Every discipline, affects every other discipline

I bet when you first joined karate, you did it because you wanted to get fitter, or feel more confident, or learn self-defence. I bet you never seriously thought that your karate had the potential to affect every single area of your life? Sometimes, when I'm standing in line, trying to hold an uncomfortable stance, or I'm simply standing in parallel stance getting a bit fidgety, my sensei, Sensei Jason Smith is fond of saying, "Push yourself. Every discipline affects every other discipline."

What he means is that although you might think that pushing yourself to hold a stance longer, or resist the urge to fidget are perhaps small things that happen in isolation, in fact your self-discipline has a knock-on effect in every area of your life. For starters, in your karate, you increase your stamina, you build muscle, you make your muscles more familiar with painful stances so that over time, they become paiinful more slowly, if at all. But more than that, self-discipline is like so many things in life, the more you do it, the easier it becomes to do - even discipline is habit forming!

Instead of taking the easiest option every time, the disciplined person gets used to choosing the best option - the one that is perhaps uncomfortable in the short term, but which provides a long term pay off.

Like keeping fit - I mean, quite often, it can be a tedious process, jogging, or going to the gym, or eating sensibly, or doing daily stretching exercises. But the long time pay-off is a healthy heart, a decreased risk of any number of illness, better quality of life, especially in your later years, and an increased sense of overall well-being. All from doing something now that might be boring or a bit unpleasant.

But disciplines extends beyond the physical. You can discipline yourself to be courteous and to show good etiquette. Practice being polite to your fellow students or with your senseis. Even if you're the senior partner in kumite, thank the other person at the end of kumite. Thank your students or your sensei for turning up. Practice patience and humility in class. Don't strut around like the big I am, instead be willing to listen others, and to share what you know freely and humbly with those who may benefit. How do these things affect other disciplines in life? Because the world is far more willing to put itself out for polite, pleasant people than for jerks. Sure, you might sometimes need to be firm to get things done, but if you train yourself so that your first reaction to every situation is pleasant, just see how much better people react to you.

So, the next time you're in the dojo, sweating, and your back is aching, or your legs are trembling, and you've got cramps and a stitch, just remind yourself, "I am making myself into a stronger, better human being by pushing myself here now."