | comments |
| Do you get nervous before a test? |
I hear it all the time; "I get so nervous before a test." Usually followed by questions like, "Do you think I'm ready to test?" Many years ago, martial arts were taught very different than today. For example, the practice of changing belts from white to increasingly darker colors, ending in black (or in Tang Soo Do midnight blue) is a relatively new development. Originally a student received a white belt and it simply became darker with age and wear because students never washed their belts out of fear they would be washing away the knowledge and hard work they had put into themselves.
Today, we test as a measure of progress and to demonstrate our preparedness to begin to learn new material. A White Belt practitioner is tested to demonstrate mastery (a white belt master?) of very basic material and their readiness to learn Yellow Belt material.
Some schools will tell you that it takes 'X' amount of time to become a Black Belt. In our discipline it is approximately four years. Very few people do it faster.
We can give a time frame like this, even though we know everybody learns at a difference pace because we have a highly structured program where the material has been carefully distributed across the various belts so that the student never has much to learn at any one point. Still, if the student does not practice or attend class, the three months between yellow and orange can go by too fast. Sometimes, tests have to be put off until the practitioner has demonstrated fluency with the material.
"What about when I ask if I am ready and the instructor says yes, but I still fail?" The answer; just because you are ready to test does not mean you cannot fail. Arrogance can lead to a lack of concentration, and during a test, a simple, brief loss of concentration can be anywhere from embarrassing to dangerous.
In the advanced ranks especially, it is absolutely possible to fail a test. I've seen it happen to black belts and even masters. As you progress, more is expected of you. I once saw a test for Kyosa, or certified instructor, where the Master sat everyone down after only five minutes of testing and said, "You all fail." Turns out they, as a group, failed to demonstrate confidence in their verbal responses to various instructions.
Lastly, as you progress through the ranks, your nerves should subside. Not only will you become more familiar with the testing process, but your martial arts training should enable you to gain more control over your feelings. In the end, practice and repetition will replace nervousness and fear. This is another reason why you test so frequently and go to tournaments; the more you perform, the less stressful it becomes.
-Sabomnim Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 08:15PM | comments |
| Monday, November 24, 2008 |
| Teaching Concentration |
I was reading a local newspaper the other day and came across an editorial discussing problems with children and education. Once specific word caught my eye and caused me to re-examine our program. The ad mentioned that martial arts training will improve concentration. Given the number of kids we hear about that have difficulty staying focused, this alone could justify the cost of tuition.
So how do we teach concentration? I can imagine a circle of students sitting cross-legged on the floor peering intensely at the flame of a single candle, hypnotized by the dance of heat and light. Unfortunately, that's not what we do, and I'm pretty sure if it was, some of our new students would end up more interested pyromania than the martial arts.
From the outside looking in, I suppose the most obvious learn-to-concentrate technique would be breaking boards. Clearly, if you lose focus while striking a solid piece of wood with your hand of foot then one is likely going to end up hurting themselves. In actuality, this is backwards. You don't learn concentration by breaking boards. Breaking boards is a demonstration of concentration, not the means of learning it. So the question remains, where does the concentration come from?
In the traditional martial art of Tang Soo Do, we emphasize our hyung (forms/patterns/kata). A hyung is a pretend fight against multiple opponents. These consist of a series of movements, some defensive some offensive, in a prescribed pattern. The hyung performed by the lower belts are relatively simple (don't tell them that!), and the hyung become increasingly more complex (and longer) as students progress in rank.
The act of memorizing a single hyung can be a challenging task that requires a great deal of concentration. Our very first hyung consists of twenty moves, eight turns, and two yells. Our second and third hyungs consist of twenty almost identical moves, eight turns, and two yells. They are so similar in fact that to the untrained eye, the first five moves of the first two hyungs are identical (they aren't).
As the student learns the first hyung they are challenged to learn, remember, and demonstrate the twenty moves correctly. They need to remember their place as they progress through the hyung so that they will turn in the correct direction; sometimes right, sometimes left, sometimes backwards.
When they learn the second hyung, everything is nearly identical. I mean very, very nearly identical. It is in this similarity that concentration is required. If the second hyung was completely different from the first, there would be little chance of the student confusing them. Because they are so similar, the practitioner must stay alert through the whole routine or else they will unconsciously slip into the other routine.
This technique of using the same movements, turns, strikes, kicks, and combinations of moves throughout the various hyung (as a 4th Degree Master I am expected to know 29 different hyung, not including weapons hyungs) not only requires, but actually is responsible for causing the artist to practice concentration. That which you practice you will execute as well as you practice.
The same is true of One Step Sparring, another process we use where the various techniques are just similar enough to build concentration, yet different enough to provide many defensive options. There are a total of 20 One Step Sparring techniques to learn to become a 1st Dan. By practicing and practicing and practicing these hyung and One Step Sparring combinations, the student develops a higher level of concentration.
- Sabomnim Samuel Slater -
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| posted at 04:03PM | comments |
| Wednesday, November 12, 2008 |
| They want to quit - What do I do? |
It’s that time of the day, and you’re trying to get your child ready for her karate class when she says, “I don’t want to go back – I don’t like karate anymore.” Gulp, what do you do, how do you respond?
Some of you are not going to like my answer...
Why did you sign your child up for martial arts training in the first place? Was it just because her best friend was training, or because he saw a re-run of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers? If your reasons for signing your daughter or son up for karate fell along these lines, then begrudgingly I’d agree that terminating the program may be in order.
I’ll bet that your reasons for seeking out a martial arts school were a little more substantial than the ones given above. You probably thought that the discipline provided by the training, along with the physical activity, not to mention the very useful skill of self defense would enhance your child as she encountered a world which is not as kind, not as safe, and not as well-mannered as it once was.
So the first question is not one I need to answer, the first question is for you. What has changed in the world, as it relates to your child that would make you reconsider your original decision? Is the world safer, more kind, did six weeks of training instill the virtues of discipline and work-ethic as you had hoped? Probably not.
