It’s simple: a champion looks to his own failings first. When something goes wrong, he asks “what could I have improved? Where did I make a mistake? What will I do differently next time?” A schmuck looks for the closest easy target of blame, the best way to pass off responsibility for the failure. Surely the blame couldn’t rest with him!
A champion understands that, no matter how unfair a situation may be, we all bear at least some responsibility for the place in which we find ourselves. So we might as well look at our own participation in the problems of our lives, because we can’t change anyone else. How many displeased or even battered spouses have learned that lesson in truly horrible fashion? True, radical, life-altering change comes from within us, not from waiting for someone else to change so that we can be happy. With that realization comes this liberating truth: when we change ourselves, even if none of our circumstances change, our whole world changes. We are no longer wholly dependent on others, on money, on circumstances, on relationships, and so on, for happiness. We are whole, complete people. We are free. This is a very important point in our training.
Most people don’t understand why I teach my program for free. In fact, I’m not quite sure that anyone does. It is a burden for my students, not a blessing, and it is designed as such.
First, I am attempting to train you to receive a gift with grace, accepting something that is given freely and with all of my heart.
Second, I want you to learn to use what you are given, what you already have, responsibly and with clear eyes, not clouded by monetary values. How often do we take for granted that which is given freely: a friendship, a hug from our children, our spouses, and so on? We get complacent, entitled. That is when the universe tends to take these things away, as a difficult reminder that perhaps we should be more attentive to those things that are truly valuable to us.
When we pay for something, we know what to expect and what is expected. When we place monetary value on something, we know where its value falls in the grand scheme of things. Or at least we know where the world says it should fall. We know that brand names are more valuable because advertising tells us so, and thus we perpetuate the lie of the common rabble that I hope my students will rise above. In offering a free program, I ask you to do something much more difficult and character-building than paying my price: I ask you to place a value on my program. Not in terms of money, mind you. Money is cheap and unworthy compared to the relationship between a sensei and his students. What I value is your commitment and dedication. How much of those commodities are you willing to pay me?
I don’t need you to say “thank you.” In fact, I don’t really even want you to. Saying something is easy. Show me how you feel with perseverance, dedication, and consistency. Do you realize that the education you are receiving for free is better than any education you could buy from most teachers? The challenge for you, my students, is to see if you can rise to the opportunity that is presented to you. I spend most of my life working on my Tae Kwon Do classes for you. How much time do you give to Tae Kwon Do? If you’re happy with your progress, then you’re putting in the right amount. I don’t need you to be a black belt, or to be anything really. I just want my students to be happy with their TKD education. I suspect that, for some of you, you will be happier if you put in a little more effort outside of the dojo, working on your techniques on your own.
I don’t like having to say, “don’t take me for granted.” But sometimes I feel a bit compelled to. We have so little time on this earth together, and I have worked my whole life to present this knowledge to you, free of charge. I’m practically begging you to take it. If you want what I have, don’t waste a moment. The information that I give you is not free because it is worthless; it is free because it is priceless.
We don’t have much time.
Reality does not need or want to be changed. It has gone to great trouble to establish itself as it is, and it is perfect. This very world of today, as it appears before us in all its glory and horror, is the sacred landscape we live in. What is. Our role is not to arrogantly critique this Great Perfection, picking and choosing in it according to the conventional wisdom of the day; our job is simply to join in with it.
–John McClellan
Most modern students don’t realize that the belts we use in martial arts are a very modern convention, one that has only been used for just over 100 years. The link I’m including here presents the history of martial rank, including the much older menkyo system of certificates and teaching licenses (as opposed to the modern kyu/dan system).
http://www.e-budokai.com/articles/belts.htm
This article is well cited and provides lots of credible information. And it’s a good reminder that no rank is worth more than the instructor’s good (or bad) name. Each instructor decides for him- or herself what the various criteria will be for certain ranks, and no two instructors seem to feel the same way about it. As for me, I would rather have it be said that I am far, FAR too hard on my students than to ever have it said that my black belt ranks were given out too easily. That is my philosophy. Many think I am too demanding, I’m sure. Which is wonderful. They are not welcome in my tight-knit group of high-quality students. Despite working out on a full basketball court with a small group of students, I have no room in my dojo for mediocrity.
