Perhaps no virtue is more essential to a life of happiness and fulfillment than courage. Without courage, an individual may struggle to approach new tasks with the focus and confidence required to succeed. With courage, at least one can be assured that firm ground rests beneath their feet and a strong back­bone is in place for support.

Now, here’s the good news about cour­age. You’ve already got it. As a martial artist, you’ve proven that you possess the strength of character to accept chal­lenges head first.
From white belts and black belts to instructors and masters, all martial artists routinely experience tests requiring dis­plays of courage.

As a white belt on your first day in train­ing, think of the anxiety you experienced as you put on your uniform, learned to tie your belt and stepped onto the mats for the first time. Then suddenly, an instructor was shouting at you in a foreign language and other students performed moves fluently and in time along with the instructor. Yet, you stood there lost in a loud, seemingly violent environment; but, you remained strong and inevitably you developed the cour­age to defeat that anxiety. You began throwing crisp punches. You responded to your instructor with a powerful voice and soon enough, you found yourself tying on a belt of a different color.

Now, think of students wearing belts of advanced colors, such as reds and blacks. Nothing could be more chal­lenging than the tests of advancement they face. Their training requires focused attention to detail along with endurance that most athletes would love to pos­sess. Think also of a black belt’s sparring challenges as they face new opponents; some of whom are supremely fast or powerful. Only courage – embodied by faith in their hard work and instructor’s teachings – can accompany them into the fight.

Let’s not forget our instructor though. Even he or she had a first day with stu­dents. Consider standing in front of a group of students for the first time; all of their attention spent awaiting your next word. How’s that for a new chal­lenge? Like the rest of us, the instructor relied on courage to pull through and conquered that first day and that initial burst of anxiety.