Patience and its applications to Karate

Frustration can cloud our water

I recently had an experience that drove home the importance of patience in studying karate. As part of my job as an IT administrator, from time to time I have to take apart desks and repair wiring. There was one desk in particular that I found impossible to disassemble. Most of the bolts were stripped and required multiple tools to remove them.

As I painstakingly attempted to take the desk apart I became increasingly frustrated with unscrewing the bolts and various parts. I became more and more frustrated with each passing second. I was so frustrated after an hour had passed that I had to step away from the project. The experience was of great concern to me. I have rarely lost my patience over such an arbitrary thing. Why did I get so frustrated so easily? How can I keep myself from letting this occur in other areas of my life?

Frustration can also occur during the process of learning a martial art like karate. Maybe it has to with the process of learning a kata, or practicing a self-defense technique. It takes a great deal of time and physical ability to learn karate. Frustration and anger can cloud our minds and influence our judgment. Martial artists need to look at things objectively and reflect on their own behavior.

How we deal with frustration and conflict helps us to effectively manage it. The first step to overcoming something that is frustrating or difficult is acknowledging what is bothering you. Then, put the question at the back of your mind and step away for a moment.

In order to find answers we must reach a calm peaceful place, this is where our minds are the most clear and effective. Here is where we locate the stressor or cause of our frustration. The important thing is to hold out, to endure, and to realize that it takes time for things to settle out. But eventually, everything changes, the pain ends, and the direction to move in becomes clear.

Most easterners do not take the time to let the answer become clear as we live in a fast paced society that functions on instant gratification. We have to put aside our habitual methods of rushed decision making and relax. When it comes to important decisions we must let the mud settle to the bottom of our water as it is explained this old Taoist metaphor:

Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?
The Master doesn't seek fulfillment, but not seeking, not expecting,
is present, and can welcome all things.
-Tao Teh Ching, Lao Tzu

Frustration can cloud our water. We cannot function or achieve anywhere as much when we are frustrated than when we are calm or at peace with ourselves. It is very difficult at times to take that step back, but in time the answers will become clear.

With regard to the desk, it turned out that we needed a sawzall to cut off one of the bolts that was holding the desk together. Although it required a large power tool, I did eventually solve the problem. The truth was, if I had not taken the time to step back and let the answer come to me, I would still be trying to remove the bolts from that desk.