Seven Times Down, Eight Times Up

There is an old saying which embodies the non-quitting spirit of Seido Karate. It is "Seven times down, eight times up." The basic meaning of this phrase is no matter how many times you fall down, fail, or something bad happens, you have to get up and try again. This idea is very applicable to my training in several ways. Recently I injured both of my legs and knees which makes any sort of training that involves kicks or movements or even practicing my kata impossible until they're healed. In many instances this sort of injury makes people stop training altogether until the injury goes away, but I have not stopped. Instead of moving around or really working on my stances and kicks, I still continue to train my hand techniques such as my blocks or strikes. Another way I apply this idea to my training is to not quit even though I am not so successful during my sparring sessions. I often get tagged but I never stop just because I am unsuccessful.

I have read about situations like mine, when a person is injured, several times in Kaicho Nakamura's books. He writes that if you injure your arms then you work your legs and stances while not using your arms, giving time to allow your arms to heal, and vice versa. Not quitting or resigning yourself to failure is also one of the core values taught in my Karate class. Many times at my promotion exams, my teachers purposefully confused everyone who was testing and only told them to never give up and to keep trying until they get it right. Other times when people are injured, my teachers modify what they tell them to do to allow them to participate in class and work on their form and technique despite their injury. In this way, the development of one's spirit is emphasized more than technique or strength.