I’m sitting here at my home in Connellsville, PA and I’ve had my morning coffee so my brain is racing. I’m watching TV and Nik Wallenda is being interviewed. He is announcing his planned tight rope walk across the Grand Canyon on June 23, 2013.
He talks about his faith and that he knows where he is going if he dies, hence he’s not afraid of his stunts. He talks about some of his training methods and states how he simulates the conditions with wind by using fans, so he’s prepared for his stunts. Nik stated that he keeps in mind his 3 most important words. NEVER GIVE UP! Therefore he can’t fail!
Good words to live by. If you NEVER GIVE UP, how can you fail. You can’t. If you are in a fight and the other person won’t quite, well how do you win. I always say it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog! In karate, we are ultimately dedicated to protecting ourselves against a larger opponent. Usually smaller weaker people don’t attack you. This past winter I was one of the instructors at the Kwamukwan Symposium and I helped teach in another class and attended several other classes. One class was especially interesting. It was taught by a man whose size would not intimidate anyone. He was lucky if he was 5’4′ and looked like he should be there to fix the computer rather than to teach karate. This instructor was teaching combatives flow. What’s that you say? Combatives flow??? Combatives flow, basically is just hit whatever, with whatever, whenever you can! In every position you have something that you can strike with. Your position and your range dictates what you can do at any given point. This instructor is the epitome of the size of the dog saying. I soon learned that if you were in a scrap with him you’d think the energizer bunny just went psycho! He was a flurry of movement and strikes. I enjoyed his class immensely even though I already employ many of his concepts but to see a smaller person convince a whole class that he was the baddest dude in the room was quite impressive.
So if your hopes, your dreams, your stated goal are worthwhile then, “Never give up!”
Shihan Culver