Getting a Blue Cliff TKD black belt is not designed to be easy. It’s designed to make you better than the pretend, Tony Robbins-inspired, self-esteem bulging, self-respect lacking, shockingly bad, laughably weak people out there who give real black belts a bad name. That’s the scoop. If you’re not willing to work, stay home. If you’re not willing to suffer, we don’t need you. Or I can recommend any number of Tucson dojos that will be happy to take your money and give you nothing except a piece of cloth and a lot of lies. And if you only care about getting a black belt, I can give you a wide range of retailers who will supply them for anywhere from $5 – $150. But if you want my signature and stamps on your certificate, I hope you’re willing to work as hard as I still work every day. Because black belt is a lifestyle, not an event. You are never done improving. That is the hard truth. But it is, at the end of the day, the truth. And that’s what matters most to me.
If I had to sum up the concept of budo for myself — and this is not a traditional definition; there is some personal abstraction and artistic interpretation going on here — I would define it as the deep and intimate knowledge that where I am now is not good enough. I can go further. I can be better. In every way. I cannot allow myself the luxury of a moment’s peace in my quest. Why? Because would be wasteful and weak. A warrior is efficient, not wasteful, especially with the most precious commodity of all: time. We can’t buy more of it. We can only use what we have, knowing that our lives can be snatched from us in a heartbeat for reasons that are utterly beyond our control.
In the end, we don’t train to get more time: that is, we’re not training to save our lives from some theoretical foe that may try to kill us in the future and take our time away from us. In our modern society, we would probably do better to worry about car crashes. Instead, however, we are training to prevent the worst foe of all — mediocrity living deep within our own hearts — from taking the only time from us that really counts: this present moment.
It’s not about what you have done for me lately. It’s about what you’re doing for yourself right now. There is no other time than today, and there is no future opportunity. If you fail, do so in spectacular fashion. If you succeed, then change the world with it. If you are a different person when you go to bed tonight than you were when you woke up, in even the smallest way, today has been a good day.
Congrats go out to the most recent recipients of advancement at Blue Cliff TKD: Lillian was promoted to 2nd Degree White Belt, and Ryan and Indy were both promoted to 1st Degree Yellow Belt. Congrats, everyone!
–Sensei
Just a reminder that you can get lots of items with our logo on them here:
http://www.cafepress.com/blueclifftkd
All the prices listed are the lowest ones possible to offer through this site. (As the shop “owner” for BCTKD, I could charge more than the web site’s base price in order to make money. Of course, I do not. These prices are only the cost that Cafe Press charges.) There are a lot of fun items on there: shirts, clocks, mugs, mouse pads, and so on. I bought one of their shirts and I really like the quality. Enjoy!
“To do a dull thing with style — now that’s what I call art.”
–Charles Bukowski
Bukowski’s quote is important to our practice: in one sentence, he hits the root of it all. What makes a “master” is not “advanced” technique: instead, it is doing everything in an advanced way. We are all tempted to think that basics are dull, but when you begin to truly understand them, I believe you will be hard pressed to find anything dull about them. I am endlessly fascinated by the ways in which minute twitches, imperceptible even to the eye, change the techniques dramatically.
That’s what makes what we do a martial art. In any kind of art, some of the simplest work is also considered to be some of the best. Japanese artists will make a lifetime practice out of drawing the enso — the circle that is popularly brushed in Japanese calligraphy (shodo). It’s the same circle, over and over, but they actually never draw the same circle twice. Every punch you throw is also a completely unique creation.