This cannot be overstated – you made a decision to provide your son or daughter with an educational perspective that cannot be attained anywhere else. As the parent, you (probably) did not sign up your child for frivolous reasons, and you shouldn’t cancel the program for frivolous reasons either.
Let me give you a couple of perspectives and see how they resonate with you. What if your child said, “I don’t want to go to school anymore,” or “I don’t want to go to church/temple anymore.” Would you for one moment even consider this statement at face value? Likely, you would probe the cause of the statement, and maybe, maybe, maybe take some action to address a problem. More likely than not, you’d explain that school is a part of your child’s life, it is required, and tomorrow morning she needs to take the math test.
Do you like music? Because, it takes a long time to develop the skills necessary to understand, appreciate, and perform a musical instrument. Martial arts are no different in this regard. If we left the decision up to our children, we would never have another musician. Ever. No child would ever voluntarily practice the piano with the necessary rigor it takes to build proficiency. No child would ever attend required athletic practice sessions if she thought for one moment missing practice was an option.
You are the parent, and you have to be the stable force in your child’s life. The whims of your children will come and go as easily as daydreams and dandelions. If you are likely to allow their flighty thoughts of fancy to sway your decisions relative to their safety, self-esteem, and discipline, then what next? “Mom, I don’t like wearing a bike helmet.” “Dad, why do I need to study history, I’ll never use this stuff.” The list of “I don’t see the point” topics is never ending and you’re going to have to draw the lines somewhere. Safety, self-esteem, and physical control seem to be a pretty good place to start.
With only one exception, the child who says, “I don’t want to continue with karate” should be met with the same love, kindness, compassion, and firmness that they would have received if they expressed a desire to never see the dentist, history class, or religious studies. These are important parts of life and full appreciation will not come in a month or even a year.
Of course, if you’ve found the particular martial arts school to be lacking, then by all means seek another school or instructor. Be the stable, guiding force in your child’s life. They really will thank you for it.
-Sabomnim Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 02:22PM | comments |
| Thursday, October 23, 2008 |
| Speed Racer - Mom's Point of View |
Last week I got to see the new Speed Racer Film that was recently released. I have to admit, I had put off seeing the film because I was never that into Speed Racer when I was younger (I was more into Thundercats) and the previews for the film made the film out to be a campy epileptic coma inducing waste of 90 minutes. I am happy to say that while it was corny and there was a lot happening on the screen, I enjoyed it.
The film's style was like watching a live action version of the amazing Japanese animation styles that I grew up loving, which was nice, but what really got me was the messages that were emphasized during the story. There is the classic "good triumphs over corruption and evil" but the message that got me came from Speed's mother.
Speed's Mom explained that even automobile racing could be seen as an art. When she watched Speed drive she said that the things he did made it so that if you looked at the race as a whole it was like watching someone paint. It wasn't that he was the fastest, it was that he was that Speed was technically superior, that he could feel and react to changing situations in the race with grace and ease, that he could take something very raw and basic and illustrate control over it to the point that is becomes beautiful.
That is the view that I hope to share with everyone taking the martial arts. What we are doing is taking something that is ugly and raw and attempting to learn to control it. To train ourselves to have enough control in chaotic situations to stay focuses and move with precision and as a result, grace. This skill that Speed possessed didn't come from a love of winning. Instead it came from a love of cars and for driving. This is the secret to greatness. It is not just wanting to be good, but loving that which you want to be good at and doing it because you love it (a little nugget expressed in a round about way in a conversation Speed has with Racer X).
It was interesting hearing such a point of view as this one expressed both in definition and visually as well as it was in this family film. I was quite pleased with the Wachowski brothers homage to the show, and with the serious way they chose to portray the characters and their motives.
-SaBomNim Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 02:52PM | comments |
| Wednesday, October 15, 2008 |
| Self Defense |
While eating the other day, I overheard a conversion about children being bullied in school. This conversion in my opinion took a turn for the worse when one person suggested taking martial arts to learn how to “beat up” the person who is bullying. As a martial artist I found this to be a bit unnerving as that is not what the martial arts is for. I will admit that partially I was put into the martial arts in my teens for the fact that I was being bullied. I soon learned though that is not the way to view martial arts. I have been out of school for about 3 years now, but while I was in school it did not matter who started the conflict. If two students got into a fight both children were punished whether one student retaliated or not. I remember my parents telling that as long as you don’t throw the first attack that anything you do is self defense. Unfortunately it didn’t seem as though the school systems feel that way as I have seen countless times people engage in a fight where both/all were punished regardless of the level of participation in the fight. So if you can’t defend yourself where a large percentage of students have the chance for a conflict to arise why take martial arts? The concept of self defense is not attacking a person, using what you have been taught; right after a punch is thrown at you. Self Defense is a last resort. It should not be used in any situation that is a bit heated. Only when there is absolutely no other option should you rely on what martial arts teach. Martial arts are just as much about learning to avoid conflict as it is dealing with it. The greatest self defense is the ability to resolve conflict without physical action being taken.
--Kyo Sah Nim Michael King--
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| posted at 04:37PM | comments |
| Wednesday, September 24, 2008 |
| Am I the New 'Master Lee'? |
This past weekend I accompanied Master Shelton to A.T.F. Headquarters in Belle Vernon, PA to assist with Dan Testing. We drove up to PA Friday night and stayed in a hotel so that we would be fresh for the testing which was to be held at 10am on Saturday.
Saturday morning, we went outside to find that our tire was completely flat. Luckily we planned to leave early, as it gave us enough time to call Federation Headquarters and have them send someone to pick us up. We got to the test 10 minutes before it was to begin, which is very late for us to arrive for testing but at least we made it.
