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Monthly Message: May 2008
Fellow Karate-ka:
A few weeks ago, I gave myself a lesson
in diligence. I had to work a double shift guarding a place where no one
was for roughtly 10 of the 16 hrs I was on duty. In that time, I trained
for the solid 10 hours, on the speed in my right arm. I would hold a
piece of legal pad paper in my left hand, and fingerjab it with my
middle and index fingers of my right hand. I would not stop jabbing that
piece of paper until I punched a hole through it. That usually happened
first from wear than from my finger. A few times, likely a dozen out of
hundreds of jabs I had thrown, actually worked.
After 10 hours, and countless legal pads,
I was finally down to the last sheet on the last pad. I pulled it off
the cardboard, and said to myself "last one, give it all I've got". I
calmed myself, did all I could to feed strength into my demolished right
arm, and jabbed as fast and as hard as I could.
To my surprise, I got it through the last
sheet on the first shot.
This is a lesson in diligence. I worked
all night, until I ran out of the material used to train. Ten solid
hours, with barely a break for water or restroom. I had trouble typing
for several days afterwards. I seriously destroyed my arm. I know when
it heals, I will not be that fast, but I have grown stronger, and I have
grown faster. It will not take as many sheets next time. I stayed
diligent, a good 6 hours after my arm started to hurt.
Being diligent pays off in the end. It
may not be as much as you want it too, but it will pay off. Diligence is
not doing as I did, and training for ten hours, but only doing it once.
That is just stupidity. True diligence is repeated acts of stupidity.
This is the mindset of a warrior. It is
not to stop because something is uncomfortable, because we can push
ourselves so much further than simple pain. One cannot grow, unless
they push themselves beyond their limits. With Patience, Dedication,
and Spirit, all things are possible.
This
is the way.
Miko Sensei
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