Finish

You will only get the most out of martial arts training when you have a joy for learning. A high level of skill does not come to those who are fainthearted, it’s reserved for those willing to struggle to learn deep mysteries found in what seems simple. You must have a mind that is ready to learn in order to walk a path of mastery.

Training in the martial arts is about setting goals and achieving them. A true martial artist will not give up on or leave a goal unfinished. Becoming the best you can be is accomplished by completing one level and moving on to the next.j

An excellent curriculum in any martial arts school will begin with the basics. Although the basics are the start, they’ll certainly determine the end of your level of skill as well. In other words, how thoroughly you learn foundational skills, like a straight punch and a side kick, will determine the level of skill you achieve in the end. If you start out faultily, you’ll finish with weak skills, so don’t be in too much of a hurry when learning the basics. Instead, work at them until you finish so that your foundation is solid at the conclusion of your training.

At an intermediate level of training, the skills are more difficult and must be thoroughly learned before taking on advanced skills. Developing more speed, power, and accuracy in kicks and punches requires a determination to work to finish this level. A higher level of forms and breaking means your concentration and willpower need to finish the next step too. You can’t just finish the external movements and expect to be a good martial artist; you must also complete the mental aspects.

When you begin the advanced level, you’ve arrived at a level that’s limitless. Since you finished the first two levels, your skill will have a strong foundation from which to grow. At this level you truly begin to become an artist because you’ll learn to apply skill in more creative ways than at the earlier levels. You’ll find yourself no longer just doing techniques, but you will become the techniques whenever necessary. You’ll have refined your skill to such an extent that only the moment and the movement seem to exist. This is the kind of mastery that one might call “finishing” the skill.

Remember, beyond the physical skills is the true attainment in martial arts: striving to finish the self. To achieve this at lower levels is to make changes in character, but at a higher level it is to gain enlightenment. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can achieve this level without true spirituality, which requires a connection to the divine. Don’t give up, give in, or give out, but always strive to finish the journey you’ve started as a martial artist.