Abe Alba

It is true: there is nothing pleasant or amusing about being struck in the face. Plus, discipline can be exhausting—the inability to skip a session on a whim, or the burden of justifying your absence when you are truly indisposed. It is usually uncomfortable. However, to paraphrase Steve Jobs: It is an awful-tasting medicine, but more often than not the patient needs it.

This is not a generational issue. Biblical letter to the Hebrews states: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it”. I am a living witness to this! Like many others, I began training Karate because I was tired of feeling helpless in the face of a bully or danger. I cannot find enough words to describe the profound self-confidence, joy, and the inner peace that come when you realize you are no longer afraid and not easily intimidated anymore.

Karate is not for fighting; you train karate so you don’t have to fight. To quote Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility”. A good Sensei is crucial. Someone who understands that karate is a philosophy and a discipline of war adapted to sport, but far deeper than winning tournaments and competitions or accumulating medals and Dans. Karate is about educating your ego, not just feeding it.

Training karate improves your motor coordination, benefits your cardiorespiratory system, helps you think faster and better in any scenario, and keeps you sharp as you age. Beyond all this, karate helps you help others: simply by lending your ears when they need to talk, your arms when they need support, your kindness when they need sympathy.

It is true: routines bring physical pain, discomfort, and the urge to give up. You will likely take some hard hits and be knocked down in front of everyone, including the person you like. None of it is pleasant. But believe me, it is, hundred per cent, life-saving pain.

Abe Alba