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01/26/2013: "Some thoughts for the road ahead"

I had learned from Mr. Miyagi not to be disappointed because students quit and some do so quickly. He was absolutely right when he said some are not meant to practice karate, because of the strict discipline and its demands. Learning is more than mere repetition of movements. There is a joining and maturing of the body, mind and spirit, and it takes the combined elements of all three to be a true practitioner of the art. The skills and discipline are much more than physical exercise. One can exercise by weight lifting or running. Yet even to do those things correctly and regularly requires discipline and spirit. Learning karate, or any martial art, requires a commitment of complete focus to master even the basics, because the basics are the building blocks for what must be accomplished on the road ahead.

- Jim Lilley, Mr. Miyagi and Me

Lilley Sensei is a 9th dan in Shorin Ryu, and an old friend of Ju-Jitsu Dojo of Columbia. The book is a tribute to his teacher of many decades.