Passion

The key ingredient to remain focused on your Martial practices for a lifetime is Passion.

You can’t explain to another being why you do what you do so they understand. All you can do is reflect your passion in what you live. Passion of course can be dangerous, especially if you let one passion consume your life. The key is Passion in balance.

I have Passion for my wife and my children. I have passion in my work. I have passion in the books I read, the movies I watch and in other aspects of my life.

But my martial passion is very special and most personal.

I’ve grasped ever y opportunity to train. Weekdays, Weekends, Holidays and Vacations.

I drive practicing kata. I walk at lunch practicing kata too.

I’ve stood in pouring rain in thunderstorms, lightening all around, learning a new bo kata.

I’ve trained at midnight in blizzards. I’ve driven through snow and ice. I’ve practiced outside in all kinds of weather, even tai chi in January at -20f. I joined one class and ran with them barefoot outside on the roads, stripping the skin off of the bottom of my toes to train.

I’ve taught thousands of students and even if only one shows up for class gear every effort to help them improve every time.

I early realized I might only have one time to get something and in turn have done my best never to forget anything I was shown. Hundreds of kata and forms, thousands of techniques.

I’ve competed to push myself, I’ve read hundreds of books, thousands of magazines, watched uncountable movies, all to try and understand what exists.

Passion is personal. I can’t share it with anyone, they must find their own way in that.

I’ve never been particularly good, but passion drives me to be more than what I am

It’s passion to respect all who’ve shared with me and remember their gifts.

In the end as it was in the beginning, it’s Passion!