Kancho Corner

PENACOOK SCHOOL KARA-TE

324 Village St. Penacook NH 03303 (603)753-4159

KANCHO's CORNER

Ichi Nichi Issho
One Day - One Lifetime

Oct 2008

This is by far one of the most important and one of my most favorite expressions. It basically tells us how we should live our daily lives. Our lives unfold and evolve one day at a time. The sum total of your life and all it's experiences are built up day by day. Another way to look at it is each day is a frame in the movie of your life.

Try to imagine your whole life had to be summed up by one day. You would try to live that day to the upmost and make it the best of your life, right? You have to have the understanding that when the sun sets, the day is over. That time is lost and can never be regained. Wouldn't you regret it if you didn't make the most out of that time? This mindset can give you valuable insight into your life.

Wouldn't you be happy and satisfied to be able to go to bed each night knowing that you have done well and given five hundred percent of your effort into that day?! To be able to rest with the thought "I've done everything from the moment I got up this morning until I finished just now"? This would make you very happy.

Everyone wants more happiness, wants more out of life, a better life. That is just how we are. We have to make a consistent and constant effort to make this a reality. Only by giving your best effort every day can you improve and grow.

It has to be the same way when you train. No matter how often you come and train, that is your time. It is where you apply your determination. It is where all your problems are left outside the door and when you put on your uniform and belt, it is your time to shine.

If you live your life by this expression "Ichi Nichi Issho - One day, one lifetime", giving each day all you have, you will find in the quiet moments of your life that you have truly lived!

Train Hard, Inspire Others and Live Life to the Fullest!

Nana Korobi Ya Oki
If you fall down seven, get up eight

Sept 2008

This is the most famous saying of Daruma Daishi, who was a famous Zen Master.

We learn from this saying that no matter how many times you fall down, you must get up one more time. Even if you fall down one hundred times, you must get up one hundred and one times. Sometimes you may get up quickly while at times it may be very difficult to get up at all but you MUST get up! It seems to me in today's world that this attitude is fading in many ways and we may be to blame. Each and everyday I see or hear stories of people, young and old, just giving up. I see kids everyday quitting all sorts of things whether it be sports, scouts, music instruments or martial arts. The reasons are many from it is too hard to it is too boring. How are we to teach them commitment, follow-through and this never quit spirit if we just let them quit all the time? Especially an activity that will help develop, enhance and benefit its participant.

By sincere and hard effort we instill an attitude of "non-quitting". This attitude carries over into every aspect of our daily lives. When hardships arise and we feel compelled to give up, it will be this spirit and the training that forged it that will guide us through to success.

We are not perfect. We are only human and we all make mistakes. We have to learn from those mistakes, grow and become more mature day by day. We should always strive to make tomorrow better than today! However we also should not be so afraid of making a mistake that it prevents us from even trying.

We often find that the lessons we learn in adversity are the lessons that teach us the most and serve to strengthen our mind, spirit and resolve. It is through hardship that we truly learn what we are capable of.

The martial arts dojo is the perfect place for people of all ages to develop this spirit. It is a place where we can make mistakes, without the fear of judgment, where Instructors who care and are their to guide us through these mistakes and on to success and to help us learn from these lessons. It is a place where an extended family is there to laugh, cry, sweat, celebrate, grieve and encourage each and every person to help them become the best they can become. It is a place where, through sincere training, we can reach and extend our limits beyond our wildest imagination. It is a place where you can fall down seven times, learn, love and be supported to get up eight!

Train Hard, Inspire Others and Live Life to the Fullest!