Keys to success... part 1

By Joo Im KJN Martin Ducker

I have often been asked, especially over the last few years, what does it take to become a successful Martial Artist?

Well of course that's a great question and one that I've been searching to answer myself for a number of years.

Many of my own accomplishments and achievements have come about by studying from some of the worlds most influential, Kuk Sool Master’s, personal development guru’s, attending seminars, reading books, and listening to endless CD's and tapes.

Well of course learning and collecting all this material is just fine, however I personally believe that a vital element in achieving success is by practising and applying the specific information that you collect. – Just gathering the knowledge is not enough; applying the knowledge is the real key.

When success is often mentioned it’s interesting to discover how people’s definition differs greatly, what might be considered accomplishment for one person, may be totally different for someone else.

One of the best definitions of success that I've come across is from the veteran speaker and author Earl Nightingale. Earl stated the following; “the essence of success is the progressive realization toward a note-worthy goal or destination”.

Isn't that great.

It has been said many times before, about the importance of having a clear vision or goal. So not only is it important to fix your vision, but to also plot your course, in other words - develop a specific plan or map for the journey ahead.

Part two - To follow shortly...

New Black Belts for 2008...

Congratulations to the following people who were promoted in 2008...

The following people were successful in gaining the rank of 1st degree black belt in May 2008, after at least four years of hard practice!

 

Congratulations!

The UK Championships 2008...

On Saturday 29^th November the UK Championships and Masters’ Exhibition was held at the North Solihull Sports & Leisure Centre, Birmingham.

We had a few competitors from both Halesworth and Lowestoft KSW Schools compete, with several gold and silver medals being won.

The students who entered are as follows;

Lowestoft

 

JKN Tom Collis, Tom Bennett (above) Tony Williams (above)

Halesworth

Andrej Marinak, KSN Lee Clewer, PSBN Matthew Ball.

We also had several new promotions from our schools – Congratulations to;

JKN Adam Elliston (above Lowestoft)

KSN Lee Clewer (Halesworth)

KSN Stephen Runnacles (Halesworth)

PSBN Caron Betts (Halesworth)

PSBN Dave Fulcher (Halesworth)

Balancing Act

With all the trials and tribulations that the everyday can throw at you; it’s not overly surprising that it can often feel that ‘life happens to us’.

How many of us go through this life being buffeted and pulled from pillar to post like so many pooh sticks dropped from a child’s hand into the water and carried away to who knows where upon the current.

If you’re happy for your life to be a never ending series of kneejerk reaction to external stimuli; then I wish you ‘every happiness’ that you may chance upon.
I would rather have some input in to what tomorrow could hold.

We have homes, we have bills, we have relationships, etc, etc. We are all guilty of focusing on one part or other to the detriment of something else.

To be happy it would seem that the sensible thing would be to have balance in our lives and all its aspects. ‘Easier said the done’; I hear you cry in indignation; just so. Who ever told you that attaining and maintaining balance was going to be an easy ride?

As Kuk Sool Won Practitioners you should understand this better than most. Our whole martial art system is built around the central tenet of balance and the journey to find it.

The Korean flag (taegukki) symbolises the origins of all things in the universe from the individual to the divine. Perfect harmony and balance a continuous moving sphere of infinity, resulting in one, a whole; greater than its parts.

Slow and fast, hard and soft, active and passive, offence and defence, you can see how it continually comes back to balance.

So here’s an exercise for you next time you’re training and you find yourself huffing and puffing your way through a class; turn your thoughts inwards and try to balance the physicality of the body with a stillness of the spirit. You may experience nothing at first, but stick with it................it is more than worth the effort. Balance is not static; it is dynamic.

Once you begin to bring things into balance, you’ll find that rather than life happening to you; you’ll happen to life.

PSBN Kevin.

Goodbye to our students and friends...

 

It is always nice when we get new students joining Kuk Sool, but on the other hand we are always disappointed when students decide to leave.

Last month we were all very sad at the Lowestoft School to see Tom & Olivia Blake return back to Australia. Tom had just achieved two black stripes on his brown belt and Olivia had just obtained her first.

Also departing our shores, Elise and Justine Peyry, who have gone to live in France for four months. Elise and Justine had also reached the level of brown belt and again will be sadly missed.

At the Halesworth school we were also sad to see Andrey Marinak return to his native land of Slovakia. Andrey was very sorry to say goodbye to all his good friends at Halesworth.

He recently took part in the tournament at Birmingham and was pleased to have won his first Kuk Sool medal.