In my function as the owner of a martial arts school I match martial artists together during sparring sessions. Oftentimes, I pare up a fighter where his or her opponent is quite a challenge. He might be more experienced, stronger and faster or have more of a fighting spirit. And before the match starts, this challenge is most always met with anxiety and fear. When they’re told who they’re going to fight, sometimes a giant pucker-factor occurs. They nervously think oh, no, how am I going to do against this tough fighter? Or, he or she is too good for me—they’re out of my league—I’m in trouble. But when I call them up, usually in front of a large class, they pretty much have no choice but to go for it.
Then it starts and they go at it, for one-minute. Punching, kicking blocking and grappling and after that minute, almost always, they walk away feeling good about themselves. They survived. They did it. They gave it a good try. They realize that their training helped them rise to a tough challenge. And sometimes, they bested that great challenging opponent and they really feel like they’re on a fluffy high cloud!
They learned that they could stand up to a tough challenge. That they walked on a different and scary path and they made it. And doing so, they feel so much better and clearer about themselves.
They go home knowing more about themselves than before and they sleep like a baby. You see, fighting is about fighting a challenge inside of us almost as much as it is about fighting against an opponent—especially for a beginning fighter. Young fighters or sparrers, don’t realize that sometimes they’re fighting their insecurities or feelings of being less than others and that they’re hoping to make a sort of grand statement of success with their fighting. My example is about fighting but difficult challenges in anything can make us wiser, stronger, happier and more fulfilled. It’s about getting into life’s challenges. It’s the opposite of sitting around and doing nothing much other than just skating through life in a mamby pampy way.
I say accept challenges. Do, instead of talk. Do, instead of telling others how theoretically, it should be. Take a risk and fall. Or take a risk and soar. One of my favorite authors, Linda Greenlaw originally came to fame for being the first successful female swordboat captain in the world. Working in some of the most unforgiving seas on the planet, my favorite quote of hers is: “There are no atheists at sea. In times of peril, even the most stoic of seamen become quite prayerful.” Of course her quote has to do with God but I bring the quote up more so as a general example of how being in the mix and challenges of life can make huge differences in how we look at life. Being involved in the reality and rough and tumble of life gives you a much different outlook than sitting on the peripheral.
I say face those tough challenges and feel the awesomeness of life and the awesomness of you
Steve's a three-time survivor of violence in his youth, a former police supervisor and a graduate of The Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) and was also an award winning part-time college Criminal Justice instructor.
For several years, Steve did written and radio political and current event commentary and was the former host of the long running 'The Kovacs Perspective' Internet radio and TV talk show.
Steve presently owns a small businesses in Ohio--The Mayfield Academy of Self-Defense.
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