I was greeted with the surprise that Master Cherry would be testing for 5th Dan, so I had to call all of the tests that day. All in all the test went well. During testing I had to step in and be a partner for one of the 1st Dans going to 2nd Dan. This was interesting, because I don't think anyone at the testing has ever seen anyone actually take the falls from self defense techniques. I also had to be Master Cherry's sparring partner, as nobody else was of rank to do so. I don't think that many of the people in the Federation have seen me spar before, because afterwards I was rushed with accolades, some of which were from students who were testing and I had to remind them that there was still a test going on.
After testing, I began the ritual of helping clean up the Dojang, but I was stopped several times by parents and students who wanted to say hi. Many of these people threw in little comments about enjoying getting to see me perform somewhat during the testing. What one woman said to me though really got me thinking. She said that she was worried that she would not have gotten to see me when we were not at the studio 45 minutes early. She told me she looks forward to seeing myself and Master Shelton, as in her eyes we were what Tang Soo Do was about. She went on, but even typing this much of what she said makes me uneasy.
As I stated, what this woman told me got me thinking; why do these people all say these things to me? I wondered if they felt about me the way I felt about Master Lee when I was a Gup and a Cho Dan?
Master Lee was absolutly amazing. He was confident, athletic, knowledgeable, and what everyone wanted to be. His techniques during demonstrations were flawless. He could do so many intricate breaks and forms (for example he used to break 5 boards with kicks all while in mid air, and he used to light his hands on fire while performing his forms).
So I wondered; Am I the new Master Lee? If so, that is sad, because I am no where near the martial artist that he was. With such a watered down (by comparison) person to look up to I felt sorry for the people who looked up to me. So I've decided that I have to push myself even harder to be even better than I am, because apparently I have some very, very big shoes to fill.
-Sabomnim Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 08:05PM | comments |
| Monday, September 15, 2008 |
| The Competition Paradox |
Competition in the martial arts can be the source of a great amount of controversy and debate when coupled with the philosophical doctrines that many martial arts preach.
Personally, I feel that while it is not the focus of my training, competition has an important place in the martial arts. As the martial arts are a means for individuals to learn about themselves and grow into a better human, competition provides a venue of exposing one's faults. If at times you do not take advantage of the skills of other individuals and the knowledge of other Instructors and Masters that can be found at competitions, then the individual limits his or her growth.
I have heard it said that competition is the best means for creating the best in an individual. I have to agree that through competition, great things can be accomplished. Where I often disagree with people is in their notion that competition with others is the best means for greatness. As I stated, competition is great as it exposes people's weaknesses, however I feel that more focus should be placed on teaching people that it is more important to compete with oneself. It is the individual desire to be the best on can be that truly fosters greatness, not the desire to be better than another.
There is a flip side to the competition argument that I have also heard expressed. There are people who tell me that as they see it, competition pushes people to attempt things far too fast and too soon, which is dangerous and unhealthy. I have to say that this is not a product of competition explicitly, but is a product of competition in an environment where achievement over someone else is valued higher than the long term growth and wellness of the individual. If competition is used in an environment where people focus more on their safe and steady growth and less on short term results, then it should not be the case that persons will be injured from either attempting skills or things that are above them far too soon, or that their body suffers later from lack of physical and mental preparation for skills and techniques.
Done correctly, competition should foster good will within the community of individuals competing. It should be a way for a person to test themselves to see where they might need improvement on their path to knowing and improving themselves. In the end, competition is just a vehicle and it is the individual driving that determines the use, direction and destination that it will take them to.
-Sabomnim Slater-
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| posted at 05:50PM | comments |
| A New Hope |
 First of all, please accept my apology for not having updated this blog in a month.
Secondly, the answer to all your questions is no; this post has nothing to do with the Star Wars events that have been going on at the Dojang this month. This post is in regards to a conversation that I had with a student this past weekend. I will not name the student who I spoke with, as I would not want to incriminate this individual and spread the knowledge that they might be on the right path.
I was reminiscing with this individual, as I unfortunately find myself doing all to often now (a sure sign of old age I'm told), events that happened at the dojang in years past. I was attempting to gain some insight into the mind of the student and the child (as apparently I was never either of these) and then the topic shifted. Suddenly we were discussing the purpose of the martial arts and of training and of the instructors. The farther we got into this conversation, the less I spoke and the more I simply asked questions. This was not out of ignorance, but instead out of amazement. This student was telling me opinions that they had which I had never heard articulated by someone so young.
I'm sure you are all dying to know what untold truth, what secret of the universe this person told me aren't you? Well here it is;
"I just don't think a lot of the other students understand why they are [at the dojang] and what the instructors are there to do. At some point it clicked and that thing you always say, 'you only get out of the martial arts what you put into it' made sense. That you guys are just showing us how to make ourselves better, but we have to do it or nothing will change."
This isn't some revelation or philosophical revolution, it was just the fact that this person understood personal responsibility enough to articulate it and notice it, or a lack of it, in themselves and others.
I left that conversation feeling rather good about where the school was heading.
-Sabomnim Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 03:18PM | comments |
| Realism |
What do you think I mean when I say the word realism. I, as martial artist practice something that is used to cause harm to people. It is true that the ultimate goal of traditional martial arts is to never truly have to use that which we practice. This does not change that it is the art of controlling and/or breaking the body. With this in mind why in the world would I tell the students I teach that they need to practice more realistically? My old gymnastics coach had a saying, “Practice what you play in”. She was referring to our uniform of course, but that phrase could be twisted be applied to my question. Instead of practice in what you play in, the phrase could become “Practice how you play.” playing referring to of course an actual fight and practice referring to practicing/training.
