The Philosophy of Excellence

Remember, we cannot be consistently excellent, until we have learned and habituated those things that allow us to reveal our excellence.

The acquisition of new skills is never easy, often marked with pain and even moments of despair. It will always comes in its own sweet time and slower than you want.

In traditional jui-jitsu, there is only one belt. White. The White belt is envious of the black belt, because they wish for the coveted belt, but they do not see that it takes the blood, sweat and grime of time apprenticed that literally turns a piece of White material black with use. White belt to black. Only through time and hard graft.

It will be easier to give in, return to old bad habits and settle for mediocrity than staying the course. It will be easier to pack it all in, blame everything and anyone but not yourself.

Your character is measured by how your inner self struggles with the external forces of life.

Working towards the goal of excellence will tire you, may often reward you only to punish you when you think you’ve succeeded.

As Kipling wrote “if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.” Success and failure have no power over you that you do not give them. You do not succeed because you deserve it, nor do you fail for the same reason.

At the end of each encounter, each scene you must ask yourself honestly, did I prepare myself sufficient to the task? The lesson, good or bad springs from there.