be yourself

 

A family of crabs lived on the shores of a giant blue sea. They frolicked in the sands and ate mussels, clams and other small sea creatures. One day the mother crab saw a beautiful crane walking about in the sand, a straight graceful walk in its long reed-like legs.

” How graceful that crane looks,” she thought to herself. Then she caught sight of her son waddling towards her and felt very irritated. ” And how clumsy mu son is. He is like a moving sack.”

” Why do you walk like that?” she snapped, when he came nearer, ” Instead of this awkward one-sided gait, use your 10 legs to walk straight. And gracefully,” she added.

” How do I walk strainght mother? ” asked the bewildered little crab. ” I have only known to walk like this.”

But his mother insisted he could walk straight, and it would not be too difficult if he tried. So the little crab tried, and failed.

” Why don’t you show me how to walk strainght, mother?” he told her, ” If you show me the straight way, I’m sure I will catch on.”

So the mother tried to show her son how to do the straight walk, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not. Her legs did not seem to be suited to walking straight.

” I give up,” she said, panting after several unsuccessful attempts. ” Forget it child I don’t think nature intended for us to duplicate the crane’s walk.”

moral: be yourself, do not try to be something you are not

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be good, be kind, but most of all be happy

(~_~)

coming full circle

When a novice starts learning martial arts, he wears a white belt, symbolic of innocence. After months of practice, the white belt gets dirty and turns brown, symbolic of the first degree of attainment. After more practice, the belt gets soiled and eventually turns black, symbolic of full attainment.

If the practitioner does not stop learning even after full attainment, the black belt starts getting frayed, turning almost white, symbolic of return to innocence. The frayed white belt represents technical competence of an experienced martial artist, combined with the innocence and receptivity of a beginner. It signifies going beyond technique and embracing no-technique—coming full circle.

story source: white belt

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The original martial arts used only one belt as described above. But now-a-days the different colored belts are used to describe the practitioners growth.

At inner spirit martial arts, the white belt was symbolic of the crane. Where speed was developed and patience acquired. A crane can only survive a tiger’s attack with evasive maneuvers.

Through much practice, exercise and persistence one attained an orange belt. The symbol for the Tiger, strength.

Then comes the green belt. Where the student learns holds and throws. Agility, vitality, perseverance.

here is where many schools differ, some will have blue belts (water), purple belts (air)  and other colors before the brown belt. Many will go from brown to black as is many customary practices. At Inner Spirit Martial Arts the brown belt symbolized: Earth, well grounded, growth, deeply rooted and solid.

as shone here…

Red belt symbolized… the dragon, full of fire, energy and the stage where one readies them self for black belt testing.

To attain the black belt one must demonstrate their abilities in their style of martial arts. One of the key elements is teaching, for a black belts primary task will be to teach others… coming full circle.

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I thought about this when I went to work the other day and I was asked to mentor a new officer. To teach them the ways of our profession. I realized I had come full circle in my employment. No matter what you do in life, when you have reached a certain point in your life, you will end up teaching others. Rather it be a profession or a grandparent. So, teach them well…

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may you pass your wisdom on to another this day

(~_~)