Our over goal is the safety of all our students while we train them in the ways of martial arts. What must be remembered is that we are teaching students to defend themselves from an attacker. That attacker is not going to pull punches. If he/she hits you he/she is not to going to wait for the pain to stop to continue a fight. For these reason I tell students that when they are training that they need to act as if someone is really attacking them. Whether it is basics, forms, one step sparring, self defense, or sparring, a student must take it seriously. He/She should put power into every technique that they perform. A student should hit their partner when sparring, one step sparring, and self defense. I am not saying that they a student should full power hit their partner but a level of realism is needed if students want to be prepared for a real attacker. With this realism both students get a sense of what an actual fight is like. The student who is attacker is not only practicing more realistically and more likely to attack that way in a real situation, but he/she also gets a sense of what it is like to strike a person. The defending student or student being attack gets a sense of what happens when he/she is attacked. What the attack feels like, and how it affect their body to a smaller degree.
-Instructor Michael King-
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| posted at 02:55PM | comments |
| Give Them What They Want? |
Our 'Traditional Training' summer camp started today. It appears the Leites will be having private lessons all week. I got to spend our entire afternoon class just fine tuning their one-step sparring techniques. These next two weeks should turn out to be a great investment for their parents.
This camp was added when there was an outcry last year that we needed to offer a summercamp that covered the information and techniques that are covered in our core curriculum. So we replaced our Exhibition Camp(learning how to perform in demos) with a camp designed to help the students work towards their next belt. We have 3 students confirmed for camp this week.
I'm not sure what this tells me. Does it go to show that without a gimmick or theme, the martial arts at its essence is no longer appealing? Is it just that these two weeks are the most popular two weeks for everyone to go on vacation? I'm not really sure. I do know one thing though, Action Movie Camp's enrollment is is always high.
-Master Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 08:32PM | comments |
| Humans are Trees |
During an interview recently I was asked what was one of my sort of 'codes' that I live by. I hate answering questions like this. These questions make me feel overly philosophic and preachy. I ended up giving him a quote that I read sometime in the past 2 years that has stuck with me and really guided my outlook on life and training in particular.
'People are like trees; if they aren't growing, they're dying.'
That's it. That quote really sums it up. Basically, the second that you stop attempting to expand yourself and your possibilities physically and mentally you start decreasing.
Why do some teenagers turn to destructive behaviors such as doing drugs and alcohol and vandalizing the property of others? They are not growing. They do not see the value in their life that comes with experiencing personal growth.
Why to 40 something year old men and women who are bitter from a 5 year old divorce resort to malice and allow anger to rule him? They are not growing. They do not see that even hardship is a chance to learn and improve oneself for the next time.
Try to live each day being a better version of yourself. Bea better martial artist than you were yesterday, be a better student, teacher, father, mother, brother, citizen, fisherman ... whatever. Doing this gives one purpose and happiness.
I personally try to train and grow constantly for two reasons:
1 - I want to be strong and useful for myself and others. The more I know and the more strength, flexibility, and skill I have, the better equipped I will be in any situation.
2 - I see no better purpose in life than to make the most of it by becoming the best you can be.
I recommend trying to live life with the goal of being the best you can be in everything you do, because as Samuel Butler once said;
"Every man's work, whether it be literature or music or pictures or anything else, is always a portrait of himself."
-Master Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 02:42PM | comments |
| Mom and Dad |
With Mothers Day having just passed and with Fathers Day around the corner, I have found myself thinking of Mom and Dad. Mine did so much to make it possible for me to be who I am and where I am today.
Dad
If I had to sum up my Dad in one word, it would be selfless. My dad used to drive home (Pasadena) from work (Ft. Meade) at 5pm, feed my brother and I, then turn right around and take us to our 6pm martial arts class (also at Ft. Meade) 3 days a week for 2 hours a class. He did class with my brother and I from day 1, which created this bond between the three of us. At that time there were no other children training under Master Shelton, so the three of us were in class together. If we wanted to train at home, he would train with us. He made sure we were at most every event SMA did no matter how much time it took up. On Fridays and Saturdays, if we wanted to stay after class and train in the dojang, he would just sit and watch us train with Master Shelton's sons for hours on end.
Needless to say, He gave up a lot of time for us. If he had not done that, there is no way that I would be the person I am today, as spending so much time with the martial arts has shaped my life.
Mom
My mom was always understanding. Even when she didn't understand why, she understood what was important. When we came home late because we wanted to train and extra hour at the dojang, yes she was upset, but she understood how much it meant to us so in the end it was ok. When I came home with dislocated fingers, or broken bones, or any of the countless numbers of bruises and rug/dobok burns, she was worried, but she understood that there was something in what I was doing that was good for me. She understood that it was also important for us to have as much interaction with the martial arts with her outside the dojang as we did with my Dad inside the dojang. Thus, my mom sat through countless cheesy martial arts and anime films at the theater and at home for us. She might not have understood what about these characters and the poorly acted storylines they were in appealed to me, but she understood that not being some part of such a large part of her sons life would not be a good idea. My mom didn't do the martial arts, it just wasn't her thing. She didn't go to many tournaments, she didn’t come to many Gup tests, but she was there at every promotion that she could get to. She understood that the martial arts was my journey, my fight. She understood that it was something that she would not be able to help me with, but that she could show that she supported my journey.
I look back and see that without my parents love, support, and sacrifice I would be a completely different person. I look around at some of the students we train now and I feel sorry. The journey of a martial artist is a very hard one without the support of friends and family. I have seen very few students who make it without that support.
If you are a student reading this, I suggest you thank your mom and dad. Odds are they are the reason you are at SMA. They are the ones who get you to class, pay for your uniforms, and take you to events. Without them, where would you be?
Thank you Mom and Dad.