When you look at things from that perspective, your practice should never be dull or boring. With that spirit, you become a martial artist and not the usual monkeys that you see wearing black belts, waving their arms around and having no idea what they’re doing. This quality is what makes true martial arts a life-changing thing to practice, and an exceedingly rare thing to find. Dedicate yourself with all the effort you can spare. Don’t waste a moment.
Congratulations to Blue Cliff Tae Kwon Do’s newest green belt, Keith Sherrill! In our school, green belt is a major accomplishment: it signifies that one has entered the intermediate stage of the journey and is now preparing to become an advanced student, a red belt. Keith underwent a grueling 2.5 hour private examination of all of his techniques and was awarded, like only a few others before him, his green belt. Great job, Keith!
I think it’s a good time to trot out a document that most of you may not have seen, since it’s buried in the web site a bit: the Dojo Rules. There are a few in here that I think we could show a bit more care with.
The first is the wearing of jewelry in class. People are constantly wearing bracelets, earrings, watches, and so on. This is dangerous, to you and your fellow practitioners. I wear a watch to keep time: do you notice that I virtually always take it off when I do something with a student? Please, take off your jewelry.
The second is our mouths. I have heard some swearing lately — in the locker rooms, and even on the floor — and I think we all need to be more conscious of how we represent ourselves in the dojo. Thinking back, I may have been guilty of this myself. Let’s do better. The dojo is a special place where we should speak, act, walk, and practice like the exceptional people we strive to be. This includes the locker rooms and the parking lot. This applies even when (we think) no one else is in the building with us. And it includes the dojo at my house. Once you’re off site (or out of my garage), I don’t care how you talk. But when we are at the dojo, we need to do better. For you, for me, and for the image of the dojo.
The rest of the rules are listed below. Please take a minute and browse through them. I think I did a decent job when I wrote them, and it’s good to consider them every now and then. Just like your front kick, these rules are a part of your training.
1. Safety is always the first concern. There is to be no horse play or rough-housing. You are not to practice without trained supervision, and you will never attempt to cause harm to another member of the class. If you are ever unsure of how to perform a technique correctly, ask the instructor for help.
2. Courtesy and respect are to be maintained at all times, both for the teacher and your fellow students.
3. There is to be no swearing or foul language.
4. There is to be no harassing or picking on others for any reason! In this environment, we are all equal, regardless of profession, race, gender, religion, income, sexual orientation, or anything else. Everyone who wants to participate and follow the rules will be welcomed with open arms. Every student will be treated with respect by all teachers and his or her fellow students, no matter what.
5. Please try to arrive at class on time. Your time with the instructor is precious, and you should use it wisely.
6. You are never to set your belt on the floor, use it as a toy or “whip,” or do anything that shows a lack of respect. It is a representation of your own achievement; as such, to be disrespectful of your belt is to show disrespect to your rank and the teacher who awarded it. In the course of your training (doing push-ups or being thrown, for example), your belt will touch the ground. This is fine. But your belt should never touch the ground unless it is part of the normal course of your training. You will also never wash your belt.
7. You are to practice good personal hygiene when you are coming to class. Wash your uniform (but never your belt) before each class. You should keep your hair clean, and keep fingernails and toenails trimmed.
8. If you are ever training with an injury, you MUST tell the instructor so that appropriate adjustments to training can be made. Otherwise, you risk worsening the injury.
9. No jewelry is to be worn in class. This includes, but is not limited to, rings (including wedding rings), toe rings, bracelets, anklets, necklaces, watches, earrings, any other type of jewelry for a piercing (including belly button rings and other piercings that are not readily visible under the uniform). This is for YOUR SAFETY and the safety of those around you. Piercings, in particular, can result in nasty injuries if accidentally kicked, punched, pulled, etc. You may, however, wear glasses if you require them.
10. You are not to wear your belt outside the classroom unless you have a good reason (such as practicing, performing in a demonstration, et cetera).
