Many more leave than stay. That’s a given. The hard work and seemingly small reward would be daunting to even more if they knew how truly tough the training is. A comment made today at my student’s jujitsu class was”we train hard so we can deal successfully with the stresses, trials and tribulations of life. I disagree. But why do some stay?

I train to come into harmony with nature so I do not have to struggle so much, to allow nature to show me the way, to flow with, not against. My senior student read an article which stated that some, not all back pain comes about as a direct result of exterior problems not mentally resolved. That author may be on to something. Many people carry around the weight of the world. In fact a question asked in one book I read was this: “Do you see yourself living in a fundamentally hostile universe, or a friendly universe?” The answer pretty much dictates how you live your life and what you perceive yourself to be in conflict with. That’s just about fighting, my friend. My life is so much more than that. Is yours? But why do some stay?

I rarely catch colds. I’ve only had the flu once in my life. And I attribute this to not only my lifestyle but my thought processes. A large part of that is controlling my emotions. An angry man can usually be controlled much easier than a calm one. An angry man is easily taken advantage of. Whenever I find myself getting angry I immediately go inward and question. Then consider another point of view, the other person’s perspective. Anger dissolves. I move on.

With martial arts training it gets easier. An added plus is the older I get the easier it gets. Then there is “Teaching” while training which gets me to that doorway in a much safer environment. I teach myself as much as I teach my students. In fact, teaching students is really learning to reinforce my these ideas in own mind. So this whole thing is in fact very, very selfish. It’s all about me. But selfishness can be a good thing, right? But why do some stay?

Some stay because they like the challenge and begin to sense the possibilities. Some stay because they get that taste of inspiration. Some stay because they feel a sympathetic vibration from the teacher, other students or from dojo itself. They realize that this may be their last best opportunity to truly test themselves in a danger filled physical environment, especially if they encounter the sword.

Why do you stay?

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