If you're familiar with me, you know that martial arts is not just a hobby but a way of life. Its profound impact has transcended every facet of my existence, guiding me through relationships, career choices, personal wellness, sports, and beyond. I owe my success in life to the principles developed through years of martial arts. I lean into it during the times in my life that have me feeling defeated. In this blog post, I want to share four fundamental principles instilled in me through martial arts that I believe can elevate everyone's life: Respect, Self-Discipline, Determination, and Resilience. As we explore these principles, I invite you to reflect on your own journey and would love to hear from after you read to share your personal stories.
1. Respect: The Foundation of Unity
"In every interaction, start with respect." Martial arts taught me the invaluable lesson of acknowledging the worth in others and, in turn, learning to respect myself. Respect isn't a one-way street; it's a force that creates bridges in the tapestry of life. There is a unique quality to martial arts that offers a inimitable perspective of respect. There is the somewhat automatic respect that an instructor has – a respect that comes from years of experience and that radiates off an experienced leader. Then, we see the respect of two competitors who were just punching and kicking each other, having now earned each other’s respect through combat and can now talk, laugh, and even share strategies together to help grow one another for the greater good of the sport. Martial arts taught me that respect is earned, but giving you my respect is not a sacrifice for me – it is a gift for the greater good. It’s not about skill or ability, it’s about attitude and character. Respect is a gateway into your inner circle and can be used to determine the type of people you surround yourself with and in turn, become.
2. Self-Discipline: Charting Your Course with Determination
"Life, like martial arts, demands self-discipline." The journey to success requires consistency, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. I have always described martial arts as being a bit of a boring sport to learn. It is ultra repetitive; you spend long periods of time perfecting simple movements and sequences and build slowly towards betterment. The best of the best at anything knows that success comes from staying disciplined and consistent with the basic foundations. I’ll never forget testing for my Black Belt. My instructor watched me perform every movement and sequence that I was taught throughout all my years and levels in martial arts. He humbled me by demanding improvement still on some of the most basic movements. We worked every movement until it was satisfactory and then moved on to the next. I continue to work on these movements to this day because when the foundation begins to crack- everything is fragile. Martial arts taught me that everything has a price. If you want to be the best, achieve success, complete your goals, you must be disciplined with the process. It won’t be a glamorous process but it will be worth it.
3. Determination: Guiding Light in the Face of Adversity
"Fuel your journey with unyielding determination." Martial arts taught me the significance of every step toward the ultimate purpose. Discipline is fueled by determination. You might think you know what you want. You might think your goals are meaningful to you. But, in the face of adversity – will you break? I want to win every time I step up to compete. How bad though? What happens when I am losing, feeling sluggish, and up against a ready opponent? That’s when you have to know your why. Tapping into the deeper level of your discipline. When we know why we want to win so badly, we stay motivated to never give up. I’ve been down in fights by large margins, talked myself into not settling back and have come back to win. That’s a mental battle that comes from the practice of facing and overcoming adversity. I’ve also been beaten badly and embarrassed. At times, I wanted to quit and accept that I just wasn’t as good. But I stayed determined. I used those losses as a compass as a guiding light towards where to steer my discipline next.
4. Resilience: Emerging Stronger from Life's Battles
"Life's battles may bruise, but resilience is your shield." The determination we build in life creates resiliency in the moments we need it most. There will undoubtably be days when you want to quit. There will be painful moments; physical, mental, and emotional. Proving resilient is not just about continuing on and not giving up. Resiliency is a practice that strengthens confidence. For me, it came from the losses, the constructive criticisms, the inadequacies, and the times when I knew I could have given more. Every painful moment through my martial arts gave me an opportunity to show myself I could grow. It gave me the opportunity to show myself some respect, the opportunity to get more disciplined, and tap into the level of determination to ultimately show that I was capable of growth – capable of more. As life has twisted and turned, tossing me around, I have felt beaten and bruised. I tap back into these principles to remind myself why I can’t give up. I am faced often with the struggles of feeling inadequate, not enough, not what I was hoping to be. I continue to practice this resiliency. I continue to build my confidence.
I was fortunate to get into martial arts from a young age and spend a lifetime building these principles. But, these are challenges I continue to face everyday. These are principles I continue to develop and strengthen. I must still work to remind myself and to lean in when life pulls me away. These are principles that I believe you can tap into in your life today as well to create more success - to overcome your life struggles and to build your confidence.
I have shared some of my personal experiences with you here today, and I’ll bet while reading this, you were able to relate back to moments in your own life. I would love to hear from you about what resonated here and what life moments came up for you. Together, we can share our experiences and unite for a stronger tomorrow.
Kyle Craik
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