Comfort zone

Since we are having our spring black belt grading this weekend, i thought now would be a good time to discuss what makes us tick.
Do be able to do what we do, you have to have a certain mind set.Going for black belt and beyond is not for everyone. Many people start the martial arts, but only a handful stick through it to black belt.
I think the stats are something like out of every one hundred that start the martial arts, only 1 will get to black belt. and out of that, if you have a hundred black belts, only one will become a master and continue on teaching and passing their knowledge. The math may not add up, but basically it is every good martial arts instructor is one in a million.

A couple of poems from a well known martial arts writer, Karen Eden. The first one puts the black belt thinking into perspective.
The second one explains why we keep going.

"I am a martial artist." I see through different eyes. I see a bigger picture when others see grey skies. Though many can't conceive it, I stand...facing the wind. My bravery, not from fighting, but from my strength within. I am a martial artist. I'll walk the extra mile. Not because I have to, but because it's worth my while. I know that I am different, when I stand on a crowded street. I know the fullness of winning, I've tasted the cup of defeat. I am a martial artist. They say I walk with ease. Though trained for bodily harm, my intentions are for peace. The world may come and go, but a different path I'll choose. A path I will not stray from, no matter, win or lose.
-Karen Eden

and:

Master

The higher I climbed, the more humbled I became.
The more I learned, the more I realized how little I knew.
They call me "Master." What I have truly mastered.
is a deep understanding of what it means to never quit.

-Karen Eden

Good luck to everyone testing this weekend.

These are the ramblings in my head.
Dusty