Strength in Martial Arts

Before we get to the subject of today's post, I want the visitors to Cook Ding's Kitchen who practice taijiquan to be aware that Angelika Fritz at Qialance, is conducting a small survey for TJQ practitioners. Please see the survey here.

Below is an excerpt from a post a Shinseidokan Dojo blog. The full post may be read here.

Here's the kind of strength I admire in karate. It's the strength shown when you really don't want to practice but you practice anyway. When life hits you so hard you can hardly keep it all together, but you still go to the dojo. When your teacher proves to be a god with feet of clay, and, having thanked him or her for their help, you move on. When you live up to your commitments, when you teach yourself the difference between a reason and an excuse, when you stop wanting, give more than you take, and last but by no means least, when you accept yourself for who you are, warts and all. Budo is not about combative strength, it's about balanced living. I read something recently that captured the essence of the strength I believe karateka should display.

"The awareness of our own strength, makes us modest..."