The Karate Kid

I haven't been to training for over a week and then I returned last night. I was reminded how much I enjoy and get out of doing karate.

I originally started training to motivate my child but she stopped and I decided to carry on. It is interesting how going to the dojo is like being at home, my karate home.

Many people think knowing karate means you are trained to hurt, be violent, possibly dangerous but it is not true. Knowing karate means you have skills to defend yourself, have self control and able to walk away from a fight instead of starting one.

In the dojo, even though we are all different ranks, we are all equals. We do not train to learn to fight against each other but to help and push each other to become better people, train harder and sweat more.

A lot of people also think that karate has a religious base to it but it doesn't. Yes, we do have a bowing ceremony but it has nothing to do with religion. One of the top rules, if not the number one rule, is courtesy and respect. We do the bowing ceremony to show respect for our dojo, our sensei/sempai and our fellow trainees. We meditate to block out the outside world and ready ourselves for training. It is also to greet each other.

It also interests me how close we become as friends during training as well as after training. We just know that we are all there to help the next person leave training a better, stronger person. We are so proud of each other when we grade to the next colour belt as we have all helped each other get there.

The aim of karate is not to learn to fight but to have self control, respect, integrity and to have these traits in yourself, in others and also to take the principles from the dojo to the outside world.

Karate is not a sport, it's an art, not violent but can be life changing.

Dressing the right way!

Mind your Mind

(Helmet of Salvation)

Accept God's salvation as your helmet and wear it always. His salvation will help you understand and keep His word in the front of your mind. Always keep it on to protect your mind from evil's tricks and impure thoughts. Never forget his lessons, blessings and Word. Our brain sends messages to the rest of our body and if your mind is filled with God's love, your body will follow.

Pure mind leads to a pure body 

 

 

Goodness Me!

(Breastplate of Righteousness)

A breastplate covers our vital organs and that's why God wants us to  try to always have  goodness in us and wants us to always have the desire to do what's right. It makes me wonder why we often get a "nervous" feeling in the pit of our stomach when we are going to do or say something that we know is not good or morally right for us. 

Be good, be righteous

 

 

Guard your heart and soul

(Shield of Faith)

  The closer we stay to God the more and more the Holy Spirit fills our heart and soul. The Holy Spirit is our shield of faith. It helps us grow our faith which in turns gives us the strength to keep evil away.

Our faith + God's shield  = Safety

 Hold your pants up

(Belt of Truth)

A belt has an important job to do. It holds our pants up so we don't trip over the hems, so our pants don't fall down and cause humiliation. The belt of truth allows us to walk confidently and strong but also by us always telling the truth there is less chance for us to fall down or trip and be embarrassed by hiding behind lies. So every time you adjust the belt, tug on the buckle......remember....

Honesty is the best policy!

Walk in my shoes

(Shoes)

The Lord has placed shoes that he has created on our feet so we can walk in peace. When we follow the Lord's guidance and path he set out for us, we receive His gift of feeling peace as we following our purpose in life. Wearing the shoes the Lord created also gives us the strength to walk in another person's shoes which helps us to find peace among our trials and troubles while understanding another person's.

No matter the shoes you wear, God will always give you peace.

Weapon of Choice

(Sword of the Spirit)

When we think of swords, we often think of knights, wars, battlefields and even a way to protect. Our bible is our sword, our protection and source of knowledge. Reading God's Word gives us power by learning and understanding from history. The Bible also gives us the tools to live the life intended for us, and when we keep it close, we are able to also spread His Word to others. Our bible can help us in times of personal war, experiencing troubles and amongst our private battlefields.

 Knowledge is power and Learning is a blessing!

God has covered us from head to toe in his armor. It is up to us to wear it proudly and share it with others.

Ephesians 6: 10 - 17