Sisyphus and squidward

There are many types of people who will quit on their way to Black Belt. I want to focus on two of them.

Let’s call our first student Sisyphus. It’s a Greek name; don’t stress too much about it. Well, Sisyphus is a hard working student. Every time he comes into the dojo, he puts in the work. He doesn’t complain. He listens. He tries his best. But Sisyphus has a serious problem with attendance. And it doesn’t matter how much he tries when he shows up to the dojo, because he’s missing more classes than he attends. He’ll learn an entire kata in one day, but by the time he’s back at the dojo, he just has to learn it all over again, because he isn’t consistent enough to retain the information.

Now let’s look at our second student. We’ll call him Squidward. It’s a Bikini Bottom name; don’t stress too much about it. Well, Squidward shows up for his classes. Every time. But he’s got absolutely no fire in him. He bows in, goes through the motions, and bows out. He never pushes himself. He’s no stranger to murmuring, whining, complaining, and excuse-making. The bare minimum is the best you can hope for from him. At worst, his attitude drags others down, and makes life more difficult for the teachers. If enthusiasm were food, this guy would be starving to death.

These two students are walking wildly different paths, but if they don’t change their ways, neither of them will end up with a Black Belt at Tiger Den Dojo. Experience tells me that Sisyphus will eventually realize that he isn’t making any progress. He’ll stall out, and eventually, he’ll quit. Squidward already doesn’t like karate very much, or he sure doesn’t act like it. One day, he’ll realize that the bare minimum isn’t going to be enough to get him any further. He’ll quit too.

Both of them will leave the dojo without living up to their potential. Because it isn’t enough to just be physically present during class time. It also isn’t enough to try your best if that effort is too sporadic. There’s only one way to get to Black Belt in this dojo. At some point or another, you have to show that you can be consistent AND diligent. You’ve got to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude.

This goes for our assistant instructors as well. Those who get the MOST out of assisting aren’t just those who show up. They are the ones who make a commitment to show up, then give it their all when teaching. They try new techniques. They learn student’s names. They work hard to keep excitement in the air. They make the most out of every time they teach, because they know it’s about more than assisting and giving back; it’s also one of the best ways for them to review.

You get out of this dojo what you put into it. If you want good results that don’t last, put in inconsistent effort like our friend Sisyphus. If you want something that will pass the time, but will force you to watch others pass you in rank, act like Squidward. 
But if you want something more, don’t act like either of those fools. Act like a Black Belt, and one day you’ll become one.