-Master Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 08:01PM | comments |
| Red belt: Honor for your School |
Last week I had the pleasure of seeing the movie “Red belt”. I quickly realized that this movie was more about martial arts concepts than it was about actual combat. Three of the concepts that were in the movie were “honor of your school”, “purity of the art”, and “the belt.” The first concept is something that we try to instill in all of our students. This concept means having respect for your school and master. A student’s actions should never bring misfortune or disgrace to the school they belong to. All students should strive to help make the school a better place for current students and new/potential students who have or possibly will just start studying martial arts. In this movie a student of the main character, a master of Ju-Jitsu, goes to great lengths not to bring dishonor to the school’s reputation. Now for anyone who sees this movie, we are not asking that you go to the length that this individual did, but you should do as much as possible for your school. Recent events such as raffle ticket sales, our school’s demonstration, and other fundraisers or events such as the spaghetti dinner. By showing up to these events and giving effort to help set up or break down these events are ways that you can give back to your school, these are all ways to honor your school.
The Second concept is an interesting one, and in my opinion applies later in a martial artist’s life. What the master explained as the “purity of the art” was only using what he taught and practiced as a way of defending oneself, and never for competition. Now I agree and disagree with this notion. I agree because the full contact of a martial art is never to be used unless in a dire situation. The concepts that a martial artist is taught are ways to disable another person. This can range anywhere from forcing unconsciousness to if the need arises taking life. Although I feel a martial artist should only use what is taught to them in critical situations, for a beginning martial artist tournaments are a way to stay interested. As an instructor I find that students nowadays (children especially) in general are no longer purely interested in learning how to defend oneself, it HAS to be fun. Martial arts is not always fun, it shouldn’t always be fun. Practicing martial arts is hard work that you only master through repetition and hard work. There is the thought that by sparring the same person over and over again you will get into a rhythm that they won’t be able to break. This shouldn’t be the case since a martial artist should be able to adapt to the situation. This concept is interesting, for once I cease to compete then the only reason I continue practicing is for the possible situation of needing to defend oneself. A true martial artist will accept that he is training something that he may never actually use, but self defense isn’t only the point of the training.
The Final concept, “The Belt”, refers to the Black Belt (in our style Midnight Blue). I have a strong opinion and highly agree with how the movie explained the belt. This is a concept that doesn’t only apply to the Black Belt though; it can apply to any belt. It is what the belt means. If I you train and train, striving for the certain belt does the moment you receive it make you any different than the moment you before you received it. The answer in my opinion is it does not. A belt is simply a status. If you are training to become a better martial artist the belt should come because you have properly learned the techniques not because you think you have trained long enough to acquire it. You can train for a year being taught the same technique over and over again, but if you don’t know the technique should you be rewarded for the time you spent training alone? In my opinion no, there are no freebies in this world. A person must work hard to achieve something it will not simply be given to him/her. In conclusion these three concepts are one that we could base much of our behavior as martial artists both in and out of the school.
__Kyo Sa Nim Michael King__
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| posted at 06:39PM | comments |
| Patience |
Woodrow Wilson once said “All things come to him who waits - provided he knows what he is waiting for.”
What is this ability to wait for something that may or may not come? We who speak the English language call it patience. Patience is a person’s ability to be patient (being calm or without complain, not being hasty). Patience is important to a martial artist because this art just like any other hobby, interest, sport or anything that a person likes to do will take time. For example a collector is not going to have every single volume or item of their interest right with they start collecting. The same applies to a martial artist you should not expect yourself as a white to be as good as a Dan (midnight blue belt) in a short amount of time.
I break Patience while training into two separate parts mental patience and physical patience. A person’s mental patience is highly dependent on that person’s mental maturity. A child is going to have much less patience that an adult that is a given. Regardless of age a person will still have to work at their mental maturity. This involves disciplining oneself to not bite off more than you can chew so to speak. A person regardless of age should not try to learn everything at once. Take the martial arts slow and calmly learn what is being taught. A person should not just learn something though they should learn it correctly, such as in forms learning each techniques properly and have the discipline not to modify it simply because you feel it is better that way.
Moving on to physical patience which is connected in a slight way to mental patience since everything is connected to the brain. Physical patience differs in that it concerns your body and not so much the mind. A person should know the limitations of their own body. Knowing your limitation is important so that you do not overstrain your body and cause injury to yourself. This is something that everyone even I have to work on. I speak of myself because I find that I injure myself while training every now and then and it is something that I continue to work on. Only knowing your limitations is not enough you must be able to endure the often lengthy periods of gaining a more suitable body to train martial arts. Stamina, flexibility, strength, etc… these are all that a body is not immediately going to get used to. These physical aspects are something that are worked on over time and get better little by little. Often times these changes can go noticed to the person who is training them but be assured that your body will progressively become better attuned to the training.
Getting away from training oneself, there is one other reason patience is a virtue that I want to cover. Teaching, once you have reached the stage where you would like to start giving back and helping the school that brought you up from a white belt to where you are now. Teaching can be a sometimes difficult thing to do. Even as a 3rd degree midnight blue I am constantly learning about news ways to better my teaching skills. An instructor is going to have to be patient with two things. Firstly, he/she will have to be patient with themselves. Teaching is not some magical ability you gain when you put on your 1st Dan. You could ask any of our current Cho Kyo Nim’s have they feel about teaching, and I am fairly positive that you will get response such “I am not sure what I am doing” or “I don’t think I am that good of an instructor.” This is because teaching just like training in martial arts takes a lot of time to get used to. I was not even close to the instructor that I am today after I was promoted to 1st Dan, but over the around 5 years that I have been teaching I have gotten much better at it. The second part of teaching that an instructor must have patience with is the student. Whether the student is an adult, teen, or child an instructor must calmly teach. He/she should never let themselves become frustrated with a student. Often times a student is going to struggle with a technique that we as instructors feel is an easy technique, but we were also once in their shoes, or rather feet, not being able to grasp a technique. It is over time that we have mastered that technique and it has become easy for us.
So in short patience a martial arts is possibly the greatest asset that we could posses. Being able to stay calm regardless of how difficult something becomes is what creates a good student, instructor and can lead to mastery of anything.
