Excellence is not an action, it is a habit

by Tammy Parlour, TKD & Korean Martial Arts Magazine, September 1996

During the summer months, or possibly after a grading, you often see a drop in attendance at classes. The fact is, warm weather is very good at drawing people outdoors for a game of football! As their excuse, students will variously claim that it is too hot/cold. If this is the case, when exactly is it time to practice?

Gedo Chang (8th dan Hapkido) believes that alowing factors like the weather to dictate your training schedule shows a level of immaturity which is incompatible with serious martial practice.

If we truly wish to become expert martial artists, then we must never lose focus and allow ourselves to be controlled by circumstance. The expert martial artist will always be disciplined, never permitting circumstance to divert him.

Through discipline, we take control of our lives. Total obediance to the instructor plus the traditional etiquette of bowing to the flags and instructor are ways through which we defeat our ego.

Only by defeating our ego do we open up our true self to the unlimited potential within. When we succeed in uncovering our true potential (ki) we realise that it is we who control and create each situation, not circumnstances controlling us. Through this realisation comes confidence and self-esteem.

Master Chang often reminds his students that "Excellence is not an action. Excellence is a habit!" Discipline creates habits which in turn lead to excellence.