How to maintain inner peace
and calm is a major concern of our society. Acts of violence only lead
to destruction and disaster. Generally these acts are carried out by
ignorant people who live only for the moment. Without strong discipline
and a vision for tomorrow, man's condition is little better than that of an
animal. If no prior thought is taken for the consequence of our actions,
the act-react chain of response can become a habitual and dangerous way of
living.
We must learn to take
conscious thought before we act and continually develop the habit of right
response, even if it appears to be a more difficult choice at first.
Some people believe that martial arts training increases the violence in our
society but, in fact, the reverse of this statement more closely resembles the
truth.
Some black belts have
emphasized exclusively the physical training. This has resulted in many
people believing that the martial arts is a sport. This is a complete
misunderstanding as the Martial Arts requires both mental and physical
discipline to fully master the art of self-defense. Once on a while it
is asked, "How do you teach discipline?". The reply is that
discipline cannot be taught in one session like a martial arts
technique. Discipline is learned each day during Martial Art training
with proper supervision, especially with respect and courtesy towards others
both inside and outside school. The school, which is also
called the "House of Discipline." The fact that the history of
martial arts goes back to prehistoric ages is positive proof of its ongoing
worth and validity. We must continue to develop, always with a vision of
tomorrow in our minds.
