Monday, January 30, 2006
Eyes on the road
Life is good. I'm usually pretty upbeat and chipper, but lately things have just seemed "nicer."
Tonight was my first night back at the studio since sometime in late September or early October. For the most part I just jumped back into the routine of things and got my sparring on. Seth and I did some half-speed stuff for about 10 minutes and it felt great. I'm definitely nowhere near where I was a few years ago, but I suppose that's the price one pays for developing other interests and maintaining money for an education.
It's funny to think that when I was a senior in high school I had the option to become a professional martial arts instructor. I joined the USSD's instructor's academy and went religiously. There were a few weeks I was running a school by myself and conducting all the classes. I was there for the periodic 6am Saturday workouts. It is exceptionally difficult to forget the feeling one develops while doing kata as the sun rises.
That was my life for nearly two years now that I think about it. To this day I have yet to earn my black belt, but I'm damn close in a system that doesn't award many of them. Actually, I might finally be up for testing for the rank of Shodan this summer. Coincidentally the United Studios will be making another trip to China this year and I plan on attending. How awesome would that be? Testing for my black belt in China, home of the Shaolin Temple, and have rank conferred by the head Abbot as well as Grand Master Matera. I think that would easily be one of those "life defining" moments.
It's been a long journey. When I started I must have been a fairly bright-eyed 16 or 17 year old. Now I'm 23 and the last belt is on the horizon. One of the reasons I love the arts so much is because of the cues it takes from real life. It helps develop a sense of appreciation for progress and the three distinct roles we take in life. Most of the Chinese arts don't observe belts because they feel it dilutes the purpose. For them there are only three ranks 1) student 2) disciple 3) master. For the systems that do observe belts, the transition from the colored belts to a black belt is the change from student to disciple.
Sometimes we spend tremendous years of our life working on something or progressing toward a goal that seems infinitely far away. Then, one day that goal is at hand and we're almost forced to stop and simply say "wow, I did this."
That's how I feel about a lot of things in my life right now. The years of effort I put in to earn a black belt in Shaolin Kempo. The years of effort I put in to finish computer science. The years of keeping my head up and just being me to have the best friends and family I could ever ask for.
Given the opportunity I'd gladly do it all again and invest all the same effort on round two. Granted, perhaps another path would be just as fun and rewarding...
---
Old Japanese Proverb:
There are two kinds of fools in Japan. Those who never climb Mount Fuji, and those who climb it twice.
Tonight was my first night back at the studio since sometime in late September or early October. For the most part I just jumped back into the routine of things and got my sparring on. Seth and I did some half-speed stuff for about 10 minutes and it felt great. I'm definitely nowhere near where I was a few years ago, but I suppose that's the price one pays for developing other interests and maintaining money for an education.
It's funny to think that when I was a senior in high school I had the option to become a professional martial arts instructor. I joined the USSD's instructor's academy and went religiously. There were a few weeks I was running a school by myself and conducting all the classes. I was there for the periodic 6am Saturday workouts. It is exceptionally difficult to forget the feeling one develops while doing kata as the sun rises.
That was my life for nearly two years now that I think about it. To this day I have yet to earn my black belt, but I'm damn close in a system that doesn't award many of them. Actually, I might finally be up for testing for the rank of Shodan this summer. Coincidentally the United Studios will be making another trip to China this year and I plan on attending. How awesome would that be? Testing for my black belt in China, home of the Shaolin Temple, and have rank conferred by the head Abbot as well as Grand Master Matera. I think that would easily be one of those "life defining" moments.
It's been a long journey. When I started I must have been a fairly bright-eyed 16 or 17 year old. Now I'm 23 and the last belt is on the horizon. One of the reasons I love the arts so much is because of the cues it takes from real life. It helps develop a sense of appreciation for progress and the three distinct roles we take in life. Most of the Chinese arts don't observe belts because they feel it dilutes the purpose. For them there are only three ranks 1) student 2) disciple 3) master. For the systems that do observe belts, the transition from the colored belts to a black belt is the change from student to disciple.
Sometimes we spend tremendous years of our life working on something or progressing toward a goal that seems infinitely far away. Then, one day that goal is at hand and we're almost forced to stop and simply say "wow, I did this."
That's how I feel about a lot of things in my life right now. The years of effort I put in to earn a black belt in Shaolin Kempo. The years of effort I put in to finish computer science. The years of keeping my head up and just being me to have the best friends and family I could ever ask for.
Given the opportunity I'd gladly do it all again and invest all the same effort on round two. Granted, perhaps another path would be just as fun and rewarding...
---
Old Japanese Proverb:
There are two kinds of fools in Japan. Those who never climb Mount Fuji, and those who climb it twice.
# posted by Chris/Stewy @ Monday, January 30, 2006 
