The shedding of these old habits can be an uncomfortable side effect of positive change.   Mother Nature has given the crane the gift  of flight; however, it doesn’t fly until the prerequisite skills are developed. As martial artists, our growth and development is influenced by our instructors, fellow students, styles we study and the elements of the training hall. Along with our desire and attitude, each warrior   determines their own Flight plan.

-Master John  Dowdy (2009)

Crane in flight photography by Pam Jankowski

-Master John Dowdy

Developing the warrior spirit is a process that one can spend a lifetime searching to achieve yet never get unless a true commitment is made to him or herself.  The commitment that one needs to make is a commitment or promise to search for a path that they can follow both physically and mentally even though it could be a burden to them.  Setting goals and achieving them whether under good times or hardships.  If you ask yourself what a burden is look at self-discipline, which in some ways are a type of punishment.  One needs to remember that punishment only works if there is a positive outcome.

The will to succeed and the will to want to win is something that most people want but unfortunately is unattainable for the reason that we simple do not know how.  We all have the ability to win and what separates those who do and those who don’t win is that those who do win are willing to sacrifice and do whatever is needed to achieve their goals.

Some of us are born with natural talent but most of us have acquired talent which means we have to work for it.  Most of the time we need help, whether physical training, the knowledge of others, or even spiritual to achieve what we are after.  Some of us are willing to pay any price to acquire the type of skills that we are after.  Unfortunately, there are people out there who are self claimed experts and will tell you anything to get your attention, time or money.  A lot of these people claim to have skills that they claim to have but cannot perform.  Sometime they do it for financial gains and sometimes just to fill their own ego but whatever their reason is the person who seeks them out to get help will never have their needs met.

Just know that when you make a commitment be careful not to underestimate what you are committing yourself to and prepare for it.  That way you will not waste time and resources.

We all have caged beast within us wanting to be let out, fear, jealousy, selfishness, pride and lust.  Sometimes we need to let the beast out and where better the under laboratory conditions such as a dojo or training hall.  One way to do that is Kata or dance which is the oldest form of communication.   Let it go crazy, exhaust it then grab it and put it back in its cage.  The more you do this the more you will be able to control the beast in public because it will be harder for it to escape because you will be able to recognize it when it starts to come out.

-Master John Dowdy