One of my favorite movies is the Bill Murray comedy, “Groundhog Day”. You know; the one that keeps on having the same scenes repeat again and again, but a little different each time? If you’ve ever seen it, it’s about the protagonist (Murray) getting stuck into reliving the same day again and again for what must have been many years. It’s funny and entertaining – and yet, thought-provoking on many different levels. He starts out, realizing that he’s trapped into repeating the same day in a little town, and each time that the clock clicks to 06:00 am, the entire day restarts again, no matter what has occurred during the previous 24 hours. How long he’s trapped in that one day is anyone’s guess (my feeling is many decades, possibly a hundred years or more). Along the way, he goes from frustration, to trying to get rid of himself in desperation (doesn’t work), to exploring different uses/abuses of power, to trying to get a gal he loves to fall for him (doesn’t work)…to finally accepting his situation and seeing the opportunity that has been presented to him. He moves from being self-centered to caring for those around him. He realizes that he has what originally seemed like a prison of the same day, to an infinite number of days and time to actually improve himself – and more importantly, to help others. By movie’s end, he has painstakingly transformed himself; through his service, studies, experiences, and changed demeanor, into a person that is loved by everyone in town…but does he win over the girl?…you gotta watch to find out, haha.
Anyways, I mention this because over the years, dojo training can sometimes become “Groundhog Dojo” training – in other words, the same routines – kicks, punches, blocks, stances, katas, etc – over and over again. It can be so easy to fall into a non-thinking habit, following the same commands, and at some point….not learning a single new thing from the day’s lesson. Merely “going through the motions” does invest one with a modicrum of exercise and conditioning, but there is so much more to be gained. Like the movie, like life itself; we have the opportunity to learn new, vital, and universal principles to apply outside of the dojo; if we will only open our minds to receive and appreciate every moment we’re here. I have often said that even your senseis, after over four decades of training and teaching, unanimously agree that we learn new things in every class. It’s not an automatic thing. As the years go by, one has to work harder and become more observant in order to be able to capture the nuances of the lessons to be gleaned for that day. I’ve often said that as a white belt, 90% of what you learn in a beginning lesson comes from the instructor. As a black belt, 90% of what you learn comes from internal revelation…in other words, one begins to build a direct relationship with the art of karate-do.
Many years ago, we – and those in the training line around us – were totally consumed with the idea of becoming faster, stronger, more accurate and precise…I will admit that our focus was on technical excellence and the idea of winning in competition. This is not unlike Murray’s early (self-oriented) pursuit of commanding the different forms of power that he could acquire in the town and day that he kept reliving. It was years later, as instructors, that our focus gradually shifted to how to better share and help our karate students…and in the process, we ended up improving our own understanding of karate-do, in a way that training alone, never could. At its best, karate-do can be a great, life-long, transformational experience. As with all things, you get what you put into it.
We are blessed in having some of the most dedicated students, who continue to invest their time, focus and energy during each lesson, to receive the art of karate-do. My prayer for each of them is that they continue to grow each day, in this endeavor and that they expand their focus to include sharing the art and helping their kohai along. My prayer for anyone stuck in their own version of Groundhog Dojo, is that you challenge yourself to learn/do just one thing, a teeny bit better each time you attend class (those teeny bits do add up)…and to carefully watch that old comedy, “Groundhog Day” – again; haha.
Blessings, Wes