“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings, who knows the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at his best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows that his place shall never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
To become a warrior is the grand goal of every martial artist. Not just a warrior in combat, however, but a warrior in all walks of life. A Warrior of principle. That is our goal, is it not? Thus, we must ask ourselves what the qualities of a warrior are, and how we can obtain them.
Courage is one of the greatest traits we ascribe to those whom we label “Warriors”. When one aspires to become a warrior, however, how can he attain this noble and empowering trait? The answers to this question can be found amongst the principles of Wing Chun, and can be seen in every-day life, when one truly knows what to look for.
We often think of courage as standing up for what we believe in. This is true, but a bit confining for the definition of courage. To truly understand the principle of courage, we must look to a few of its applications. The Wing Chun Practitioner knows that he must stick to the opponent in order to be victorious. The reasoning for this is that every time the opponent moves out of range, he is better able to regain his wit and power to return with a redoubled effort. The Wing Chun practitioner at first struggles with this concept, because he feels that he is most safe when his opponent is farther away, out of reach. As he learns more of principle and technique, he realizes that he can only be in control of the fight when he is “right in the middle of things”, and within reach of his enemy’s attacks.
It requires great courage to stay in close to the enemy. It requires great courage to commit to finish the fight, and then take whatever measures are necessary to reach that end. Courage is not proven by bravery. It is not proven by acts of extreme daring. Courage is simply this, and this alone: to stick to the task at hand with all ones heart, to follow the truth with which he has been endowed, not concerning himself with what may happen tomorrow or with what happened yesterday. For a courageous man, every minute is the first one, and he must build from the point where he is now. He does not concern himself with what might have been. He concerns himself with what is.
If you would prove to yourself your own courage, then seek to be the master of now. Strive to become perfect at what you have now. Never compare yourself to anybody else but yourself. Forgive yourself for your past errors and start fresh. The main difference between a warrior and the mean man is that a warrior is a warrior NOW, not tomorrow. Do not allow yourself to be caught in the “warrior of tomorrow” trap. Master yourself. Be a warrior now, and you will be happier than ever before in your life.