What is it you want out of the martial arts? What is the one thing that will get you to where you want to be?
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Many people look to motivation to push them toward their destination. But what happens when that motivation wears off, when the excitement declines? How can you stay committed on those days you just don’t feel like putting in hard work?
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Motivation will only get you so far, and when it reaches its end, something else needs to be there to keep the kettle boiling. Dedication is an integral part of the equation and is often overlooked.
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The biggest difference between motivation and dedication is ACTION. Motivation is the initiative to start a task. It includes a person’s reasons and desires for engaging in a particular behavior to achieve a goal. Dedication goes beyond a mere desire. It is a person’s commitment to following through with behaviors and actions that will lead to the accomplishment of that goal.
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In other words, motivation does not require action because it is purely an inner desire. Dedication, on the other hand, is both an internal desire, as well as physical action and hard work.
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Learning karate or any martial art takes time, lots of time. Why then do so many people start a martial arts class with the idea that they can train just once a week? Over the years that I have been teaching and training, I have heard so many excuses why a student CAN’T make a lesson. It is very rare, to hear a student inform me that they CANCELLED something else to come to a lesson.
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I remember when I started karate almost five decades ago, my sensei telling me there were three regular classes a week. If you wish to attend the junior classes you can and there are extra training sessions as well. There was no hesitation from me. I attended them all. I made a point, every week, to ensure that nothing conflicted with my training. Everyone knew my schedule, it was in my diary, on my calendar. Simple.
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Learning karate or any martial art takes time. I knew this. I had researched, watched classes, listened to other students, I knew that to become proficient it needed commitment and dedication. Why start something, and if at the very least you wish to become reasonably proficient, but you only attend the bare minimum?
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It is not easy to find a student who has the will, patience, perseverance and endurance required to train to a meaningful level. There is always an excuse. There is always something they have to do.
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“Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.” Liane Cardes
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The martial arts should foster a deep sense of self-discipline in students. You can’t become a legitimate martial artist overnight. Students need to learn that their worthy goals will require patience, hard work, and dedicated study over several years. The message is that if it’s worth anything, it’s worth working hard for. 
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“We must all learn to enjoy the beauty of the moment without prejudice, even if it requires a lifetime of study, this is the beauty of karate-do. The answers can only be found within, and those who have truly found the answers need never look anywhere else.” – Kenwa Mabuni from ‘Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts’ by Patrick McCarthy
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