7 minute read
Bow in: Shihan Gavin Samin reflects on the life lessons available to martial artists
from Shimbun #5
AFFECT WHAT YOU CAN, ACCEPT WHAT YOU CAN’T
A BIG hello to all of our GKR Karate families around the world and welcome to the first edition of Shimbun for 2021.
Whilst it’s always preferable to look forward as opposed to back, it would seem odd not to at least begin this address without acknowledging the extremely difficult period we’ve all just experienced.
For most people, 2020 was equal parts frustrating, disruptive and upsetting, and — for some — perhaps even a little scary. I hope that you and your loved ones have been able to stay well throughout and are adjusting to the changes we’ve had to make in both our work and social lives.
As this edition of Shimbun goes to print, the exciting news is that the UK is just starting to re-open and most regions in Australia and New Zealand are coming towards the end of their run of snap lockdowns.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to the many GKR instructors around the world who have put their hand up to teach Zoom classes and stay connected with their students while we are unable to meet together in the dojo.
It’s important for us all to remember that challenges didn’t enter our lives for the first time when Covid hit. There were economic, social and health issues to face well before the pandemic struck, and there will be others after it has gone. In the end, we are inevitably drawn towards the old cliche that “it’s not what happens that determines the course of your life, it’s what you do about what happens that makes the difference”. Life’s mixed bag of experiences will test everyone’s resolve at some point. The question is, will you be ready to take the exam?
It was once well said that “if the territory is different to the map, then the map is wrong”. In other words, if what’s happening around the world, or in your local community, is constantly in opposition with what you expect, then your outlook may need to change. Failure to realise this may only lead to greater frustration and an enhanced sense of helplessness.
During trying times like lockdowns it is imperative that we exercise patience, remain as positive as possible, stay connected with the key people in our lives and keep physically active. When I contemplate these actions, I am particularly grateful to have karate in my life, and even more thankful that I am part of a big karate community like GKR. The martial arts have been a major part of my teenage and adult life. The dojo has taught me a lot about managing fears, delivering under the weight of expectation, handling poor performances, accepting my own limitations and genuinely admiring the abilities of others.
It has helped me understand that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, that repetition is the mother of skill, and that I could use my body to train my mind. It showed me how things always look worse from the sidelines than they do when the challenge is in front of you; that on a given day anyone can be beaten, and that participation is in itself a measure of toughness. The martial art ‘way’ or ‘do’ also reminds us that we never stop learning; that we can never know it all. In other words, there is no summit — there is only
aspiration, training and progressive outcomes.
In the end, the secret to being resilient in the face of challenges is taking action. People always talk about what they want but when all is said and done, more is said than done. Thinking about ploughing doesn’t get the job done. It’s not the whistle that moves the train. In the end, we are not what we think or what we say or how we feel. We are what we do!
Within the martial arts, achieving your black belt is obviously a major accomplishment. The mental and physical commitment towards difficult tasks within the dojo over many years is a character-strengthening exercise. And it is precisely this mental and physical conditioning that will instil an inner toughness over time and equip us with the emotional tools to remain strong in the face of life’s challenges.
There are obvious parallels between the trials we face with Covid and the strains that an elite athlete deals with when they suffer an injury. An injury is an event outside of an athlete’s control that slows them down and prevents them from doing what they love — and perhaps even what they get paid to do.
Covid-19 has been an injury to society as a whole. The pandemic has undoubtedly injured economies as well as the confidence, health and overall wellbeing of communities.
During enforced periods on the sidelines, elite athletes must be patient. They have to keep in mind that pushing themselves to get back too early is likely to see them aggravate their injury. Most importantly, they must always maintain focus on the long game — that time when they’ll be back to 100 per cent fitness and performing at their peak.
Our karate classes and the lives we used to live will be back soon, and like elite athletes we must adopt an attitude in the interim of doing what we can, when we can, with all the resources we have at our disposal. This lies at the heart of the winner’s mindset and personifies the type of psychological strength that is synonymous with the black belt or serious karate-ka.
Use your body, through karate training, to strengthen your mind and then harness this strength to lend emotional support to others who may be struggling through this unsettling period. Training at home may not be easy, but it’s not impossible. Don’t wait for motivation because sometimes it doesn’t show up and when it does, it’s often late. Discipline and consistency kicks motivation’s butt any day of the week. In fact, motivation usually arrives after you’ve started. This is the secret that all black belts know and acknowledge!
Lastly, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Shimbun team for their professionalism, hard work and for their commitment to our club and its students. I know you’ll enjoy this latest edition and I urge you to spread the word amongst your fellow students about the magazine and what is has to offer our community.
Here’s to a bigger and much brighter 2021. — Gavin Samin, Assistant Chief Instructor
PLS…part of your community, not a predator
While we won’t spoil anything for those not among the 41 million households to have already watched Season 3 of Cobra Kai, the team at PLS Solicitors can confirm that we remain huge cheerleaders of Johnny Lawrence.
Long considered a villain of The Karate Kid universe, the character continues to prove to viewers that he is not the bad apple people perceived him to be. As members of the legal profession, we’ve got Johnny’s back because we know how unfair it feels to be “typecast” and misjudged. Lawyers are often labelled as “sharks” – cold-blooded creatures only interested in sinking their teeth into clients’ cash reserves – and, although we can’t talk for our whole profession, it is a stereotype that simply doesn’t stick at PLS. There’s no Cobra Kai-style “strike hard, strike fast, no mercy” mantra on the walls of our offices and, far from being a proverbial snake in the grass, we are committed to caring for our customers.
As a law firm specialising in property transactions, our focus is on easing the stresses and strains associated with moving home and being a reassuring and informed voice for those left confused by conveyancing. Furthermore, we care about the communities in which we operate. We have championed those on the frontline of the battle to curb the coronavirus pandemic through the provision of a 50 per cent discount for NHS staff and have consequently helped hundreds of healthcare professionals to open the doors to new homes.
We also rally around those who invest in the physical and mental wellbeing of others. Which is why we have partnered with Shimbun to provide free copies of this issue to all GKR Karate students who train at dojos on the doorstep of our Manchester headquarters and sponsored a superb prize (see page 9) for you to fight for!
PLS Solicitors are in your corner, so whether you are taking your first step onto the property ladder or looking to secure your forever home, we’re stood in heiko-dachi and ready to guide you through the conveyancing kata.