--Kyo Sah Nim Michael King--
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| posted at 04:16PM | comments |
| Empty Your Cup |
"Are you going to teach me the 'No Shadow Kick'; or how about the ' Buddha's Palm'? In Virtua FIghter there was this guy who used the iron elbow and the buddha palm."
"You want to learn Kung Fu, but you already know so much. 'Iron Elbow', 'Buddha's Palm'! Pfff! Your cup is already full! How can I add to your cup when it is full? Empty your cup!"
Ok, it's not a word for word quote, but that is a quote (as close as I can get to it from memory) from the new release 'The Forbidden Kingdom'. In this scene the American Traveler, Jason, is asking Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) about what he is going to teach him. There are many excellent quotes about training and the martial arts in this movie. This one is not my favorite, however this one stuck with me a little more than the others.
I see this in children now and again here at the Dojang. They see the Power Rangers or Avatar and want to learn to spin hook kick, or 'bend air' right away. They practice these little made up combinations of moves they do not know before class, and stare off during class, bored with down block and front kick, or they are the first to ask to go to the bathroom conveniently during the warm ups.
Now I will admit that fantasy and action martial arts TV and films are what drew me to the martial arts. But Master Shelton told me within the first few weeks of training that I would never get to do the things I see these characters do unless I perfect the foundations that he was teaching me. i had to forget everything I thought I knew so that I could eventually actually learn them.
This is an important lesson that most people should carry with them in life; the second you decide you know everything about something is the second you condemn yourself to stagnation. Only when you leave room for yourself to be wrong can you maintain the capacity for growth.
Not soon after this scene in the movie, there is a montage of our main character Jason being trained by his two masters; the Silent Monk and the Drunken Immortal. I was so glad they included this in this movie. This sequence reminded me of the training scenes in movie like Bloodsport and Kickboxer. Jason is broken down physically and mentally so that he can be built back up as a martial artist. As we see his hard training we hear his masters teaching him through double speak and riddles common to Eastern Philosophy.
The entire training sequence fits so well with the concept of "emptying your cup". This section of the movie very poignantly illustrates that in order to learn something like the martial arts, you have to be ready to forget everything and to do anything in order to become what you thought you wanted to become.
Excellent lessons from a modern source. I can only hope that people pick up on them, and that they are not lost in the grandeur of the story and visuals of the film.
-Master Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 08:29PM | comments |
| 'The Way of No Way' isn't possible without having 'Some Way' |
I was reading an article in the most recent Black Belt Magazine that discussed the difference between Mixed Martial Arts and Martial Arts. While discussing this topic with some of my training partners last week the topic of Bruce Lee came up. They began spouting that Bruce Lee was the original Mixed Martial Artist and that Jeet Kun Do is the best way to train for combat. This of course spawned the discussion of what exactly Jeet Kun Do is.
You see, Jeet Kun Do in itself is a paradox. It is a named system that is created of many systems so that there is no one system. It is often referred to as 'The Way of No Way'. It is also known as 'The Way of the Intercepting Fist', however many people prefer to use the first title as it gives them the freedom to do as they please with the discipline.
I stayed quiet for most of the conversation that my friends and I were having. It was interesting to hear them justify their take on Jeet Kun Do. One of them said that it was a revolt against formal styles, and that it was revolutionary because it could defeat any style. Another of my friends said that it wasn't revolutionary, that without any formal system it was just a fancy name for 'Fight Club'.
When I was finally asked to interject, I was hesitant at first. While my friends were liberally educated, they tend to be quite stubborn so one is left waisting their breath in an attempt to actually discuss something with them. In this instance though they genuinely wanted my opinion on the matter, so I gave it.
Most people, even many Jeet Kun Do practitioners, have Bruce Lee's philosophy all wrong. What Bruce Lee was trying to do was not get rid of formal and traditional styles, but move beyond them. Most people get stuck spouting tales of the grandeur and efficiency of one style over another. They get so fixed in one way that they fail to express the possibilities of the human body by opening their minds to other forms of training. What Bruce Lee seems to have tried to do was show people a way to escape this.
What people fail to realize is that without grounding in a formal style, growth and expansion is not possible. Bruce Lee Mastered Wing Chun Kung Fu. It was only then that he was able to take what he had learned and expound upon it. It was only then that he could make what he knew fitting for himself. Only after becoming proficient in a set way can one begin to create a way of their own.
I end up in a discussion similar to this a few times a year.
"If all you do is punching and kicking, then what happens when you run into a grappler, or a boxer, or ... (the list goes on)".
They see Tang Soo Do as a restrictive style with all of its formalities, rules, and definitions for each technique and pattern. What they fail to realize is that that is what Tang Soo Do starts as. There is a system beyond the basics of Tang Soo Do that most people see. It is a system of awareness of your self, your opponent, and your environment that goes beyond just striking. It is here that Tang Soo Do becomes what you want, but only here, once you have learned how those before you got to where they are.
In truth, most truly traditional systems are like this. They are systems bound by a certain code that focused on a certain area of proficiency before expanding the realm of possibilities that the practitioner has to work with. Imagine if when you started studying Math in Elementary School they showed you everything from adding to Linear Algebra to Differential Calculus. Scary right. There is a reason that there is a building block approach to things, and only after you get a good foundation can you start exploring how to make something work for you.
Needless to say, my training partners found that interpretation of Bruce Lee's Theories and Philosophy to downplay the scope of what he did or was trying to do. They are entitled to their opinions though.
-Master Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 08:38PM | comments |
| The 3 parts to training in any physical discipline |
In any discipline, the training is broken down into three parts which are, essentially: warmup/conditioning, skills drilling, and (for lack of a better term) global practice. I would argue that there is actually also a fourth part which could be called peformance, which I'll explain in more detail below.
In m opinion a practitioner must engage in all three parts of training on a regular basis (ideally in every training session) to be effective in his/her discipline. For example:
Martial Arts: every class consists of calisthenics and stance work (warmup/conditioning), punching and kicking drills (skills drilling; forms practice could also go here), and forms practice/sparring/ self-defense (global practice).
