BEING COMMITTED

 by Phillip Starr

Most of you are very much aware that the vast majority of martial arts practitioners give up and quit training for a variety of reasons, and most of them do so long before they reach the stage of black belt. One of my students once decried this phenomenon. I told him that this has always been the case; it's simply the nature of the beast. Only a very few will truly commit themselves to the study and practice of martial arts.

But what does it mean? The dictionary defines “committing oneself” as, “to pledge oneself, to bind oneself to something.” Quitting (for any reason) is not an option. And such is the requirement for developing a high level of skill in any martial discipline (or anything else, for that matter); if you want to develop a high level of skill you must totally commit yourself to your training. It is arduous, oftentimes confusing, sometimes disappointing, frustrating, or discouraging, and both mentally and physically painful, but every discomfort must be overcome by continually forging and tempering yourself...not just your body – but your mind and spirit as well. This is what “being fully committed” means.

Not surprisingly, many of those who claim to aspire to achieving high levels of skill often come up with some pretty creative excuses for their inability to train as much as they need to. I'm reminded of a former student of mine who was a professor of accounting (and a CPA) at a local college. At the end of each semester, he handed out a small trophy to the student who had the most creative excuse for failing the final exam!

To be truly committed means that at different times along the path, you're going to have to make some sacrifices. The big question is whether or not you're willing to do it. It means making adjustments to your lifestyle; adjustments to your daily/weekly schedule. This isn't necessarily an easy thing to do. In fact, it's oftentimes quite uncomfortable. But it has to be done.

And how long does this kind of thing last? Forever. Commitment isn't a temporary thing. You will never reach a stage where you no longer need to practice and sweat. Certainly, some things become easier (because you've improved) over time but there will always be new horizons, new mountains to climb and even better, more exciting, discoveries! It never ends.