空手は湯の如し絶えず熱度を与えざれば元の水に還る – (karate wa yu no gotoshi taezu netsu o ataezareba moto no mizu ni kaeru) “Karate is like boiling water; without heat, it returns to its tepid state.” – Gichin Funakoshi
.
I believe this applies to anything that we do in life. Sometimes we end up sick, injured, and run-down, and at times are pulled away from our daily training schedule due to personal or work commitments. It’s easy to miss a workout, and it’s easy for those missed workouts to add up quickly. Next thing you know, you only trained once or twice in the past month.
.
Consistency is an important concept in karate when it comes to development. It doesn’t matter how good your training routine is, if you can’t stick to it. A lot of karate practitioner’s lack constant training. I’ve seen students train just a few days a month, and they become consistently inconsistent, wondering why they can’t improve, can’t remember what is being taught, and can’t make the connections.
.
Ever wonder how or why the other person can execute that technique so perfectly, effortlessly, with such precision and power? Well, simply put – that’s because he or she is consistently training and dedicating quality time to their practice.
.
“Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.” – Gordon B. Hinckley
.
The quote above by Hinckley is intended as a metaphor. The message is that only through hard work can one succeed, or improve. If you don’t put the effort in, if you procrastinate, or place other things ahead of your training, you will not grow as an individual, or as a karate-ka. As Funakoshi stated too, the metaphor is similar, anything thought to be achieved can’t be, unless you do something to get it.
.
Stopping is the worst thing ever. Stopping breaks your momentum. When you choose to stop, you set yourself the task not only of getting back up to the same level as before, but also to the same attitude as before. If you stop, or take a break, you will NEVER get back the time you lose.
.
To improve in karate takes hard work, integrity, making sacrifices, and professionalism. It is very much driven by your own hard work. 
.
常に思念工夫せよ – (Tsune ni shinen kufu seyo) “Be constantly mindful, diligent, and resourceful, in your pursuit of the Way.” – Gichin Funakoshi
.
.