Ballet: every class consists of barre work (warmup/conditioning and skills drilling combined) and centre work (skills drilling and global practice combined).
When I've observed various sports practices after school (I don't coach but I have played football, and in college I studied on the green by the athletics fields in college and even had to shadow an assistant coach as an assignment in sports management), they also follow a similar pattern: calisthenics to warmup and condition, position drills (or holds, or dribbling and passing drills, etc.), and then scrimmage matches.
The idea is that you need to develop three things: a body conditioned for the work which you will ask of it, superb technique, and a coordinated sense of putting together the skills in a meaningful way. So that is how you train. You can not hope to excel in any physical discipline without working on all three of these aspects. If you neglect conditioning you could injure yourself, or not be able to do a certain movement simply because of your physical limitations. If you neglect skill work you will lack precision and control, which can once again lead to injury from improper execution or simply failing to complete your objective. If you neglect global practice then you will not have the training to put together the skills you have trained separately.
The "performance" part I mentioned before is sort of the top tier of training, after skills and technique have been confidently established. The performance aspect is an important component to the overall development of an athlete in that it develops readiness and mental agility. This is the stage that helps the individual ensure that they can turn the rest of their training on when needed and still perform as though conditions were optimal. In martial arts, it could be considered competitions, a demonstration in front of the class or in public, or even having to use one's training in a real-life defensive situation. In sports, it's the game situation.
IMO anyone who trains in a physical discipline or athletic pursuit needs to work on all three (preferably four) components equally for a balanced approach to development as an athlete. Skills will develop in each area at different rates: some martial artists have really good conditioning and power but weaker technique; for others it's vice-versa. However training in all areas ensures that your skills develop evenly over time and you become a more well-rounded individual with a solid foundation of training to support your practice.
-Master Samuel Slater-
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| posted at 01:51PM | comments |
| Friend or Rival? |
Which would you Rather Have?
Some would believe that a rival is the same thing as an enemy. This could not be further from the truth. A rival is defined by Webster as “one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess”, whereas an enemy is “one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent”. The major difference is that a rival is not trying to cause harm they simply want to be better than the person they are competing with. A rival can be the best thing in the world to have when you are trying to achieve a specific goal. The reason rivals are so convenient is because they will push you to do your very best. They usually will not do this intentionally, but without realizing it happens. I can personally admit that sometimes a rivalry can get out of hand and become dangerous for the two who are rivals. This happens because one person wants to outdo the other so much so that they will do something possibly dangerous to achieve it, something they wouldn’t normally do.
On the other hand you have a friend. Friends will be there to help you and push you. As Master Slater said in the blog titled “You don't know what you've got until it's gone”, a friend will help, push, and aid you. A friend would tell you whether he/she thinks what you are doing is a bad idea and you shouldn’t do it. This could lead you to not taking the risk of tying whatever that might be. The problem I find with that is you never know what good things can come from dangerous situations.
I relate this to my experience as a gymnast. I was not really friendly with the people on my team. In my opinion they were people I wanted to be better than. Though we supported each other as teammates we all strived to be better than each other. In a way this helped more, considering during that season we all improved tremendously. How this relates to dangerous situations is that gymnastics is a very dangerous sport to practice. Any wrong moves and you could instantly find yourself paralyzed or even die from an attempted skill. I am not trying to scare anyone away from the sport. I simply feel people need to be aware of the choices you make in life, and who is influencing those choice if anyone.
In short I feel that a rival is better to have than a friend when doing any type of physical activity. They will push you more than in my opinion a friend could. In addition you will want to push yourself more than you would normally since you are trying your best to be better than you rival. Having rivals in the past has taught me that you can achieve anything on your own, but it doesn’t hurt to have that extra push.
-Kyo Sah Nim Michael King-
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| posted at 07:43PM | comments |
| Wednesday, February 20, 2008 |
| Perseverance |
"In the confrontation between the rock and the stream. The stream will always win. Not through strength but by perseverance".
As martial artist our training is designed to teach us how to not give up, but to overcome any obstacle placed in our way. Many times in our training, the regiment is so tough that sometimes our mind tries to convince our body that we can't get through it and we need to just ease up and back off or just totally give up. As instructors, we hear our students during their leaning of new techniques the words "I can't get this or I can't do this or that technique". We forget that not everything comes easy. Some individuals learn certain skills faster than others. What we must remember, that as we grow in the martial arts we work at developing a mindset that we can accomplish anything we really want. Our goal should be to perfect our skills to the best of our ability,but to the best that we can do and never let anything or anyone keep us from our achievements.
When I was coming up through the martial arts, my struggle was with learning forms. After class was over I would walk home with my other classmates and as soon as I got in the house (after an eight hour workout) I would go back over my forms, again and again until I had it down pat. When I went to class the next week I knew the outward expression of the form that I had struggled through the week prior. Anything that was an obstacle in my life experiences I took as a challenge and faced it head on. I wouldn't let it stop me until I conquered it, rather it was in the martial arts or in my daily life. I didn't let it wear me down, but I kept at it until I wore it down and overcame it.
Sometimes it is ok to meet challenges in our life head on, but at other times it maybe necessary to find another path to overcome the challenge placed before you. It is not always the head on approach that allows us to achieve our goals but sometimes when we pull back and open our minds to other possibilities on how to overcome the challenge in front of us that we in the end achieve the goal.
Our martial arts training should forge our mind and bodies to the realization that as we focus on the challenges we face, we develop a mindset that allows us to overcome "PERSEVERE" through the tough times and breeze through the easy times in our life journeys.
Master Shelton
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| posted at 10:31PM | comments |
| Saturday, February 2, 2008 |
| You don't know what you've got until it's gone |
I know I promised that Master Shelton would post, however I had to reflect upon the following topic.
