Indomitable Spirit

by Mr. Harkner, Cho Dan

When we all begin our journey in Tang Soo Do, we are taught the seven tenants. All of which are extremely important if we are to succeed and not stray in our path to Tang Soo Do Masters. The seventh Tenant (Indomitable Spirit) has taken on a special meaning to me in the last two years of my training. In the fall of 2002 at the World Championships in Orlando Florida I injured my knee. I have always considered myself a healthy person and have never had any type of injury that limited my physical activities before. Upon completion of my surgery, I had about 3 months of intensive rehabilitation ahead of me and restrictions as to how much I could participate in strenuous physical activities for an undetermined amount of time. In each of our journeys in Tang Soo Do, we come to a point at which we realize that we become complacent at where we are at. That's not to say that we do not want to advance but we need to dig down deep to push ourselves to get to that next level. You ask yourself "do I want it and more importantly what will I sacrifice to get what I want?"

At this point in my martial arts career, I had already achieved 1st Dan and was receiving pressure from outside sources saying that I was too old. Karate is a young mans game. What is another stripe on your belt? You already are a Black Belt... what more do you want? All of this weighs on your mind while you are sitting on the couch with an injury, in pain thinking both out loud and to yourself... "are they right? Am I "too old?" Should I take up a lower impact sport like crocheting? Among the pain of rehabilitation and the days off of work, I began to talk myself into thinking that it might not be in my best interest to continue my journey. After all, it has already been 2 weeks since I have attended class because of my surgery. Then three weeks and then four weeks have gone by. "What is number 1 ATKI One Step Punches? I can't even remember... hey Oprah is on and then comes Springer.... can't miss Springer." It became easier and easier with each passing day to think of an excuse why I don't have time to even go down to the Do Jang to watch a class. After about 5 weeks of my drastic change in thinking, I was on my way into my bedroom for my mid-morning nap and spied my Dan Manual on my dresser under a protective layer of dust. Under it was my Gup Manual. Out of boredom and a strange curiosity that I can not explain I picked it up and began to read it. I got to the Seven Tenants and read them aloud. When I reached number seven, I felt a knot in my stomach and in my throat that I cannot describe. Indomitable Spirit? Do I have it? Where did it go? Have I been beaten? I was allowing a physical setback determine my future. I have spent countless hours of blood, sweat and tears in achieving my Black Belt to go down the tubes because of a little more blood, sweat and tears. Have I reached my breaking point? Was I giving up just like that?

Master Schmitt tells us from day one that "A Black Belt is a 10th Gup that never gave up." I have come too far and sacrificed way too much to "roll over" and feel sorry for myself and quit. After all, that is what I was doing. This was not about Master Schmitt or Mr. Maki, this was about me. I was not letting anyone else down but myself. Right then and there, I said to myself "no more excuses." That night I went back to the Do Jang and never looked back.

We read these Tenants to ourselves and know that it is a way to not only think of Tang Soo Do but a way to think about life. We are supposed to internalize them and live by them. That is what separates Tang Soo Do practitioners and Black Belts from ordinary people on the street. If it were easy to achieve a Black Belt in the ATKI then why are there only about 40 pictures of Black Belts hung around the Dubuque Karate Club? The answer is those are just 10th Gups that never gave up. They much discovered that Indomitable Spirit deep inside themselves that not everyone has. Everyone would like to think that they have this Spirit I speak of but until adversity stares them in the face it is then and only then that you really know how you are going to react. You have to make a decision. "Do I push through the wall or do I let the wall stop me?" I challenge all that read this to not give up. No matter if your "wall" is your first tournament or your last injury, dig deep and never give up! Develop your Indomitable Spirit. Know what you want and never give up.

Tang Soo