Indomitable Spirit

"Because all of the pain you will go through is just weakness leaving the body."

-General Lewis B "Chesty" Puller.

 

"I worshipped dead men for their strength, forgetting I was strong."

-Vita Sackville-West .

Tightrope Walker Philippe Petit In August 7th, 1974

 

 

Indomitable spirit is the quality of determination that will not allow one to be overcome. It does not mean one cannot fail; merely that if one falls they will rise again.

It is an attitude of perseverance, one which all martial artists should keep in their hearts.

No one's life is perfect; misfortune will occur, and even tragedy. But perseverance is when you go on despite what has happened- it is the quintessence of not giving up.

It can also save your life, and give your life greater meaning.

The hardest ordeal I have gone through, relative to my age, was my first dan exam in the Chung Do Kwan system. Having to fight four people at once, without a chance of winning, instilled in me in just under thirty minutes what it means to have that kind of spirit. Sure, I could have taken my beating at fifteen and taken the easy road and given up- but I would have not just let my teacher down, but myself, and that kind of letdown is not easily forgiven by oneself.

Instead I fought on, and it was a grueling affair. But I learned that when confronted with such adversity, to give up in a real situation would be to die. Indomitable spirit is what will allow you to persevere through such situations of adversity; when it is just you against many or even life itself.

You can find in your soul the ability to go on. That is what separates a black belt from those who are not; they live that spirit.

That you can and will get hit again and again, thrown to the ground and kicked, and you will still get up. And that instant where one finds that indomitable spirit within themselves, is a moment of true awakening. It is the moment where you stop trying to be a martial artist, and the moment you realize you are one. And nothing can take that away.

It is a confidence without arrogance, honor and integrity combined with humility. It is an absolute truth of staring into your soul and knowing who you are.

It is knowing you can do better and actually realize your potential, and to never stop striving to do so.

Since then I have gone through even more trying ordeals. I won't go into great detail because these are personal experiences I prefer to keep to myself, but I will say this; because of that life lesson I was taught on the floor of the red carpet of that school, there is no man or force of nature that I can't overcome if I put my heart into it I have found. In essence it taught me the reality that the only one who overcome me is myself- and I keep that in mind always when I find myself with some personal failing or fault. And believe me I have many.

When I lost a friend to suicide; I mourned, but still found the strength to stand among my friends and be as much of a rock in that flood of sorrow as I could be.

When a robbery happened one night, that spirit was with me, and it salvaged the situation.

But there that spirit is as well- in that I don't stay complacent with who I am- I can always do better.

And I am not alone in that.

 

 

 

“...Even though you may hold a sword over my heart, I will not give up”.

-Unknown