The air is heavy in the dojang. It is a conditioning night. Uniforms are soaked. The silence is broken by staccato kiaps and the snapping of kicks and punches. Despite the appearance of torture techniques, everyone is full smiles. Crazy, one may think. Yet, these are the smiles of success, hard work, and discipline.
This is a regular feeling found in sports, but especially in martial arts. After a class or two of hard work, giving 100% and beyond of yourself to the art, it is almost impossible to feel deflated. Martial arts inflate people with confidence and sense of value. Of course, one can argue that athletics in general will cause a chemical reaction in the body, releasing hormones, such as endorphins (feel good hormones), and therefore that is why people feel good. I think martial arts provides an extra ingredient.
We humans need a mission, a path, a goal, something to keep our eyes on as we move forward each hour and day. Our chosen path keeps us in line, it reminds us of where we are going and why, even on the gloomy, slow days the path encourages us onward.
Everyday, I leave class feeling satisfied. Everyday, every class, every kick, every student, I work towards a cause. Seeing their success class by class inspires me to continue my mission day by day.
~Master Staup