Earn This

One of the things I enjoy about being the sensei is, every once in a while, I get to give out promotions. We have a ministry that’s full of good, humble members – from the youngest children to the most mature adults. As they quietly (and very self-conciously) receive their certificate and belt, I can always sense that feeling of joy and accomplishment they experience in accepting their promotion. Needless to say, it’s a nice moment. But I don’t want them to believe that they’ve arrived at a destination or reached some finish line. On the contrary, they have just arrived at…a new start line. Yes, the promotion means that the examining black belts and sensei believe that the student deserves the chance to prove themselves at the next level. So, the new blue or green or purple or brown or black belt has just become the most novice/beginner/rookie version of whatever rank they’ve been awarded. From that point on, whether they know it or not, each time they train, they are demonstrating to others that they deserve to wear their rank. For those karateka who do realize this important fact, each one is always training hard to prove it to…themselves. Just as one shows respect to those of higher rank, one must respect one’s own rank and always try to be worthy of it. I don’t mean just in a technical sense, but in the way one carries oneself…hopefully, it’s always with a sense of humility, courtesy and quiet strength – whether one is in the training hall or in daily life.

Remember the movie, “Saving Private Ryan”? A couple of things at the very end of that realistic WWII war movie always stand out for me: With his dying breath, the hero of the movie, the Captain, played by Tom Hanks, pulls Private Ryan close to him and with his dying breath, whispers two words that will stick with Pvt Ryan for the rest of his life…”Earn this.” The Captain and what’s left of his squad have just accomplished a very dangerous mission; to save the life of this one young man…at the cost of their own. For the rest of his long and productive life, Pvt Ryan wakes each morning with the same mission; to live a life that’s worthy of the awesome sacrifices made on his behalf. As an old man, standing by the grave of the man who saved his life many decades earlier, he asks his wife, “Have I led a good life? Am I a good man?” She’s bewildered by the question, but nods in solid affirmation. Still, you know that he will continue his efforts each day, to attempt to earn and deserve what he was given so long ago. Hmm…sounds like an allegory about our own salvation.

Anyways, the belts and ranks are unimportant in themselves…what is important, is that one always strive to improve and learn something from each training session. The other night, a couple of the kids admitted to me that they don’t train or practice any karate outside of the dojo. That’s very common, and not such a bad thing. It does, however, mean that the time spent in the dojo becomes even more important to maintaining and sharpening one’s skills; so don’t waste a moment during the hour that you’re there. Taking the exam takes all of 10-15 minutes (exams in the old days were often “marathons” lasting over an hour). Receiving your promotion is even quicker, taking only a moment…however, earning that promotion will take you months or even years. Yet, therein lies the true value of a promotion of any kind.

P.S. This weekend is Mother’s Day and my wife Lynne, happens to be a truly terrific Mom (honest!). I still remember that moment, thirty-five years ago, when she earned the promotion to and title of Mom. And she has spent every day of the last thirty-five years, proving that she is really deserving of her title (she’s also called “the General”). Happy Mother’s Day!

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