When I was growing up training in the martial arts, one of the driving forces in my life was my training partner, Master Damiano Shelton. He and I were constantly testing, pushing, and aiding each other in our training. If we had a problem with a form, or dealing with a certain techniques, even if it was a technique that one of us was using on the other, we always helped each other get past it. At one point we would come in and train together on our own either Friday nights after adult class left at 10pm, or Saturday afternoons after all of the classes were done at noon. We would be in the dojang for 2, 3, sometimes 5 or 6 hours training.
Even outside the dojang we supported each other's passion for the martial arts. Most weekends we could be found spending the night at each other's houses. If we went to or rented movies, we were always looking for a martial arts film or an anime we had never seen. Everything we did had some ties to martial arts.
When I went to college, our interactions dwindled, however we kept in touch, and trained occasionally when we had the time. Since that time we had only been an hour away from each other at most; however yesterday, February 1st, Master Damiano Shelton moved to Utah. His departure has had me reminiscing about our times together, and has made me realize that without such a training partner, I would not be who, what, or where I am today.
Knowing all of this, I say this to you: if you truly love the martial arts, find a friend who shares your passion. If you have one, appreciate what having a friend like that in your life. Do as much as you can with them, as often as you can.
Master Damiano and I will still keep in touch, and we will see each other on several occasions throughout the year, however it is highly unlikely that I will find a training partner or friend like him.
Good luck Master Damiano.
-Master Samuel W Slater-
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| posted at 09:44AM | comments |
| Doesn't Anybody Remember Veruca Salt? |
Well? I mentioned this name in reference to a student withing the past week and I got some strange looks. At first I let it go, thinking that perhaps many children today never saw Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Then I was reminded that there was a remake of the movie in 2005. So then I thought, perhaps the lesson that I learned from her character in that movie just didn't stick to most people like it stuck to me.
So who was Veruca? She was the spoiled rich girl in Willy Wonka who melodically shouted "Don't care how, I want it NOW!" Bringing back memories? One thing that I loved about this movie as a child was that it put a mirror up to certain flaws that all children have and showed us just why we should or should not act certain ways. Augustus Gloop illustrated our need for self restraint, Violet Beauregarde showed us that being over-competitive and having too much pride can be a devastating downfall, and Mike Teevee was our example of how when laziness, violence, and a large ego are left unchecked they change us into insociable shells of what we might otherwise be.
So why have I picked on Veruca Salt? Because many people work so hard to work against the traits that these other children had that were undesirable, but not quite so hard on that trait that sets Veruca apart from everyone else ... greed. I am not speaking of greed in the sense a person wants all the money and nice things in the world as she did. The greed I speak of is of a different nature. This is the greed spawned of impatience. The "I want it now!" attitude.
I will not pretend that I have been teaching or training or lived long enough to be some all knowing guuru, but I will say that one thing that both saddens and frustrates me more that most others is this attitude when presented towards the Martial Arts. The Martial Arts are not about belts, and patches, and how many forms you know. They are about what you can learn about yourself, physically and mentally, through the practice of techniques and concepts. Think of it this way, are you really any different the day before you test than you are the day after, or even the week after when you are promoted? Now perhaps if you measure your progress in months or years you might see differences, but will the differences you see be the color of your belt and the number of forms you know, or will they be the way you carry yourself, the awareness you have of your body?
So that brings me back to Veruca's quote "Don't care how, I want it NOW!" That's the wrong attitude. I care how, and I care more about how than I do about when. The only thing I agree with Veruca on is that you should want it. But don't just want something to say you have it and then move on. Want something so bad you'll do anything to earn it, because once you earn it, nobody can take it away from you.
Just a thought.
So who out there is really reading these? I have yet to receive any comments on the first post I made. And if you don't like my choice of topics or my writing style, don't worry, Master Shelton will be posting soon I assure you.
Master Samuel W. Slater
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| posted at 04:46PM | comments |
| Wednesday, January 2, 2008 |
| Goals and Dreams |
What is the difference between a goal, and a dream? Which is more important?
Most people I discuss that first question with tell me that they feel a goal is something that you can achieve, and a dream is fantasy, something that is unattainable. I have been thinking about goals and dreams a lot lately, and I decided that their relationship is a little more complex than "one is real" and "one is fake". I'll explain.
Where many people see goals as an end, I see them as a means to an end. A goal is a device used to give you perspective. Something that pushes you to work hard. But what happens when you achieve a goal? Is that the end? I say no. There is always beyond, always more. More to do, more to see, more to experience, more to become.
So if a goal is a stepping stone to that which follows, but if there is always something more then what is the end? What is the final goal? Well, if goals are tangible, achievable, measurable things, then there can be no end goal. This is where dreams come in to play.
Often tossed aside as childish and left like old dolls, comics, action figures, and storybooks in the attic of your mind, dreams are your unattainable end. They are those things you strive for, yet will never reach. It is dreams that fuel the flames emotion and desire. Many people trade dreams for goals, because they fail to realize that dreams keep you forever young. Like a tree, if you are not growing, you are dying. If you have reached your goals and no longer have the untouchable sky and heavens to look up to, then where are you going?
So what about that second question? Which is more important? Based upon my rant thus far you might expect me to say dreams ... but you would be wrong. Neither of the two is more important than the other, for neither works without the other. If you have a dream, but cannot create the goals to reach them, whether long term or short term, then your dream is of no use to you because you are not motivated to grow towards it. If you have goals, but no dream, you will at some point stagnate.
So what's the point of all of this? It's very simple. Find a dream, and make it impossible. Figure out what you need to do to try to get there. Start walking.
Just remember, you're never going to get there ... but you'll have fun trying.
I appreciate you taking the time to read my rantings. Hopefully this at least half as fun for you to follow as it was for me to attempt to articulate it. And remember, nothing is set in stone.
Master Samuel W. Slater
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| posted at 10:37PM | comments |
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