Commitment

 Perhaps the most noticeable and important part of being a martial artist is commitment.  This has become both a great quality as well as a burden for me at times.   In just about every martial arts school you will find, one of the “concepts” or “rules” is to always finish what you start.  We all know we should, however surprisingly many people don’t.  When I first started karate my father signed me up but once I reached orange belt I wanted to do ballet instead.  Karate was not my commitment at that point; it was an activity my parents signed me up for.  So one day near the end of the month, my dad had me talk to one of the female instructors before I quit.  She said she would give me a dance t shirt if I stayed.  So I decided to sign back up, karate wasn’t that bad anyway. 

After that I was committed and when I say committed, I mean there was no way out because I made the commitment this time.  Quitting was no longer an option.  Looking back I am glad it wasn’t.  Fulfilling commitments is not a skill that we are given, but a skill that is learned (or not).  I feel that I have somewhat mastered this skill.  I take pride in the fact that people know my word is good. 

Now on the flip side, while I am great at committing, I have a tendency to over commit.  With every commitment comes a sort of weight.  This is especially true as you get older.  The good news is martial arts is a great stress reliever, the catch is that training is a huge commitment.  It is not only a commitment to myself but to my instructor who puts the time and effort into training me, and my fellow students who also commit and need a partner in class.  When I decided to begin training again, I knew I was making a commitment.  I have since moved 1 hour away from my do jang.  Sometimes on my training days when I leave at 8am and do not return home until 10pm I ask myself why I made the commitment.  Every time I walk out of the do jang sweaty and tired I remember why, because karate is a part of who I am and the commitment is one that I have made to myself for myself.

I never did get that dance t-shirt that I was promised, but who would have know what I was really getting out of the deal I made when I was 7 years old.